A few weeks ago I was playing Mike Tyson's Punchout! and I resolved myself to beating the entire game, since I don't think I had ever done so. I was able to beat Tyson after an hour or two, but holy crap was it hard. It was really invigorating though to beat a childhood game like that, and it got me thinking, what other 8bit and 16bit offer difficult but beatable challenges?
It also seems to me that the more popular the game the more rewarding it is to finally beat the challenge, so here are my nominations. I broke them down into a tiered structure, but you can include yours however you'd like:
Mike Tyson's Punchout!
Difficult - beat mike tyson
Very Difficult - beat all boxers in one play through
Most Difficult - go undefeated
Contra (no code)
Difficult - beat the game
Very Difficult - beat the game and use no continues
Most Difficult - beat the game without dying (is this even possible for the average person?)
Super Mario Brothers 3
Very Difficult - beat the game without using whistles
Most Difficult - beat the game, no whistles or P wings
Battletoads
Difficult - beat the game (I don't have this one, is this even beatable?)
EDIT: My "achievements" focus on beating games since I think they are the most rewarding. I can't stand the little dinky achievements in modern day consoles
"You beat level 2 on 'normal'!!!"
Did you not expect me to get this far?
RBI Baseball
ElfShotTheFood: RBI Baseball In one game, steal three bases with Babe Ruth. Throw a perfect game against the New York Yankees using only one pitcher.
I've got to bust out RBI Baseball soon. Also, about my first post, I've never beaten Contra or SMB 3
That last one bothers me the most of all, but apparently not enough to actually sit down and beat it.
Muhahaha: ElfShotTheFood: RBI Baseball In one game, steal three bases with Babe Ruth. Throw a perfect game against the New York Yankees using only one pitcher. I've got to bust out RBI Baseball soon. Also, about my first post, I've never beaten Contra or SMB 3 That last one bothers me the most of all, but apparently not enough to actually sit down and beat it.
That's the real beauty of Nintendo's VC. I got SMB3 for my wife for christmas since I had never played it before and she always talked about playing it as a kid. We sat down during one of those really bad winter storms that hit the North East last winter and won it together during the weekend. One of the best times I've had playing games with my wife and easily the best $5 I've ever spent on a game. The added bonus is she is now more interested in playing games together. It was a challenge getting through SMB3 as we decided to do it in 2 days, no whistles, every level had to be completed and distracting the other player while it was their turn was fair game so that you could get bragging rights for having completed the most levels. Fun times.
Avadanika:and distracting the other player while it was their turn was fair game so that you could get bragging rights for having completed the most levels.
Haha, good stuff. I really need to beat this game; I don't know what's wrong with me.
I thought even the gods used the 30 lives code in Contra. I don't think I've ever come close to beating it.
Was SMB3 that hard though?
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GreenManGaming
Muhahaha: Super Mario Brothers 3 Difficult - beat the game Very Difficult - beat the game without using whistles
mrkekeru: Muhahaha: Super Mario Brothers 3 Difficult - beat the game Very Difficult - beat the game without using whistles oh come on, if anything the whistles actually make it harder because you don't have any items for the dark section of world 8, where it actually gets hard.
Maybe that is my problem. I loves me some whistles. I would always hit the wall in World 8 though.
Kenny007:Was SMB3 that hard though?
Muhahaha: Kenny007:Was SMB3 that hard though?
im in agreement here but I'm also a SMB3 junkie so bias combined with the fact that i've beaten the game 100 times?
I-Weapon-X: Muhahaha: Kenny007:Was SMB3 that hard though? im in agreement here but I'm also a SMB3 junkie so bias combined with the fact that i've beaten the game 100 times?
The whistles kill that game. Since you can get two in World 1 and shoot straight over to World 8, you miss 85% of a gorgeous game.
Yeah, to be fair I haven't actually sat down and played the game in, well, I can't remember. 8 years maybe?
Remember though, I'm not trying to make a list of the most difficult retro games. Despite the fact that I mentioned Contra and Battletoads
EDIT: I don't think I've ever beaten Smash TV legitimately either. Maybe that's another one to add....
Super Mario Kart
Difficult: Win all the cups with a bronze or better
Very Difficult: Win all the cups with Silver or better
Most Difficult: Win every race of every cup on all cc levels.
Metroid and Super Metroid would be good candidates for time based ones.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Atari 2600):
Difficult: found the will to actually sit down and play the game
Very Difficult: got past the first screen
Most Difficult: you figured out a way to actually jump out of those god damn pits
....
Impossible: you actually played the game for more than 20 minutes.
bizarrorollins: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Atari 2600): Difficult: found the will to actually sit down and play the game Very Difficult: got past the first screen Most Difficult: you figured out a way to actually jump out of those god damn pits .... Impossible: you actually played the game for more than 20 minutes.
Haha. I actually requested/received that on Goozex. I don't have a 2600 though, I just wanted it for the bookshelf given the history surrounding that game. I guess that means it is better to own and not play this game than own and play it. Wow, that is just sad...
writinguy: Super Mario Kart Difficult: Win all the cups with a bronze or better
Pretty sure I almost achieved this, but I don't think I ever managed to get any medals in "Special Cup". The AI are a bunch cheating cheaters on 150 cc!