Top 10 most difficult games: What are your choices?

[erik]

Here are 10 old-school games that I feel are the most difficult of all time. Feel free to chime in with your choices.

1. Battletoads(NES)
2. Ninja Gaiden III:Ancient Ship of Doom(NES)
3. Super Ghouls and Ghosts(SNES)
4. Castlevania(NES)
5. Target Earth(GEN)
6. Super Empire Strikes Back/Return of the Jedi(SNES)
7. Contra Hard Corps(GEN)
8. Revenge of Shinobi(GEN)
9. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse(NES)
10. TMNT(NES)

[CaptainFalcon13]

Yeah, ghosts and goblins is INSANELY hard, but I would like to add a few games which I have a little trouble with.

Double Dragon: The part where you have to fight the two giant guys is really tough and I was only able to get past them once only to die in the friggin cave after the fight.

The Adventure of Bayou Billy: WHat the hell is up with the main game? The first level characters are really strong.

Advenutres of Dino-Riki: It is fun, but you get hit once and you have to start back at the beginning. really tough.

[Jorpho]

Stop.

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=103681

[TonyTheTiger]

Wasn't there an old game called Takeshi's Castle where the last boss took 10,000 hits to kill? I never played it but I think I'd probably consider that pretty hard.

[CelticJobber]

I remember "Ghosts and Goblins" and most of the Mega Man games on NES being really difficult.

[NE146]

I'd take out SNES Super Ghouls and Ghosts. That game is easily beatable.. a lot moreso than many on that list.

I don't know if it's difficult or just sucky, but I've always thought of Actraiser 2 as pretty hard.

[R.Sakai]

I'm gonna go with TG16 Impossamole. Played and beat most of the US releases, just couldn't manage this one. But it was a pretty 'bad' game too, hit detection, cheap shots and all that.

[TonyTheTiger]

I'm sure if you really wanted to find the 10 genuinely hardest games of all time you could find 10 obscure games that don't function well enough to make winning even possible.

[modest9797]

definitly Contra, but none others really stick out to me. Maybe F Zero GX. (I havent played Ghosts and Goblins)

[-dustburn-]

Gaires for the Genesis. Hot damn.

[Astrosmash]

Seconding Ghosts 'n Goblins. Also, the original arcade Defender had a legendary difficulty level.

More due to poor design than anything, but I'd also mention the NES versions of both Ghostbusters and Dragon's Lair. I've never once passed the staircase in Ghostbusters without a Game Genie.

[Steven]

I'd take out SNES Super Ghouls and Ghosts. That game is easily beatable.. a lot moreso than many on that list.

Ditto. Super hard, but impossible? No. With repeated play you can make solid progress. At least I did, and by no means am I a "Gamer God" or anything close to that level.

[pseudonym]

Ditto. Super hard, but impossible? No. With repeated play you can make solid progress. At least I did, and by no means am I a "Gamer God" or anything close to that level.

It's not that hard, on the lower difficulties you get tons of continues by collecting the money bags. You could play as long as you wanted to, assuming you didn't get sick of it first. Usually I go thru the first round of levels, and stop after you get sent back to level 1.

Wasn't there an old game called Takeshi's Castle where the last boss took 10,000 hits to kill? I never played it but I think I'd probably consider that pretty hard.

Takeshi no Chousenjou. I don't know anyone in the US/NA who's made it to the end of this one. Apparently there are some rediculous challenges like jumping across a hole that's one block too big, singing karaoke into a Famicom microphone (?) and others like that. I made it a little ways into it before stopping. I'll have to check my notes.

[pseudonym]

Other games that I thought were really difficult, on the NES/Famicom:

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (Tengen)
Dragon's Lair
Abadox
Solomon's Key
Snake Rattle 'n Roll
Castlequest

Atlantis no Nazo
Holy Diver
Transformers Convoy no Nazo

[The 1 2 P]

I'd take out TMNT(Nes). It had it's fair share of frustrating moments but I beat it back then without any help of cheats. Too bad I can't say the same for Ninja Gaiden 2(Nes) and Ninja Gaiden(Xbox). Same thing with Contra Hard Corps(Genesis) and Ninja(PS1). My butt still hurts from those games kicking it. So my list so far:

Ninja Gaiden 2 (Nes)
Contra: Hard Corps (Genesis)
Ninja: Shadow of Darkness (PS1)
Ninja Gaiden (Xbox)

[Rob2600]

1. Battletoads(NES)
2. Ninja Gaiden III:Ancient Ship of Doom(NES)
3. Super Ghouls and Ghosts(SNES)
4. Castlevania(NES)
5. Target Earth(GEN)
6. Super Empire Strikes Back/Return of the Jedi(SNES)
7. Contra Hard Corps(GEN)
8. Revenge of Shinobi(GEN)
9. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse(NES)
10. TMNT(NES)

I'd remove Castlevania (NES) replace it with Contra III: The Alien Wars (SNES). Castlevania isn't too difficult once you get used to it.

Also, if you count games that are difficult due to horrible control, I'd add Pit-Fighter (SNES) and Karate Champ (NES) to the list.

[erik]

A couple of you want to add Ninja Gaiden 2 and Contra III for the SNES. As for Ninja Gaiden II, it is extremely easy when compared to parts I and III. Ninja Gaiden III is on my list because it has limited continues making it absolute murder! As for Contra III, it is challenging but easily beatable if you have 7 lives. Contra Hard Corps is WAY more difficult.

Some more recent extremely difficult games are F-Zero GX, Shinobi(PS2), DMC3 and Ninja Gaiden Black. Oh, and lets not forget Colony Wars: Vengeance for the PS1. However, no other game can hold a candle to the insanity that is Battletoads. That games makes all others seem like Grandma's run to the store for a loaf of bread!

[gameofyou]

I'm currently having trouble finishing a few NEO GEO AES games:

1) Magician Lord
2) Last Resort
3) Nam 1975

[Ruudos]

I would remove Castlevania III for Isolated Warrior (NES), and remove TMNT for Double Dragon (NES).

[Jorpho]

I'm sure if you really wanted to find the 10 genuinely hardest games of all time you could find 10 obscure games that don't function well enough to make winning even possible.

Indeed, why not Athena, or Master Hu and the Drunkard Chu?