Although the original Nintendo Entertainment System can be charming and nostalgic, some of its games are deceptively difficult. The 8-bit graphics, simplistic controls, and straightforward gameplay can lull unsuspecting players into a false sense of security. However, a brutal reality of unforgiving mechanics and punishing challenges lies beneath the rose-tinted surface. Pixel-perfect platforming, bizarre hitboxes, and cheap deaths await those who dare to insert these games into their console.

Many NES games are infamously “Nintendo Hard” because game developers only have so much memory in a cartridge. Absurd difficulty ensured that players didn’t finish the game too quickly, so it was the easiest way to give players their money’s worth back then. The utter lack of save points doesn’t help, and a Game Over can push an unfortunate player to the brink. They often thrive on trial and error, so their players must develop patience and master intricate strategies. Limited lives, hidden enemies, and obscure power-ups further amplify the difficulty, forcing players to rely on intuition, experimentation, and a hefty dose of luck.

This article was updated on February 2, 2025, by Christopher Raley: Nintendo games for the NES carry a lot of nostalgia, but for those who played them, they also hold memories of brutal game encounters. Five more really hard NES games have been added to this list, and it has been updated to conform to CBR’s current publishing standards.

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15

Punchout!! Was Notoriously Difficult

Punchout!! was adapted for the NES from Nintendo’s arcade game of the same name, which was created for Nintendo by Genyo Takeda. When it came to the NES in 1987, it was originally called Mike Tyson’s Punchout!! because he was the final boxing challenge that the player had to face. However, when the license to use his likeness expired, the title reverted to Punchout!!

Punchout!! focuses on Little Mac, a boxer who appears diminutive going up against the great boxers he must face. Players have to face opponents in three circuits before they can get to the dream fight at the end. In the meantime, Little Mac not only remains small, but he has the same toolbox of left and right jabs, body blows, and a strong uppercut. Contrasted with the special attacks of opponents, the players have their work cut out for them.

Punch-Out!!

Released

September 18, 1987

14

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Was a Tough Superhero Game

Players Had To Beat Several Challenges Before Pizza

Developed in 1989 by Konami for NES, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles follows the titular comic book heroes on a dangerous mission to confront the Foot Clan. The setup is that Shredder has kidnapped April O’Neil, and Donny, Mikey, Leo, and Raph must scour New York City to find her and stop Shredder from turning Splinter back into a human.

Along the way, players encounter Bebop the pig and Rocksteady the rhino and eventually rescue April. But by this time, Shredder has kidnapped Splinter, so the mission is far from over. If players last long enough, the game takes them on a TMNT-guided tour of NYC, including a skyscraper, JFK airport, and the South Bronx. All the while, this video game Odyssey crushes aspiring TMNT players.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Released

October 11, 1989

ESRB

e

13

Gauntlet Is a Legendary Dungeon Crawl

It Was Ported For the NES

Back in the day, any given version of the arcade game Gauntlet could be guaranteed to be surrounded by kids who sacrificed hygiene for victory. When it was ported to the NES, developers brought the game that much closer to the shower, but victory still eluded players more often than not. Gauntlet is a legendary top-down dungeon crawl whose catchphrases like “Warrior needs food, badly” have entered the popular lexicon.

Players had the choice of controlling Thor the warrior, Questor the elf, Thyra the Valkyrie, or Merlin the wizard through multiple floors of castle-inspired mazes that played host to ghosts, demons, barbarians, Death, and other monsters. Gauntlet is a brutal combination of puzzles, mazes, and hack-n-slash combat. Atari’s consumer software publishing division, Tengen, developed the game for NES, making it the first NES title to be developed in the United States.

12

Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship Of Doom Is Grueling

It Is the Third Installment In the Series

Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom was the third installment in the series developed by Tecmo for the NES. In the timeline of the first two games, The Ancient Ship of Doom takes place between the first two. Players control the main protagonist, Ryu Hayabusa. At the beginning of the game, a CIA agent named Irene Lew is pursued off a cliff by a Ryu look-alike where she appears to die.

