Hardest game you've beaten?

[Reed Rothchild | 9,528]

Speaking of...

Sekiro's up there somewhere.  Shit was intense.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,528]

Alright, I grabbed the list of "hardest" games on gameFAQs, and weeded out the smaller sample sizes, and got rid of the duplicates.  So, highlighting anything I've cleared in pink...

1	Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes WII	4.45	4.93	80.00+
2	Ghosts 'n Goblins NES	3.16	4.75	14.46
3	Battletoads NES	3.67	4.68	22.64
4	Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels FDS	3.61	4.64	11.13
5	Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts SNES	3.70	4.62	14.77
6	Darkest Dungeon PC	3.92	4.61	62.53
7	Super Meat Boy PC	4.00	4.59	28.37
8	Ninja Gaiden NES	3.94	4.56	12.15
9	Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice PS4	4.17	4.49	50.78
10	Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 WII	4.27	4.44	78.21
11	Dark Souls III XONE	4.30	4.37	67.44
12	Dark Souls II X360	4.36	4.34	72.22
13	F-Zero GX GC	4.20	4.33	44.64
14	Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate 3DS	4.56	4.30	80.00+
15	Dark Souls X360	4.35	4.30	70.39
16	Contra: Hard Corps GEN	4.22	4.27	15.87
17	Bloodborne: Complete Edition PS4	4.32	4.26	65.24
18	Ninja Gaiden II X360	4.10	4.25	26.80
19	Cuphead PC	4.16	4.25	20.25
20	Ninja Gaiden Sigma PS3	3.97	4.25	25.92
21	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles NES	3.18	4.25	14.26
22	Demon's Souls PS3	4.33	4.22	60.18
23	Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos NES	4.06	4.22	11.04

25

Contra III: The Alien Wars SNES

4.11

4.18

11.29

27	FTL: Faster Than Light PC	4.06	4.16	30.61
28	Zelda II: The Adventure of Link NES	3.66	4.15	21.70
29	Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse NES	4.11	4.14	12.59

32	Black PS2	4.11	4.10	54.39
33	Castlevania: The Adventure GB	2.71	4.10	6.10
34	Castlevania NES	3.90	4.09	9.22
35	Celeste NS	4.27	4.09	21.71
36	God Hand PS2	4.21	4.09	27.59
37	Trauma Center: Under the Knife DS	3.84	4.09	16.83

39	Monster Hunter Freedom Unite PSP	4.43	4.05	80.00+
40	Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! NES	4.12	4.03	11.85
41	Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne PS2	4.36	4.03	72.68
42	Hollow Knight NS	4.31	4.02	52.02
43	Rayman PS	3.74	4.02	22.93

47

Etrian Odyssey DS

3.84

4.00

60.43

49

Super Star Wars SNES

3.52

4.00

9.76

51	Mega Man NES	3.74	4.00	7.63
52	The Binding of Isaac PC	3.93	3.99	46.79
53	Dota 2 PC	3.73	3.99	80.00+
54	Nioh PS4	4.19	3.99	74.98

56	Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories PS	3.56	3.97	45.67
57	Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number PC	3.87	3.97	14.49
58	Mega Man 9 WII	4.28	3.96	9.13
59	Gradius NES	3.64	3.96	9.29
60	Adventure Island NES	3.31	3.95	10.74
61	Castlevania Chronicles PS	3.79	3.94	11.53
62	Kid Icarus NES	3.54	3.94	11.47
63	Ecco the Dolphin GEN	3.60	3.94	16.54
64	Batman: The Video Game NES	3.77	3.94	8.33
65	Catherine PS3	4.11	3.94	22.46
66	Phantasy Star II GEN	3.76	3.93	41.83

69	Rogue Legacy PC	3.89	3.92	27.69
70	Castlevania: Dracula X SNES	3.59	3.92	9.94
71	Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City DS	4.21	3.92	69.38
72	Comix Zone GEN	3.91	3.91	8.28
73	Metroid NES	3.81	3.90	13.34
74	Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy PS4	4.09	3.90	38.04
75	Alien: Isolation PS4	4.02	3.89	25.26

78	Monster Hunter Freedom 2 PSP	4.31	3.89	79.04
79	VVVVVV PC	3.92	3.89	5.77
80	Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge GB	3.47	3.89	5.82
81	Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate NS	4.29	3.89	80.00+
82	Contra NES	4.15	3.88	8.54
83	Zombies Ate My Neighbors SNES	3.91	3.88	22.67
84	Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze WIIU	4.24	3.88	25.72
85	Blaster Master NES	3.93	3.88	14.22
86	Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee PS	3.95	3.88	20.10
87	Mega Man Zero GBA	3.93	3.88	16.45
88	Don't Starve PC	3.75	3.87	49.19
89	Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate 3DS	4.39	3.87	80.00+
90	Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest 3DS	4.12	3.87	56.04
91	Life Force NES	3.89	3.86	8.87
92	Super C NES	4.07	3.86	6.63
93	ZombiU WIIU	3.68	3.86	20.32
94	The Evil Within PS4	3.77	3.86	23.37
95	Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey DS	3.77	3.85	62.52
96	Bayonetta WIIU	4.30	3.85	28.60
97	Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D 3DS	4.01	3.85	23.66
98	Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening PS2	4.23	3.85	29.78
99	Metal Gear NES	3.42	3.85	18.44
100	Dragon Warrior II NES	3.67	3.85	37.39

