Summary
The console wars have led to fans having to make some interesting decisions when it comes to their video games. Each console tends to have its own advantages and areas where it differentiates itself from the competition.Nintendois a company that skews more towards innovation and creative gameplay over more advanced processing power, especially in recent years.
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Another area in which Nintendo has stood out from the rest of the pack is its more family-friendly image. This doesn’t mean that more mature games are impossible on Nintendo consoles, but they’re certainly more uncommon. Accordingly, here are some of the most mature games released on Nintendo consoles.
Updated July 30, 2025 by Mark Sammut:Nintendo is synonymous with family-friendly entertainment, but exceptions always exist. In recent times, the Japanese company seems to have grown more willing to allowadult games on Nintendoconsoles, at least within reason.
18The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition
In this case, the most impressive thing is that, somehow, CD Projekt Red gotThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntrunning on the Nintendo Switch. One of the best RPGs of the eighth console generation,The Witcher 3brings Geralt’s story to a close in spectacular fashion.
With intelligent writing,great side quests, and an expansive world ripe for exploration, this game is considered a masterpiece for good reason. The Switch version is not the ideal way to experienceThe Witcher 3but the fact it is a possibility is nothing short of amazing.
17Doom
While this entry specifically calls out 2016’sDoom, it can be considered a placeholder for any entry from the franchise.Doom EternalandDoom 64are also great picks. The Doom Slayer returned to prominence in a big way through id Software’s soft reboot of the series.
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Gory kills, aggressive enemies, and satisfying combat defineDoom. This is a first-person shooter that devotes itself entirely to its gameplay, offering wave after wave of demons for the player to mow through with stylish efficiency.
16Sakura Succubus Games
Somehow, the Nintendo Switch has become a great console to experience theSakurafranchise. For the uninitiated, this series consists of short visual novels that lean very heavily into fan service, although they typically fall short of showing anything too graphic. A sub-series,Sakura Succubusconsists of five games that drop players into a harem where they can live out their anime fantasies.
Compared to some other visual novels,Sakurais rather tame, which is why its games tend to struggle to make a splash on a platform like Steam. However, they stick out on the Nintendo eShop.
15Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition
Prior toGrand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, Rockstar’s franchise had yet to release one of its 3D open-world entries on a Nintendo console. This trend persisted for multiple hardware generations, and it started to seem like Rockstar had no intention of ever crossing that line. Then,GTA 3,Vice City, andSan Andreasmade their way to the Switch in one neat little package.
Unfortunately,Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Editionlaunched with plenty of problems and wound up being a mess. Still, Nintendo fans finally have the option to try a mainline 3DGTAgame.
14Max Payne
AMax Paynegame has yet to be released on a Nintendo home console, andRemedy’s upcoming remakeis not set to change that. Despite that fact, the firstMax Paynewas adapted for the Game Boy Advance in 2003, and this iteration is surprisingly faithful to the original game.
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Played from an isometric perspective,Max Payneon the GBA retains most of the features and story beats found in the home console versions. While not the best way to experience this tale, the Nintendo port is a competent alternative that, frankly, has no reason to exist.
13Mortal Kombat 11
Ever since its debut,Mortal Kombathas publicly represented “Mature” games. It is the first franchise that tends to pop into the minds of people when violent, bloody games are discussed. While Nintendo used to be quite welcoming of the franchise around the turn of the century,Mortal Kombat 11was the first main entry to appear on one of the company’s systems for over a decade.
Naturally, concessions had to be made to getMortal Kombat 11running on the Switch, with the visuals and effects being considerably worse than on other consoles. However, the combat is still fun and gory.
12Narc
Quaint as it might seem nowadays,Narcwas a huge deal back in the last ’80s. An arcade title that eventually found its way onto the NES,Narcfollows two agents as they work their way through a drug cartel, arresting and shooting enemies along the way.
Along with its mature themes,Narcwas very violent for the era, even featuring blood. The NES version reduced quite a bit of the drug references but kept the rest of the game mostly intact.
Conker’s Bad Fur Dayis a particularly unique case because it takes a cute and adorable character and then gives them a major attitude adjustment and throws them into a world that’s saturated in violence and sex. Not many Nintendo 64 games begin with a cinematic that referencesSaving Private RyanandA Clockwork Orange.
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It’s a strange change of pace for Rare, but one of the best decisions that they made. The Nintendo 64 had very few M-rated games, so a title likeConker’s Bad Fur Dayreally stands out.
10Chiller
Back in the late ’80s, there was a strange lawlessness to video games, largely because the limitations of the hardware acted as a form of censorship in and of itself.Chillerstarted as an arcade game but received an unlicensed port for the original Nintendo and even morbidly made use of the NES Zapper.
Chillerfeatures bloody torture chambers, desecrated graveyards, and a shocking amount of dismemberment and deaths.Chilleris an offensive relic of its time that ruffled feathers back when it came out, but it’s become an odd piece of history and easily the NES' most mature game.
9Bully: Scholarship Edition
Rockstar has become notable for itsviolent open sandbox gamesthat push boundaries and make headlines. Most of Rockstar’s efforts are set in aggressive environments that justify their violence, butBullyis a controversial detour because it centers around teenagers at a boarding school.
Bullyfeatures a lot of the same tricks and ideas that are found inGrand Theft Autoand Rockstar’s other big series. However, sinceBullyputs that aggression behind a young protagonist, it’s particularly risky.Bullydidn’t debut on the Wii, but it definitely turned some heads when it got ported to the console.
