The director of the Australian Classification Board, Lesley O’Brien, has announced that Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge is the first video game to receive the adult’s only rating, R18+, in Australia. Throughout most of the continent, it is illegal to sell R18+ games to minors.

In North America, Europe and Austrailia, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge is published by Nintendo. For comparison’s sake, the original Ninja Gaiden 3 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, which is published by Tecmo Koei, is rated MA15+ in Australia.

“Under the Guidelines for the Classification of Computer Games, R18+ computer games will have a high impact and it is for this reason that these games are not suitable for under 18s.”

“Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge contains violence that is high in impact because of its frequency, high definition graphics, and emphasis on blood effects.”

-Director of the Australian Classification Board Lesley O’Brien