 

 

[Gloves | 11,778]

15 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Alright, I grabbed the list of "hardest" games on gameFAQs, and weeded out the smaller sample sizes, and got rid of the duplicates.  So, highlighting anything I've cleared in pink...

1	Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes WII	4.45	4.93	80.00+
2	Ghosts 'n Goblins NES	3.16	4.75	14.46
3	Battletoads NES	3.67	4.68	22.64
4	Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels FDS	3.61	4.64	11.13
5	Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts SNES	3.70	4.62	14.77
6	Darkest Dungeon PC	3.92	4.61	62.53
7	Super Meat Boy PC	4.00	4.59	28.37
8	Ninja Gaiden NES	3.94	4.56	12.15
9	Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice PS4	4.17	4.49	50.78
10	Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 WII	4.27	4.44	78.21
11	Dark Souls III XONE	4.30	4.37	67.44
12	Dark Souls II X360	4.36	4.34	72.22
13	F-Zero GX GC	4.20	4.33	44.64
14	Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate 3DS	4.56	4.30	80.00+
15	Dark Souls X360	4.35	4.30	70.39
16	Contra: Hard Corps GEN	4.22	4.27	15.87
17	Bloodborne: Complete Edition PS4	4.32	4.26	65.24
18	Ninja Gaiden II X360	4.10	4.25	26.80
19	Cuphead PC	4.16	4.25	20.25
20	Ninja Gaiden Sigma PS3	3.97	4.25	25.92
21	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles NES	3.18	4.25	14.26
22	Demon's Souls PS3	4.33	4.22	60.18
23	Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos NES	4.06	4.22	11.04

25

Contra III: The Alien Wars SNES

4.11

4.18

11.29

27	FTL: Faster Than Light PC	4.06	4.16	30.61
28	Zelda II: The Adventure of Link NES	3.66	4.15	21.70
29	Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse NES	4.11	4.14	12.59

32	Black PS2	4.11	4.10	54.39
33	Castlevania: The Adventure GB	2.71	4.10	6.10
34	Castlevania NES	3.90	4.09	9.22
35	Celeste NS	4.27	4.09	21.71
36	God Hand PS2	4.21	4.09	27.59
37	Trauma Center: Under the Knife DS	3.84	4.09	16.83

39	Monster Hunter Freedom Unite PSP	4.43	4.05	80.00+
40	Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! NES	4.12	4.03	11.85
41	Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne PS2	4.36	4.03	72.68
42	Hollow Knight NS	4.31	4.02	52.02
43	Rayman PS	3.74	4.02	22.93

47

Etrian Odyssey DS

3.84

4.00

60.43

49

Super Star Wars SNES

3.52

4.00

9.76

51	Mega Man NES	3.74	4.00	7.63
52	The Binding of Isaac PC	3.93	3.99	46.79
53	Dota 2 PC	3.73	3.99	80.00+
54	Nioh PS4	4.19	3.99	74.98

56	Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories PS	3.56	3.97	45.67
57	Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number PC	3.87	3.97	14.49
58	Mega Man 9 WII	4.28	3.96	9.13
59	Gradius NES	3.64	3.96	9.29
60	Adventure Island NES	3.31	3.95	10.74
61	Castlevania Chronicles PS	3.79	3.94	11.53
62	Kid Icarus NES	3.54	3.94	11.47
63	Ecco the Dolphin GEN	3.60	3.94	16.54
64	Batman: The Video Game NES	3.77	3.94	8.33
65	Catherine PS3	4.11	3.94	22.46
66	Phantasy Star II GEN	3.76	3.93	41.83

69	Rogue Legacy PC	3.89	3.92	27.69
70	Castlevania: Dracula X SNES	3.59	3.92	9.94
71	Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City DS	4.21	3.92	69.38
72	Comix Zone GEN	3.91	3.91	8.28
73	Metroid NES	3.81	3.90	13.34
74	Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy PS4	4.09	3.90	38.04
75	Alien: Isolation PS4	4.02	3.89	25.26