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Ryu then sets off to investigate what really happened to Irene so he can clear his name. This third installment of the series has some notable changes in the gameplay. Ryu can hang from pipes or vines. Ryu’s sword is also given power-up abilities. While the game was well-received, some players criticized its difficulty level. In fact, the developer made the US release even more difficult than the other releases.

Ninja Gaiden 3: The Ancient Ship of Doom

11

Ikari Warriors Was Originally an Arcade Release

It Was Ported To NES In 1990

SNK originally meant for Ikari Warriors to be a video game version of Rambo: First Blood Part II, but they couldn’t acquire the rights, so they settled for the title Ikari Warriors​​​​​​. Ikari Warriors was initially released as an arcade game in 1986 and went on to become among the most successful arcade games in Japan, London, and America. It was ported to the NES in 1990.

Ikari Warriors follows two commandos who are differentiated by the color of their bandannas. The red one is Colonel Ralf Jones, and the blue one is Lieutenant Clark Still. The commandos must fight legions of enemy soldiers with sometimes only a few power-ups to help them, and they can also commandeer tanks and helicopters. With non-stop action, it’s easy to see why this difficult and addicting run and gun was a hit.

10

The First Final Fantasy Rewards Grinding, Not Skill

And It Punishes Players Through Tedium

It may be the first game in the legendary Final Fantasy franchise, but it embodies the JRPG genre in the worst possible ways — necessitated grinding and random encounters. Final Fantasy lacks the modern refinements that long-time Final Fantasy players may take for granted, like auto-saves, the job system, and Phoenix Downs. Yes, the original Final Fantasy didn’t have Phoenix Downs — only two classes could revive party members, and neither could do so during a fight.

Final Fantasy isn’t difficult by punishing players, but through tedium. The inventory is minimal compared to later games, and many of the game’s mechanics are bugged — the Intelligence stat is completely useless, for example. The game’s cryptic puzzles and labyrinthine dungeons force players to decipher obscure clues while dealing with consistent random encounters. Even the smallest failure could result in hours of lost progress, which is why this game takes 10th position.

Final Fantasy (1987)

The four “Light Warriors” must fulfill a 2000 year old prophecy, traversing the land in order to restore light to the four elemental orbs and defeat an ancient evil to save their world.

Platform(s)

Nintendo Entertainment System, PC, PS1, PS4, PSP, WonderSwan, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Android, iOS

Released

December 18, 1987

Developer(s)

Square

Publisher(s)

Square

How Long To Beat

18 hours

9

Bayou Billy’s Enemies Don’t Stop Until They’re Dead

Billy’s Movements Feel Slow And Awkward

Originally titled “Mad City” in Japan, The Adventures of Bayou Billy is a true 1980s power fantasy about a rugged hero with an open shirt and brutal difficulty to match. It’s kind of like Indiana Jones, actually. The gameplay is broken down into three styles — beat-em-up, shooting, and driving — and the beat-em-up levels play like Double Dragon, except Billy is slow and awkward to control. His basic attacks feel delayed, so the easiest way to get through them is to spam the jump kick. This becomes important for survival since enemies don’t get stunned when damaged.

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At least Billy can acquire weapons and bullet-proof vests in this mode, so he’s not completely inept. Shooting levels can be played with the NES Zapper and are self-explanatory. Enemies pop up from everywhere, so players must shoot them before being shot themselves. Driving levels are the most difficult part of this game, as there are many hazards and vehicles to avoid. The lack of a health bar means one crash means one lost life.

8

Contra Has a 30-Lives Code for a Reason

It Has a Reputation As a Hard Game

The legendary run-and-gun shooter Contra earned its reputation as one of the most challenging games ever created. First and foremost, Contra features an incredibly high enemy density, with a constant stream of foes appearing on-screen at any given moment. They’re relentless and require precise timing and reflexes to avoid, and some are strategically placed in locations that can’t be avoided easily.

