Documents originally requested by Bernard Rodriguez in 2014 and just released to Beryl Lipton last month reveal Guantanamo Bay’s catalogue of video games available to detainees.
Not counting duplicates, here’s a breakdown of the offerings for the camp’s two consoles …
Playstation 3
| Genre | Number of Games | Standout Title |
|---|---|---|
| Action/Adventure | 40 | The Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection |
| Racing | 35 | Madagascar Kartz |
| Sports | 28 | FIFA Street 3 |
| RPG | 8 | Valkyria Chronicles |
| Arcade | 3 | Angry Birds Trilogy |
| Shooting | 5 | Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon |
| Puzzle | 2 | Portal 2 |
| Fishing | 1 | Rapala Pro Bass Fishing |
| Rhythm | 1 | Michael Jackson: The Experience |
| Trivia/Educational | 1 | You Don’t Know Jack |
| 2D Fighter | 1 | P4A Persona 4 Arena |
Nintendo DS
| Genre | Number of Games | Standout Title |
|---|---|---|
| Action/Adventure | 45 | Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II |
| RPG | 23 | Final Fantasy IV |
| Puzzle | 22 | Ghost Trick Phantom Detective |
| Sports | 21 | Mario Hoops 3 on 3 |
| Trivia/Educational | 16 | Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader: Back To School |
| Arcade | 11 | Namco Museum DS |
| Platform | 11 | New Zealand Story Revolution |
| Racing | 8 | Mario Kart DS |
| Strategy | 3 | Dawn of Discovery |
| Fishing | 1 | Rapala Pro Bass Fishing |
| Rhythm | 1 | Ultimate Band |
Stray Observations
Gitmo librarians have a lot of trouble spelling game developer names
These errors range from the “eh, you tried” …
to the absolutely unforgivable.
They have eight copies of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
Plenty of duplicates in the library, but none come close to the impressive stockpile of Ubisoft’s solidly mediocre 2010 “God of War” knock-off.
Violence is fine, so long as it’s Japanese (or the game sucks)
While the games are for the most part non-violent - you won’t find a copy of Call of Duty in Camp Seven - there are a few notable exceptions. The sole first-person shooter is the aggressively bad 007 Legends …
whose dull realism contrasts with the cartoonish ultraviolence of the only 2D fighter, Persona 4 Arena.
Which is one, great and two, features a character whose moveset largely consists of shooting people in the face.
The one that really got past the censors is (the admittedly stupidly fun) Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon …
a game which allows you to nuke New Detroit.
Take a look through the list yourself and let us know what you find on Twitter or at info@muckrock.com. Read the full list embedded below, or on the request page:
Image via Malmstrom Air Force Base
