Admit your guilt! Name an old game or even an old franchise you've never been able to win at

[Tanooki]

I know a lot of people like to talk up the old days on how this game or that game is fantastic or they really just got into and enjoyed it, but how about games you may have talked up (or not) and never could finish despite trying?

I know Ghosts and Goblins is an easy cop out as would a few others, but perhaps something that's easy to many just never was to you?

I'll tell you this much, it's not a favorite, but I've kept it all this time as it was a gift but I have NEVER finished the original NES Turtles game. It just always felt overly too hard from the underwater part and after, and the loss of turtles was a bit extreme as you really never had lives, just single chances with them and it's over. The controls/momentum were uniquely odd too and it made a weird mix of pain and pleasure, but mostly pain.

[T]

First 2 Zelda games.

I've beaten every other Zelda game multiple times but not these 2

[A.C. Sativa]

Ninja Turtles sucked. Just have to say that.

Anyway, I've never been able to beat any of the Ninja Gaiden games. And while not really old, I've never beaten Metroid Prime without help, I can never get past Mecha-Ridley.

[megasdkirby]

I could easily (well, after practicing) win the NES Ninja Gaiden games, but no way can I beat the newer versions (after Xbox). I find the new games way too hard for some reason, while those who beat the "newer" versions find the classics way too hard.

Can't stand Battletoads nor Ghost and Goblins. Could never beat them...

I HATE SPELUNKY. There, I said it.

[Niku-Sama]

Tetris, just can't seem to get past 120 lines

[Leo_A]

I've never been very successful at winning spare lifes with the slot machine in Super Mario Brothers 2.

It didn't prevent me from winning it in the SuperNes version (Or the GBA port of it) thanks to the save mechanism. But in its original NES form, I never have enough to make it through.

Must be a trick to it, but I've never picked up on it.

[Tanooki]

There is a timing to it if you can nail down the cherry on the first spot, and another timing to it if you get some other item to try for a three in a row that way. I forgot it a very long time ago so I have that same problem now of beat it on 3 lives plus a couple random pickup 1ups or don't finish at all.

[bb_hood]

Ninja Turtles is awesome, and Spelunker is awesome. If you want a hard game play Castlequest

[Casati]

Actually, I've completed maybe less than 10 video games besides sports playoff video games. I've completed Hydlide, Heroes of the Lance, Dragon Spirit, Conflict, Defender of the Crown multiple times, can't think of any others right now. I usually get stuck at some level on platformers (usually between the 3rd and 5th level), and forget the plot, goals, needed items, for RPGs and strategy games when I return to them after weeks or months of playing other games or doing other things because I don't write down many notes. Maybe I have ADD, but I just consider myself a casual gamer... Oh, and I completed Pirates! for the NES once, but didn't attain a particularly high rank. I'm missing the map now though I know it's someplace.

[retroman]

I have never beat Battletoads for the NES. I have tried multiple times, and get so pissed I quit. Been trying since the game came out.

[Urzu402]

I've beaten all 6 NES Mega Man games, but I'm terrible at Mario games.

[Tron 2.0]

I have no problem,completing the legend of zelda but for zelda II i can't.I'll play (zelda II the adventure of link) all the way through and reach the grand palace and i'll get stuck.

[Nebagram]

SMB1 and SMB3. I've never finished either of them. Mario World, Mario 64, Sunshine, Galaxy- 100% completion on all of them, but I just can't get to the end of 1 or 3.

[Edmond Dantes]

I've noticed I'm very good at games I grew up with, but suck at old games I just discovered.

A few examples:

the Gradius series (I never owned the NES one, first played on the PSP)
the R-Type series (first played on the PSOne)
Ghosts n' Goblins (first played on PS2)
for that matter almost every game on the Capcom Classics Collections
Hammerin' Harry
Tyrian 2000
Castlevania III (I can beat I, II, IV and SOTN)

A game I had as a kid but never beat (but came close to) is the NES Ninja Turtles game.

[AceAerosmith]

Any MegaMan game. I don't have the timing/patterns down and after awhile I don't have the patience. They stopped being a fun challenge years ago.