The limited number of lives contributes to Contra’s difficulty. Players only get three lives at the beginning of the game and must earn additional lives by accumulating high scores. Alternatively, players can input the Konami Code on the title screen to start with 30 lives. The complex environments, moving obstacles, and hidden traps make it easy to lose lives, and the boss battles require players to master difficult attack patterns to defeat. All of these make Contra incredibly rewarding, despite its difficulty.

Contra is a run and gun video game developed and published by Konami, originally developed as a coin-operated arcade video game in 1986.

Platform(s)

Arcade, Commodore 64, Nintendo Entertainment System, Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox 360

Released

February 20, 1987

Developer(s)

Konami

Publisher(s)

Konami

7

Ghosts ‘n Goblins Alike Strip Arthur Down to His Boxers

This Challenging Game Was Released In 1986

Ghosts ‘n Goblins is often considered the “Dark Souls” of arcade games by modern players since it requires them to learn from their mistakes. Its protagonist, Arthur, can only take two hits before dying, which sends the player back to the start of the map or the midway checkpoint. A single misstep can lead to Arthur being swarmed by the game’s relentless enemies, and certain traps will kill Arthur instantly, regardless of his health.

Getting hit results in Arthur losing his armor and being reduced to his boxers — a state that is both vulnerable and humiliating. Players only start with three lives and can only gain additional lives by achieving certain point thresholds — 20,000 for the first extra life, 70,000 for the second, and every 70,000 points after that. Players also lose a life if they run out of time before completing a level.

Ghosts ‘n Goblins

Platform(s)

Arcade, Commodore 64, PC, Nintendo Game Boy Color, Commodore Amiga, Android, iOS

Released

July 7, 1985

Developer(s)

Capcom

Publisher(s)

Capcom

6

The Wizard Is Hardly Immortal in The Immortal

Players Can Attest To His Mortality

Unlike most difficult NES games, The Immortal is an isometric adventure game. The protagonist, known only as a wizard, must explore a large dungeon filled with death traps designed to kill him out of nowhere. Its steep learning curve and obscure puzzles render it impossible to complete without trial and error or a game guide. Even something as silly as approaching a ladder from the wrong side will make the wizard fall to his death. To put it nicely, The Immortal isn’t referring to the wizard.

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Spells are less prominent than players may expect, and most are situational — one can charm Will-o’-the-Wisps, for example. Combat is unusual as well and doesn’t involve magic. When engaging with an enemy, the game transitions into a combat scenario. Players can dodge left or right, stab, or slash left or right. It’s fairly reminiscent of Punch-Out!! and tests the player’s reflexes.

5

The Moral of Castlevania 3 Is To Despise Stairs

Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse Has No Mercy

Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse is famous for many reasons — it introduces multiple playable characters and branching paths to the franchise, refines the classic gameplay that Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest lacks, and is difficult beyond belief. Even the first Castlevania game has antepieces to teach players the basic controls, but Dracula’s Curse offers no such courtesy. It is difficult as early as the first stage of the game and never lets up.

The stairs are the player’s mortal enemy in Dracula’s Curse. For one, the hero can’t simply jump on them. They have to start from the top or bottom, then ascend or descend the stairs slowly. While on the stairs, players can’t move any faster or slower, and can’t use sub-weapons. The idea of using Grant’s ceiling crawling ability to avoid stairs entirely is not an exaggeration, which is why this game makes it to fifth place.

In Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, players guide Trevor Belmont through a dark and challenging journey to defeat Dracula. Featuring multiple paths and characters, including allies like Sypha and Grant, the game combines classic platforming with strategic combat. Each character offers unique abilities, enhancing the depth and replayability of the adventure.

