The Most difficult, yet enjoyable, NES games of all time

[Evildeadmanwalking77]

Sometimes you get the occassional game that's hard to beat but still fun getting there regardless of the difficulty level and you just have to come back for more even when that dreaded Game Over screen came on. The NES was no exception. This is my little list of what I had fun with but pulled my hair out trying:

Ghosts N Goblins - I have never completed this game! Yet I still love it. If anyone knows some tips for beating this treasure than I'm all ears. Game Genie any help with it?

Batman - I had to use Game Genie to complete it and I still struggled!

Double Dragon - Took me forever to get through those damn caverns with the falling rocks!

Castlevania - Dracula is a bitch, just when you think he's dead...WRONG! Took Game Genie once again to save the day!

Friday the 13th - I know this is not a very popular or well liked game but I enjoyed it and just like the movies...JASON KEEPS COMING BACK after you "kill" him! I only completed it once without the game genie but used it everytime since to complete it.

That's all I have at the moment since I'm at work on my break.

[Gunstar Green]

Blaster Master: Not only is the gameplay difficult but it's insanely long and has no saves or passwords. Unless you're playing this one on an emulator chances are this is one of those games you kept paused overnight to beat.

Zanac: Awesome shmup with interesting AI, long and brutal as well. Gets harder when you play better.

Bucky O'Hare: Great little Mega Man clone from Konami. As hard as it is awesome.

Ninja Gaiden trilogy: Like Castlevania with Ninjas only even harder.

[Flake]

Captain Sky Hawk
Any of the Double Dragon games
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Metroid

- these games all haunted my childhood with difficulty but I still remember having a blast with all of them.

[noiseredux]

evildeadman, it amazes me just how alike we are man.

My first thought was Ghosts N Goblins, which like you I have never beaten. But I still love it. I love trying. It drives me nuts, but never in a bad way. On the flip side, I think Super Ghouls N Ghosts was just fucking mean.

Castlevania is another good example. I've yet to beat it, but about once I year I try and I seem to make it just a little further each year. Haha.

I got Friday The 13th when it was released. Still can't beat it. Still fun. YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE ALL DEAD.

[Opa Opa]

I find Shatterhand really challenging. It's essentially Mega Man without a gun so your character goes around punching everything. There are powerups but even with them I still find the game difficult but I still go back to it from time to time.

[Limewater]

Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril is very enjoyable and quite challenging.

Also, I am not aware of any shmups on the NES that would not be classified as "very challenging," though I'm not a huge shmup person.

[alexis524]

i always found equinox tough as nails.

[Czernobog]

Ninja Gaiden & Castlevania are extremely fun imo, but I have never beaten either and have yet to play Castlevania III or Ninja Gaiden II or III, so I can't speak for the whole trilogies.

I haven't had a chance to play Ghouls N Goblins yet but it's on my "to get for NES" list.

[G-Darius]

I was just watching a youtube video of Gryzor on NES and it fascinated me as i get nowhere on it

[Croooow!]

I've found Ninja Gaiden to be fun as hell even in the last levels where I'm not good enough to make it past 6-2.