[Emperor Megas]

I'll preface this by saying I never continue arcade or arcade style console games. I sort of view it as 'cheating'. If I can't beat it on a single credit, it simply won't get beaten.

With that said, there are countless games I've played as never beat, but they weren't all games I was TRULY invested in. Some of those I've often played intensely, but never beat:

1943
Arkanoid
Assault
Castle of Dragon
Chelnov: The Atomic Runner
Choplifter
Dragon Breed
Dragon Spirit
Final Fight
Ghosts 'N Goblins
Gorilla War
Kid Nikki: Radical Ninja
Magic Sword
Outzone
Raiden series (but I only played the first one a lot)
R-Type II or Super R-type
Silkworm
Sinistar (I'm not sure if the game has an end, but I'm talking about the actual boss, Sinistar; I've NEVER defeated him)
Super Castlevania IV
Tiger Heli
Time Soldiers
Tobbin'
Twin Eagle
Twin Cobra
Vapor Train

There are a ton more. In my defense, most of these were never beaten because arcade games only had a shelf life of so many months in the places I'd find them before they were changed out. Some of them were out of the way and I never get to play them very often.

[SpaceFlea]

I can cruise through all six NES Mega Man games blindfolded, and have been able since I was a pup, but I can't get anywhere in Kid Icarus. I've tried a billion times, but I can't seem to get more than a few levels/stages/whatever through. In fact, I don't believe I've ever made it to the second world.

[Querjek]

Ocarina of Time.

[Haoie]

I've gotten right to the end of Final Fantasy 7, 8, and 9.

And never finished any of them!

[Nophix]

Ninja Gaiden. Don't remember which one, but there's one I played like crazy and could never beat.

[Alpha2099]

For me, it's the Warcraft series. I never played the first game, but I have played 2 and 3. I never beat either one of them.

[PizzaKat]

Never finished Super Mario 1 or 2
Never past the 3rd stage of Gradius
Ocarina of time I think I got lost in the big tree at the beginning. I was already bored so I just gave up

[fmdof]

whats up tanooki

anywho, castlevania. I can NOT get past frankenstiens monster to save my life. which is odd, cause i distinctly remember as a kid getting to the grim reaper, and that level especially, but for some reason I have zero recollection of stage 4, let alone beating it to get to stage 5.

[Tanooki]

Hey hey nice seeing another sane old face around these parts. :) I don't much like that stage, seem to often get beat up on that lame floating platform ride over the water more than anything, it's just cheap.

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

Theres tonsa games I haven't beaten, or couldn't beat, but the bane of my existence is Ninja Gaiden. I've been playing it for 20 years and can't get past the level 3-2. Theres lotsa other games I haven't beaten, but that one's brutal. Ninja Gaiden 2 is tough as nails also. They're impossible, but I still always wind up plugging them in cuz they're good.

I can't get ANYwhere in Street Fighter 2010, tho. Idk wat it is, I can't get past the very first screen.

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

SMB1 and SMB3. I've never finished either of them. Mario World, Mario 64, Sunshine, Galaxy- 100% completion on all of them, but I just can't get to the end of 1 or 3.

SMB1? I suck at Mario games, but I did wind up committing to finishing this one. My recommendation is to make it to the last Bowser fight with a fire flower, u can blow him away. Even use the warp zones. It took me try after try tho, cuz like I said I'm terrible at Mario, the controls r good but they're just slippery and that's always worked as a disadvantage for me, for whatever reason.

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

Theres a lotta NES games I just can't beat, but most of them I can at least get decently into them. Life Force is another game I just can't get far in. Even with the Konami code I can just barely make it to the 2nd boss. I can beat Contra on the Konami code, but not Life Force.

[FieryReign]

Thunderforce 3. Seems like most people consider this game "easy". Easy my ass, I always struggle on that damn cavern stage where the walls close in on you. I can get through all the other levels except this one. The bosses are pretty easy though.

