While manyvideo games are exclusively tied to certain consoles, others take advantage of reaching larger audiences by making their titles cross-compatible. Some developers go as far as providing ports of their games to Android and iOS devices likeGrand Theft Auto: San AndreasorGenshin Impact. With that comes the need to add or remove certain aspects of the game to fit what the device is capable of, which sometimes changes age ratings.
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This happened a lot when major games were adapted to smaller consoles like the Nintendo DS back in the day. As a result, many titles have received different age ratings across multiple platforms. Even some old classics revived on the Nintendo Switch Virtual Console have gotten strange age ratings across the board, with some being both available to all ages and restricted with a mature rating.
7Among Us
First released in 2018,Among Ushas become one of the most popularfree-to-play online games.With a simple premise of finding imposters in a small space, it has a wide range of appeal and can host up to fifteen players at a time. But as the game is online and includes in-game and voice chat, in addition to in-game purchases, the age ratings vary across platforms.
On consoles and Android,Among Usisrated by the ESRB as E10+for “fantasy violence” and “mild blood.” But on iOS,players have to be 9+ years oldto play the game, while on Steam, there’sno age rating on the game page. But players need to be at least 13 years old to create an account on Steam, so there’s an age limit in place.
6X-Men Origins: Wolverine
X-Men Origins: Wolverineisa hack-and-slash game based on the 2009 filmthat was released simultaneously. Players were spoilt for choice when playingX-Men Origins: Wolverineon different consoles, particularly as three different versions of the game were released.
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The standard version for PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii wererated by the ESRB as Tfor “blood, mild language, tobacco reference, and violence." Then there was the “Uncaged” version released for PS3, Xbox 360, and PCrated M for “blood, gore, intense violence, and language.”
X-Men Origins: Wolverinewas also available to play on the Nintendo DS,rated E10+for “fantasy violence and language.” In this version,players explore platform environments as Wolverinecompared to the third-person perspectives of the console games.
5The Amazing Spider-Man 2
The Amazing Spider-Man 2is an open-world game based on the film of the same namestarring Andrew Garfield. Released in 2014,The Amazing Spider-Man 2was released on major consoles, including PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, and PC, as well as the Nintendo 3DS. Depending on the platform, the gameplay mechanics and age ratings change.
Whilethe ESRB rated the game as Tfor “mild blood, mild suggestive themes, and violence” for most consoles, it wasrated an E10+ rating on the Nintendo 3DSfor “mild violence.” In this version, the gameplay differs substantially but features the same plot, voice-overs, and similar level designs as the other gamesunderThe Amazing Spider-Manumbrella.
4PUBG: Battlegrounds
The battle royale gamePlayerUnknown’s Battlegroundsis available on various platforms and has been free to play since January 2022. On PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo systems,PlayerUnknown’s Battlegroundsisrated T by the ESRBfor “blood and violence.”
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As forPUBG: Mobile, a version of the game adapted to Android and iOS devices, it remains aT-rated game on Android. However,PUBG: Mobileisrated 12+ on iOS.
3EarthBound
Initiallyreleased in 1995 on the SNES,EarthBoundis the second entry in the JapaneseMotherseries. The sequel takes place in the fictional country of Eagleland, where players take on the character of Ness, who investigates a mysterious meteorite crash that unleashes an alien force that turns living creatures on Earth against each other.
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EarthBoundwasrated E by the ESRBwhen it first came out. But when it became available to play on the Wii U and Nintendo Switch Virtual Consoles,the ESRB upped the rating to Tfor “fantasy violence, mild blood, suggestive themes, and crude humor.”
2Rango
A video game sequel to the 2011 film,Rangofollows the titular stranded pet chameleon as he tries to find his girlfriend’s missing father, Bean. It’s a relatively short game but expands upon the story of the animated film and features an abundance of familiar characters.
Rangowas released around the same time as the film and was available to play on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and Nintendo DS. On the main three consoles,the game was rated E10+ by the ESRBfor “cartoon violence” and “mild language.” But the DS versionwas rated Eas it doesn’t include “mild language.”
1X-Men: Destiny
Released in 2011,X-Men: Destinyis an RPG written by Mike Carey, a featured writer onX-Men: Legacy. The game was developed by Activision for the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and Nintendo DS andfeatured three new mutants for the player to controland appearances from familiar faces.
When the game was released, the console versions ofX-Men: Destinywererated T by the ESRBfor “mild language, mild suggestive themes, and violence.” In contrast,the DS version was rated E10+for “fantasy, violence, and mild suggestive themes.”
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