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In the last debate, we discussed which Pokémon species and game was our favorite. With hundreds of critters and a dozen different games to choose from, it was probably the most varied range of votes I've ever seen in a debate before. While the winner was pretty clear, there was a ten way tie for both fourth and fifth place, and over sixty different pokémon with votes cast for them. Below are the top results from each category:

  • Favorite Pokémon species:
  • 1st: Squirtle (16 votes) -- Winner!
  • 2nd: Charizard (11 votes)
  • 3rd: (Tie) Alakazam & Scyther & Mudkip (8 votes)
  • Favorite Pokémon Game:
  • 1st: Pokémon Gold (20 votes) -- Winner!
  • 2nd: Pokémon Blue (19 votes)
  • 3rd: Pokémon Red (18 votes)
  • 4th: Pokémon Silver (11 votes)

As you can see above, even though Pokémon Gold received the most votes, the Red/Blue release pair was obviously the winning team of games. For this week, we're going to share similar nightmare stories with each other from possibly every console and genre from the past few decades. I want to hear what's the hardest game you've ever played. Was it a game with insanely difficult enemies and bosses? Or a game with terrible controls that made it practically unplayable? Perhaps the game was so awful that you could never even figure out what to do? Or maybe you had the balls to play an untranslated foreign import game and failed miserably?

What's the hardest game you've ever played, and why? Give it some serious thought, cast your votes and reasons, get some friends to share their opinions as well, and check back next week for the winner.

Bonus Question: What is the easiest game you've ever played? Why?


Continue: More Wahmbulance stories





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136 comments | showing # 1 to 50

Electro Lemon's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:10
Electro Lemon
Hardest: Ninja Gaiden Black.
Easiest: You Have To Burn The Rope
manta's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:11
manta
Now, when you say hardest, I'm going to assume you mean hardest as in "Most difficult to beat, even on the easiest difficulty setting," as opposed to "Most difficult to beat, but only on the extreme OMG the computer cheats setting."

I would have to say God Hand. Without a doubt. This is of course in the modern era. Old school would have to be Battletoads or Ghosts n Goblins.
tsunamikitsune's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:12
tsunamikitsune
I'm going to go with N+ for hardest game. I still haven't beat those last 10 levels.

Easiest game? You Have to Burn the Rope, lol.
Zerozaki Ishiki's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:14
Zerozaki Ishiki
Hardest was definitely Total Recall. Legendarily bad game, and we never did work out how to kill the wife fast enough to avoid the immortal machine gunner and get out of the first damn level.
Easiest...probably Super Mario Land III: Warioland. Bought it eagerly, expecting something as good as Super Mario Land II, and got some boring, mind-numbingly repetitive piece of shit obviously made as easy as possible for children who want a game they can beat in a matter hours without actually dying.
-PL-'s Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:15
-PL-
Battletoads.
momo's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:15
momo
Hardest: E.T. for the 2600. Got that game as a kid and I'm still scarred from the experience. Unclear goals, unusable controls, the whole boat of bad.

Easiest: Minesweeper.
frozenbabylon's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:15
frozenbabylon
@Gynecologist Cobra:

Hahahaha. `You have to Burn the Rope` is awesome!
The-Excel's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:23
The-Excel
I would have to say Gradius II. That crystal level is scientifically designed to get on my balls every time I had the gall to try it.
Fiv3r's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:23
Fiv3r
Sub-Terrania for the Sega Genesis was a greater threat to the well being of my controllers then any other game I've played since. So good tho.
animateria's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:25
animateria
Hardest... I have yet to beat DMC3 on Normal. I'm never touching Ninja Gaiden for that same reason.

Easiest... Echochrome. Wow? Too easy!
kwaselow's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:26
kwaselow
Hardest - Ghosts 'N Goblins
Easiest - Super Paper Mario
The-Excel's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:27
The-Excel
Say I think I have me a Monthly Musings topic.
DJ Incompetent's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:28
DJ Incompetent
Hardest: Mushihimesama Futari
If we be goin' by American only: Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (2 Loop completion w/bracelet)

Easiest: Super Mario Galaxy
Luigi takes over's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:30
Luigi takes over
God Hand. Level of difficulty is outrageous.
ZenGaijin's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:30
ZenGaijin
Hardest: Battletoads (NES) I can almost beat it after that stupid airbike level and the surfing level its not to bad.