I've gotten pretty far in Blazing Lazers but haven't beat it. Another game that hardcore shooter snobs consider "too easy". Maybe I just suck at spaceship shooters and don't have the patience for the memorization and restarts required. I have beaten some other games of the genre like Gates/Lords of Thunder, Axelay, and Psychosis.

[bb_hood]

Thunderforce 3. Seems like most people consider this game "easy". Easy my ass, I always struggle on that damn cavern stage where the walls close in on you. I can get through all the other levels except this one. The bosses are pretty easy though.

I've gotten pretty far in Blazing Lazers but haven't beat it. Another game that hardcore shooter snobs consider "too easy". Maybe I just suck at spaceship shooters and don't have the patience for the memorization and restarts required. I have beaten some other games of the genre like Gates/Lords of Thunder, Axelay, and Psychosis.

Thunderforce 3 is not a easy game as far as shooters go, at least I dont consider it easy.

Blazing Lazers is fairly easy but I wouldnt consider it 'too easy'

[Tron 2.0]

I've gotten pretty far in Blazing Lazers but haven't beat it. Another game that hardcore shooter snobs consider "too easy". Maybe I just suck at spaceship shooters and don't have the patience for the memorization and restarts required..
Often with any shooter by compile it starts out easy then by the last few stages it becomes hard.

[wizardofwor1975]

A game I had as a kid but never beat (but came close to) is the NES Ninja Turtles game.

We share the same pain. Nowadays, I play TMNT in fits & starts. I'll try to beat it but time after time I'll just end up denouncing the freaking game and casting it into the deepest darkest corner of my game collection. I don't know why but I still keep trying to beat this D#!N game. I'm starting to think TMNT is my white whale.

Other games on my hard game short list include:

Shinobi - Sega Master System...This game is challenging but it's also extremely addicting. If you've never tried this SMS classic you really owe it to yourself to try it at least once...you never know it may hook you.

The Adventures of Bayou Billy - NES...Billy should've forget about Annabelle and gone out for a cold one and picked up a new lady friend. :-D

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

We share the same pain. Nowadays, I play TMNT in fits & starts. I'll try to beat it but time after time I'll just end up denouncing the freaking game and casting it into the deepest darkest corner of my game collection. I don't know why but I still keep trying to beat this D#!N game. I'm starting to think TMNT is my white whale.

Other games on my hard game short list include:

Shinobi - Sega Master System...This game is challenging but it's also extremely addicting. If you've never tried this SMS classic you really owe it to yourself to try it at least once...you never know it may hook you.

The Adventures of Bayou Billy - NES...Billy should've forget about Annabelle and gone out for a cold one and picked up a new lady friend. :-D

Bayou Billy is totally brutal. I played it briefly and put it down and haven't returned cuz the difficulty is ramped up so much. I'll hafta try Shinobi sometime. I've seen it around, haven't bothered to pick it up, so maybe next time I will.

[Dr. BaconStein]

Right now, Alisia Dragoon and Jewel Master.

Totally feels like these games were meant to be part of the same series.

[Sailorneorune]

Shinobi. I play them because they're fun. Shinobi III still looks great, and my hubby likes to bring out Revenge of Shinobi because Batman.

While the Shinobi games are fun, they are also very, very hard. I have not beaten any of them.

Also, does Shin Megami Tensei count though we didn't get any of the not-spinoffs in English until the PS2? I've tried Nocturne, Digital Devil Saga, Devil Summoner, Strange Journey, Devil Survivor 1 AND 2... and get reasonably far before receiving a smackdown by some BS out-of-nowhere boss. SMT IV seems to be a little more fair, but I'm certain something will happen in due time to make me retract that statement.

[wizardofwor1975]

Bayou Billy is totally brutal. I played it briefly and put it down and haven't returned cuz the difficulty is ramped up so much. I'll hafta try Shinobi sometime. I've seen it around, haven't bothered to pick it up, so maybe next time I will.

