As of now it's
May 31 in Japan, and with that the country will begin to see a rating
system similar to that seen in North America. The ratings are
scaled in a similar fashion, largely mirroring that found here, with
some exceptions.
With the letters
A, B, C, D, and Z the ratings breakdown is as follows:
A: Suitable for
all ages
B: Must be at
least 12 years of age
C: Must be at
least 15 years of age
D: Must be at
least 17 years of age
Z: Must be at
least 18 years of age
Among
the games to get hit with the stiffest rating of a "Z" are, of
course, the Grand Theft Auto games released in Japan, as well as both
The Getaway (Capcom / PS2), and its sequel, Black Monday (Sega / PS2),
as well as Killer 7 (Capcom / PS2 / Gamecube), Berserk (Sammy / PS2),
Max Payne (Electronic Arts / PS2), and Simple 2000 Series Vol. 61 and
Vol. 80 (D3 Publisher / PS2).