Top 5 Most Challenging Nintendo Games: Origins of Nintendo Hard

A lot of games that we play today, as exciting and aesthetically pleasing as they are, have long abandoned the recipe for hard, skillful work. You know what I’m talking about, the days of Mario, Battletoads, Double Dragon, Ninja Gaiden, etc. They aren’t the prettiest games known to man but that isn’t what they were known for either. (Unless you grew up with them, in which case, they were the neatest use of creativity yet!). So Valid Gaming did some memory searching and a little bit of googling (Urban Dictionary re-enforces the ability to use made-up but awesome words) as well to compile a short list of five “Nintendo Hard” games that frustrated gamers all over the world. Now you too can share in their pain!

[MkaY]

Good stuff! I have fond memories of Turtles and Battletoads :D

[RIPSKATEDESTROY]

YES! both games are classics! i want a battletoad remake!

[sublimetrojan5]

These games are great choices,but in my opinion ghost and goblins was easily alot harder than the games listed...Legend of Kage would get a nod also...The easiest game was Kung Fu.

[validgaming]

There was indeed a lot "harder" games but I was also trying to include the element of poor design into the category of "difficult" seeing as a lot of the games back then required tedious movements and what not just to survive a single level. Glad you liked the post!

[Elwenil]

Never had much problem playing TMNT or Contra back in the day. I always thought Ghosts and Goblins was a huge PITA though.

[validgaming]

I had seriously thought of adding Ghosts and Goblins but one of my main goals was to show the poor level designs back then that added a sense of frustrating difficulty to a game. If we make another one, i'll easily add Ghosts and Goblins!