NIS America have announced they had to censor a DLC boss in R-Type Final 2 in the west on Nintendo Switch, and US on PlayStation 4; citing “store policies.”
As spotted by Censored Gaming, NIS America announced the change along side the release of the Stage Pass Volume 2 DLC. Among the seven new stages, the final boss of Stage Y1.0 in DLC 4 has been modified for western release on some platforms.
“Please note that due to differing storefront policies in North America, the final boss within Stage Y1.0 in DLC Set 4 will differ slightly from the original Japanese release.” The game will remain uncensored on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 4 in the EU. It will be censored on PlayStation 4 in the US, and in the US and EU on Nintendo Switch.
So, what is it about this boss that has gotten everyone so hot and bothered? Check out the video below via Falco Lau, or even just look at the thumbnail.
For those who did not play the video, the boss appears to have a large fleshy shaft that ends in a throbbing pink tip. This shaft flops up and down, and other videos show the tip changes colors as it is damaged, until it is dark red. Based on the gameplay, it’s likely those playing early in the morning would need intense concentration; needing to use both hands to avoid flying balls and beating it down until it goes limp.
Some may be surprised Nintendo and Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) are being so rigid however, considering other games available on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.
The infamous Persona demon Mara appears in Persona 5 Strikers for example- which is on both aforementioned consoles along with Windows PC (via Steam). The creature has a phallic head, while the rest of its body is a shaft with tentacles sprouting from it- riding a golden chariot.
While Persona 5 Strikers is rated Mature 17+ by the ESRB (for Blood, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, and Violence), R-Type Final 2 is rated Everyone 10+ (Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence). While it could be both Nintendo and SIE fear the DLC will change the game’s rating, it has not yet been changed.
The “storefront policies” do not seem to apply to Xbox, suggesting these are purely the policies of Nintendo and SIE. The latter has been known to censor sexual content in games, usually games with an anime art style.
In late December 2018, SIE Japan Asia President Atsushi Morita stated the then recent spate of censorship of anime-styled sexual content on PlayStation 4 games had been “to meet global standards.” This censorship was seemingly forced in Japan; and led to Japanese developers to release on other platforms, or create different versions for PlayStation consoles.
R-Type Final 2 is available now on Windows PC (via the Epic Games Store, Steam, and GOG), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
