20 Things Only ADULTS Notice in Nintendo Games

20 Things Only Adults Notice in Nintendo Games

Most Nintendo games have a reputation for being family friendly, but that doesn’t mean some more mature elements don’t slip through the cracks. Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at things only adults will notice in Nintendo games.

The Swordsman’s Request

“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000)

There are all kinds of masks that bring about different effects in “Majora’s Mask.” Outside of their normal uses, wearing them while talking to various NPCs will bring out different dialogue you wouldn’t normally get. The Great Fairy Mask is used to find lost fairies inside of dungeons. But if you wear it while talking to the Swordsman inside his Clock Town dojo, he’ll make his sensual thoughts known. He’ll claim its beauty is too distracting for him to teach you and request you leave it at home. Or, emphasis on the ellipsis, you can leave it with him. Something tells us whatever he plans to do would require the mask be thoroughly washed.

The PP Bridge

“Super Mario 3D World” (2013)

Mario is no stranger to hidden adult jokes or references, and this one stares you straight in the face. Bowser’s Castle in World 4 is, for the most part, what you expect: lots of fire, lava, and traps. However, at the very beginning, there are two giant P-buttons next to each other that players must press down to lower a bridge, leading to a Star on a platform in the lava. The switches, the bridge, and the platform unmistakably look like male genitalia. While younger players might not notice it, more mature players started calling it the PP Bridge. Or does that make us immature?

The Unstoppable March of Time

“Pokémon Sun & Moon” (2016)

And now for something completely different. At a certain point in “Sun & Moon,” players meet Kagetora, an older man who used to be a Pokémon trainer. Life got in the way of his dreams, and his regrets over never being able to defeat a group of Eeveelution trainers leads to you tracking them down. Every single one of them deals with the theme of time, the passage of it, lost dreams, whether you hold regrets or accept your lot in life. One of them is even dead. When you're a kid, or even a young adult, these things likely go over your head. But revisiting them as you grow older, it hits a lot harder. What will we regret when we reach Kagetora’s age? Are we all just hurling towards the grave, bound to die thinking of what could have been!?

Easing Your Pain

“Zelda II: The Adventure of Link” (1988)

Alright, enough of the existential dread; let’s get back to the sex jokes. Throughout “Zelda II,” Link can find towns that serve as safe havens from the army of monsters trying to slay him. In most of them, he’ll find a healing lady, a woman in a red dress. If you’re low on health, she’ll take you inside her home and refill it. And notably, it doesn’t show her process. This, along with her sometimes saying “Stop by for a while” and being as attractive as an NES NPC can be, led to a lot of older fans joking that she’s reviving Link’s stamina in a sexual manner. It probably wasn’t Nintendo’s intention, but it’s still a running joke among fans.

Zero Suit Snake

“Super Smash Bros. Brawl” (2008)

If players perform one of Snake’s taunts on his stage, Shadow Moses Island, they’ll initiate a codec conversation with one of his team members from the “Metal Gear Solid” series. These are fun little Easter Eggs where Snake is informed about whichever character he’s fighting. But the one for Zero Suit Samus is…well, risque. Snake is surprised that Samus took all of her clothes off. With her enhanced agility, he thinks of removing his own heavy gear so he can catch her. His ally, Mei Ling, advises against it since Samus’ enhanced DNA would make it hard for any normal human to keep up. To which Snake replies “...Her loss.” The connotations of physical and sexual violence don’t exactly paint him in a good light.

Coco’s Origin

“Animal Crossing” Series (2002-)

There’s obviously a ton of villagers in the “Animal Crossing” series. By far the creepiest is Coco. But you’d only know just how creepy if you looked into it. She’s modeled after gyroids, themselves based on Haniwa statues, which were first crafted during Japan’s Yayoi period. These ritualistic figurines were buried with the dead. And some have theorized that they were meant to house the spirits of the deceased, which has led players to theorize that Coco is the very same. She too appears made of stone and has empty eyes. Is she a spirit, bringing life to an empty shell? Probably not. But it’s still an unsettling thought that most kids wouldn’t think about.