Agreed. Since you and I simpatico about Bayou Billy check out these quotes from RAMSIVERSE's review on GameFAQs:

"Game, meet the wheels of my car" :D

and

"Oh no, not this one. If you read no further than the end of this sentence, let me sum up the review for you: this game is ass." LOL

http://www.gamefaqs.com/nes/587070-the-adventures-of-bayou-billy/reviews/review-132507

You really should try Shinobi. Its pretty challenging like Sailorneorune said but IMHO its easily one of the best games for the SMS.

[Beefy Hits]

Chronno Trigger

[bb_hood]

We share the same pain. Nowadays, I play TMNT in fits & starts. I'll try to beat it but time after time I'll just end up denouncing the freaking game and casting it into the deepest darkest corner of my game collection. I don't know why but I still keep trying to beat this D#!N game. I'm starting to think TMNT is my white whale.


TMNT for nes is a game thats actually rather easy once you know how. If you watch a speedrun of the game and remember which manholes to go in, it just becomes a matter of conserving energy (which is easy because you can just switch turtles at any time). There are also multiple areas throughout the game where you can exit and re-enter doors and fill up on pizza.
The inside of the technodrome is actually fairly challenging though. The white guys that fly around can be total jerks. Shredder is super easy though.

[greedostick]

Soloman's Key - I hate Soloman and his damn key. Once you get near the end instead of continuing on the exact stage, you are taken back multiple stages, and they are hard.

Festers Quest - Made it so far, but fail every time.

But I did manage to beat Ninja Gaiden, and Ghost's n' Goblins multiple times. And I finally made it though Spellcaster on Master System without cheating by looking online. The pyramid in that game is a pain.

[Tanooki]

Ugh Solomon's Key. I can't play that game at all. I've tried here and there over the years, but that style of game, any like it, I just can't handle. For some reason my logic capabilities fail miserably at how those games work out so I just get pissed and quit after hitting a wall not long into the game.

[wizardofwor1975]

TMNT for nes is a game thats actually rather easy once you know how. If you watch a speedrun of the game and remember which manholes to go in, it just becomes a matter of conserving energy (which is easy because you can just switch turtles at any time). There are also multiple areas throughout the game where you can exit and re-enter doors and fill up on pizza.
The inside of the technodrome is actually fairly challenging though. The white guys that fly around can be total jerks. Shredder is super easy though.

You should really do a walkthrough and post it on GameFAQS. I know I'd appreciate it.

You guys are right about Solomon's Key. I remember playing it on my C64 back in the day and latter on the NES, but I could never really get into it. Check out this review on GameFAQs by ELECTRIC_TIGERBOY:

"Unlocking Solomon's Key Will be the Challenge of Your Life"

http://www.gamefaqs.com/nes/570522-solomons-key/reviews/review-23583

I think the review's title nails it... :D

[bb_hood]

You should really do a walkthrough and post it on GameFAQS. I know I'd appreciate it.

Here ya go. I just typed this up. Between playing and typing it took about an hour and a half to make. Hope this helps.

How to beat TMNT for NES in 5 easy levels:
1. 1st level is short and easy, no comments needed.
2. 2nd Level, the Dam. First go through the building, not hard at all. Make sure you have 2 turtles (mike and leo) with full health for the swimming area. Jump off the dam. Use mike first. You have to find all the bombs which is not hard to do. There is a simple path that you can take to get all of them. You have to take your time with the lasers. The area with all the electric plankton/sea weed that covers the screen will usually do a decent amount of damage so if your turtle is about to die just switch turtles. The key is to take you time with the lasers because you have more than enough time to defuse all the bombs. You can take your time with the lasers and finish the stage with 29-35 seconds still on the clock.
Location of bombs:
1. Right in front of you at start.
2. Go up, get bomb them back down. Go Right.
3. Get next one, go up, get next one, go Right to next.
4. Electro Plankton area, be mindfull of health.
5. Right to next bomb, go down.
6. Right at fork, then down.
7. Let current pull you to the right and dont touch the bottom. Its easy here. Get the last bomb and thats it.

