Top 5 Hardest NES games

[CeeKay]

according to MSNBC.  I don't remember Paperboy being that hard, but back then there were a few different versions so I can't recall if I played it on the NES, C-64, arcade or something else.  I do agree with the others, especially Contra and Bionic Commando.

[Dimmona]

I dunno, I never agree with Contra showing on these lists - granted I did have one of those 'turbo' controls (and probably played way too much of it) but both my brother and I could both make it through the game on 2 lives.   It wasn't an easy game, but no where near the Ghouls'N'Ghost or Battletoads level of hard.

The majority of Punchout wasn't that hard either - it was just that 1:30 of the first round against Tyson that pushed the game into the controller throwing atmosphere...

[Godzilla Blitz]

Was it actually impossible to beat Mike Tyson in that game?

[Destructor]

They completely and totally forgot a few:

1) Ninja Gaiden
2) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Paperboy? That's child's play compared to the evils the two games above throw upon you. Bionic Commando wasn't hard either once you got the swinging mechanics down pat (although the second to last level if I remember right had one mother of a chain of swings you had to pull off without screwing up or else you died, period). Same with Contra (pattern memorization helped a lot).

BTW - I consider finishing TMNT a badge of honor when it comes to difficult games. That and Battletoads (without warping - although it only makes the game slightly easier when you do that). Did both in my childhood years. Not sure I could do it now to be frank.

[Knightshade Dragon]

Gotta agree on Battletoads.  I thought Adventures of Lolo was pretty merciless too.   As far as the most difficult, that's easy - The Battle of Olympus.   Controller-snappingly difficult.....

[Ralph-Wiggum]

Was it actually impossible to beat Mike Tyson in that game?

No - I'm pretty sure CC beat it a couple of times. You just have to learn Tyson's rhythm.

I don't know how anyone could beat Contra with just 3 lives, however. I could barely do it with 30.

Kid Icarus was also pretty tough, mainly because you couldn't go back down once the game scrolled. And Mega Man was crazy hard.

[Knightshade Dragon]

Ugh, how did I forget Ninja Gaiden?   the 20 minute fight from Bloody Malth to the Jaquio.  The birds, the bats, the soldiers, the pits!  AIIIEEEE!  Oh you died?  Back to the beginning of that 20 minute fight.

[PeteRock]

Was it actually impossible to beat Mike Tyson in that game?

I managed to beat him once throughout my many years of Punch-Out addiction.  But once was enough for me.

[wonderpug]

They completely and totally forgot a few:
...
2) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
...
BTW - I consider finishing TMNT a badge of honor when it comes to difficult games. That and Battletoads (without warping - although it only makes the game slightly easier when you do that). Did both in my childhood years. Not sure I could do it now to be frank.

Definitely needs TMNT in the list.  I'm amazed at how much time I put into that game as a kid considering I rarely made it past that timed underwater bomb defusing level.

[Scraper]

Yes Tyson is beatable. The hard thing about him is that he knocks you out if you get hit twice. One hit you get knocked down, but can get up, two and it's lights out.

- I agree with Battletoads, that game is hard.
- I agree on Contra if there is no cheat code.

- I don't agree that Ninja Gaiden should be on the list. That game was all about timing. If you got the timing down then you could beat the game without dying. I know this because  I did. I doubt I could do it now, because I'm old and my skills aren't as good. But it can be done.

[disarm]

Ninja Gaiden definitely belongs on that list...absolutely merciless level of difficulty.  while i admit that learning the timing was key, the margin for error was so small that it still took a huge amount of skill.  it also didn't help that dying once in an area sometimes meant that the enemies would follow a slightly different pattern the next time.  the fact that the game had some small amount of unpredictability meant that memorization could only take you so far.  combine that with the long levels that you had to repeat if you died and a crazy run up to the very difficult final boss, and you have what i'm pretty sure is widely regarded as one of the most difficult NES games.

personally, i think this list of the Top 10 Hardest Video Games is much better...great choices, and good explanations

[Sparhawk]

I beat Mike Tyson all the time. He wasn't that difficult.

[hitbyambulance]

Mega Man

[mytocles]

Gotta agree on Battletoads.  I thought Adventures of Lolo was pretty merciless too.   As far as the most difficult, that's easy - The Battle of Olympus.   Controller-snappingly difficult.....

Gotta agree on Battletoads.  I thought Adventures of Lolo was pretty merciless too.   As far as the most difficult, that's easy - The Battle of Olympus.   Controller-snappingly difficult.....

Oh, man - another "devotee" of Battle of Olympus! I adored that game, but it definitely had some  controller-snapping moments, without a doubt.  Does the name "Lamia" ring a bell? I seem to remember there was a black-haired sort of witch that was the first one I got stuck on for awhile.  I got past her but I apparently never forgot her! Well not exactly - I just looked her up and got this:

The Lamia is a creature with the lower body of a snake, and
the upper body of a woman.  She (it) uses a bow and arrow to attack...

Legendary Wings is one that I had to import a "youth" to show me the screens beyond - oh maybe the fourth or fifth. It was a gorgeous game but I never did get the hang of it. 

[whiteboyskim]

I whipped Mike Tyson as well. He can be beaten. I probably couldn't do so today but I sure could when I was much younger. Mega Man should be on the list, as well as Ninja Gaiden. As with most games back then, timing was key. But Ninja Gaiden was legendary for a reason.

[Dimmona]

Tyson's not that bad - you just need to survive the first round and his one punch knockouts, and after that it's a much more straightforward exercise in dodge-punch-punch.

Edit: Ok, that list that disarm posted would almost exactly match my list as well.  I had completely forgotten about Blaster Master - great game, but also mind numblingly hard.   

[Purge]

I had a raging hate for the monkey that accompanied Frankenstein in the original Castlevania.

Kid Icarus always stumped me, as did Ninja Gaiden.

[Harkonis]

I loved Blaster Master right up until the level where you had to drive upside down and reverse jump around spikes.

Loved Mega Man, Ninja Gaiden kicked my ass though.

Tyson wasn't too bad.

[Vikki]

My list would be :

#1 TMNT - The underwater levels and the boss fights were insane.
#2 Battle Toads - This makes the list based on the turbo bikes alone
#3 Ninja Gaiden - ridiculous
#4 The Simpson's game - NES Version (the one that starts with Bart on the skateboard)
#5 Topgun: I never could land on that stupid Carrier

I personally did not think Mike Tyson's punchout was all that difficult to complete. 

As for Battle of Olympus, I used to complete that game at the end of every summer when I was a kid... sorta of like a right of passage before school started.  Therefore in retrospect I do not remember it being more difficult than the frustration fest that I have listed in my top 5.