IGN: Fifteen Really, Really, Really Hard Games

When From Software unleashed Dark Souls on the world, video game masochists applauded. In this sadistically challenging action RPG, merely surviving is an accomplishment.

Of course, really, really tough games have a long and proud history of driving gamers nuts. To celebrate insanely difficult games here are fifteen examples that will test your mettle, negatively influence your welfare, and brutally beat you into the ground, But they may just satisfy you in ways that other games can't.

[BiggCMan]

Pretty solid list, can't deny that most of them are quite challenging. Only Dead Rising I would say replace with something else, it wasn't hard at all in my opinion.

[saladthieves]

Agreed - If I remember correctly, Dead Rising had a horrible save system; didn't make it hard, it just made it freaking annoying knowing that you could lose hours wroth of progress.

[Sillyace92]

The Super Meat Boy achievement is probably the hardest thing ever to get...And I did it.

[Anon1974]

Ugh! I wanted so badly to like Dead Rising, but that save system was just horrendous. I'm an adult. When I need to stop a game, I need to save and stop because someone's over for dinner, or the baby's crying. I can't just yell up the stairs "Just half an hour, honey! I need to save my game."

I remember that Xmen game made me lose my mind back in the day. I thought for sure Chakan, the forever man would make this list.

[majin-vagina]

I can't believe they forgot some of the hardest games of all time...

1. Silver Surfer (Hardest game.... EVER!)
2. Super Mario Bros 2 (Famicom)
3. Castlevania 3
4. Contra 4 (NINTENDO DS... yeah its hard as f**k!)
5. Contra Hard Corps
6. Ninja Gaiden
7. Kid Icarus
8. Megaman 9
9. Ninja Gaiden

etc...

[majin-vagina]

I forgot Adventure Island: that game was hard as balls...

Ohh and have u guys played Cat Mario? Its a free online game, give it a try.. u will want to pull your hair out ;P

[Panthers]

Did anyone play Colony Wars Vengeance? I just remember that being really hard but I was a kid when I played it.

BTW we really need a new Colony Wars game this gen.

[Gam3rSinceBiRTH]

And that is the reason why I love Dead Rising so much is because of the save system. Made it much more exiting trying to battle night zombies with only 1 health bar knowing that if I lose, I would lose about 20 minutes of progressive. I still remember once barricading myself for hours waiting for the day time to run for a save. So much fun. Absolutely love Dead Rising.

[n4gisatroll]

MGS wasn't hard either. Only of you weren't patient.

[iChii]

I've finished MGS 3 times. On my PS1, on my PS3 and on my PSP and I've never encountered it to be "Hard".

If theres a hard MGS game, I say its MGS4. its the only MGS game I found difficult at a normal difficulty. I finished MGS2 & 3 on the hardest difficulty like a boss, but when I tried it with MGS4..oGod..xD

[Iroquois_Pliskin]

I am a proud owner of the Big Boss emblem in mgs4. The hardest Mgs is definetly MGS1.... I tried beating liquid on big boss difficulty, it was insane!

[Panthers]

Im sorry but MGS4s biggest issue is how easy it is. Being able to buy ammo and guns at any time just makes NO SENSE in a tactical espionage game. Its a brilliant game, but pretty much unlimited ammo made it boring sometimes. Not to mention pretty stupid enemies. At one point in the game I just laid down and sniped people over and over. More people would run to the dead body and inspect saying "What happened?" then they would get sniped. I mean who would go over to a dead body they see get sniped and just stand there?

[badz149]

games this gen are basically too easy? no recent games except for meat boy and DK.

[Brownghost]

Most games have been toned down to fit casual gamers. Apparently developers want everyone to enjoy their games without frustrating with them but making it more challenging is more fun as well. This is why ninja gaiden 3 will be toned down for the casual which I hate and want kept at the old style even though like 11% of buyers beat the game. I want more of a challenge in most games these days!

[PygmelionHunter]

I'm surprised at the lack of Castlevania games, also, TMNT on the NES was pretty unforgiving.

