Everyone posting all these old, hardcore games and I'm just sitting here feeling proud I played Mass Effect 2 to 100%, including DLCs on Insanity and Witcher 2 on Insane. And if you accept it, one or two Japanese bullet hell games (Touhou 6 and 11).
This is really old school, but I had no idea what to do in Dragon's Lair on the Gameboy. I was 7 or 8 at the time, but still. What the hell is that game about?
Tomb Raider III was pretty brutal for me. I had to eventually put in cheat codes to have a chance at that game. THe first two games were difficult but doable, but man, they really ramped it up for the third one. And save crystals? Who on earth thought that was a good idea? (Those games are still amongst my absolute favorites, though.)
People always said that Super Empire Strikes Back was supposedly one of the toughest games of it's era, but I honestly can't remember having much trouble with it at all, and I distinctly remember beating Vader. Sure it took a couple dozen tries, but that really isn't saying much considering my age and video game experience.
I proudly present you old hardcore LDM. Lost dutchman Mine is quite fun game to start however pretty hard to win and watch ending scene. Played at least 20 times however never won this old-timer. Actually, I still don't know what to do exactly. I can dig gold, play poker and buy lots lots of stuffs but I have no clue.
Yes! I also remember renting certain games over and over. It got to the point where the girl at Blockbuster stopped making me go through the hassle of re-renting and just updated the rental computer for me.
I don't see it listed yet so I will add it. The toughest game to finish that I've ever played is Temple Run. I played that game for hours and hours and just couldn't get to the finish line. I eventually got frustrated and just quit. One day I will go back and finish that darned thing.
ON a (slightly) more serious note, a lot of games fall into my 'Difficult' category. It took me absolutely ages to finally defeat Irenicus. And i was absolutely psyched out to even try to take on Saravok. I tried (and failed) Ninja Gaiden Black a while back.
If I had to list the toughest game that I've actually BEATEN? I'd say Dark Souls. That was TOUGH, but I finally got to the end credits.
Its hard to say for games that have difficulty modes. The only game I really play on a hard difficulty is Baldur's Gate 2, and this is after years. I haven't tried Baldur's Gate 1 on the hardest difficulty all the way through (I turn it on after I'm about 4th level) but that would be an accomplishment.
Mario 64 had no difficulty scale, and I've gotten all 120 s on multiple occasions, so I guess that would fit the criteria.
Those old-school games like Battle Toads were the hardest I have ever done -- where you had a limited number of lives and when they ran out you had to start all over. They were brutal at times. I've beaten some of those and been beaten by some of them, but they are much harder than BG or anything I've seen or played in the last decade.
Those old-school games like Battle Toads were the hardest I have ever done -- where you had a limited number of lives and when they ran out you had to start all over. They were brutal at times. I've beaten some of those and been beaten by some of them, but they are much harder than BG or anything I've seen or played in the last decade.
Those old Nintendo games like that are impossible.
Its funny that there is some guy making these levels that have random things just there for the sole purpose of killing you. Spikes, lava, giant bullets, falling platforms... Nintendo had some real sickos working for them!
Those old-school games like Battle Toads were the hardest I have ever done -- where you had a limited number of lives and when they ran out you had to start all over. They were brutal at times. I've beaten some of those and been beaten by some of them, but they are much harder than BG or anything I've seen or played in the last decade.
Those games were hatefully difficult. I remember Final Fight, which had 2 character to use, 1 could EASILY reach the last boss, but made him an impossible fight, and the other, the big slow guy, he made every fight BUT the boss harder, but the final boss was a breeze if he ever made it to him. Weird way to balance a game imo.
Those games were hatefully difficult. I remember Final Fight, which had 2 character to use, 1 could EASILY reach the last boss, but made him an impossible fight, and the other, the big slow guy, he made every fight BUT the boss harder, but the final boss was a breeze if he ever made it to him. Weird way to balance a game imo.
To be fair, quite a lot of games do that even today. They have slow and steady progression up until the final battle, then they JACK up the difficulty such that you have only a slim random chance to defeat the final boss. They do it "To add challenge" and to extend the 'average play time' of the game.
Another thing that games do is they will throw in some wonky mechanic that is only ever used once in the game and you have to basically gimp all of your other skills in favor of that. I remember in Dark souls once you go into the crypts, the skeletons become unkillable (until you kill the necromancer), UNLESS you have Holy weapons which are pretty sucky against everything else in the game. And then later on, they provide this "In the dark" level. Mechanics that are useless anywhere else in the game, but are a necessity in one place.
The initial release of Baldur's Gate was definitely the toughest game experience I've ever had. I was seven when it came, had never played a computer game before, or DnD, or an Rpg. Yeah that learning curve. Ninja Gaiden Sigma is probably my second spot, that game has instilled in me a still burning hatred for worms in video games.
Well other than all of the ones @O_Bruce (completely relate) Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 comes to mind only because of how my thumbs never seemed to be able to do what they were told for the bosses in order to kill them... My thumbs are serious dudes too so the game is just silly when it comes to doing the perfect execution of special cut scene moves or whatever you call them for the bosses.
