NES Maniac Mansion director talks about Nintendo censorship

[mydjsobad]

http://www.crockford.com/wrrrld/maniac.html

Saw this on Kotaku this morning, it was a pretty good read. Doesn't really tell too much that we don't already know about Nintendo's censorship rules in the 80's/90's. It's just cool reading about it from a developer's standpoint.

[IronBuddha]

Good read. I've read other articles explaining the differences so this was something I've already heard of.

The one thing I've read somewhere the director didn't mention was the hamster trick isn't on every copy of maniac mansion, only like the first 1000 copies.

[Superman]

That was a good read.

Like most, I have seen this information, but it was good to see it in a list form, along with some screenshots.

I also liked hearing the information from the developers and finding out their reasons for why certain things were in the game.

[mailman187666]

it kinda makes me wonder how the NES would have been if the developers didn't have to edit so much of the games.

[rbudrick]

Is there any way to tell from the outside which versions of Maniac Mansion allow the microwaveable hamster?

-ROb

[Jorpho]

Rather old news, that article. The uncensored prototype was also unearthed a number of years ago (and subsequently dumped by TheRedEye and company (http://www.lostlevels.org)).

[bangtango]

Is there any way to tell from the outside which versions of Maniac Mansion allow the microwaveable hamster?

-ROb

I might be wrong but from what I have heard on this forum and a few others is that every single copy of NES Maniac Mansion lets you cook the hamster. So the "urban legend" of later copies not letting you do it is simply that, an urban legend.

Perhaps the trick would have been removed if further copies were manufactured but I'd say they stopped somewhere, meaning that all copies out there let you do it. But I prefer to let the MM/NES experts officially confirm or deny this.

As Jorpho says, the article is old news. Someone posted a link to it here a year or two back. Wonder why Kotaku was so late getting to it.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Great read!

Maniac Mansion and Zak McKracken = some of the best 8-bit game theme songs of their generation imo.

[IronBuddha]

I might be wrong but from what I have heard on this forum and a few others is that every single copy of NES Maniac Mansion lets you cook the hamster. So the "urban legend" of later copies not letting you do it is simply that, an urban legend.

Perhaps the trick would have been removed if further copies were manufactured but I'd say they stopped somewhere, meaning that all copies out there let you do it. But I prefer to let the MM/NES experts officially confirm or deny this.

As Jorpho says, the article is old news. Someone posted a link to it here a year or two back. Wonder why Kotaku was so late getting to it.


I should have sworn I've seen the edited one but it was so long ago not I'm sure if it was edited or if I just had the wrong person do it maybe? It says only 2 of them can do it. I'd definitely like to see something official on that cause if there is another version I'd like to get my hands on it.

[Ed Oscuro]

Funny thing when he says you need to "re-shoot" a film to go from Beta to VHS. I thought "you just need to transfer it...and on MM you naturally needed to remake all the graphics for the NES." Well, he addressed that point on the next line! This guy's no slacker. Great read.

[digitpress Jim]

Awesome read! I always love reading behind the scenes stories like these. It was great getting to read some of the letter that Nintendo had sent with what they felt was inapproiate content.

Digitpress Jim

[exit]

I might be wrong but from what I have heard on this forum and a few others is that every single copy of NES Maniac Mansion lets you cook the hamster. So the "urban legend" of later copies not letting you do it is simply that, an urban legend.

That's not true at all my friend, there are copies out there that do not let you cook the hamster. It think it may only be in the E version tho, but I'm not sure about that one.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c220/neuan/Image1.jpg

[Kitsune Sniper]

I thought PAL versions were the ones that didn't have the hamster scene in. Maybe I was wrong.

[UniHamachi]

I laughed out loud at this part:


Nintendo's minions said we could keep the statue if we did something about the crotch. But if they could see pubic hair where there is none, what would they see if we tried to hide it?

We removed the statue.

[Pantechnicon]

Very interesting read. I know so little about the history in this era...

What I didn't ascertain from the article, and what I'd like to know, was whether these censorship strictures were mandated by Nintendo of Japan or by Nintendo of America? I mean...they seem so restrictive, so afraid of being subversive, yet this doesn't jibe with the Japanese game manufacturers' seeming acceptance of all sorts of innuendo, violence etc in games for kids. Was this the result of cautious marketing/cultural sensitivity (to the point of being condescending) on the part of the Nintendo's Japanese parent division, or was there just some purtianical faction inside of NoA who was easily freaked out?

[bangtango]

That's not true at all my friend, there are copies out there that do not let you cook the hamster. It think it may only be in the E version tho, but I'm not sure about that one.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c220/neuan/Image1.jpg

+


I thought PAL versions were the ones that didn't have the hamster scene in. Maybe I was wrong.

The rarity guide here says all of the NTSC versions let you do it and the PAL ones don't. Here is the direct quote.

"Tell Sid or Razor to put the hamster in the microwave oven, then cook it! This trick was allegedly taken out of later carts by Jaleco, but all NTSC carts still let you do it (PAL ones don't)."


So I guess I am partially right. I believe that explanation because I have had roughly 12 different NTSC carts of Maniac Mansion pass through my hands, since the early 1990's, and all of them let you cook the hamster.