78	Monster Hunter Freedom 2 PSP	4.31	3.89	79.04
79	VVVVVV PC	3.92	3.89	5.77
80	Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge GB	3.47	3.89	5.82
81	Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate NS	4.29	3.89	80.00+
82	Contra NES	4.15	3.88	8.54
83	Zombies Ate My Neighbors SNES	3.91	3.88	22.67
84	Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze WIIU	4.24	3.88	25.72
85	Blaster Master NES	3.93	3.88	14.22
86	Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee PS	3.95	3.88	20.10
87	Mega Man Zero GBA	3.93	3.88	16.45
88	Don't Starve PC	3.75	3.87	49.19
89	Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate 3DS	4.39	3.87	80.00+
90	Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest 3DS	4.12	3.87	56.04
91	Life Force NES	3.89	3.86	8.87
92	Super C NES	4.07	3.86	6.63
93	ZombiU WIIU	3.68	3.86	20.32
94	The Evil Within PS4	3.77	3.86	23.37
95	Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey DS	3.77	3.85	62.52
96	Bayonetta WIIU	4.30	3.85	28.60
97	Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D 3DS	4.01	3.85	23.66
98	Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening PS2	4.23	3.85	29.78
99	Metal Gear NES	3.42	3.85	18.44
100	Dragon Warrior II NES	3.67	3.85	37.39

 

 

According to their list, but allowing for 100+ votes (the default) instead of filtering further, the hardest game I've beaten is I Wanna Be The Guy, which... Yeah I can see that being the case.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,528]

Damn, I still need to get to that one.  Some day...

[Gloves | 11,778]

Just now, Reed Rothchild said:

Damn, I still need to get to that one.  Some day...

Don't do it, man. You've got... kids?

[Reed Rothchild | 9,528]

1 minute ago, Gloves said:

Don't do it, man. You've got... kids?

 I've heard too many things.  I need to know.

[fox | 1,667]

8 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

 "hardest" games on gameFAQs

I've beaten Lost Levels, COD MW3, Dark Souls 1-3, Hard Corps, Bloodborne, Cuphead, Demon Souls, Contra III, Celeste, Hollow Knight, Mega Man, Mega Man 9, Castlevania Chronicles, Catherine, Rogue Legacy, Crash 2+3, Contra, Super C, Bayo, DMC3

So 21 and 2/3

[Gloves | 11,778]

5 minutes ago, fox said:

I've beaten Lost Levels, COD MW3, Dark Souls 1-3, Hard Corps, Bloodborne, Cuphead, Demon Souls, Contra III, Celeste, Hollow Knight, Mega Man, Mega Man 9, Castlevania Chronicles, Catherine, Rogue Legacy, Crash 2+3, Contra, Super C, Bayo, DMC3

So 21 and 2/3

There has to be something fucky about the list if MW3 is on there tbh - maybe it's specifically that version of the game or something, but in general CoD MW3 is not a difficult game by any stretch of the imagination.

[Gloves | 11,778]

Come to think of it, the bulk of the games on that list are not difficult.

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

49 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Alright, I grabbed the list of "hardest" games on gameFAQs, and weeded out the smaller sample sizes, and got rid of the duplicates.  So, highlighting anything I've cleared in pink...

1	Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes WII	4.45	4.93	80.00+
2	Ghosts 'n Goblins NES	3.16	4.75	14.46
3	Battletoads NES	3.67	4.68	22.64
4	Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels FDS	3.61	4.64	11.13
5	Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts SNES	3.70	4.62	14.77
6	Darkest Dungeon PC	3.92	4.61	62.53
7	Super Meat Boy PC	4.00	4.59	28.37
8	Ninja Gaiden NES	3.94	4.56	12.15
9	Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice PS4	4.17	4.49	50.78
10	Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 WII	4.27	4.44	78.21
11	Dark Souls III XONE	4.30	4.37	67.44
12	Dark Souls II X360	4.36	4.34	72.22
13	F-Zero GX GC	4.20	4.33	44.64
14	Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate 3DS	4.56	4.30	80.00+
15	Dark Souls X360	4.35	4.30	70.39
16	Contra: Hard Corps GEN	4.22	4.27	15.87
17	Bloodborne: Complete Edition PS4	4.32	4.26	65.24
18	Ninja Gaiden II X360	4.10	4.25	26.80
19	Cuphead PC	4.16	4.25	20.25
20	Ninja Gaiden Sigma PS3	3.97	4.25	25.92
21	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles NES	3.18	4.25	14.26
22	Demon's Souls PS3	4.33	4.22	60.18
23	Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos NES	4.06	4.22	11.04

25

Contra III: The Alien Wars SNES

4.11

4.18

11.29

27	FTL: Faster Than Light PC	4.06	4.16	30.61
28	Zelda II: The Adventure of Link NES	3.66	4.15	21.70
29	Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse NES	4.11	4.14	12.59

32	Black PS2	4.11	4.10	54.39
33	Castlevania: The Adventure GB	2.71	4.10	6.10
34	Castlevania NES	3.90	4.09	9.22
35	Celeste NS	4.27	4.09	21.71
36	God Hand PS2	4.21	4.09	27.59
37	Trauma Center: Under the Knife DS	3.84	4.09	16.83

