Chinatown Wars gets BBFC's first DS 18 rating

After conquering PCs, PlayStations, and Xboxes, Rockstar's crime saga is heading to the Nintendo DS after it passed the British Board of Film Classificaton today with no cuts.

As MCV reports, the game has been given a rating of 18 by the UK ratings board. True to its nature, Chinatown Wars carries a consumer warning that the game "contains very strong language and drug references." According to a spokesperson from the BBFC, Chinatown Wars is the first game on the DS to recieve a rating of 18, which is the highest possible before a game is refused classification.

Revealed at last year's Nintendo E3 press conference, Chinatown Wars was originally due out before Christmas. However, it was subsequently postponed until March 20 (March 17 in North America). The handheld installment returns to Liberty City, the same setting as 2008's ultrapopular Grand Theft Auto IV, as well as the original Grand Theft Auto and the seminal Grand Theft Auto III.

Chinatown Wars has yet to recieve a classification by the US Entertainment Software Rating Board or Australia's OFLC; however, Rockstar's vice president has previously said he was aiming for an M-for-Mature rating stateside.

For more details on Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

71 Comments

  • Hexagon_777

    Posted Apr 14, 2009 2:00 pm GMT

    The PEGI should have rated this...

  • 5heridan

    Posted Jan 13, 2009 6:53 pm GMT

    Its GTA it is gonna get a rating of M but I also hope the game will push the DS limits for graphics

  • KieranCottrell

    Posted Jan 13, 2009 11:31 am GMT

    @Squirrel:

    Try and buy a Cuban cigar.

  • Media_Mind

    Posted Jan 12, 2009 5:50 pm GMT

    It wouldn't be GTA without the 18+

  • Bigcol1611

    Posted Jan 12, 2009 3:56 pm GMT

    Fantastic news!!! Most probably the british press will be crawling all over it near release date, "Murder and gunfights on nintendo 'kiddies' handheld"! So why the heck do we have ronan keating and vernon kay promoting the ds if its a 'kiddies' console! Have that!

  • -Squirrel-

    Posted Jan 12, 2009 3:46 pm GMT

    Good for the Brits, I just hope the Aussies get it too. Isn't it awful in this supposedly free and evolved day and age that we have to hope certain governments won't ban specific items in an attempt to 'protect' the general population. Makes me appreciate living in America more since I don't have to deal with my government doing this.

  • FoxExecutive

    Posted Jan 12, 2009 11:43 am GMT

    I agree with Kieran. I think the true face of many of these people claiming to not play games on the Wii or DS because of a lack of a library is finally coming out that it isn't the reason they have stated but because they think the system is "too kiddy."

  • KieranCottrell

    Posted Jan 12, 2009 11:03 am GMT

    Sorry if this is a little obvious, but it seems a few people's (alex_1889) common sense has been turned off:

    A higher-rated game does not (necessarily) equate to a better game.

    ...so what if this is the DS' first mature game? New Super Mario Bros., Another Code, Professor Layton, Mario Kart DS, Phantom Hourglass, Final Fantasy III/ IV, The World Ends With You, Elite Beat Agents, Phoenix Wright, Meteos, Sonic Rush, Tetris DS, Castlevania: DoS, and even Nintendogs (and there are so many others) are all, in their own right, excellent video games, yet there's not an '18' or 'M' in sight.

    This argument, of course, is based on the fact (or hope) that you play video games primarily for entertainment, regardless of any inclusion of blood etcetc.

  • dotWithShoes

    Posted Jan 11, 2009 8:06 pm GMT

    @mark_D12... this aint a Nintendo game.. its a Rockstar game.

  • Nintendo_Man

    Posted Jan 11, 2009 3:48 pm GMT

    Even if they ban the game here in Australia, atleast we know we can import the game from the UK.

  • mark_D12

    Posted Jan 11, 2009 9:50 am GMT

    I'm surprised this is being released on DS Nintendo games are usually very family friendly.

  • vengeance00

    Posted Jan 11, 2009 7:22 am GMT

    who else is betting that Australia's OFLC will ban this one?

  • Rod90

    Posted Jan 11, 2009 5:18 am GMT

    What about dementium the ward? It was M rating too.

  • Whellock

    Posted Jan 11, 2009 2:14 am GMT

    Well I must say that I only played GTA, GTA II and GTA III on the PC but I'm very excited about this one and I hope it's gonna look good when it arrives on March 20th in the UK. I think Rockstar's DS game been given an 18 certificate by the BBFC must have been a very important reason and to me when I read this, I was saying Whoa my God! That's an amazing piece of news.

  • puppiemaster

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 2:52 pm GMT

    Will buy this, its a must, hope its better than GTA4

  • rgame1

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 2:42 pm GMT

    O

    M

    G

    Rockstar did really mean "there would be no kiddiication"

  • ImAConsoleGamer

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 2:25 pm GMT

    Well it's not the first time GTA has been on a Nintendo handheld. GTA was ported onto the GBA with a 15 rating. Tbh it's gonna be hard to see what's going on with the top down view violence wise, it'll be similar to the original GTA (now a 15) with little blood splats. The drug references will be the chief reason why the game is 18, with violence probably being a secondary reason.
    It'll be interesting to see how it compares to the older games, and also how it compares to the PSP versions. I'll get it regardless because I'd like to play something on the DS that isn't kiddy.

  • tatu2004

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 1:16 pm GMT

    18 who cares this game is going to be great

  • ShaunyP

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 1:07 pm GMT

    Ah, blood, violence and car-jacking is finally on the DS!

