Finding insults in modern video games is not uncommon, but there was a time when developers were careful before letting certain words slip. So, what was the first project to utter an insult? I imagine tracking it precisely is almost impossible, but the first to use the word F*ck is well documented, and James from the James Channel decided to share it in a video…
Duke Nukem 3D scandalized parents (and made us laugh a lot) with its expressions. Cyberpunk 2077 has more than 700 swear words. And I don't even dare to count how many GTA V has. Insults are here to stay no matter how many parental guidance labels they want to stamp on games. Moreover, if the insults don't come from the game itself, the player will take care of reproducing them during their ragequit. But what brings us together today is a historical example, identified as the first use of the word 'F*ck'. James from the James Channel shows us:
The First 'F*ck' in Video Games
The game in question is Bakutoushi Patton-Kun (Soft Pro, 1988), or Explosive Fighter Patton, compatible with the Japanese Nintendo Famicom through its Famicom Disk System. It's a bit strange for us to see a Famicom accepting diskettes, but it also enabled other notable developments such as the 'official Nintendo kiosks', where a player could record new games with their used discs for just 500 yen (when a new disc cost about 3,000). The FDS was withdrawn from stores in 1990, although recording services continued until 2003.
James's unit failed to read the disc (let's say they don't have a good operational record after 40 years), and his fabulous Sharp Twin Famicom had to come to the rescue. Bakutoushi Patton-Kun is a relatively simple tank battle on the surface, but the player has to take out both the tanks and the pilot, or otherwise the pilot will end up climbing into another tank to continue the fight (the same applies to players). However, during the loading process, the game presents a rather direct message: 'TURN TO SIDE-B AND INSERT TO F*CKING BOX!'
In addition to the tank switching during battle, Bakutoushi Patton-Kun also offers a construction mode, where each player can create their custom tank by assigning 30 points to four categories: Speed, Turn, Range and Armor. In fact, the game uses the expression 'Armer', confirming that Soft Pro's Engrish left much to be desired.
