Then why weren't Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden 2 rated AO? o.O

Nintendo has a "kiddy" image because by and large they are more kid-centric than the other two console makers who market primarily to teenagers/adult males first and foremost.

Also most Nintendo franchises that end up defining the platform are cartoony/Disney-esque in nature.

A Ninja Gaiden port with more blood is not going to change that really. It doesn't hurt though.

That is reality only in the mind of Nintendos detractors.

Nintendo has always been a family oriented console aimed at providing something for "everyone".  People began mass labling it as kiddie last gen as insult out of spite for its success with the Wii.

Cartoony/colorful in no way equals childish. Its a matter of style and design for those who have more taste in artstyle than whatever looks the most grimy and violent. I think that pretty much defines the difference between Nintendo fans and others. Nintendo fans see more colors and spectrums in gaming.

Nintendo has made very few games that were "aimed" specicially at children.

Their games aren't aimed at age groups. They are aimed at different types of gamers which is why they have such a large variety.

I'm very surprised by this fact, especially as it's a nintendo console

That`s kinda ironic: since like ever, Nintendo`s (home) consoles have been branded as being for kids and now Wii U happens to be the first to launch with a "M" title. How about that!? :)

I'm not a Nintendo detractor, lol, I've been buying Nintendo consoles since the very first NES.

This label has existed since the Genesis days now 20 years ago, you must be pretty young if you think it started just last generation.

I agree cartoony shouldn't equal childish, but to many people it does.

Who's to say Nintendo doesn't like it anyway? They make a lot of money off kids, a market that Sony/MS largely neglect. Money is money. When did you first fall in love with Nintendo? Probably when you were (gasp!) a kid likely in elementary school if not earlier. What's wrong with that?

Nintendo's concept of games for everyone is sound, I think the problem with it in the West is that what defines "family friendly" has changed from 1985 to today. Mickey Mouse is actually not a character that appeals to everyone anymore (maybe he did in America circa 1940s-70s). But Spider-Man and the Avengers (a little more violent, edgy, but still kid friendly) are more of what the modern blueprint for "family entertainment" truly is (as in something everyone enjoys). That's where I think Nintendo's thinking is perhaps outdated a bit.

Not really surprising, but kind of worries me. The last game I remember getting an Adult Only rating was Manhunt 2. & If remember correctly Nintendo has a zero tolerance for AO (here in the US that is) which is why Manhunt has to be toned down for an M rating.

If the ESRB ends up giving that rating to the NA verison, the game might suffer the same fate. But probably not since the violence is much worse in Mad World (in my personal opinion) and that game got an M rating.

Doesn't matter if you buy them or not, that logic didn't become massievly popular until the Wii was released.

Nintendo always boasted the "most" mature games until last gen. They had GE64(the most influential FPS in history) straight out the door on the n64 and the RE Remake for the GC. I'm not evne going to get into Killer Instinct and Smash Bros. Are you going to say Smash Brothers is kiddie?

There were people who would call it that, but it was never a mjaor issue until the Wii came out. The kiddie argument is almost 100% synonomous with the argument of the Wii's graphics or as it went "The Wii can only do kiddie graphics". No time before the Wii did people outright deny Nintendo had Mature games and that mature games could sell like they do now.

Though I'm not going to argue this further beause its pointless. Teere isn't even evidence to back up your claim so saying even this much was foolish of me.

I don't think you really are reading correctly here and just getting emotional for no reason. "Don't shoot the messenger".

I've sat through these debates probably when you were in diapers. I remember when Star Fox came out (the original SNES one, not even talking about the N64 one) and there was some backlash among some people that it had "talking furry animals" as the pilots.

Really though would the game industry even be better off if Nintendo made the same hyper-violent/space marine/color devoid titles that everyone else makes? What's wrong with being more kid-friendly? I think if most people are honest they'll admit their most cherished game memories are from their childhood, not from the most recent blockbuster FPS.