Were video games more difficult before? Well, it is partly true, since they did not have the duration that games have now, so it was normal for the difficulty to skyrocket, let's say, so that the outlay would compensate you for more playing time. Additionally, some routines were clumsier, which necessarily affected the gameplay.
We bring you a selection of five really difficult classic video games, considered by many to be the pinnacle of difficulty. can you cumDark Soulswith eyes closed? If the answer is yes, try one of these and tell us.
BATTLETOADS
![[Very Top] Five really difficult classic games](https://combogamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/battletoads_md.png)
The game of the most badass batracians created by Rare appeared on several systems, and in all of them their very high level of difficulty stands out. Yes, at firstBattletoadsIt may be affordable in the early stages as we fight our way through, but little by little we realize that this is no joke.
The nightmare ofBattletoadsIt takes shape as soon as we reach the phase in which we go down a tunnel hanging from a rope. Okay, this might even be easy if we take into account that the worst is yet to come. And yes, we are referring especially to the now very famous phase of flying motorcycles, a level that is already part of the history of video games and just mentioning it is sure to make someone have nightmares.
What does the motorcycle phase consist of? It is a side-scrolling race in which we have to avoid a series of obstacles at full speed. With any mistake we make we will lose a life and start over, so it is necessary to have good reflexes if we want to achieve success.
These mechanics have been repeated in later games such asBattletoads in Battlemaniacs, generally making the Rare saga one of the most difficult game series in history.
GHOSTS 'N GOBLINS
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The first adventure of Sir Arthur, you know, that knight errant created by Capcom who likes to wear white underwear with red hearts, isGhosts 'n Goblinsand it was already pointing out ways since its appearance in arcades in 1985, being one of these games in which anything could kill you.
The problem with this mix of action and platforms is not really reaching the final enemy, even though the difficulty is extremely high and it brings them to them. No, people. The real problem is that to see the good ending, so to speak, you have to repeat the mapping twice. Yes, we must go through this playable hell twice damn twice, only then will we accomplish our goal.
We don't really know who at Capcom thought this would be a good idea, but it's clear that things stuck and the development ofGhosts 'n GoblinsIn its domestic versions it suffers the same fate. Furthermore, in its also infernal sequels, such asGhouls 'n GhostseitherSuper Ghouls 'n Ghosts,This component is repeated, being even more elaborate in some cases.
Finally, we would like to point out that the NES version of the game, one of the most popular, is also the most difficult of all. Its creator thought that the original was not complicated enough, so the Nintendo NES cartridge is even more extreme than the arcade game on which it is based. Maybe they thought that this would be better so that players could enjoy this port of the game for longer.Ghosts 'n Goblins.
R-TYPE
![[Very Top] Five really difficult classic games](https://combogamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/rtype_arc.png)
Ok, it is true that the shoot 'em up genre is already a genre that stands out greatly for its difficulty, but what Irem created in 1987 goes one step further.That masterpiece of the matamartians calledR-TypeHe set the standard when it came to presenting us with a challenge only for the most experienced at the controls of the recreational machines.
Although we are not talking about a “bullet hell” in the style of games like, for example, the enormousIkaruga,R-TypeHe was already showing us his teeth, showing us that his development is no bed of roses.
The fact is that it is very easy to feel cornered in this game. There are times when projectiles and certain enemies suffocate us relentlessly, and to do so we have to move our ship around the screen with true surgical precision. Any available space is good for shelter, but one wrong step will inevitably send us to the other neighborhood.
Of course the path marked by this wonder influenced later games and future installments of the series. Without going any further, there you have the excellent and much more recentR-Type Final 2, which shows that the classic matamarcians continue to be a challenge on par with the most veterans in these fields.
SUPER MARIO BROS.: THE LOST LEVELS
![[Very Top] Five really difficult classic games](https://combogamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/smbthelostlevels_snes.png)
The games of the most famous mustachioed plumber in video games have never been easy. They have always been the perfect example that many times the easiest thing to learn is the most difficult to master.Super Mario Bros. 3,Super Mario Worldor evenSuper Mario 64They had truly infernal levels, but thisSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost LevelsIt's already from another world.
Just in case we refresh the story.We are talking about the realSuper Mario Bros. 2, not the one that came to us, but the one that came out for the Japanese Famicom as an official sequel to the firstSuper Mario Bros.It was considered that the inexperienced hands of the Western public would not be able to handle this game, so Nintendo sent us theSuper Mario Bros. 2that we all know and that was based on another Miyamoto game calledDoki Doki Panic!
Años después, dentro del recopilatorio para Super Nintendo llamadoSuper Mario All-Stars,nos llegó por fin dicho juego bajo el nombre deSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, así que los usuarios de la 16bit de Nintendo pudieron saborear las mieles del que posiblemente sea el juego de plataformas más difícil de todos los tiempos.
¿Y qué lo hace difícil? El diseño de niveles, las plataformas, la cantidad de enemigos en pantalla… ¡TODO! Es un juego realizado a mala baba, presentando un desafío a los más exigentes. Incluso hay una seta que al cogerla te quitará una vida. Demencial.
ZELDA II: THE ADVENTURE OF LINK
![[Very Top] Five really difficult classic games](https://combogamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/zelda2_nes.png)
Y terminamos también con Nintendo, con la segunda parte del exitosoThe Legend of Zeldapara la Nintendo NES que, al margen de la polémica que creó en su día con su planteamiento, está considerado uno de los juegos más difíciles de esta inolvidable saga de juegos de aventura.
La dificultad deZelda II: The Adventure of Linkreside en dos aspectos fundamentales. Por un lado está su desarrollo lateral, que se alterna con un mapeado abierto con perspectiva aérea en el que es muy fácil perderse. Además, hay momentos en los que no sabremos muy bien qué hacer al no comprender demasiado bien los objetivos que debemos cumplir.
Por otra parte, el sistema de combate exige paciencia y coordinación. Será fácil tirar la toalla en los primeros compases del juego cuando veamos que un simple enemigo nos puede dar una soberana paliza. Esto es porque enZelda II: The Adventure of Linkdebemos calcular perfectamente los ataques, los saltos o los bloqueos.
Zelda II: The Adventure of Linksiempre es considerado la oveja negra de la familia. Se intentó innovar dándole toques roleros y un cambio de aires respecto a la anterior entrega, cosa que no está nada mal, pero no salió exactamente como se esperaba. Por suerte luego vinoThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Pasty las cosas siguieron por muy buen cauce.

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