Action-Adventure

Platformer

Platform(s)

Nintendo Entertainment System, PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One

Released

September 1, 1990

Developer(s)

Konami

Publisher(s)

Konami

ESRB

e

4

Mega Man Didn’t Have Energy Tanks or Passwords at First

Players Must Beat the Game in One Sitting

Mega Man is another game that ushered in a whole franchise. Every Mega Man game is difficult, with tight platforming, difficult bosses, and annoying enemies that can pop out of nowhere. The original Mega Man was difficult for the wrong reasons — Mega Man has no energy tanks, no password system, and its controls are unrefined compared to later titles. Players who wish to finish this game must do so in a single session.

The first Wily stage is infamous for requiring the Magnet Beam to complete, but players can miss it. It’s found on Elec Man’s stage by throwing blocks out of the way with the Super Arm. Since it’s possible to complete Elec Man’s stage without defeating Guts Man first, they may find themselves in the Wily stages without a way to progress. To this day, no other Mega Man game has this kind of unfair roadblock. At least it has the Thunder Beam.

Mega Man

In the year 20XX, the mad scientist Dr. Wily once again seeks world domination. This time, he creates eight powerful Robot Masters to wreak havoc: Metal Man, Air Man, Bubble Man, Quick Man, Crash Man, Flash Man, Heat Man, and Wood Man.

Platform(s)

Nintendo Entertainment System, PS1, Mobile

Released

December 17, 1987

Developer(s)

Capcom

Publisher

avastorm Analytics, Capcom Mobile, Inc.

ESRB

e

3

Fester Shoots Like a Frantic Jester

His Gun Is Sporadic and His Reflexes Slow

Fester’s Quest is absurdly difficult for all the wrong reasons, specifically the controls. He’s slow in a shooter that demands players have quick reflexes. Fester’s gun is sporadic, and his bullets go in a pattern rather than straight like they should. This makes it difficult to hit enemies in tight spaces since bullets don’t go through the background in this game. Speaking of which, these tight spaces are difficult to navigate and can result in some frustration as players move through the levels.

Not only does Fester’s Quest have no save or password feature, but he only has a single life. He only takes two hits to kill, and if he dies, players have to start back at the beginning. Any items are retained upon using a continue, but the player will have to go through the levels they’ve already been through once before.

2

Battletoads Is Infamous for Ruining Friendships

When One Player Dies, Both Die

Battletoads is infamous for its friendly fire that will undoubtedly occur while playing co-op. Since both players share the same life total, the game is over when one player dies. It’s easy to assume that Battletoads is designed to make players hate whoever they’re playing with — Mario Party is nothing compared to this. The Clinger Winger stage, in particular, makes this game impossible to complete in co-op mode at all. That level has a bug that makes the second player’s controls unresponsive.

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Interestingly, Battletoads was developed in response to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ success. This suggests that the game was marketed toward younger audiences, which only makes its immense difficulty absurd by comparison. Ironically, the infamous Turbo Tunnel, which is considered impossible by most casual players, is actually one of the easier levels in the game.

Battletoads (2020)

Released

August 20, 2020

Developer(s)

Dlala Studios, Rare

Publisher(s)

Xbox Game Studios

ESRB

E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Animated Blood, Cartoon Violence, Crude Humor, Mild Language

1

The Silver Surfer Is More Fragile Than Glass

Players Have to Button Mash Through the Pain

The NES can do side-scrolling fly-and-shoot games really well, as Gradius and Life Force can attest to. Silver Surfer takes that concept and cranks it up to eleven. Bullet hell is the norm and tight mazes must be navigated, but the game’s visual design makes it difficult to tell what’s part of the environment and what the background is. Enemy projectiles can easily blend into the environment to make it difficult for players to see them until it’s too late.

These elements wouldn’t be too difficult on their own if it wasn’t for one crucial detail — the Silver Surfer dies in one hit. Period. It can be a lucky shot, a brush with the landscape, or even a rubber duck — anything can kill him. If that wasn’t painful enough, players can’t continuously fire by holding the button. They have to tap the button repeatedly or buy a turbo controller. All this is why Silver Surfer is the single most difficult NES game on this list.