Edmund McMillen, co-creator of the hit platform game Super Meat Boy, announced today that Nintendo of America has denied him a license to release his biblically inspired PC game The Binding of Isaac on the Nintendo 3DS.

"After a long internal debate Nintendo has decided NOT to allow The Binding of Isaac on the 3DS," McMillen wrote on Twitter. "As many assumed the reasons were due to the games 'questionable religious content,'" he added in a second tweet.

Designed by McMillen and Florian Himsl, The Binding of Isaac follows the story of a crying, naked child who is locked in the basement and abused by his mother after she hears what she believes to be instructions from God to purify her son. This modern portrayal of the biblical story of the same name has drawn significant controversy, including a strict 16+ rating in Germany for content said to be potentially blasphemous.

McMillen took the rejection from Nintendo as an opportunity to praise Steam, the service on which the game has sold nearly half a million copies since its release last fall. "Thank GOD Steam exists," he tweeted. "I gotta again publicly thank Steam for fully supporting Isaac and not requiring ESRB or censoring its published games. Just one of many reasons why Steam is the top dog of digital distribution."

Nintendo and its family-friendly image haven't exactly been immune to controversy in the past. The company drew the ire of PETA late last year for portraying Mario in a raccoon-skin suit in Super Mario 3D Land, of all things (though PETA later said that was a joke). The company was also criticized in 2007 and 2008 by some parents and advocacy groups for allowing games like Manhunt 2 and the beer-pong based Pong Toss: Frat Party Games to be sold for the Nintendo Wii.

Nintendo and McMillen have yet to respond to requests for further comment.