Top 10 Most Violent Moments in Kids Games

“Mario Party 5” (2004) Ah, “Mario Party”, the ultimate game that celebrates friendship, good times, and total betrayal. Most of the series’ minigames have kept a lighthearted atmosphere with its ultra-competitive undertones. However, the fifth main game features a grisly ending in one of its minigames. Squared Away tasks three players with crushing a fourth into a decorated board. The losing side is then subjected to a stampede of Thwomps, and as the screen fades, we can see their final moments as the player or players trip and the stampede catches up to them.

#9: Lord Woo Fak Fak

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“Banjo-Tooie” (2000) The “Banjo-Kazooie” games feature a wealth of innuendos and adult jokes, but that’s not what gets the IP on this list. The boss fight against massive sea monster Lord Woo Fak Fak feels borderline M-rated when it comes to its visuals. To defeat this rotten fish, players need to shoot Lord Woo’s boils, and in doing so, some disgusting innards will spew out. Pop them all to initiate the second phase where you’ll have to launch eggs at his eyes! Whether you’re using explosives or regular old eggs (which shatter pieces of eggshell), you have to admit Lord Woo Fak Fak suffers the worst downfall of any “Banjo-Kazooie” villain.

#8: Death by Cuccos

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“The Legend of Zelda” series (1986-) Anyone who has played a “Zelda” game knows the infamous hidden death of the franchise - death by chickens! Attack the feathery and lovable Cuccos enough times, and the game will punish you by sending flocks of them after you. It isn’t a particularly gruesome death in terms of visuals, but through a slightly realistic lens, you can paint the image of Link being pecked to death yourself. It isn’t pretty, is it? Well, maybe treat these adorable birds with more respect in exchange for their help when jumping off a ledge and gliding to safety, eh?

“LittleBIGPlanet” serie (2008-) One neat little feature in the “LittleBIGPlanet” games is that there is always a button that allows players to manually reset themselves and go back to the previous checkpoint. Thing is that this reset mechanic is rather aggressive in its animation. When used, Sackboy will start to shake and get so mad that he pops in a small burst of fluff! Look, getting angry about something can already hurt your head, but the process of popping doesn’t look comfortable in the slightest.

“Star Fox 64” (1997) Of the two versions of Andross featured in “Star Fox 64”, we’re talking about the true ending for this one. After a brief fight where his hands and eyes are being shot at, Andross explodes and reveals his true form - an exposed brain with floating eyeballs and tentacles. Gross. It’s at this point of the fight that you’ll have to shoot not just his eyeballs, but his cerebellum as well. Headaches and sore eyes are already annoying to deal with. This, on the other hand…how was Andross not screaming in agony with every hit we landed?

“Frogger” (1997) “Frogger” is already a grisly game to play. Come on, you’re a frog trying to avoid getting hit by vehicles or eaten by alligators. However, the Nintendo 64 and PS1 “Frogger” features a death that is way more violent than anything we’ve seen in the series. It is possible to die from a lawnmower (no surprise), and when Frogger succumbs to it, he is shredded into hundreds of polygons. In a game about not turning into roadkill, this one is arguably the most graphic death in the whole franchise.

#4: Ganon’s End

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“The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker” (2002) It’s one thing to come up with funny ways to kill off Link by accident (or with malicious intent). It’s another when a bit of ultra-violence manages to eek its way into the game. The final fight against Ganon is a heck of a challenge, and when the tyrant falls, he falls in the most vicious way possible. Link jumps into the air and straight up lodges the Master Sword right into Ganon’s head! The sound design, the animation, everything makes the blow feel absolutely brutal, and the way Ganon suddenly freezes only makes the moment more shocking.

“Sonic the Hedgehog” series (1991-) Whether you’ve played “Sonic Adventure 2” or “Shadow the Hedgehog”, you’ll know of Maria’s fate given how often we have to relive it whenever Shadow is on screen. Yet no matter how many times we experience it, we cannot ignore just how savage her death is. As the story goes, Shadow and Maria are ambushed by soldiers of GUN while trying to escape the ARK. One soldier draws his weapon and shoots Maria on the spot. Though Shadow is able to make an escape, Maria is left behind and goes down with ARK.

#2: A Watery Grave

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“Super Mario 64” (1996) For as basic and cartoony as “Super Mario 64” looks, this legendary N64 title holds a disturbing death for the plucky plumber, and many of us have become all too familiar with it when trying to nab every Star in Dire Dire Docks or Jolly Roger Bay. When Mario runs out of breath while swimming underwater, he’ll drown and play out a rather lengthy death animation. In some cases, you might be able to see the X’s on his eyes. Rated E for Everyone, huh, Nintendo?

#1: All the Deaths!

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“Crash Bandicoot” series (1996-) Poor old Crash Bandicoot has suffered from a wide variety of deaths throughout the decades. Whereas some are hilarious like Crash losing his pants or getting kissed by a frog prince, others are absolutely horrendous with their brutality. Crushed by columns, eaten alive by vicious plants, roasted into a pile of ash, vaporized by lasers, frozen in arctic waters - Crash has been through it all! And those deaths are just the tip of the iceberg! Horrible deaths have become such a staple of “Crash Bandicoot” that they were turned into a collectible for “Crash Tag Team Racing”, and the ones featured there are some of the most brutal in the franchise.