Why do people play video games, especially hard games? Because of the challenge. We get caught up in a virtual world for hours and days on end, trying to somehow move on past that nagging level we can’t seem to figure out. And then, once of a sudden, we get it done, and the feeling of accomplishment is surreal! Everything is well again, life, the universe, and all else.
What Makes A Game Difficult
What is the definition of a difficult video game? First and foremost, the spectrum of how difficult a game is can be turned down to the difficulty level you can set from any game. “Easy”, “Medium”, “Hard”, “Legend”, and so on. But the game itself can be difficult by the way it was made, putting the player on constant challenge even when roaming around the map.
A hard game is also long, as players who’re getting tired are much more challenged to pass through levels than those who’re gaming for just a few minutes, for example. If a game is days long, you will surely feel the pressure of not getting enough progress done, and want to play more. Which will lead to more weakness, tired eyes, and therefore a greater challenge.
Hardest Games Ever Made
There’s no exact science when it comes to hard games. You may consider any game hard, if you’re just starting out exploring your first ever gameplay marathon, for example. But for what’s worth, we’ve come up with a list of the toughest games we could find, in terms of difficulty, levels, time you need to dedicate for reaching the end, missions, bosses, and so on.
Contra - Beating the game of Contra from Konami was a Herculean task back in the day, when video games were just played and played over and over again, with no room for cheats. When the famous "30 Lives" code was released, all the way back in 1986, "Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A", you had an actual chance at winning the game over. Why? Because Contra is one of the most impossible games ever made.
Ninja Gaiden - Launched in 2004, this game is a reinterpretation of the original NES version, which was hard in itself. But the 3D reboot? Brutal gameplay, truly challenging and impossible at times. Every single enemy in the game can destroy you in a heartbeat, and if you're not careful, it will send you back from where you started regardless of where you are. Bosses are just untouchable, requiring 10/10 play for long times, to get a good shot at it.
Super Meat Boy - With this game, all it takes is a bad move, and you're done with it. This twitch platformer is coming at players with very tight controls, as well as 300 levels, all designed to turn your excitement and stress really on. You won't be able to count the blades, spikes, and swords coming at you. All of which can turn you into hamburger meat in a moment. And when they do, you start all over again, from the beginning of the level.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels - You can't have a list of the hardest games without this Mario intervention and his Lost Levels! Developers ramped up difficulty to the max, including impossible jumps, poison mushrooms, and other things that would keep players trying again and again. In fact, the game is so hard, it was considered too much for western audiences! Surely they could still play it, just not on an official basis...
Dark Souls - There's not a single list of "hardest games ever made" on the web without this title, so here it goes! Dark Souls is a masterpiece of a game, no doubt about it. But is it that hard? Yes, it is, but not the hardest of the hard. Does that make any sense? Dark Souls is not about levelling up or screaming in frustration. It is about figuring out the game itself, and how to get good at it. And yes, that's a hard thing to do when you're left alone, are frustrated and can't seem to make any progress.
Tips On How To Pass A Hard Game
How do you go through a hard game and reach its “The End” screen that all of us gamers want to see? No matter how many tips and tricks you will find on the web, the entire thing can be taken down to three main ideas, which work for every single game out there.
Practice - The more you play the game you’re playing, be it difficult or not, the better you’ll understand it.
Patience - The trick to clear all of those impossible levels in Mario is patience. It applies to any game in the world, no matter how hard. And regardless of how many times you die.
Cheating - If nothing else works, cheating is a great way to move forward when you’ve been stuck on a level for weeks. But do it only when you’ve reached your ultimate burnout!