Retro Games with horrible hit detection

[treismac]

What retro video games had unbelievably bad hit detection that either made you burst out into laughter or anger?

[treismac]

Karate Champ for the NES was pretty awful. It is almost comic at times how the two karatekas can miss each other repeatedly at close range. International Karate for the C64 was rough, too, but not as bad as the NES' Karate Champ, I think.

Oh, I doubt anyone who ever played Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde for the NES can forget the impotent cane that embodied the spirit of the entire crap game. If that game were a bit more pretentious, it would have been an epic indie art game.

[Jack7]

Dear lord double dragon for the master system

[buzz_n64]

Dear lord double dragon for the master system

Just wait until you play it on the Atari 7800 and the Atari 2600, you'll be in for a collision detection nightmare.

[Jack7]

oh god i actually almost picked up a 2600 verion at play n trade the other day

[Genesaturn]

Karate Champ for the NES was pretty awful. It is almost comic at times how the two karatekas can miss each other repeatedly at close range. International Karate for the C64 was rough, too, but not as bad as the NES' Karate Champ, I think.

Oh, I doubt anyone who ever played Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde for the NES can forget the impotent cane that embodied the spirit of the entire crap game. If that game were a bit more pretentious, it would have been an epic indie art game.

Oh I think we all know how bad Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde is

[treismac]

Oh I think we all know how bad Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde is

We all know how bad it is, but how many feel it?

[Sunnyvale]

Buster Douglas KO Boxing SMS. No rhyme or reason to that game. Just cuss and button mash. Then, gingerly put it back on the shelf :-/

[Superman]

Fighting Street made you laugh and cry with its hit detection. You just never knew what was going to happen.

[treismac]

Of course there are many games with crap play control, but it does seem like the crap fighting games monopolize our video game memories of bad hit detection.

[treismac]

Paperboy- at elast for the NES. The throwing of the actual papers wasn't too bad, but damn if I didn't think that I deserved half of the collisions that I suffered on the bicycle. :| I think the Commodore 64's version was a bit better, but I'm not to sure after all these years...

[treismac]

Fighting Street made you laugh and cry with its hit detection. You just never knew what was going to happen.

There was some jackass on Kotaku who actually wrote an article defending the original Street Fighter. The play control was wretched, and from what I remember, Fighting Street was no better.

[DragonMaster Sam]

As much as I like the game, Ys III (SNES) had crazy hit detection. Seems like you have to be spot-on to hit an enemy at times, including the final boss.

[Emperor Megas]

Kung Food for the Atari Lynx has pretty horrible hit detection.


There was some jackass on Kotaku who actually wrote an article defending the original Street Fighter. The play control was wretched, and from what I remember, Fighting Street was no better.I love the original Street Fighter. I don't have any trouble controlling the arcade version, but I've never tried to play the Turbo Grafx version to know how it controls. I'm told the controls on the TG are really awful though, even by my friends who are excellent at the arcade game.

In any event, I know that a lot of people have trouble with the controls, however I never thought that the hit detection on Street Fighter was bad.

[treismac]

I love the original Street Fighter. I don't have any trouble controlling the arcade version, but I've never tried to play the Turbo Grafx version to know how it controls. I'm told the controls on the TG are really awful though, even by my friends who are excellent at the arcade game.

In any event, I know that a lot of people have trouble with the controls, however I never thought that the hit detection on Street Fighter was bad.

The last time I played the original Street Fighter was on a Capcom Collection (part 2, I think) on the PS2 a few years back. It has been probably well over ten years since I played the arcade version. While it is possible that the particular arcade cabinet that I played had jacked up controls, the PS2 version was definitely plagued by crappy play control. Have you ever played the PS2 version, Emperor Megas? How would you say the arcade version compared to that port?

