How did they get away with making a game this gruesome back then? Was this the game that led to the birth of the ESRB?

Hmm, sounds like maybe you shouldn't have circumvented the age limit thingy after all :-/

IRONY!!!

I wasn't expecting this kind of gore. I was playing it, saying to myself, "Hmm, this isn't so bad..."
Right when I die, it pops up some disgusting image of all my guts on the ground and I flip. I don't mind it when FEAR does all of that Alma ripping-you-apart stuff, but old graphics this gruesome gives me the willies...
By the way, you don't think bypassing an age requirement to give a company your money is a bad thing, do you?

I think it is, when you cannot emotionally comprehend the outcome.

Oh, it isn't THAT disturbing. I've been much more scared by games like Dark Corners of the Earth and Condemned.

What he said ;-)

IRRC it was that appalling Night Trap game on the Sega CD that was the main driving force to getting games rated. And I'm pretty sure that would have come out before Wax Works. But my memory may be playing tricks on me. Again. >_<

Ah, yes, Night Trap. The Mass Effect of its time, bashed by the media for its "lude sexual content", of which there was none.

Nope, you're right. It was a 1-2 K.O. of NightTrap and the Genesis version (if memory serves, might have been arcade) of Mortal Kombat.

there was no sexual content in Night Trap, but there should have been. :)

It's OK for me, I didn't find it particularly freaky when I first played it a few years ago.

Night Trap had a woman in her underwear didn't it? She'd have been naked underneath, that'll be what set the hysterical 'think of the children' harpies off. Remember this IS the same nation that went on & on for months about a nipple at the superbowl that you'd have needed high speed film to even see.

The issue with Night Trap was that they said there was nudity and rape scenes, because of the way the guys were stalking this chick. it was almost like you wanted to see the guys get her and do terrible things to her.

Yeah, but they conveniently forgot to include the fact that the object of the game is to kill the guys. I'm glad it brought in the ESRB, though. If the control of the rating of games fell into the hands of Jack Valenti, we wouldn't see several of the creative games we get to see today. Plus, it's nice to know that Little Jimmy can't just pick up a copy of No More Heroes without parental consent.