intimidating games

[chrisbid]

good video games normally have points within them where nerves start to affect your gameplay and judgement. typically, most final boss fights get the adrenaline pumping the first time you fight them.

but, take Mike Tyson's Punchout

From King Hippo on, the first time you faced a new opponent, most of us mortals were handily beaten. I cant think of a more intimidating game from start to finish. Hippo, Great Tiger, Bald Bull, Soda Popinski, Mr Sandman, Super Macho Man all put a lump in my throat when i first fought them. Even the wuss of the world circuit Don Flameco can beat the novice player with his strategy. Then of course you had Mike Tyson. I had the pass key to fight him, so i tried it for shits and giggles, and his first punch threw little mac to the canvas. I thought that i would never be able to beat him.

of course i was able to beat the game eventually, but since then, there hasnt been any game that was not only challenging, but down right nerve wracking as Mike Tyson's Punchout.

are there any other games that come close?

[rbudrick]

Try Holy Diver for the Famicom. No Japanese skills are necessary, if I remember correctly. The game is tough. If you can make it to level 4, you are pretty good. If you can make it to level 6, you are incredible. I believe the game has 8 levels and I've have never once heard of someone legitimately beating this game w/o cheats. It's an awesome game, but harder than hell.

It falls along the same vein as Punch Out because you have to keep practicing to progress past each stage, but after level 4 it starts approaching that"Mike Tyson/Mr.Dream level of impossibility, only probably harder.
-Rob

[Crush Crawfish]

The 1st Mega Man game for the NES is pretty intimidating. Those God-forsaken platforms in Gutsman's level for example. But the most intimidating part would have to be the Yellow devil boss. He's Much bigger than you, and he can hit you dozens of times for like every one time you can hit him. Unless you know the pause trick, he's damn near impossible.

[tholly]

i have never played Steel Battalion, but id have to say that from the looks of the 40 button joystick controller that game has to be pretty intimidating at first, plus if im not mistaken you can lose your save game if you mess up and forget to eject, which would always cause you to be nervous so you wouldnt lose your precious game.

[jerkov]

I'm going to go with the original Castlevania.....for me, I think the game gets tough around the time you fight Frankenstein and it doesn't let up until the end. Hell, I still haven't actually beaten this game - I can only get to Dracula's second form. But those last couple levels, paired with menacing bosses like Death and Dracula, make it quite an intimidating game.

Since someone mentioned it, I've heard that Holy Diver was impossibly difficult, but I'm still waiting to try it. I've almost won a copy off of eBay two or three times now. It looks like an extremely competent Castlevania clone, and I'm waiting until I get my hands on the actual cart before I give it a go.

[Duncan]

Any Ninja Gaiden game, but mostly the NES ones. Those always burned me up, and the new one's no better.