Video games came of age in the 1980s, the same decade they became a lucrative business. The era marked a shift from relatively simplistic gameplay and graphics to more advanced mechanics and visuals that have helped define gaming ever since. These advancements opened up new opportunities for games to be more engaging than ever.
However, as video games became more engaging, they also started to get harder. This is especially true of titles like Metroid and Ninja Gaiden, which are a few of the many notoriously difficult releases from that era. In the 80s, players couldn’t just look for a guide if they found themselves stuck in a hard game. Not only were these games incredibly challenging, but gamers had to figure out how to get through them on their own.
10 Metroid Is an Amazing Maze
Release Date — Aug. 15, 1987
- Developer and Publisher: Intelligent Systems and Nintendo
is an action-adventure platformer developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the NES. Set sometime in the twenty-first century, the game follows Samus Aran as she infiltrates an overrun government military vessel. There, she encounters various creatures controlled by a central entity known as Mother Brain. It’s up to Samus to stop the alien threat.
Originally released for the Famicom Disk System, Metroid may not seem too difficult at first, aside from a few tricky jumps and hard-to-hit enemies. However, its Metroid‘s broader level design functions like a maze, with numerous paths available to the player. This can easily lead to getting lost and ending up in dangerous situations.
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9 Castlevania Isn't as Hard As Later Castlevania Games
Release Date — April 30, 1987
- Developer and Publisher: Konami
Castlevania is a horror-themed action-platformer developed and published by Konami. Set in the year 1691, the game follows Simon Belmont as he enters Dracula’s castle. Unbeknownst to him, the castle is filled with all manner of horrors he must overcome to reach Dracula himself. Suffice to say, that’s easier said than done.
While it isn’t the hardest entry in the Castlevania series, the original still isn’t easy to grasp on a first playthrough. Even without the deliberate unfairness that later retro Castlevania games became known for, players must deal with hard-to-reach jumps and enemies that can easily outmaneuver them. This is not to mention how difficult some of the bosses can be.
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8 Altered Beast Can Be a Beast of a Game to Deal With
Release Date — Circa Aug. 1989
- Developer and Publisher: Sega
Developed and published by Sega, first in arcades in 1988, then on the Sega Genesis a year later, Altered Beast is a classic beat ’em up. The game features Zeus, the Greek god of the sky and thunder, resurrecting the player’s character to rescue his daughter Athena, the goddess of wisdom, warfare, and handicraft. The character is out to win everything, including Athena’s love.
Altered Beast is one of the hardest Sega Genesis games ever made, and is arguably even more difficult in its original arcade version. The screen is often filled with projectiles, and the bosses are even tougher to handle. The player’s quest is aided by orbs that transform them into powerful creatures, including werewolves, though this offers only limited relief.
7 Mega Man Launched a Challenging Franchise
Release Date — Circa Dec. 1987
Mega Man is an action-platformer developed and published by Capcom, marking the beginning of the large, lucrative, and notoriously difficult Mega Man series. Set sometime in the twenty-first century, the game follows the conflict between Dr. Light and Dr. Wily. To stop Wily and his robotic minions, Dr. Light sends his greatest creation, Mega Man, into battle.
While it’s a great game without question, Mega Man‘s high difficulty level makes it hard to get into. All of the older Mega Man games are fairly challenging, but the issues that add to the difficulty are especially pronounced in the first entry. The controls are slippery and not consistently responsive, and that’s only compounded by the game’s wild level designs, especially the overly difficult vertical sections.
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6 Contra Requires the Konami Code
Release Date — Feb. 12, 1988
- Developer and Publisher: Konami
Contra is a run-and-gun vgame developed and published by Konami. First released in arcades, it later made its way to the Nintendo Entertainment System. Set in the year 2633, the story follows an alien invasion threatening humanity with extinction. In response, the Earth Marine Corps sends its top soldiers, Bill Rizer and Lance Bean, to neutralize the threat.