39	Monster Hunter Freedom Unite PSP	4.43	4.05	80.00+
40	Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! NES	4.12	4.03	11.85
41	Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne PS2	4.36	4.03	72.68
42	Hollow Knight NS	4.31	4.02	52.02
43	Rayman PS	3.74	4.02	22.93

47

Etrian Odyssey DS

3.84

4.00

60.43

49

Super Star Wars SNES

3.52

4.00

9.76

51	Mega Man NES	3.74	4.00	7.63
52	The Binding of Isaac PC	3.93	3.99	46.79
53	Dota 2 PC	3.73	3.99	80.00+
54	Nioh PS4	4.19	3.99	74.98

56	Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories PS	3.56	3.97	45.67
57	Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number PC	3.87	3.97	14.49
58	Mega Man 9 WII	4.28	3.96	9.13
59	Gradius NES	3.64	3.96	9.29
60	Adventure Island NES	3.31	3.95	10.74
61	Castlevania Chronicles PS	3.79	3.94	11.53
62	Kid Icarus NES	3.54	3.94	11.47
63	Ecco the Dolphin GEN	3.60	3.94	16.54
64	Batman: The Video Game NES	3.77	3.94	8.33
65	Catherine PS3	4.11	3.94	22.46
66	Phantasy Star II GEN	3.76	3.93	41.83

69	Rogue Legacy PC	3.89	3.92	27.69
70	Castlevania: Dracula X SNES	3.59	3.92	9.94
71	Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City DS	4.21	3.92	69.38
72	Comix Zone GEN	3.91	3.91	8.28
73	Metroid NES	3.81	3.90	13.34
74	Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy PS4	4.09	3.90	38.04
75	Alien: Isolation PS4	4.02	3.89	25.26

78	Monster Hunter Freedom 2 PSP	4.31	3.89	79.04
79	VVVVVV PC	3.92	3.89	5.77
80	Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge GB	3.47	3.89	5.82
81	Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate NS	4.29	3.89	80.00+
82	Contra NES	4.15	3.88	8.54
83	Zombies Ate My Neighbors SNES	3.91	3.88	22.67
84	Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze WIIU	4.24	3.88	25.72
85	Blaster Master NES	3.93	3.88	14.22
86	Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee PS	3.95	3.88	20.10
87	Mega Man Zero GBA	3.93	3.88	16.45
88	Don't Starve PC	3.75	3.87	49.19
89	Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate 3DS	4.39	3.87	80.00+
90	Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest 3DS	4.12	3.87	56.04
91	Life Force NES	3.89	3.86	8.87
92	Super C NES	4.07	3.86	6.63
93	ZombiU WIIU	3.68	3.86	20.32
94	The Evil Within PS4	3.77	3.86	23.37
95	Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey DS	3.77	3.85	62.52
96	Bayonetta WIIU	4.30	3.85	28.60
97	Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D 3DS	4.01	3.85	23.66
98	Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening PS2	4.23	3.85	29.78
99	Metal Gear NES	3.42	3.85	18.44
100	Dragon Warrior II NES	3.67	3.85	37.39

 

 

Ninja Gaiden is #8 and Ninja Gaiden II is #23, but Ninja Gaiden III isn't even in the top 100? I actually agree with this list for the most part, but I think Ninja Gaiden III is by far the toughest of the original trilogy.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,528]

4 minutes ago, Gloves said:

There has to be something fucky about the list if MW3 is on there tbh - maybe it's specifically that version of the game or something, but in general CoD MW3 is not a difficult game by any stretch of the imagination.

If you remove the filter, there are a lot of rando Wii games up there.  Maybe the controls are f'ed.

11 minutes ago, fox said:

I've beaten Lost Levels, COD MW3, Dark Souls 1-3, Hard Corps, Bloodborne, Cuphead, Demon Souls, Contra III, Celeste, Hollow Knight, Mega Man, Mega Man 9, Castlevania Chronicles, Catherine, Rogue Legacy, Crash 2+3, Contra, Super C, Bayo, DMC3

So 21 and 2/3

I've beat Lost Levels on SNES, but this is talking about the FDS version.  Does that have saves?  Seems like it would be way harder otherwise.

3 minutes ago, Bearcat-Doug said:

Ninja Gaiden is #8 and Ninja Gaiden II is #23, but Ninja Gaiden III isn't even in the top 100? I actually agree with this list for the most part, but I think Ninja Gaiden III is by far the toughest of the original trilogy.

Its on there with the default settings:

[Reed Rothchild | 9,528]

5 minutes ago, Gloves said:

Come to think of it, the bulk of the games on that list are not difficult.

I knew this post was coming, but I was sure @Sumez would be the one to make it 

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

4 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

If you remove the filter, there are a lot of rando Wii games up there.  Maybe the controls are f'ed.

I've beat Lost Levels on SNES, but this is talking about the FDS version.  Does that have saves?  Seems like it would be way harder otherwise.