The Rude Inkling

“Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” (2017)

“Mario Kart 8” added several guest characters from other Nintendo IPs, including the Inklings from “Splatoon.” Originally, when the Inkling Girl would pass or hit other racers, she would raise her fist and grab her bicep. Nintendo likely meant for this to be a simple taunt. But to certain people, this is a pretty rude gesture that essentially means ‘Up Yours.’ It’s obviously something most kids wouldn’t pick up on.. Once Nintendo found out about it, they altered the gesture via a patch, with the Inkling simply raising her fist but not grabbing her bicep.

Candy Kong’s Services

“Donkey Kong 64” (1999)

It would be hard for anyone not to notice how sensual Candy Kong is in “Donkey Kong 64,” no matter their age. Her curvy figure and the smooth jazz that plays around her are hard to ignore. But there are certain elements that would go missed by younger players, mostly her suggestive dialogue. She gives each Kong a musical instrument, which can be used for different effects across levels. But when you visit her, she tells you to relax so she can make you feel good, and tells you to stand closer so she can show you how to use your instrument. Flirty is one thing, but this is some of the most sexually charged writing in any Nintendo game.

Toadstool’s Mysterious Item

“Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars” (1996)

One of the most well known dirty jokes in the Mushroom Kingdom can be found in “Super Mario RPG.” At the castle, Mario can search around Peach’s room. When clicking between the blue chair and the fireplace, a dialogue box will pop up stating “Found Toadstool’s ???” Though it never shows what the item is, it’s insinuated to be something sexual. The question marks, and the fact that either Grandma or Peach herself will scold you for snooping around, make that pretty clear. Hey, a lady has needs.

Dr. Shrunk's Toxic Relationship

“Animal Crossing: City Folk” (2008)

Introduced in “Wild World,” Dr. Shrunk is a stand-up comedian whose shows can teach players different emotes. In “City Folk,” however, one of his bits makes it clear that he’s in a toxic relationship. He talks about his wife, claiming she used to be the sweetest girl, before going into how much she criticizes him and makes him feel really small. But he then claims that’s what he loves about her. Sorry to tell you this doc, but I don’t think your wife has your best interests at heart. As a kid, you’d probably just laugh this off. As an adult, it’s something some of us can sadly relate to.

A Suggestive Design

“Kirby’s Dream Land 2” (1995)

“Kirby” is one of Nintendo’s most squeaky clean franchises. But even it isn’t exempt from an adult joke. At a certain point in Stage 5 of the Red Canyon world, players will come across a vertical section they descend, featuring star blocks as platforms. The layout of these blocks, although simple, is extremely suggestive: a smiley face on top, breasts followed after, and a crotch at the bottom. It’s only really noticeable if you look at it from afar, but it’s clearly meant to be a crude representation of a nude woman. We’re unsure why someone at Nintendo or HAL Laboratory put this in.

Marina the Creep

“Splatoon 2” (2017)

“Splatoon” has quickly become one of Nintendo’s oddest franchises, and for multiple reasons. One of the biggest is Marina from “Splatoon 2.” A lot of her dialogue could be qualified as questionable, but the most blatantly sexual comes while she’s on the topic of invisibility. She states, “With invisibility, you could spy on people while they’re…inking their Splat Zone.” The ellipsis makes it clear this is meant to be a joke. And she’s clearly talking about spying on people while they're issuing a little self-love. That’s pretty explicit by Nintendo standards, and we’re honestly surprised the line made it in.

Steve’s Meat

“Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” (2018)

The inclusion of Steve in “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” brought a lot of surprises, including one of his victory screens. During one of them, he’d chow down on a stick of meat before posing with it in his hand. But the positioning and pose Nintendo chose sent the wrong message. Holding a long, cylindrical piece of meat, by his crotch…you can understand how a lot of people reacted. Or at least, how adults reacted. Of course, in the era of being able to patch anything out, it wasn’t long before Nintendo altered it.

Tingle’s Reward

“Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland” (2006)

Although it didn’t release in North America, Japanese and European players got to experience a very weird “Zelda” spin-off on the DS starring Tingle. At a certain point, you rescue a companion character, a suggestively animated woman named Pinkle. Once you do, she gives Tingle a reward. Tingle’s balloon blows up, hiding what the reward is. But since hearts fill the screen, and Tingle starts moaning uncontrollably, you can guess it’s something sexual in nature. Maybe the minds of more innocent players would think a kiss or two. But with how Tingle sounds, it has to be something more than that.