[Emperor Megas]

The last time I played the original Street Fighter was on a Capcom Collection (part 2, I think) on the PS2 a few years back. It has been probably well over ten years since I played the arcade version. While it is possible that the particular arcade cabinet that I played had jacked up controls, the PS2 version was definitely plagued by crappy play control. Have you ever played the PS2 version, Emperor Megas? How would you say the arcade version compared to that port?I've only played the arcade version of the original Street Fighter. It was a mainstay in one of our local arcades for like 15+ years until the Katrina flood wiped out the New Orleans Centre mall.

I wouldn't dream of comparing the controls of the original Street Fighter with the superior controls of practically any later fighting game, but one of the reason most people never really learn the rhythm and movements of the special moves in the original Street Fighter is because the original wasn't as popular as the sequel, so they don't have much experience with it, and those who discover it later don't realize the way you do the special moves aren't the same as the commonly adopted Street Fighter II standard of practically every other fighting game.

Moreover, I don't think that using a controlling would produce the same results as the acade stick; but that's just a theory of mine. I'll see if I own the a console version (I probably do if it's on those collection discs).

[djshok]

Toxic Crusaders for NES - possibly the worst hit detection out of any game. What really kills it is that you effectively can't hit the enemies, but they can hit you from pretty much any position. It has to be the most infuriating, poorly coded game on the system.

[Nirvana]

Karate Champ for the NES was pretty awful. It is almost comic at times how the two karatekas can miss each other repeatedly at close range. International Karate for the C64 was rough, too, but not as bad as the NES' Karate Champ, I think.

That game is filled with so many inside jokes between my friends and I. From the hilarious guy "watching" the fight to the random ass vases after each round, I absolutely love that game despite the horribleness. The hit detection was definitely pretty bad. I always jokingly defend it as the most balanced fighting game of all time. After all...you guys are the same character :)

[Emperor Megas]

That game is filled with so many inside jokes between my friends and I. From the hilarious guy "watching" the fight to the random ass vases after each round, I absolutely love that game despite the horribleness. The hit detection was definitely pretty bad. I always jokingly defend it as the most balanced fighting game of all time. After all...you guys are the same character :)So are Ryu and Ken in the original Street Fighter. Of course, you don't fight anyone else in Karate Champ, IIRC, so I suppose it's the clear winner.

[davidbrit2]

Yo Noid has rather questionable hit detection. I'm guessing they changed all the graphics from Kamen No Ninja Hanamaru without regard for the corresponding hit box sizes.

[treismac]

That game is filled with so many inside jokes between my friends and I. From the hilarious guy "watching" the fight to the random ass vases after each round, I absolutely love that game despite the horribleness. The hit detection was definitely pretty bad. I always jokingly defend it as the most balanced fighting game of all time. After all...you guys are the same character :)

I want to clarify that while I think that the hit detection is horrible in Karate Champ for the NES, I still enjoy the game a great deal. There is something about landing cheap front kicks or jumping side kicks right after the ref calls "begin" that delights my heart to no end. I don't think I could tolerate a game with hit detection like that being made today, BUT I can make an exception for Karate Champ. :) The world is a profoundly better place for having Karate Champ on the NES.

The iPod version is, actually, pretty kickass, by the way. I play both that and the NES version.

[Ryudo]

Super Nintendo version of Ys III. Genesis & TG16 versions were fine.SNES version was buggy as can be and the funny part it was the only version developed by Falcom.

[Gamereviewgod]

Ninja Turtles II The Arcade Game.

Awful port where your attacks just blow right by foot soldiers until the game decides you can connect. It's nearly impossible to win unless you use the jumping slash with both buttons.

[FoxNtd]

No mention of Battletoads? Really? The orange fish from Level 9 say hi. :|

[treismac]

No mention of Battletoads? Really? The orange fish from Level 9 say hi. :|

My cousin and I never made it past the third level. Level four and beyond are a complete mystery.

[Astrosmash]

Dare I suggest Shaq-Fu?

[treismac]

Dare I suggest Shaq-Fu?

I never played it, but I'm sure it's a gem. ;)

[Kellhus]

Wizards & Warriors II: Ironsword for NES has some of the worst hit detection I've ever seen.