According to PEGI’s guidelines, a game rated as suitable for all persons (PEGI 3) should be free of all objectionable content, except for the possibility of very mild violence towards cartoon-like characters.
In fact, it isn’t until the PEGI 12 category that “Sexual images and/or sexual innuendo” are allowed at all. However, it seems that PEGI can be very lenient or naive when it comes to what constitutes as sexual innuendo, as the examples in this blog represent. It’s quite interesting that PEGI will let so much risque content go with an all-ages rating while a single use of ‘hell’ or ‘crap’ can bump a game up to a PEGI 12 rating.
My last blog post was about the Simple 2000 games and their devious sexual undertones somehow slipping by with a 3+ rating; these are more mainstream titles that the average consumer is likely familiar with and were rated as higher outside of Europe.
Cel Damage HD
PEGI 7: “Non-realistic looking violence towards fantasy characters”
ESRB: T for Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes, Mild Language, Crude Humor
The original release of this game in 2002 was actually 3+ by PEGI (by comparison, the ELSPA gave it an 11+), which means that PEGI did look at the game again for the HD version and determined “Hey, there’s a bit of fantasy violence here we just kinda ignored before.”
However, in both reviews of the game, PEGI somehow completely missed a character whose name is literally Dominique Trix. Playing as her and any related dialogue to the character is obviously full of suggestive references. There’s also a weasel character who makes some cheeky innuendoes, with one-liners such as “Wanna touch my weasel?” and “Wanna hug my moobs?”.
Just Dance 2018
PEGI 3
ESRB: E10+ for Lyrics
While almost all of the Just Dance games (with the exception of the Kids series, of course) has a song or two with a bit of cheeky innuendo that ESRB flags under “Lyrics” and PEGI downright ignores, Just Dance 2018 is significantly less censored than previous Just Dance games, and some pretty racy lyrics/dance moves made it through.
Britney Spears’ “Slumber Party”: “Sheets all on the floor just like an ocean/Building up your fortress like a mountain…’Cause we’ve got them candles hanging from the ceiling low/we use our bodies to make our own videos…Loving me so hard it’s causing trouble/if there’s seven minutes in heaven make it double, triple”
Ariana Grande’s “Side to Side”: (This song’s about getting banged so hard you can’t walk, but PEGI can’t necessarily flag or prove that. There’s plenty of other innuendoes though, especially in Nicki Minaj’s verse.) “Get you this type of blow/if you wanna Minaj (menage), I got a tricycle…rappers in they feelings cuz they feelin’ me”
Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You”: “Boy, let’s not talk too much/grab on my waist and put that body on me…Last night you were in my room/now my bedsheets smell like you/everything is covered in something brand new/I’m in love with your body”
Beyonce’s “Naughty Girl”: “I’m feelin’ sexy…I’m feelin’ kind of n-a-s-t-y, I might just take you home with me…I know you want my body…You’re so sexy/tonight I am all yours, boy…”
I don’t think that these lyrics, especially combined with “Naughty Girl”‘s more sensuous dance routine, should be ignored by PEGI/not have any information provided for parents. Though age-restricting a Just Dance game would likely upset Ubisoft…gee, if only there were a rating board with a better solution. (Say the BBFC’s PG rating?)
My email to PEGI about this game resulted in them re-checking the game and confirming that none of these lyrics constituted their definition of “sexual innuendo”, and that a child would be unlikely to understand them. “We use our bodies to make our own videos” could refer to a dance movie they’re making, for instance.”
Little King’s Story
PEGI 7: “Non-realistic looking violence towards fantasy characters – Violence that is not shown but is implied – Non-realistic looking violence towards characters which although human are not very detailed”
ESRB: T for Crude Humor, Mild Cartoon Violence, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol
There is a blatant line of innuendo in this mostly clean life simulation game that definitely shouldn’t have been ignored.
“Princess Spumoni is so kind; she let me go to town on that big mound of hers…If I tried to eat anymore of that ice cream, I would’ve exploded!”
“She let me go to town on that big mound of hers.” “Mound” is clearly being used as the slang term for the mons pubis, the rounded mass of fatty tissue above the female pubic bone. This line is about oral sex.
(And yet the sequel ended up as a PEGI 12 – E10+ by the ESRB – on account of some infrequent mild language.)
Puyo Puyo Tetris
PEGI 3
ESRB: E10+ for Comic Mischief, Mild Suggestive Themes
Most of this game is pretty clean. A number of people were bewildered when the ESRB rating was first released. A Tetris game with ‘mild suggestive themes’?
However, when the player gets to chapter 9 of the game, they’ll be hit with a truckload of innuendo at once, most of it coming from one poor misunderstood character.
“I prefer you to scream my name when we’re together.”
“I sense a hidden power deep, deep inside you. Give me what’s inside you!”
“Finally, you and I are going to score together!” “Um, you mean we’re going to rack up scores…battling?”
“I’ll help you wrestle that book cover to cover! And under the covers, too!”
“Are you bothering him?” “Of course not! I just want to examine him all over!”
“Insert whatever you’d like!”
…On second thought, this guy knows exactly what he’s doing.
Space Channel 5 Part 2
PEGI 7: “Non-realistic looking violence towards fantasy characters”
ESRB: T for Mild Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes
There are definitely some risque undertones present in this game.
For one thing, there are tentacles. Tentacles that jab at the main character’s midsection, as she moans and says “Ooh, not there!” and “Things are getting quite tingly in here!”.
The camera sometimes pans suggestively on characters’ bodies, and there’s a costume option in-game for a “Hard Core Sexy Suit”, with the description of “a risque suit if we’ve ever seen one. You might as well be a pinup!”
High Impact Classification 