  • xgalacticax

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 12:08 pm GMT

    If a game isn't rated 18, does it mean an adult cannot enjoy it or it's kiddie? Sheessh...these immature people....you are the only kids on here. This GTA reminds me of the GTA on PS1..haha. Will try it out definitely.

  • Jovis14

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 11:08 am GMT

    Now you can shoot people and steal cars on the move!!!!

  • Dalek-max posted Jan 10, 2009 10:49 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    Dalek-max

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 10:49 am GMT (hide)

    i totally agree with alex 1889

  • Darkman2007

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 10:25 am GMT

    cool, Nintendo moved with the times and secured a GTA game, now there is more choices

  • maccer101

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 9:13 am GMT

    i thought it was kinda obvious

  • Hoodlym_UK

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 7:09 am GMT

    I shall murder people on the train now

  • alex_1889 posted Jan 10, 2009 5:11 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    alex_1889

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 5:11 am GMT (hide)

    "First 18 rating" behold the reason i don't have a ds, kiddy games.

  • Col-Neil

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 4:09 am GMT

    It will no doubt feel like playing the first GTA all over again with a new twist

  • gamerang

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 3:42 am GMT

    At last a game you can feel naughty when you are playing under age on the ds system!

  • charizard1605

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 2:18 am GMT

    this game might even be one of the better ones in the franchise.

  • Jedilink109

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 12:32 am GMT

    YAY! This should be funtasticness.

  • JustWiicredible posted Jan 9, 2009 11:13 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    JustWiicredible

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 11:13 pm GMT (hide)

    I may actually have to buy a DS just to play this. It should have come out on the psp *sighs*

  • leonard88

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 7:56 pm GMT

    yet another m rated game for the ds nintendo has turned a new leaf

  • viewtiful_jay

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 5:41 pm GMT

    @wwefanforlife
    Nintendo hasn't had issues with violence/adult themes ever since sales of the first MK game tanked after everyone scooped up the Genesis version instead of the censored SNES port. Hell, they even had an uncensored release of BMX XXX on the GameCube, whereas Sony ordered it be censored on the PS2.

  • SystemOnline posted Jan 9, 2009 4:29 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    SystemOnline

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 4:29 pm GMT (hide)

    well, i really don't know what to think about this, i mean, if you name a game "chinatown wars", you are, in a way, asking for a "mature audience" (no implications there what-so-ever about the age of people who buys this). The word "chinatown" it self is already stereotypical enough, yet it's called "chinatown wars"...... well, all i can say is good luck to all those chinese kids in school who i hope is not gonna get picked on

  • gandalf_storm posted Jan 9, 2009 4:13 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    gandalf_storm

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 4:13 pm GMT (hide)

    lol, little blobs running round shooting little blobs with little red pixels, hardly realistic is it, come on now, unless this game has F F F constantly, the most it should get is a 15 tops, due to the stealing / crime themes, whatever it gets wont stop mum/dad/insert relative here buying this for their 5 year old.

  • jtthegame316

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 3:49 pm GMT

    cool. the ds is a quality little handheld.

  • joesh89

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 3:26 pm GMT

    well in the UK our ratings equate to violence more so then sexual content, for example, Fahrenheit (indigo prophecy) was rated bbfc 15 in the uk but in America the Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Director's Cut received a AO rating. also mass effect got a bbfc 12 rating and an 18 pegi rating, purely due to the mild sexual content.

  • Generic_Dude

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 3:20 pm GMT

    Alright! Adult situations!

  • SoNin360

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 3:03 pm GMT

    well no surprise it will get an m rating and all, but im hoping it will be good for the ds, after all... my collection really needs another good game.

  • blankshore

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 2:36 pm GMT

    can't wait! my ds hasn't gotten much use lately but this ought to change things

  • bigM10231

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 2:24 pm GMT

    if this has an AO rating it would show porn and naked people but i doubt it

  • bigM10231

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 2:21 pm GMT

    ill buy this and play it non stop until i beat it which would take a week or 2

  • zackymack

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 2:07 pm GMT

    cool c-o-o-l

  • wwefanforlife

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 1:52 pm GMT

    I don't own a DS but I think that it is good that Nintendo did allow a GTA on their system I never thought Nintendo would allow it. Now what I think now it's on DS Rockstar Games need to bring GTA on the Wii and make the game compatible with the classic controller. However this game may get me to buy a DS.

    I wasn't surprised that the BBFC was going to rate this as an 18 all GTA games have been rated 18 and that's never going to change.

  • joesh89

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 1:14 pm GMT

    the M rating in America doesn't equal the bbfc 18 rating, the bbfc 18 rating is more like the AO rating in the usa.

  • uwlbpwnd

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 12:44 pm GMT

    "US' Entertainment Software Rarting Board" lol, rarting.

  • RHCPfan24

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 12:38 pm GMT

    There have been a bunch of "M" games in the US: Resident Evil: Deadly Silence, Dementium: The Ward, Ultimate Mortal Kombat, probably something else, and now this. Glad to see this might retain the gritty nature even in cel-shaded looks.

  • LordAndrew

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 12:34 pm GMT

    Sigh.
    Guys, this is not the first DS rating to get an M rating. There are currently 6 M-rated DS games, and Chinatown Wars will be the seventh (unless another DS game gets the M rating before CTA:CW). This article is about how it's the first to get an 18 rating from the BBFC. Completely different organization.

  • vbulletproofs

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 12:28 pm GMT

    ohhhhh! at last GTA on DS!! now i can play GTA at school!!!

  • tevic

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 12:14 pm GMT

    Maybe this game will make me buy a DS...

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