[cr33ping_death]

i actually passed that game :) difficult....yes.

[jaidek]

What? "No I Wanna Be The Boshy" or "I Wanna Be The Guy?" Sure they are free PC, indie titles but they are some of the most brutal games ever devised. If you want a challenge, be sure to check them out. You'll hate yourself for it later.

[Baba1906]

why isnt dark souls and demnos souls on the list?

[Blaine]

I'm guessing since Dark is in the intro, they didn't put it into the article. And since Dark is a sort of honorary mention, they didn't want to put another game from the "same series".

But I agree, both should be on there.

[LettingGo]

No. These games are hard, but I've BEAT them!

Maybe only list games very few people have beaten?

[cochise313]

I remember that xmen game. that game pissed me off.

[Ascalon94]

Demon's Souls

[Gran Touring]

I would say Einhander and/or Skullmonkeys from the PS1 era, though I know most people probably haven't played those games.

[Eu]

Einhander was a b****...last chapeter, no continues used, just a ferw mins of getting the 2 last ships (if I remeber right, you had to beat the game without continues to unlock them...in the harder modes) and I lost my last 5 lives in that damn mins......I dont try that game in the last 10 years (most lack of time) but damn Im pissed for those lost oportunities....

OT: Vagrant Story was also a damn hard RPG....a good one too, neve managed the time to end it...maybe some of these days, if I manage to stomack the old graphies
And DMC3....the dante must die mode is some crazy sh*t. At the apice of my abilities with that game (non stop playing because I was with a broken leg a few weaks after the lauching)I managed to survive 3 missions on that mode back to back..and never more.....that was some good playing...nowadays games are just too easy.

[Blaine]

I remember DMC3 (original version with the jacked-up difficulty, of course). Beat it once, felt satisfied with myself... Never dared try it again!

[Sidewinder-]

Notice how they are all generally GOOD games.

[thehitman]

Didnt find DMC3 hard at all. Also game difficulty is quit low standards now these days I hate the fact everything autosaves and now in most games you die you dont start from 0 or halfway you start from a spot you were 1min ago.

[Blaine]

Different autosaves:

Uncharted: start a few seconds from where you were before you died.

Dark Souls: autosaves death, start from the bonfire sucker!

[tsn]

What a surprise majority are old games.

[Raider69]

No NES Metroid on that list.

[Relientk77]

Have played and definitely agree with:

Contra
X-Men
Battletoads
Ninja Gaiden

I dont know about Metal Gear Solid though, I don't think its ridiclously hard

[bozebo]

Yeah MGS wasn't hard.

I think Lost Odyssey should be on the list because if you don't level the two crappiest characters then it's impossible later when they are required for a boss fight (so only about 1% of players can even get past without replaying the 50+ hours before it lol, or they had a 2nd save halfway like I did).
Though, there are loads of other super hard games not on the list of course so meh.

I remember the lion king being insanely hard but I havn't tried playing it since I was 7 or something lol.

[Relientk77]

I actually couldnt pass the 2nd level of The Lion King when I was a kid lol. I actually played it like a year or 2 ago and got to like to the 5th,6th, or 7th level (idr which) tho lol

:)

[admiralvic]

The fact Spelunker is missing says a lot... I mean you can die falling 5 feet...

[rayzorn]

i have played a decent amount of them games and i agree on alot glad ghost and goblins and battletoads made it.

i think the main reason games are easier now is. awhile back the games where short so if they didnt make a game hard as hell you would beat it in 30 min so they made a 30 min game pretty much unbeatable to get replayability out of it. now days games are alot longer not counting rpgs and such. some of them phantasy star games and such where pretty darn long back in the day.

[bozebo]

dwarf fortress :D

[gemc666]

where's Commando? you have 2 guys to kill an entire map full of buildings that spawn 1029381209381209381209380218 guys if the alarm sounds O.o, i remember spending hours just figuring the next move

[Relientk77]

That's a lot of guys to come kill you when an alarm goes off lol

:)