PlatinumGames Celebrates the Anniversary of MadWorld

While the Nintendo Switch has played host to a large number of mature games, the company struggled [...]

By Marc Deschamps

While the Nintendo Switch has played host to a large number of mature games, the company struggled for years to escape its "kiddie" image. As perhaps a result of that unfair stereotype, Nintendo had an equally difficult time getting third party publishers to release M-rated games on their consoles. One major exception was MadWorld, for the Nintendo Wii. Developed by PlatinumGames and published by Sega, MadWorld was a stark departure from the Wii's family friendly fare. Today marks the 11-year anniversary of that game's debut, and PlatinumGames has released new art of protagonist Jack Cayman to celebrate the occasion.

To the uninitiated, the art might look unfinished, but that's only because MadWorld employed a graphic style inspired by Frank Miller's Sin City, with just black, white, and red, throughout. In the game, Jack is a participant in the DeathWatch games, where contestants are forced to brutally kill one another in exchange for a chance to win big money. The concept is played humorously, as the game's hosts (voiced by Gregg Proops and John DiMaggio) encourage bigger and badder acts of violence, throughout.

At the time of its release, MadWorld's over-the-top violence resulted in condemnation from a number of groups, and even some industry pundits. Some even denounced Nintendo for allowing the game to appear on its console! Of course, these days, the game's violence wouldn't even register with most critics. In an industry that boasts more violent games than ever before, MadWorld doesn't look tame, but it certainly does look more acceptable than ever. What a difference 11 years makes!

With the recent success of Platinum's Kickstarter campaign for The Wonderful 101: Remastered, now would seem like the perfect time for MadWorld to return on modern day consoles. Like that particular game, MadWorld was hardly a sales success, but the game did receive strong critical acclaim across the board. It's long past time that gamers got a second chance to see what Jack Cayman can do.

Did you play MadWorld on Nintendo Wii? Would you be interested in a re-release of the game? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

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