Its on there with the default settings:

I'd still put Ninja Gaiden III ahead of the other two, but I guess there's probably not as many people that have played it given that it's less common and fairly expensive.

[fox | 1,667]

6 minutes ago, Gloves said:

There has to be something fucky about the list if MW3 is on there tbh - maybe it's specifically that version of the game or something, but in general CoD MW3 is not a difficult game by any stretch of the imagination.

I don't remember it being harder than any of the other CoD games tbh.  World at War is pretty notorious for being crushingly hard.  Is this taking difficulty levels into account?  Something like DMC really gets crazy when cranked up.  What's the deal with Dota2 and multiplayer stuff, seems you pretty much have a 50/50 shot at that one depending on your teammates and who you are up against.  If we are talking multiplayer and the human factor, where is starcraft or any fighting games?  Few are going to be able to hang at a competitive level for those.

It is gamefaqs, so prob more like popular games that are also considered hard.  Sure is lots more lesser known and niche' stuff that is harder.

[Gloves | 11,778]

8 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

I knew this post was coming, but I was sure @Sumez would be the one to make it 

Lol I'm being intentionally flippant.

[fox | 1,667]

13 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

I've beat Lost Levels on SNES, but this is talking about the FDS version.  Does that have saves?  Seems like it would be way harder otherwise.

I beat it on GBC with the clipped screen size...

[Reed Rothchild | 9,528]

5 minutes ago, fox said:

I don't remember it being harder than any of the other CoD games tbh.  World at War is pretty notorious for being crushingly hard.  Is this taking difficulty levels into account?  Something like DMC really gets crazy when cranked up.  What's the deal with Dota2 and multiplayer stuff, seems you pretty much have a 50/50 shot at that one depending on your teammates and who you are up against.  If we are talking multiplayer and the human factor, where is starcraft or any fighting games?  Few are going to be able to hang at a competitive level for those.

It is gamefaqs, so prob more like popular games that are also considered hard.  Sure is lots more lesser known and niche' stuff that is harder.

This is what users vote, so I doubt many of them did World at War on Veteran.

It's specifically for the Wii version of MW3, so that particular one must be borked in some manner.

And if you use the default setting you get all sorts of random stuff.  Like Transformers (another Wii game) at #2...  I wonder what the story with that one is.

[Brickman | 3,986]

1 hour ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Alright, I grabbed the list of "hardest" games on gameFAQs, and weeded out the smaller sample sizes, and got rid of the duplicates.  So, highlighting anything I've cleared in pink...

1	Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes WII	4.45	4.93	80.00+
2	Ghosts 'n Goblins NES	3.16	4.75	14.46
3	Battletoads NES	3.67	4.68	22.64
4	Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels FDS	3.61	4.64	11.13
5	Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts SNES	3.70	4.62	14.77
6	Darkest Dungeon PC	3.92	4.61	62.53
7	Super Meat Boy PC	4.00	4.59	28.37
8	Ninja Gaiden NES	3.94	4.56	12.15
9	Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice PS4	4.17	4.49	50.78
10	Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 WII	4.27	4.44	78.21
11	Dark Souls III XONE	4.30	4.37	67.44
12	Dark Souls II X360	4.36	4.34	72.22
13	F-Zero GX GC	4.20	4.33	44.64
14	Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate 3DS	4.56	4.30	80.00+
15	Dark Souls X360	4.35	4.30	70.39
16	Contra: Hard Corps GEN	4.22	4.27	15.87
17	Bloodborne: Complete Edition PS4	4.32	4.26	65.24
18	Ninja Gaiden II X360	4.10	4.25	26.80
19	Cuphead PC	4.16	4.25	20.25
20	Ninja Gaiden Sigma PS3	3.97	4.25	25.92
21	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles NES	3.18	4.25	14.26
22	Demon's Souls PS3	4.33	4.22	60.18
23	Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos NES	4.06	4.22	11.04

25

Contra III: The Alien Wars SNES

4.11

4.18

11.29

27	FTL: Faster Than Light PC	4.06	4.16	30.61
28	Zelda II: The Adventure of Link NES	3.66	4.15	21.70
29	Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse NES	4.11	4.14	12.59

32	Black PS2	4.11	4.10	54.39
33	Castlevania: The Adventure GB	2.71	4.10	6.10
34	Castlevania NES	3.90	4.09	9.22
35	Celeste NS	4.27	4.09	21.71
36	God Hand PS2	4.21	4.09	27.59
37	Trauma Center: Under the Knife DS	3.84	4.09	16.83

39	Monster Hunter Freedom Unite PSP	4.43	4.05	80.00+
40	Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! NES	4.12	4.03	11.85
41	Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne PS2	4.36	4.03	72.68
42	Hollow Knight NS	4.31	4.02	52.02
43	Rayman PS	3.74	4.02	22.93

