What is the *actual* most violent game ever?

As a gamer, if someone were to ask me what the most violent game of all-time was, I would give out some instinct reactions: Mortal Kombat, Manhunt, maybe Grand Theft Auto. Then as I was lying down in bed for the night, thinking about this, I had an epiphany. It’s not the content of the game that makes it violent, but the cause and effect it has on the gamer itself. This is when I realized that none of these aforementioned games were the most violent, something else was.

There is a game, rather a series out there, that has destroyed families, friendships, and has literally caused physical damage to a person. It’s a game that will make you rage quit, yell at those around you, scream at your television, and maybe lead to fist fights. The most deadly game/series of all-time is none other than

The most deadly game/series of all-time is none other than Mario Party. 

Let me give you an example: Growing up as a kid, one of my friends and I played my Mario Party 2 on the N64. I would beat him time after time, until one day the game had disappeared. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. Then two years later, when I was over at my friend’s house, I discovered my game hidden behind the entertainment center. That’s right; he was so mad at me that he stole my game, hid it from me, and never spoke of it again. 

Is it really that important? How can it be that when we play such a game, we find ourselves overly competitive trying to grasp those precious stars and coins? It brings out the worst in us gamers. I remember the despair of losing at the end due to “Chance Time!” I recall the anger I felt when my best friend stole that star from me when he summoned Boo to do his bidding. This is the game that almost ended several of my friendships. 

Is it worth it?

Is it worth all the anguish, fury, and frustration while playing these games? It absolutely is. Despite it being a vicious game, that’s what we love about it. You can choose to rip off an opponent’s head in Mortal Kombat, or you can tackle your friend for using that magic lamp and jumping ahead to the star that you were only two spaces from. You can run over endless amounts of people in a GTA game, or you can throw your controller at your buddy for winning by pure luck thanks to those bonus stars at the end of the game.

So while you may think those other games are more violent, just remember it’s Mario Party that makes you want to punch your brother, sister, or friend.