The game marks the beginning of the infamously difficult Contra series, though this entry isn’t as punishing as some later titles. Still, Contra feels almost tailor-made to showcase the iconic Konami Code, which grants players thirty live. Hopefully, that’s enough to withstand the overwhelming number of projectiles encountered throughout the game.
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5 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Puts Turtle Power to the Test
Release Date — Circa June 1989
- Developer and Publisher: Konami
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an action-platformer developed and published by Konami. Based on the comic book series and its related media, including the animated television show of the time, the game features the four titular turtles, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael, on a mission to rescue their friend April from Shredder and the Foot Clan.
Konami released Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the United States under its Ultra Games label, a move made to bypass Nintendo’s strict licensing limits. Fittingly, «ultra» also describes just how merciless the game can be. For a licensed NES title, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles seems determined to wear down all four turtles within the first ten minutes of play.
4 Ninja Gaiden Is a Game for Ninjas Only
Release Date — Circa March 1989
- Developer and Publisher: Tecmo
Ninja Gaiden is an action, hack-and-slash, and platforming game developed and published by Tecmo. The story follows Ryu Hayabusa, who sets out to avenge his father’s death. Traveling to the United States to meet an archaeologist who might help uncover the truth, Ryu quickly becomes entangled in a larger government operation with everything on the line.
It’s tough from the moment the start button is pushed, and not just in the usual Nintendo-hard way. It’s just as easy to defeat enemies as it is to be taken out by them. That’s not even accounting for Ninja Gaiden‘s level design, which includes large crevices that are far too difficult to navigate.
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3 Double Dragon Can Be Doubly Hard
Release Date — Circa June 1988
- Developer and Publisher: Technos and Taito
Double Dragon is a beat ’em up developed by Technos and published by Taito. Initially released in arcades, it made its way to home consoles about a year later, most notably on the NES. The game’s premise is simple: Marian, the girlfriend of Billy Lee, has been kidnapped by the Black Warriors, and Billy sets out to rescue her.
While there are a few loopholes that make the game slightly easier, such as the well-known trick of climbing down stairs to defeat the second boss, Double Dragon still stands as a tough arcade fighting game turned into an even tougher console fighting game. No amount of tricks can fully offset that challenge.
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2 Dragon’s Lair Is a Dragon of an Arcade Game
Release Date — June 19, 1983
- Developer and Publisher: Advanced Microcomputer Systems and Cinematronics
Dragon’s Lair is a so-called interactive film and the spiritual predecessor to games like Night Trap and any title centered on full-motion video or quick-time events. Developed by Advanced Microcomputer Systems and published by Cinematronics, the game features the animation of Don Bluth, who played a major role in its development. The premise is simple: a determined knight sets out to rescue a damsel from the titular lair.
Despite its format, one would be mistaken to assume Dragon’s Lair is easy. Though it plays like a series of animated clips broken up by quick-time prompts, the timing required is unforgiving, demanding near-perfect input to progress. Some versions of Dragon’s Lair are even more punishing, most notably the NES adaptation, which is known for its strict, perfectionist gameplay.
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1 Ghosts N’ Goblins Will Make Players Feel Haunted
Release Date — Nov. 1, 1986
- Developer and Publisher: Capcom
Ghosts ’n Goblins is a platformer developed and published by Capcom. Initially released in arcades by Taito, it was later ported to several platforms, including the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game follows Sir Arthur, a brave knight who is enjoying a picnic with Princess Prin-Prin, until she is suddenly kidnapped, prompting Arthur to set off on a perilous quest to rescue her.
Ghosts ’n Goblins is easily one of the hardest video games ever released, both on the NES and among all games from the 1980s. While the difficulty level, including the need to conserve every resource, might be understandable, what’s harder to excuse is the padding. The game forces players to go through the same six levels twice, a design choice that feels more punishing than rewarding.
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