Super Mario Odyssey has received its official age rating, with the ESRB branding the upcoming Nintendo Switch game E10+, meaning that it isn’t recommended for children under 10 years old.
The surprising news means that Super Mario Odyssey will be the first mainline Mario game to be deemed not suitable for players of all ages, and players are already scratching their heads over what Nintendo could have inserted into the game to lead to the E10+ rating. The new classification is visible on Super Mario Odyssey‘s official page on the official Nintendo site, though there’s no further information has been made available.
As noted by Go Nintendo, Mario spin-off titles such as the Mario & Sonic games have been given the rating before, but this is the first time that an entry in the core Mario franchise has been given anything other than an E for Everyone rating.
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There are a couple of theories as to why Super Mario Odyssey has been given the E10+ rating: the first is that the game’s inclusion of New Donk City, a more realistic setting that features actual humans, cars, sidewalks and skyscrapers, may feature some more realistic perils for Mario that could be deemed unsuitable for younger kids. Then there’s the possibility that it could be the result of a reference to alcohol, with Peach’s unwilling marriage to Bowser perhaps featuring a champagne toast at some point. However, the Australian classification for the game lists mild violence and themes as a reason behind its PG rating in the region, so maybe Super Mario Odyssey will be a slightly darker adventure for the plumber.
Super Mario Odyssey is set to release on the Nintendo Switch on October 27, 2017.
