Top 5 Hardest NES Games - MSNBC

[kupomogli]

Which makes it surprising that the first TMNT game wasn't mentioned. EVERYONE played (or owned) it at one point or another. I don't personally know anyone who's finished it legitimately on an original NES.

For a group of hardcore gamers, I can't see how the majority of you are whining about a game as easy as TMNT. This is one of the harder NES games, but it's not the hardest by far. I see it bashed frequently around here as well, so I'm guessing hardcore gamers can't formulate their own opinions either and state the cheap difficulty and poor gameplay comes from "insert Angry Video Game Nerd quote here."

[badinsults]

I'm sorry, but Paperboy is not hard. Getting past the first level should be achieved within a life or two even if you are a poor gamer. Super Mario Bros is harder!

[123►Genei-Jin]

For a group of hardcore gamers, I can't see how the majority of you are whining about a game as easy as TMNT. This is one of the harder NES games, but it's not the hardest by far. I see it bashed frequently around here as well, so I'm guessing hardcore gamers can't formulate their own opinions either and state the cheap difficulty and poor gameplay comes from "insert Angry Video Game Nerd quote here."

This. I actually loved the 1st TMNT and made maps and all for it back in the day, it was challenging but not that hard.

[pseudonym]

Gauntlet and Temple of Doom (Tengen) were both difficult games, but they can be finished with some patience. The final boss of each game was pretty simple though, the Dragon in Gauntlet and Mola Ram in ToD were pushovers compared to the rest of the game.

How about Abadox? Life Force clone except that it's 10x harder with narrow corridors and tons of enemies thrown at you. I don't think that I've ever got past level 4.

[bangtango]

Which makes it surprising that the first TMNT game wasn't mentioned. EVERYONE played (or owned) it at one point or another. I don't personally know anyone who's finished it legitimately on an original NES.

TMNT didn't get "difficult" until the final level with the Technodrome. The enemies there were quite strong.

Before going in, I'd try to get Leonardo & Donatello to full health or close to it. Then I would usually start by using Raphael and Michealangelo. That way I could "feed" both of them to the toughest enemies, while making as much progress as I could, until they were nearly out of energy before switching. With luck, that tactic would help preserve the "better" turtles (Leo and Don) for the latter part/end.

[Garry Silljo]

Does anyone here agree that Ghostbusters is one of the hardest?

I'll agree there. The part where you climb the stairs is just about 100% of that challenge though.

[Garry Silljo]

For a group of hardcore gamers, I can't see how the majority of you are whining about a game as easy as TMNT. This is one of the harder NES games, but it's not the hardest by far. I see it bashed frequently around here as well, so I'm guessing hardcore gamers can't formulate their own opinions either and state the cheap difficulty and poor gameplay comes from "insert Angry Video Game Nerd quote here."

I agree here as well. TMNT is not as hard as people make it out to be. It's flaws are few and forgivable.

[j_factor]

These lists are always crap. This is their Top 5 Sega games list:

1. Virtua Tennis
2. Sonic the Hedgehog
3. Jet Grind Radio
4. "2K sports"
5. Crazy Taxi

I've never seen such a Dreamcast-heavy list. They might as well have changed Sonic to PSO (or Sonic Adventure) and made it the top 5 Sega Dreamcast games instead.

[The 1 2 P]

Which makes it surprising that the first TMNT game wasn't mentioned. EVERYONE played (or owned) it at one point or another. I don't personally know anyone who's finished it legitimately on an original NES.

I finished it legitimately on the Nes back when I was 10 or so years old. I recently acquired the Japanese import famicom version but I haven't had a chance to run thru it yet. The game is difficult at times but I didn't use any cheat codes when I beat it so it's definitely not impossible.

[AB Positive]

This. I actually loved the 1st TMNT and made maps and all for it back in the day, it was challenging but not that hard.

Two things here that are way off topic.

1) ... Nice avatar.

2) How in the hell do you type in your user name???

[kupomogli]

1) ... Nice avatar.

I'll agree with that. Don't change it.

[Kevincal]

My votes go to:

TMNT 1
Silver Surfer
Top Gun
The Legend of Zelda

[vintagegamecrazy]

I'm not going to give anyone TMNT, Abadox or Double Dragon III. I've never beaten anyone of those games but the little that I've played them, I've made to the end of each of those games with little more than a day's play and couldd finish each one if I made the time to sit down again with them. Double Dragon can be made easy if you jump kick just about every enemy, I got almost to the last boss this way within an hour of playing it for the first time.

My top 5 list (from only what's on the top of my head)

1 Treasure Master
2 Kung-Fu Heroes
3 Thunder & Lightning
4 Adventure Island
5 Ikari Warriors 2 (without the cheat code)

[MrSparkle]

I think you guys are being too hard on this list. Its coming from a casual gamer and viewing it from that perspective it ain't half bad. The only real questionable game on there is Paperboy. Besides that Guiness Book of World Records list that had the top 50 influential games of all time was ten times worst than this.

even for a casual gamer perspective battletoads is a very beatable game. Punchout can be hard but its pure memorization you will beat it after playing it enough times and then after that you will beat it every time you play it, Its just not really a skill based game.

[Quickclaw]

Boulder Dash?

[j_factor]

2) How in the hell do you type in your user name???

U+25BA

[jperryss]

For a group of hardcore gamers, I can't see how the majority of you are whining about a game as easy as TMNT. This is one of the harder NES games, but it's not the hardest by far. I see it bashed frequently around here as well, so I'm guessing hardcore gamers can't formulate their own opinions either and state the cheap difficulty and poor gameplay comes from "insert Angry Video Game Nerd quote here."

First off, I only said I was surprised that TMNT wouldn't come up in a list of 5 popular AND difficult NES games. Out of all the heavy hitters that come up in these threads, I've cleared most of them (Battletoads, Blaster Master, Silver Surfer, all three Gaidens, and Contra/Life Force sans the K-code) but not the first TMNT. Maybe I didn't like it enough to keep trying, but I definitely made it to the last level on multiple occasions.

Secondly, yes I can formulate my own opinion, thank you very much.

[spoon]

I fucking hate Dash. I bought this on the box art alone. Hate this game. Dude looks like Ed Venture from the old Meijer days. Liar! there was no Ice Cream sandwich pushing fun to be had! Paid full price for this game too.

I always thought Werewolf was a pretty hard and underrated game. Also, Where's Waldo is impossible.

[CaptainFalcon13]

Where the hell is The Adventures of Bayou Billy? You can't even beat the first stage of the first level.

[kupomogli]

I totally forgot about Bayou Billy. Impossible game for the majority of gamers. I've seen a video of a person who completed it in one life, but it was probably a tool assisted run.

I hate Bayou Billy, but the music to the first stage, the only music you'll ever hear unless you play through stage select mode, is that one awesome song that plays in the regular stages.