I've noticed ESRB ratings are out of place, I have a list of games and proof on how ridiculous it has gotten.
First up, Metroid, Prime and Fusion released on the same day. Their first release was in NA on Nov 17, 2002. Prime is rated T and Fusion is rated E. They got their ratings due to violence. VIOLENCE. What else? Tomb Raider Legend (GBA) is E10+(Violence). The DS version, which I presume is the same thing but different graphics, is rated T with MILD violence.
The Bayonetta series should have a rating of A considering everything that happens during this game...
Smash Bros. Meele is rated T (Comic Mischief, Mild Violence) Smash 4 is rated E10+ (Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief, Mild Suggestive Themes) These ratings should be switched. But, I guess it does show how our "shield" has weakened.
Best thing, I am unable to buy rated M games, (Only a couple years short no problem) I was with a legal adult, i.e. my dad, and I showed him two games I wanted to get for my Vita. Corpse Party Blood Drive (rated M for Blood, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence) and Mortal Kombat (Rated M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language) I got Mortal Kombat, but NOT Corpse Party, reason? Partial Nudity. Now my Dad read the ratings and he understands them to a T. They have these things in common, Blood, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, and Violence. I have a bunch of games with suggestive themes, that they have GIVEN me or ALLOWED me to buy. So no difference if I were to get it or not.
I go to a local game store and it doesn't matter the rating I can buy the game. I've bought Metal Gear Solid games from the store and the owner never bat an eyelash, he was like, "These games are rated M, you sure you won't be in any trouble?" I responded with "It's totally fine.". Now there are some games that deserve the ratings they hold, like GTA and Mario. But I feel like they should have their grading scale be "weak" on some games and strict on others.
Ao for Bayonetta? lol.
GTA 5 is rated M though. Do you think Bayonetta is more violent or suggestive than GTA 5? If any game deserves Ao it would be that imo.
All these ESRB rating you are showing seem pretty spot on to me bud. At the end of the day it is a parents job to supervise and manage what games their child buys. If a parent allows their child to play Bayonetta it wouldn't matter if it were Ao or M. Clearly the parent didn't care to let him play an M rated game. Bayonetta is a game you get carded for. If a parent says "I don't care, he can play that" what difference would making it Ao make?
Ao is the lochness monster or big foot of video game ratings lol. I cant even name 4 games that have Ao ratings. I have never seen an Ao hard copy in person. It is fairy tale to me. I am not sure what has to be done to obtain that rating. I think games would get banned before getting an Ao rating. I am not sure why they don't just abolish that rating entirely. If GTA 5 didn't get one nothing can. GTA 5 is a game that promotes robbing banks, prostitution, drugs, canabilism, murder. The things depicted in that game are beyond gruesome. and even that is only M. Bayonetta could even almost pass for a T game If not for all the swears and nudity.
But I feel where your coming from. My mom wouldn't let me play GTA at all growing up. It sucked. All my friends had them and I wasn't allowed to sleepover their house because of it. But I can understand her decision looking back and I sure can understand the rating. Corpse Party and Mortal Kombat are M rated games at the end of the day. I agree that if a 9 year old wants to play smash and the parent says "no, you aren't 10" then they should get the batman/robin meme pimp slap lol.
But ESRB is just a letter at the end of the day. A parent can let their 4 year old play GTA 5 or a parent can refuse their 16 year old to play bayonetta. Parents are to blame for any Miscommunicated ratings or underestimations of maturity. It says what the game contains in it. If the parent wants their child to play it then they will, if not than that is how the cookie crumbles. That is the joys of being under estimated by adults until your 17+. That is just the way humans work. ESRB is just the messenger. Don't shoot the messenger lol.