Genesis: beaten: Thunderforce III, MUSHA, Revenge of Shinobi, Shadowdancer, etc. Sword of Vermillion, though I don't recall that being difficult, just "work".
NES: Ninja Gaiden series...
Playstation One: Beaten: Wipeout XL aka Wipeout 2097 (Piranha ship earned, beat all challenge courses), the single best racing game ever. Killer soundtrack by various electronic artists at the time (the PS game disc was an audio CD too). Here's a taste, but this is the easiest track:
Seriously though, I have so many fond memories of so many games, beating some and getting frustrated by others (withholding Battletoads because it was already mentioned multiple times). Just a random top ten list that I'm sure isn't complete:
(1) Golgo 13 (2) Double Dragon III (3) Gauntlet 3 (IIRC; it was more RPGish for the first time in the series) (4) Link 2 (NES) (5) Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest (only appreciated this one later and wow did you get zero help with what to do) (6) Final Fantasy VIII (7) Impossible Mission (C64) (8) Shadows of the Empire on jedi setting (9) Rambo (NES) (10) 8 Eyes (NES)
I also remember a difficult Wizardry on NES (III maybe?), a King's Quest on Playstation, and an epic Turok on I think N64 (confirmed: Turok 2 - cerebral bore FTW).
Well, the King's Quest that I had in mind was actually a totally different game, King's Field. While trying to remember that, it jogged a beloved RPG of mine and it greatly disappointed me that a sequel was never made because it was fairly unique, had the workings of an amazing story, had a fair bit of hidden content (items and areas, most of which were only accessible on a second playthrough), and it was reasonably challenging: Vagrant Story.
Tomb Raider III was pretty brutal for me. I had to eventually put in cheat codes to have a chance at that game. THe first two games were difficult but doable, but man, they really ramped it up for the third one. And save crystals? Who on earth thought that was a good idea? (Those games are still amongst my absolute favorites, though.)
I take it back. The hardest game I ever finished was the Infocom Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. There was no internet back then for cheating. The babel fish puzzle and the puzzle with the thing your grandmother gave you and the belly of the whale are some of the most vexing puzzles I've ever solved.
I'll throw in a dark horse....my sister had A Bug's Life for N64. The controls were so horrid that I never got through the first few areas, even though she insisted I beat it for her. At the time I was playing WCW/NWO Revenge non-stop (which is still the best game engine for a wrestling game ever created, I have no idea why it was abandoned after No Mercy).
Alright I remember one that just tormented me with its difficulty.. Shinobi for the Playstation 2. This game was just pure evil. There was no checkpoints so if you died you had to start all the way back at the beginning of the level...
Comments
Lost dutchman Mine is quite fun game to start however pretty hard to win and watch ending scene.
Played at least 20 times however never won this old-timer.
Actually, I still don't know what to do exactly. I can dig gold, play poker and buy lots lots of stuffs but I have no clue.
ON a (slightly) more serious note, a lot of games fall into my 'Difficult' category. It took me absolutely ages to finally defeat Irenicus. And i was absolutely psyched out to even try to take on Saravok. I tried (and failed) Ninja Gaiden Black a while back.
If I had to list the toughest game that I've actually BEATEN? I'd say Dark Souls. That was TOUGH, but I finally got to the end credits.
Mario 64 had no difficulty scale, and I've gotten all 120
Its funny that there is some guy making these levels that have random things just there for the sole purpose of killing you. Spikes, lava, giant bullets, falling platforms... Nintendo had some real sickos working for them!
*gasp* I think I just figured it out...
Another thing that games do is they will throw in some wonky mechanic that is only ever used once in the game and you have to basically gimp all of your other skills in favor of that. I remember in Dark souls once you go into the crypts, the skeletons become unkillable (until you kill the necromancer), UNLESS you have Holy weapons which are pretty sucky against everything else in the game. And then later on, they provide this "In the dark" level. Mechanics that are useless anywhere else in the game, but are a necessity in one place.
NES: Ninja Gaiden series...
Playstation One: Beaten: Wipeout XL aka Wipeout 2097 (Piranha ship earned, beat all challenge courses), the single best racing game ever. Killer soundtrack by various electronic artists at the time (the PS game disc was an audio CD too). Here's a taste, but this is the easiest track:
(1) Golgo 13
(2) Double Dragon III
(3) Gauntlet 3 (IIRC; it was more RPGish for the first time in the series)
(4) Link 2 (NES)
(5) Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest (only appreciated this one later and wow did you get zero help with what to do)
(6) Final Fantasy VIII
(7) Impossible Mission (C64)
(8) Shadows of the Empire on jedi setting
(9) Rambo (NES)
(10) 8 Eyes (NES)
I also remember a difficult Wizardry on NES (III maybe?), a King's Quest on Playstation, and an epic Turok on I think N64 (confirmed: Turok 2 - cerebral bore FTW).