3DS: Binding of Isaac Release Blocked by Manufacturer

Nintendo has blocked the release of an indie roleplaying title called ‘The Binding of Isaac’ from the Nintendo 3DS eShop. Nintendo said that it took this move due to the “questionable religious content” of the roleplaying game. Apparently, the decision to block the game wasn’t an easy one and was only arrived at after a “long internal debate” in Nintendo.

The designer of “The Binding of Isaac” is the same person responsible for Super Meat Boy, Edmun McMillen. He delivered the news of the blocked release on his Twitter feed. He outlined the reason and proceeds to say “Thank GOD Steam exists!” It would be interesting to see how many indie titles are rejected by Nintendo and what the grounds were. While the title is based on the biblical story of the patriarch Abraham who had his faith tested when he was asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. The game’s version, however, merely [italics added by the editor...] involves a naked child trying to escape his mother who is bent on murdering him, from a cellar that contains his aborted siblings. [Sub-clause added by the editor...]

Screenshot from The Binding of Isaac (Credit: Edmund Mcmillen)

The game progresses through differing Legend of Zelda-inspired levels. Although a Playstation 3 version was planned, McMillen says it didn’t pan out due to a deal with Microsoft. The game is currently available on Linux, Mac, and PC.

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