47

Etrian Odyssey DS

3.84

4.00

60.43

49

Super Star Wars SNES

3.52

4.00

9.76

51	Mega Man NES	3.74	4.00	7.63
52	The Binding of Isaac PC	3.93	3.99	46.79
53	Dota 2 PC	3.73	3.99	80.00+
54	Nioh PS4	4.19	3.99	74.98

56	Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories PS	3.56	3.97	45.67
57	Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number PC	3.87	3.97	14.49
58	Mega Man 9 WII	4.28	3.96	9.13
59	Gradius NES	3.64	3.96	9.29
60	Adventure Island NES	3.31	3.95	10.74
61	Castlevania Chronicles PS	3.79	3.94	11.53
62	Kid Icarus NES	3.54	3.94	11.47
63	Ecco the Dolphin GEN	3.60	3.94	16.54
64	Batman: The Video Game NES	3.77	3.94	8.33
65	Catherine PS3	4.11	3.94	22.46
66	Phantasy Star II GEN	3.76	3.93	41.83

69	Rogue Legacy PC	3.89	3.92	27.69
70	Castlevania: Dracula X SNES	3.59	3.92	9.94
71	Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City DS	4.21	3.92	69.38
72	Comix Zone GEN	3.91	3.91	8.28
73	Metroid NES	3.81	3.90	13.34
74	Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy PS4	4.09	3.90	38.04
75	Alien: Isolation PS4	4.02	3.89	25.26

78	Monster Hunter Freedom 2 PSP	4.31	3.89	79.04
79	VVVVVV PC	3.92	3.89	5.77
80	Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge GB	3.47	3.89	5.82
81	Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate NS	4.29	3.89	80.00+
82	Contra NES	4.15	3.88	8.54
83	Zombies Ate My Neighbors SNES	3.91	3.88	22.67
84	Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze WIIU	4.24	3.88	25.72
85	Blaster Master NES	3.93	3.88	14.22
86	Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee PS	3.95	3.88	20.10
87	Mega Man Zero GBA	3.93	3.88	16.45
88	Don't Starve PC	3.75	3.87	49.19
89	Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate 3DS	4.39	3.87	80.00+
90	Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest 3DS	4.12	3.87	56.04
91	Life Force NES	3.89	3.86	8.87
92	Super C NES	4.07	3.86	6.63
93	ZombiU WIIU	3.68	3.86	20.32
94	The Evil Within PS4	3.77	3.86	23.37
95	Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey DS	3.77	3.85	62.52
96	Bayonetta WIIU	4.30	3.85	28.60
97	Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D 3DS	4.01	3.85	23.66
98	Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening PS2	4.23	3.85	29.78
99	Metal Gear NES	3.42	3.85	18.44
100	Dragon Warrior II NES	3.67	3.85	37.39

 

 

Good to see Darkest Dungeon on there. That game is brutal! I was happy that I could tick that one off, but Cuphead still haunts me (stuck on the second last boss).

Some games seem odd to be on the list. Catherine and Bayonetta in the top 100? That's odd.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,528]

With no filtering or deduping.  Lots of Wii games at the top? 

1	Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes WII	4.45	4.93	80.00+
2	Transformers Prime: The Game WII	4.34	4.88	80.00+
3	Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 WII	4.08	4.79	80.00+
4	Transformers: The Game WII	4.25	4.78	80.00+
5	I Wanna Be the Guy: The Movie: The Game PC	3.82	4.76	27.07
6	Kamen Rider: Chou Climax Heroes WII	4.21	4.76	80.00+
7	Super Hexagon PC	3.74	4.76	16.92
8	Ghosts 'n Goblins NES	3.16	4.75	14.46
9	Sengoku Basara 3 Utage WII	4.29	4.73	80.00+
10	Silver Surfer NES	2.47	4.70	9.45
11	Battletoads NES	3.67	4.68	22.64
12	Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde NES	1.15	4.68	10.47
13	Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels FDS	3.61	4.64	11.13
14	Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts SNES	3.70	4.62	14.77
15	Medal of Honor Heroes 2 WII	4.11	4.61	77.73
16	Darkest Dungeon PC	3.92	4.61	62.53
17	Dwarf Fortress PC	4.32	4.61	80.00+
18	Super Meat Boy PC	4.00	4.59	28.37
19	Ninja Gaiden NES	3.94	4.56	12.15
20	Super Meat Boy X360	4.20	4.56	25.79
21	Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 SNES	4.19	4.55	38.52
22	Geometry Dash IOS	4.05	4.54	64.32
23	Darkest Dungeon PS4	4.13	4.52	49.60
24	Medal of Honor Heroes 2 PSP	4.29	4.52	76.72
25	Geometry Dash PC	3.99	4.51	61.88
26	Ghost Rider PSP	4.29	4.51	78.00
27	Ikaruga X360	4.01	4.51	19.44
28	The Underground Man PC	4.21	4.51	15.61
29	R-Type III SNES	4.05	4.50	16.04
30	Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice PS4	4.17	4.49	50.78
31	Touhou Seirensen: Undefined Fantastic Object PC	4.08	4.49	14.42
32	Kamen Rider: Chou Climax Heroes PSP	4.25	4.49	76.74
33	Action 52 NES	0.97	4.48	29.31
34	Back to the Future II & III NES	1.88	4.48	18.09
35	Ikaruga GC	4.15	4.48	19.69
36	Battletoads GEN	3.34	4.47	16.27
37	Super Meat Boy PS4	3.63	4.46	17.34
38	Gradius V PS2	4.26	4.46	30.17
39	Touhou Koumakyou: Embodiment of Scarlet Devil PC	4.12	4.44	15.53
40	Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 WII	4.27	4.44	78.21
41	Enter the Gungeon NS	3.96	4.44	60.55
42	Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time PS4	3.72	4.43	38.24
43	Contra: Shattered Soldier PS2	3.96	4.43	17.18
44	Battletoads in Battlemaniacs SNES	3.43	4.43	16.07
45	Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom NES	3.84	4.42	11.71
46	Deadly Towers NES	2.16	4.42	21.59
47	The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth + NS	4.16	4.42	75.43
48	Flappy Bird AND	2.55	4.41	21.02
49	Cuphead NS	4.21	4.40	23.67
50	Spelunky PS4	3.42	4.39	54.95

