By Rodger Moss
In a world before Down loadable content and pay to play gaming it is time to look back at a time when games were hard. These games were unbelievably hard in fact so much that gamers have adopted a term Nintendo Hard to describe such games. Here are ten hard AF Nintendo games that will test how much of a gamer you really are.
Punch-Out
Developer: Nintendo
Year : 1987
Players: One
Relesed as Mike Tyson's Punch-Out this game this game tested not only your quick reactions but also your pattern memory. You are Little Mac a up and coming boxer who has the dream to become a champ. This game starts of easy but turns the heat up and fast. Glass Joe may drop fast but King Hippo will test your eye of the tiger. Two button boxing at its best do you have the guts to beat all 25 Boxers.
Blaster Master
Developer: Sunsoft
Year: 1988
Players: One
The game features a character named Jason who follows his pet frog Fred down a hole in the earth. There he finds a tank and uses it to battle radioactive mutants. The player controls Jason and the tank Sophia the 3rd through eight levels of gameplay to find the whereabouts of Fred and to defeat the mutants and their leader, the Plutonium Boss. No save points, no passwords, and extremely hard foot levels make this game an accomplishment to beat. One sitting and a twelve pack of Dr. Pepper are required to make it to the end credits.
Bionic Command
Developer: Capcom
Year: 1988
Players: One
Bionic Commando tests your skill in a variety of areas, but it also gives you a lot of options. Do you shoot it out with enemy tanks where you stand, or do you grapple to other locations that may be safer or might contain spikes, laser shields, man-eating plants, or other traps? Yes, it demands that you swing through dangerous areas, fight piles of enemies, and know what’s safe to grapple and what’s not, but unlike other games with strange controls, method of movement is a blast to experience.
Top-Gun
Developer: Konami
Year: 1987
Players: One
I feel the need the need to break my controller after playing this game. Four missions of your choice is what it takes to beat this game. The missions are not that hard in fact you might find them a little to easy. The real challenge comes from landing the F-14 Tomcat on the aircraft carrier. Just when you think you are lined up and have the ball, the game cuts away to you crashing in the sea. Two endings await you at for this game depending on how good you really are. A sequel was also released and it added two player dog fighting, but did little to make landing any easier.
Mega Man
Developer: Capcom
Year: 1987
Players: One
Six Levels you can choose the order basically you choose how you want to die. If you thought Mario was the platforming king of the NES you are in for a shock. Tight controls and insanely timed jumps makes this one of the hardest series on the NES. Pick you order correctly and you can make it a little easier on your self, trust me you need all the help you can get. Six sequels made it to the NES none being easier than the first game.
Ghost N Goblins
Developer: Capcom
Year: 1986
Players: Two
Capcom has made this list three and for good reason. Arthur starts the game in his boxers and one hit will kill. Your job is simple find armor and save the Princess Prin Prin. Sounds easy except all the armor does is give you a free hit after that your dead. After you make it to the end and crush the final boss this game has a treat for you. Start over but with an even greater difficulty only then can you see the true ending to the game. Yeah this game is hard.
Contra
Developer: Konami
Year: 1987
Players: Two
Up,up,down,down,left,right,left,right,B,A, select, start. Trust me you will need this code. This wonderful gift grants you 30 live instead of the three you are given, shoot everything and move fast. Classic side scrolling mixed with power ups and some platforming make this a game best played with a buddy. One hit kills and waves of enemies will have you screaming for days at your T.V.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Developer: Ultra Games
Year: 1989
Players: One
Back in the day licensed games were some of the hardest games to beat, this game shows you why. Four Turtles must save New York from the evil Shredder. You do have the ability to switch turtles on the fly just to make sure you save Donnie. Power ups and Health are hard to find and easily lost, platforming that will make you clinch. If you think the worst water level in history is the water temple, you are in for a rude wake up.
Ninja Gaiden
Developer: Tecmo
Year: 1988
Players: One
Anime style cut scenes and amazing graphics give you a false sense of hope. This game was made famous for one reason only. Its unforgiving, challenging difficulty, especially with very steep platforms, enemies that re spawn upon dying unless they are close enough, aerial enemies and complicated almost impossible platforming sections, all combined, make Ninja Gaiden one of the hardest games on the NES.
Battletoads
Developer: Rare
Year: 1991
Players: Two
The mother load of hard games. I'm not even sure if there is a level past Turbo Tunnel everyone say so but I have never seen it. This beat-em up will give you hours of awesome game play and amazing graphics. Be forewarned do not play this game with your best friend it will destroy that friendship and leave you a crying huddled mess on the floor. Friendly fire exist and one hit kills make this game a chore to finish with a partner.
If you want to be a real gamer these are the games to get you to greatness. Yes you can cheat now, give yourself a fighting chance. In order to be the best though you need to beat these ten games the old fashion way a rectangle two button controller, a tube TV, and a lot of luck.
Stay Geeky!