Vacation Juice

“Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp” (2017)

As is the case with most mobile spin-offs, Nintendo introduced different items across the lifespan of “Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.” In 2019, it added Vacation Juice, which every adult will know as code for an alcoholic drink. Even better, fans quickly began sharing videos of Isabelle drinking Vacation Juice and drunkenly dancing around. Ever since her debut, she’s been characterized as a workaholic. And it’s perfectly natural for her to want to let off steam by getting a little tipsy. Still, not something the younger player base would notice.

A Different Kind of Business

“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)

It’s a running joke across the “Zelda” series that everyone wants a piece of Link. And according to one NPC in “Ocarina of Time,” Link isn’t taking full advantage of his natural beauty. When you meet the Poe Collector, he states, “If I looked as good as you, I could run a different kind of business,” followed by some creepy laughter. Younger players probably wouldn’t think anything of it, but older ones would notice he’s suggesting Link should become a prostitute. That’s not to mention the uncomfortable age gap between the two. An older man commenting on Link’s looks, who’s canonically around 17 here, is pretty creepy.

Jolly Roger’s Tavern

“Banjo-Tooie” (2000)

Although less of a Nintendo game than everything else on the list, “Banjo-Tooie” was still published by Nintendo at release. Both it and its predecessor have plenty of adult jokes and references that younger players might not pick up on. But one of the most interesting is the tavern in the Jolly Roger’s Lagoon level. This is clearly meant to be a gay bar. It’s known for its Grab-A-Sailor nights, and for serving tankards of Seamen’s Brew. You can also see on its menu that it serves salty dumplings, a toad in the hole, and something called the Seaman’s Surprise. As kids, the tavern’s references and the flamboyance of its proprietor completely went over our heads.

Raising the Age Rating

“Paper Mario: Color Splash” (2016)

In “Color Splash,” Mario is eventually captured and thrown into prison by a Snifit, prompting him to break out and try to escape. But when he’s first thrown in jail, the Snifit breaks the fourth wall by stating there’s not much more he could do to Mario without raising the game’s age rating. Younger players might assume this just means violence. But as adults, perhaps having heard about what horrible things can happen in prison, your imagination goes to darker places. Does the Snifit mean murder? Torture? Rape? We’ll never know. But given all these things can happen in real-world prisons, it’s an unsettling thought.

The Lonely Arrow Girl

“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017)

Going back to every girl wanting to jump Link’s bones, we have Rola in “Breath of the Wild.” She runs a store in Kakariko Village where Link can buy some arrows. But she also gives him a side quest that involves lighting torches near the village’s Goddess Statue using fire arrows. She’s clearly very attracted to men who can handle a bow, but it goes one step beyond that. Inside Impa’s house, you’ll find the Journal of Various Worries, where townsfolk have written down their troubles. One from Rola, signed as the Lonely Arrow Girl, speaks of watching Link, hoping he comes by to nock an arrow for her because it’s been WAAAY too long. Kids might not pick up on it, but we know that ‘nocking an arrow’ for a lonely woman clearly isn’t talking about archery.

The Vibe Scepter

“Super Princess Peach” (2006)

In this spin-off, Bowser steals an item called the Vibe Scepter, which can alter anyone’s emotions. Although it has a somewhat phallic design, and Vibe Scepter sounds like a magical name for a vibrator, our minds are probably just in the gutter. But then comes the ending. After Peach defeats Bowser, the Vibe Scepter becomes lost. The ending text goes on to address you, the player, and notes that your father has been angry lately while your mother has been happily laughing a lot, suggesting the Vibe Scepter is in your house. Nintendo was obviously trying to be playful. But to us, it sounds like your dad is mad he isn’t getting any while your mom found pleasure with the Vibe Scepter.

Do you know of any other adult themes or jokes from Nintendo that most kids won’t pick up on? Share them with us in the comments, and we’ll see you next time!