Easiest: Any MarioKart on 50cc
d0ofy's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:30
d0ofy
Hardest: Blaster Master
Easiest: Passage
Fronz's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:31
Fronz
Well, I don't go out of my way to play really hard games, and I never had a chance to play a ton of the terrible NES games, but I think I'm gonna go with either Battletoads or the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game. So. Frush. Strating. FUCK YOU ELECTRIC CORAL!!! Although, I'm tempted to say Marble Madness and Glover, I can't stand those kinds of games.

Bonus Question:
Hmmm hard to choose since all the games these days are friggin six hours long :( I wanna say the original Mario game since it's so easy after the thousands of times I've played it, but that's not fair since it was definitely difficult the first many times I played it. Hmmmmm. Fuck. I don't know what the easiest one is. Maybe reading everyone else's comments will trigger something.
necrozen's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:33
necrozen
Ghosts n Goblins or super ghouls and ghosts
lucashoal's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:34
lucashoal
Hardest - I Wanna Be The Guy fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff

Easiest - Duck Tales 2? or You Have To Burn The Rope.
Fronz's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:36
Fronz
Also, this debate reminds me of one of my friend's two little brothers. We used to play a bunch of different games on his big screen while they played Donkey Kong 64 on the tiny TV in the back of the room. The catch? They were like three years old, couldn't read any English yet, could barely even speak English, and would take turns randomly trying every possible action in the game at every possible spot until something would happen. Until they beat the game. It took them several months, but by God, they did it. Those two dudes were beasts, they beat several N64 games that way before they could even write a sentence.
Fronz's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:37
Fronz
Also, this debate reminds me of one of my friend's two little brothers. We used to play a bunch of different games on his big screen while they played Donkey Kong 64 on the tiny TV in the back of the room. The catch? They were like three years old, couldn't read any English yet, could barely even speak English, and would take turns randomly trying every possible action in the game at every possible spot until something would happen. Until they beat the game. It took them several months, but by God, they did it. Those two dudes were beasts, they beat several N64 games that way before they could even write a sentence.
eternalplayer2345's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:41
eternalplayer2345
speedy gonzalas that game is a pain in the *** even now
BADInc's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:41
BADInc
The hardest game to beat i would have to say is SKI FREE, damn that yeti!
Aberrant Thought's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:41
Aberrant Thought
Super Mario Bros.

There is something about a series of holes that FUCKING MURDER ME....

I die.... and use much profanity
Aberrant Thought's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:44
Aberrant Thought
Oh, easiest? I forget which one, but there was a Castlevania for the PS1 that had some sort of error so when I started the disc, it brought me straight to Dracula. Sad part is that I killed him without difficulty
Catmurderer's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:46
Catmurderer
I Wana Be The Guy is the hardest game ever. Its mindblowing how difficult it is. Nothing compares.
DaedHead8's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:48
DaedHead8
The hardest game for me would have to be donkey kong country. As a kid I could never get past the snow levels. When I tried a couple years ago I finally beat those damn levels and got to the end boss only to have the game freeze up half way through the final battle. When I restarted the system my save file was gone. =(

Easiest game for me is Kirbys dreamland on the GameBoy. I can beat that game in less than an hour.
Catmurderer's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:50
Catmurderer
Easiest game eva was Pokemon Snap, srsly
RXBanditO's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:50
RXBanditO
Hardest? Gauntlet for NES - don't know of anyone who has beaten it, and it's not because of crazy controls, the game is just hard.

Easiest? Probably Halo: Combat Evolved, a buddy of mine and I co-oped Legendary Campaign while blizted out our skulls.
ScottyG's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:54
ScottyG
Mother Fucking yeah Luca!! Hardest is definitely I Wanna Be The Guy. If you're looking for an "official" game I guess Ghouls and Ghosts (or Ghosts and Goblins, I keep getting them mixed up).

Easiest... Whatever... Too many games that barely qualify as games to mention really.
Seta Soujiro's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:55
Seta Soujiro
I´ve played many hard games in my life but the hardest, without a doubt, has to be the NES version of Battletoads.

You know, I had that game catridge like for 5 years in my childhood and I could NEVER beat it. I almost did though, I got to the spaceship of the final boss...
SantanaClaus89's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:56
SantanaClaus89
This is so easy.