51	Superman: The New Superman Adventures N64	1.22	4.39	36.03
52	Ninja Gaiden Trilogy SNES	3.66	4.39	18.83
53	Dark Souls III XONE	4.30	4.37	67.44
54	Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge WIIU	3.66	4.35	22.89
55	The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth PS4	4.09	4.35	68.21
56	Dark Souls II X360	4.36	4.34	72.22
57	La-Mulana PC	4.03	4.33	38.71
58	Mission: Impossible NES	3.12	4.33	9.66
59	F-Zero GX GC	4.20	4.33	44.64
60	Hard Corps: Uprising PS3	4.12	4.33	27.80
61	Ninja Gaiden XBOX	4.22	4.33	34.49
62	Unlimited Saga PS2	2.65	4.32	65.58
63	Ninja Gaiden Black XBOX	4.33	4.31	35.82
64	Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate 3DS	4.56	4.30	80.00+
65	Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin XONE	4.29	4.30	71.29
66	Furi PS4	3.81	4.30	10.36
67	Dark Souls X360	4.35	4.30	70.39
68	Ghostbusters NES	1.79	4.29	11.51
69	Spider-Man / X-Men: Arcade's Revenge SNES	2.65	4.28	6.83
70	Contra 4 DS	4.00	4.28	12.97
71	Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice PC	4.16	4.28	47.03
72	X-COM: Terror From the Deep PC	3.92	4.27	63.06
73	Battletoads GB	3.15	4.27	7.44
74	Contra: Hard Corps GEN	4.22	4.27	15.87
75	Ghost Rider PS2	4.26	4.26	71.80
76	Spelunky X360	3.88	4.26	46.33
77	Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins PSP	3.64	4.26	13.47
78	Bloodborne: Complete Edition PS4	4.32	4.26	65.24
79	Spelunky PC	3.91	4.26	43.23
80	Cuphead XONE	4.19	4.25	20.40
81	Ninja Gaiden II X360	4.10	4.25	26.80
82	Cuphead PC	4.16	4.25	20.25
83	Ninja Gaiden Sigma PS3	3.97	4.25	25.92
84	Dark Souls Remastered NS	4.28	4.25	61.14
85	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles NES	3.18	4.25	14.26
86	The Uncanny X-Men NES	1.54	4.23	6.26
87	Top Gun: The Second Mission NES	2.70	4.23	15.01
88	Ikaruga DC	3.96	4.23	24.32
89	Dead Cells NS	4.14	4.22	39.69
90	Demon's Souls PS3	4.33	4.22	60.18
91	Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos NES	4.06	4.22	11.04
92	Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures PC	3.64	4.22	9.14
93	Hard Corps: Uprising X360	3.93	4.22	14.39
94	Returnal PS5	3.77	4.21	38.30
95	Nuclear Throne PC	3.71	4.21	44.85
96	The 7th Saga SNES	3.39	4.20	45.50
97	The Adventures of Batman & Robin GEN	3.98	4.20	8.19
98	Five Nights at Freddy's 4 PC	3.36	4.20	17.65
99	Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? PSP	3.78	4.20	22.80
100	Classic NES Series: Castlevania GBA	3.99	4.20	7.62

[Sumez | 2,951]

Difficulty ranking lists have always been a damn meme. There are hundreds and hundreds of games more difficult than those, so it's a popularity contest more than anything.
And even then how do you compare the difficulty of one game against another? Most people would argue that Dark Souls is a pretty challenging game, but you also can't lose in that game, you can keep trying for as much as you want, so how does that compare against something like, say, Ketsui - where you die in one hit, all you get is three lives and a couple of extends, and once you lose them you are out?

