[Dtoider Y0j1mb0 adds to the Destructoid Monthly Musings theme. This Good Idea, Bad Idea focuses on brutal difficulty in games. Also, Battletoads made me break a controller.-- CTZ]
Game development is serious business. Not only do you have to try to create something unique or continue with an ongoing theme, but you have to make sure all of it comes together right. Be it concept, design, mood or playability. In my opinion, one of the core pieces in every game has got to be the fine-tuning of the game's difficulty. Its got to be like a tightrope balancing act that if it's game developers get right, will make the player feel challenged yet not frustrated. But done wrong, can cripple the experience for the gamer where he will feel overwhelmed and put the controller down.
Considering that most games nowadays are far too easy, I'll attempt to examine games that are an endangered bunch. Games tailored with an uncompromising brutal difficulty. These games look down on weakling gamers, fat off the grease filled easy games on the market today.
Below I'll try to examine both ends of the spectrum of brutal difficulty done right and wrong. Lets begin with a game with said difficulty done right.
Typically when a game whose difficulty is hard yet done right, you'll notice it will introduce you to its gameplay gingerly. It will show you what skills you have at hand while simultaneously giving you enough time to experiment and unleash these skills on weak NPCs. Making you feel powerful and also wanting more. This step is important because if this transitional period doesn't happen and your thrown to fend for yourself right away, frustration will creep in and the word "cheap" starts being thrown about.
Now that your acclimated with what you can do, this is where the game starts throwing you more. And not just more dumb NPCs to kill, the game makes them smarter. This requires you to switch tactics, forcing you to learn all your move sets and make you utilize all of them to succeed. Such as the case with Ninja Gaiden, whose difficulty is extremely hard. Brutal has been known to describe this game by some and is an example of a game done right. A game that adheres to the steps above.
Ask anybody who's played this Tecmo classic why this game is hard and I guarantee you the response wont have the word cheap in it. Oh sure, we might spout that off while knee deep in a boss battle or when them damn three ninjas drop down on you with your dwindling health, but all this game does is force you to use all at your disposal. Move, jump to the wall, throw your shurikens, lunge with your sword before you land, and roll your ninja butt out of the way of another attacker who was about to cleave you from behind.
So you think you got all this down? Your a super bad Ninja raining death at a blur but now comes the boss battles from the Planet Are You Kidding Me?! Just as you thought you were getting used to everything but the kitchen sink being thrown your way, the kitchen sink is thrown your way. "Game Over." What?! What just happened? You got owned, that's what happened. When you reflect on that, you realize yes ... yes I was. Then you take up the challenge again and you pick up the controller and learn from your mistake, if you're dedicated. If you're not, you don't pick up the controller and move on to a simpler affair like [insert game of ridicule here] and say the game sucks. But deep down, you know you suck.
Now let me try to examine a game with brutal difficulty done wrong.
I'm going to put my revisionist hat on and pull this "classic" out of the closet. Some of you are going to disagree about me picking
Battletoads as being considered brutally difficult done wrong, but I'm going to have to stop that silly talk right here and now. This game is brutal not because the enemies are smart, that you're not doing your part by exercising all your moves, or by your lack of employing a sound strategy. No, in this game you can meet death just by entering the beginning of a stage and walking off the level to your doom all on the first level! Or those infamous obstacle courses you had to maneuver with your bike dodging cheap death after cheap death. There wasn't no gradual difficulty spike, no, no, no! We're talking masochist levels of pain and frustration.
Now before you sound off saying "this is a classic let's put this game in prospective", remember that there were few continues in this game and NO PASSWORD saves for multiple sessions to complete this game. It was a "complete me in one sitting or peace out" type of game.
The co-op, while fun, made the game even harder because you could smack your friend that your playing with upside the head easily and take him out of the game. Keep in mind you all shared those continues too. There was no turn the "friendly fire" off option here. And don't get me started if both of you were on those obstacle courses. If either he or you crashed then it was back to the beginning with you. It's like to pass the level, you had be synchronized riding bikers. To beat this game, you had to memorize everything that was going to come at you and have Bionic reflexes to even capitalize on that knowledge. I'm man enough to admit I didn't beat this game on my NES. I haven't met a soul in person who has. But that's not my gaming skills or lack thereof, I suppose. Anyway, this is a games' difficulty done wrong.