3. 3rd Level, Rescue Splinter.
1. Enter turtle van and drive to the 1st building to your left. Enter building and get missiles and pizza. You only need one set of missiles and you can jump up from the bottom floor to get them, you dont have to go around. Exit building.
2. Get in the Turtle Van and DRIVE! GO: left to edge of screen, use missile, right, missile, down, left to edge of screen, missile, right, missile, down, Right, GO PAST DOUBLE BARRIER, go up, missile on bridge, up, missile on bridge, follow path to sewer entrance (its a building but the sewer area is inside).
3. SEWER: Easy area but is hard if you dont know how. You should use Don here, so make sure he has at least half life left. When jumping over gaps with low clearance, you have to ONLY TAP JUMP button, holding in down for any length of time will cause the turtles to hit their heads and fall into the water. Its very simple. When jumping over these gaps to avoid hitting the balloons, tap attack after tapping the jump button. Dons staff will kill anything infront of him. Many of the big guys will just walk toward you and fall into the water so they are easy. With the small single-block gaps you can just walk over these so dont risk jumping. At the end of this area there is pizza near the exit so you can fill up all turtles here.
4. Boss Time: Kill Mecha-Turtle, hes not really hard, but he does damage. THis isnt a problem because you just filled up all turtles. Right after you beat him you can fill up all your turtles again, so no worries about getting hit alot against him. Special Weapons like boomerangs are effective. Just kill him without dying.

4. Underground Base
1. Fill up all turtles. The rest of the stage is just a big maze, and the areas that you HAVE TO go through are not hard. Just conserve energy and go through the manhole stages. Manhole guide: 1.Enter Building, 2. Upper Left Manhole, 3. Upper Left Manhole, 4. Upper Left Manhole, 5. Upper Manhole, 6.Upper Left Manhole. 7.Up then Right, will be the second manhole you see. (Manhole Number12). THERE IS HIDDEN PIZZA AT END OF LEVEL. make sure you fill up all turtles here. 8.Down Manhole. 9. Top Right manhole to fight the Giant Mouser. Hes super easy. Use Don, stand under the mouth, when he opens his mouth all the way hit start then unpause. Keep attacking up and hes dead.

5. Final Level. The final level has 2 parts, find the technodrome and the technodrome itself.
1. Finding the technodrome. In the overworld map there are 3 manholes. The technodrome is in one of these manholes at the very end (in a room). The location of the drome seems random, but actually its location is determined by the frame that you push 'start' on at the opening screen. Anyway, basically consider it random. Go up and in the first one, its right next to you (at your starting point) and its the easiest one to travel. Inside these manholes the enemies are tough, sometimes its best to avoid them. If you get to the very end and its not there, you might want to consider just dieing and continuing.
The Technodrome will sometimes move locations (between the 3 manholes) after you continue. And sometimes it will not move. Therefore it can be tricky to find. You can get unlucky at this point and just not find it, it happens. Sometimes you find it right away. This is probably the biggest frustration in the game because not finding the drone can just end runs.
Figthing the technodrome: Easy boss. At the very beginning of the battle walk to the right side of the screen and duck. Once the technodrome has entered and the forcefield is past you on the left, jump up and first knock out the 2 guns. Kill the foot soldiers as they approach you. Once the guns are out, just keep hitting the eye and killing the foot soldiers. Don is most effective here. For a giant underground super-armored tank vehilce the technodrome is very very easy.
2. Inside the Technodrome: Hardest part of the game. The final boss shredder is easy so all you gotta do is reach shredder with donatello or another turtle equipped with a special weapon. Now the game gives you 2 continues, so if you can get here without continuing you have 2 chances to get to shredder. You will probably need all turtles at full health to get to shredder. What makes the technodrome hard is the area near the end with all the flying white guys. You either need to find the scrolls or manuipilate their movements so they keep flying away from you. These guys accumulate and can be impossible to get past. There is also a glitch in the game that will allow you to skip most of this area.

[wizardofwor1975]

Thanks bb_hood your the best. All your typing is much appreciated. I'm gonna try and beat TMNT this weekend!!! Again thanks. Very cool. 8-)

[bb_hood]

Thanks bb_hood your the best. All your typing is much appreciated. I'm gonna try and beat TMNT this weekend!!! Again thanks. Very cool. 8-)

No problem