Nintendo Blocked Menhera Farm for Damaging Its Image

Nintendo of America has once again come under fire after blocking the Western release of Menhera Farm, a game developed by indie studio Sugar Star. The decision sparked outrage among fans, especially those who follow Japanese titles.

Menhera Farm is a game where players train characters called “Dolls” through lessons and rhythm battles, aiming to turn them into Champions. The title also features light relationship elements and cute visuals, but was still barred from international release.

Nintendo Blocked Menhera Farm for Damaging Its Image

Despite the absence of explicit fanservice or suggestive dialogue, the mere presence of loli-style characters was enough for the game to be blocked. Sugar Star confirmed that even the Japanese version for the Nintendo Switch received minimal censorship—such as covering the abdomen and cleavage areas—but even so, the adaptation did not meet the standards imposed by Nintendo for the Western market.

In a series of tweets, developer Sugar Star stated that the game was rejected for U.S. release because it could “damage Nintendo’s image.” In the tweet below, they then wonder, “Ahh… maybe it’s because of the lolis?”—and yes, that’s certainly the reason.

This decision follows a recent trend: other Japanese games like the Hyperdimension Neptunia series and Tokyo Clanpool have also faced severe censorship or Western release cancellations. Nintendo appears to be taking an increasingly strict stance on titles that don’t align with Western cultural norms.

Critics argue that this policy is applied selectively. The eShop is currently filled with suggestive or low-quality games, raising questions about Nintendo of America’s actual selection criteria.

Moreover, with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 approaching, the company seems to be aiming to strengthen its image as a global and “safe” brand—resulting in even stricter scrutiny of anime-style games.

For those who want to play Menhera Farm without censorship, the studio recommends the PC version available on the DLsite website. This way, fans can enjoy the game as originally envisioned by the developers.

via Você Sabia Anime