[peg | 370]

 

11 hours ago, Sumez said:

Difficulty ranking lists have always been a damn meme. There are hundreds and hundreds of games more difficult than those, so it's a popularity contest more than anything.
And even then how do you compare the difficulty of one game against another? Most people would argue that Dark Souls is a pretty challenging game, but you also can't lose in that game, you can keep trying for as much as you want, so how does that compare against something like, say, Ketsui - where you die in one hit, all you get is three lives and a couple of extends, and once you lose them you are out?

Ding ding ding.  Any game where you have unlimited lives to work with has basically no difficulty whatsoever in my eyes.  You are essentially playing with save states at that point, so what exactly is the challenge again?

 

I guess if the game is terribly designed such that if you get powered down on death or something and the enemies are literally or nearly impossible to overcome then yeah.  But that's more the design of a shitty game than challenge.

Edited October 19, 2022 by peg

[Sumez | 2,951]

17 minutes ago, peg said:

Ding ding ding.  Any game where you have unlimited lives to work with has basically no difficulty whatsoever in my eyes.  You are essentially playing with save states at that point, so what exactly is the challenge again?

You can't really just ignore the subject entirely, though, because there's still an obvious difference between Dark Souls and the latest Kirby. Two games where you essentially can't die.

You can still look at each individual challenge that requires you to perform above a certain level throughout in order to not get sent back or whatever similar penalty forces you to undertake it again, and get a meaningful challenge out of that.
In Ketsui (and most similar arcade games), which has instant respawns that would be the entirety of the game, and in Dark Souls that would be the gap from one checkpoint to the next (which in some cases can be as long as most of a single loop of Ketsui). But if you slice it differently and were to compare eg. individual boss fights, you'd probably find that a lot of later Souls bosses are as tough or tougher than most boss fights in Ketsui. It's just the context and overall penalty for failing is different.

And then there's the type of challenges too. Using Souls as an example again, that's a good example of a game where nearly every challenge can be overcome by knowledge entirely. I've played through Dark Souls 1 enough to know how to get through the game in little more than an hour, and in such a run I'll barely lay a hand on a single enemy outside of boss fights, which are also mitigated by knowing how they behave. In other games, even an experienced player might still face a massive performance barrier - this is true for a lot of shooters, but even more so for something like Tetris.
Yet, the initial ordeals required to learn what you need to perform better at a game still counts for something, as they also do in most arcade games.

Edited October 19, 2022 by Sumez

[G-type | 2,482]

From that 100 list I've beaten:

Battletoads, Castlevania, Trauma Center, Celeste, Kid Icarus, Metroid, and Life Force...

Not on the list: Gumshoe and Legacy of the Wizard were pretty tough 

[MagusSmurf | 577]

Is Dark Souls vastly better than Demon's Souls? Like, I realize it's the iconic one that got super-famous and not Demon's but by most accounts Dark Souls is pretty much in the same vein and the Souls crowd almost all seem to think Demon's is a really great game too so I always wrote the rest of them off as not for me based on my experience with Demon's.

[peg | 370]

1 hour ago, Sumez said:

You can't really just ignore the subject entirely, though, because there's still an obvious difference between Dark Souls and the latest Kirby. Two games where you essentially can't die.

You can still look at each individual challenge that requires you to perform above a certain level throughout in order to not get sent back or whatever similar penalty forces you to undertake it again, and get a meaningful challenge out of that.
In Ketsui (and most similar arcade games), which has instant respawns that would be the entirety of the game, and in Dark Souls that would be the gap from one checkpoint to the next (which in some cases can be as long as most of a single loop of Ketsui). But if you slice it differently and were to compare eg. individual boss fights, you'd probably find that a lot of later Souls bosses are as tough or tougher than most boss fights in Ketsui. It's just the context and overall penalty for failing is different.

And then there's the type of challenges too. Using Souls as an example again, that's a good example of a game where nearly every challenge can be overcome by knowledge entirely. I've played through Dark Souls 1 enough to know how to get through the game in little more than an hour, and in such a run I'll barely lay a hand on a single enemy outside of boss fights, which are also mitigated by knowing how they behave. In other games, even an experienced player might still face a massive performance barrier - this is true for a lot of shooters, but even more so for something like Tetris.
Yet, the initial ordeals required to learn what you need to perform better at a game still counts for something, as they also do in most arcade games.

I haven't played Dark Souls but every time I see shit like that listed as "the hardest game ever" I'm reminded these are the same people that say shit like Battletoads or Silver Surfer (both near the top of that list) are also some of the hardest games ever made.  It's hard to take anything like this seriously at all when you see that but I will fully admit I've never played Dark Souls.