Most Controversial Video Games

The games that caused a storm, made national press and were banned.

A lot of bad things go on in the world today, and the media is always looking for a scapegoat. Once upon a time it was film, then it was music, and now it's our beloved video games. Politicians and certain ill-educated members of the media will blame video games for anything they can, be it murder, rape or even seemingly unrelated diseases such as rickets. The list that follows is 10 of the most controversial games of all time, and the reasons they whipped up such a storm.

Mortal Kombat – SNES, Mega Drive

Before the processing power of the PSone and N64, violent video games were a rare breed. In this respect, you could consider Mortal Kombat a pioneer of video game violence. It featured realistic character models, devastating 'finisher' moves, and more blood than a slaughter house. It's widely accepted that the controversy surrounding the launch of the game was what prompted the formation of the ESRB.