September has always been Fight Censorship Month at Bookmans and we make it bigger and more awesome every year to make sure our customers are aware that we help protect their freedom to read, watch, play, and listen to whatever they want. Sept. 12 was also National Video Games Day, so in honor of both, we set up multiple gaming consoles and invited our customers to sit back and play some of their favorite games that have been banned or censored.

People challenged each other to games like Mortal Kombat, Call of Duty, and Counter Strike. Others enjoyed playing solo with Zelda, Reservoir Dogs, Manhunt 2, and Grand Theft Auto (almost every single Grand Theft Auto every made has been banned at some point). The Nintendo games we started the night off with weren’t necessarily banned, but Nintendo did re-edit them to censor out certain imagery, language, and content they felt would tarnish their image such as Duck Tales, Zelda, and Wolfenstein 3-D.

We did our homework so that customers could stay informed as to why or how these games became banned and were happy to share the details of each game featured. They got a kick out of learning from us that their favorite games of all times had been banned or censored at some point or another all over the globe. Four straight hours of non-stop video gaming might have seemed like a typical Sunday night for some, but being able to hop onto an Xbox and then straight to a Play Station 2 and then onto an old school Nintendo or Super Nintendo, is what really brought folks out from their couches and living rooms. Thanks to all the boys, girls, and dogs who came out to play and support the cause. The whole evening boiled down to the fact that at Bookmans, you’ll never have to wonder if your favorite graphic or controversial video game, book, movie, or cd will be there, because we’ll always sell it, and that’s the true beauty of fighting censorship all year long!

Visit us on Flickr for more photos from Bookmans Banned Video Games event.