In closing, I love a HARD game. I wish there were more as the gaming landscape is barren of them. Just implement the good ideas that successful companies use to make the game hard and yes even brutal. Have it to if you lose, then there's no one to blame but yourself and not a game that's hard because of its broken mechanics.
Contest:
11:57 PM on 02.06.2008
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But it's not as fun when a hard game is hard because of poor design. Case in point: Castlevania III. Near the end of the game CV3 drops so many invisible bricks on you that it just loses all of the fun that the game earlier had. I have to hit Death 32 times before he can hit me four times (assuming that I come into the fight at full health)? I have to hit Dracula 48 times before he can hit me four times? That's just ridiculous. Oh and don't even get me started on bats and medusa heads hitting you mid jumps and plummeting to your death.
Actaully my point is that i never got bored with Battletoads, so I don't know if you can call it bad hard since it's fun the whole itme. I think if your delivering great gameplay mechanics or a fun game you can keep on bashing the player as much as you want...which is pretty much what you said I just htink Battletoads has it too.
I still own my Battletoads and yes it's fun but it's difficulty is just plain unfair. You are going to die. Period. There is nothing you can do about that.
Unlike Contra where you can memorize the patterns and live, Battletoads said memorize these patters and stilldie.
Also, I remember Battletoads, it was a tough game. I rented it a few times in my youth, it was very difficult but again, it's beatable.
You miss the point, my friend. I beat Ninja Gaiden.
I'm talking about games difficulties being hard but done right.
Somehow I doubt you beat Battletoads. I may even question you on Ninja Gaiden..lol.
Then it was stolen from me. Sold for drugs.
Yes, life sucks.
brilliant :)
second i agree with what you said. games have gotten too easy over the years with frequent saves and unlimited continues. battletoads was a killer!!
Also, how many times are you gonna change your avatar? I can’t even figure out who that is!
Congrats on being front paged, it was a good article.
Unfortunately, I'm not allowed on the front page.
You too CTZ..I'm glad I'm not the only one that broke a controller on Battletoads.
Bioshock, while great, was way too easy. The infinite re-spawns were ridiculous once you figured out "instead of using health I am just going to unload on this Big Daddy and if he kills me, re-spawn 10 feet away."
Game series like Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden are few of the torch-bearers for "fair" tough games today.
Congrats to you y0j1mb0, I did a "good idea, bad idea" similar to this earlier today. My focus was more on trying to get that retro feel, but after writing it I realized it was more about how retro games were satisfyingly challenging. Now that I think about Battletoads I guess they weren't ALL satisfying. :P
It's a fun game on Normal. On Hard, I've barely made it past the first area.
Very good point for the article, even if one of the examples didn't contour to my experiences. :)
Be it concept, design, mood and playability. In my opinion, one of the core pieces in every game has got to be the fine-tuning of the game's difficulty. It's got to be like a tightrope balancing act that if it's game developers get right, it will make the player feel challenged yet not frustrated. But done wrong, can cripple the experience for the gamer where he will feel overwhelmed and put the controller down.
Okay, maybe it is ;)
I think, lol.
samit <dot> sarkar <at> gmail <dot> com
I always get stuck for like 15 minutes there GAWD it's infuriating but that's like the only time where I can say the game is cheap... besides that mother fucker Alma
Most certainly agree on Battle toads, never made it past the bikes.
Anyways, great points.
Don't forget Battletoads also had a bug in it so that you COULDN'T finish the game in co-op. At least not in my PAL version.
Also Battletoads had some shitty design in places, and the controls could be downright sloppy and slidey.
You didn't even get to see a reasonable part of the game before it just became nigh-on impossibly hard :(
Ninja Gaiden on the other hand is awesome, I've beaten it on all modes, but the middle one (hard mode) has just the right amount of ball breaking awesome without being frustrating (very hard mode).
Makes you feel real good.
Not exactly a fan favorite.
You know, there were codes for extra lives and continues. There were even several stage warps, including one in the final section of the hover bike level. Nobody would have to know if you used them. :p