The hardest game in the history of mankind is I Wanna Be The Guy. If you haven't played it, Google it, download it, and prepare to die countless frustrating deaths.
HungLaser's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:57
HungLaser
hardest was battletoads or karate kid for nes
easy is Burn the rope FTW
Phoenix Gamma's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:58
Phoenix Gamma
I Wanna Be the Guy is the hardest, Yoshi's Story is the easiest.
Satsumomo's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 23:03
Satsumomo
Hardest: Airball for my AtariXE

Hardest modern game: Battletoads.
Easiest: All the Zelda series :(
Seta Soujiro's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 23:04
Seta Soujiro
I think this question was bad formulated, everybody is mentioning I Wanna Be the Guy but...that´s not like an official game IMO. For that matter, I say the hardest game ever is that Super Mario Bros hack that is practically impossible to beat.
cjpkiller's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 23:05
cjpkiller
hard to the point where its laughable?
hmm...
maybe the ps2 shinobi... I still haven't beaten it...
mm.. ninja gaiden sigma was decently tough...
gradius 3 was pretty tough, as was wartech...

no... the mother of hard... culdcept saga. you can play for hours on a single match, and winning most of the time, to lose the entire game just a turn or two before you wouldve been able to end the match victoriously.
because you got unlucky. that game can get so hard... augh.

easiest?
any minigame compilation where you can't actually lose.

I haven't played I wanna be the guy, but since I've seen people beat it, and with enough repetition it can be done. culdcept requires both sheer insanely geeky skill, and intense amounts of luck, and the ability to withstand mostly terrible music... why do I still like that game?
ran24's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 23:06
ran24
Contra without the code. How is it possible to not die?????
Tino's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 23:08
Tino
I totally beat I wanna be the guy. On hard.

Take that.
Teta's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 23:08
Teta
Hardest: Battletoads for NES
Easiest: Yoshi Story for the N64
Boolean's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 23:23
Boolean
Mushihime-sama, ultra mode

;)
NukaCola's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 23:28
NukaCola
Hardest: A mix between Contra 4 (DS) & Double Dragon III (NES) & Shinobi (PS2).

Contra 4 is incredibly difficult at first, but I can find myself not losing a life on the first level on Normal. But the latter levels are WHOA tough.

Double Dragon III is frustratingly hard because you only have one life/continue and enemies dish out way too much damage and are wicked hard. You know a game's too difficult when you can only make it to the second screen and then get a Game Over!

Shinobi is frustrating due to cheap deaths via pitfalls, difficult enemies, and the fact that your life bar decreases unless you kill enemies, not to mention that THERE'S NO EFFING CHECKPOINTS.

Easiest: Yoshi's Story. Sure, some areas are a little tricky, but it's soooo easy to get 30 fruits in a level. And Baby Bowser was a joke.
ryu89's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 23:28
ryu89
Hardest game ever: I wanna be the guy. Man is that game evil.
Druid 01's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 23:32
Druid 01
i wana be the guy is the hardest fucking shit iv ever played by FAR. nothing comes close as of yet, for me anyway.
jamesesdad's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 23:34
jamesesdad
hardest would have to be ikaruga for me. easiest? thats tougher...rez maybe? i dont really know that seems so much harder to chose then hardest.
nosinging's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 23:40
nosinging
Hardest would be Super Ghouls and Ghosts--so much stuff flying around and it never stops!

Easiest--Yoshi's Story, jump a few times, enjoy the kinda neat design, and suddenly it's over
soul3150's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 23:48
soul3150
I think the question should have some clarification as to what games we're counting here but that aside:

Hardest for me was playing the first Resident Evil without a memory card, no saving, couldn't die once, couldn't switch it off. That was fucking hard.

I also wanna lump some of the old point and click adventures in there, the old Sierra ones for instance. The ones where you couldn't work out what the fuck to do and even then there were ways of totally boning yourself by not getting something the one chance you had to get it. Liesure Suit Larry 3, I'm looking at you.

Easiest is harder, maybe any Metal Slug with infinite credits.
Phyraks's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 23:54
Phyraks
Hmm, well I'm right there with Fronz on this one. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Battletoads are definitely the hardest games I've played.

As for the easiest game...not sure, I saw pokemon snap higher up on the list and thought I'd post that one but then I remembered how hard it was get some of those pics.

Anyway...too bad I missed the pokemon one. I love me some pokemon.
bVork's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 23:56
bVork
Wizardry IV. It's weird to think of an RPG as being brutally difficult, but Wizardry IV definitely takes the cake for the hardest game I have ever played - and I'm a shmup addict. The game is basically impossible if you do not have all your notes from Wizardry I. Even if you do, you have to deal with brutal enemy encounters up to and including one that will kill you instantly.

As for easiest game... hm, I think I'd nominate Okami. There's very little challenge in any aspect of the game. Puzzle solutions are telegraphed (even Zelda: Wind Waker had less obvious puzzles) and combat is a joke.
momo's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2008 00:07
momo
@bVork:

Oh jesus, great call on Wizardry IV! It's one of the few games that actually tried to warn people of it's difficulty on the box of the game.

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