Hard NES Platformers

Featuring a notable amount of revolutionary games, some pioneering the start of new franchises, the Nintendo Entertainment System was released in 1985. Its Japanese equivalent, the Famicom, debuted 2 years prior. The NES/Famicom became very popular and was hailed for restarting the video gaming industry after the 1983 crash in North America. It’s reputable for being one of the greatest and best-selling consoles ever made.

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By  Tristan Jurkovich

The Nintendo Entertainment System was no stranger to some pretty tough, if not nearly impossible, entries in the platforming genre. These games were, in essence, only meant for absolute experts otherwise they would result in much yelling and hurling of the Gamepad at the screen. From the lack of a health meter to a dizzying amount of enemies, many of these games feature one or both of these challenges.

8 Yo! Noid (1990)

A Lacking Life Meter Makes For Added Challenge

A platform title published by Capcom, Yo! Noid starts with the story of a hoard of wild creatures completely out of control in New York City, causing chaos. Running out of options the Mayor recruits the Noid to stop this catastrophe and save the day. Noid can utilize a yo-yo as a weapon and also collect magic points by obtaining scrolls throughout the levels. Interestingly, in the Japanese release, the protagonist is 'Hanamaru'; in North America, it became localized to promote the Noid, Domino’s Pizza’s very own mascot!

Making this game notable as one of the NES’ hardest titles is how Noid doesn’t have a life meter. This means Noid will lose a life at the slightest enemy contact, and if the player fails to complete a level under a time limit. It grows highly frustrating with Noid only able to take one hit before dying, meaning restarts of the levels are very common.

7 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989)

Suffering From Poor Game Design

Despite suffering from poor design, this title was a popular action platformer. Based on the TV series and comics, the game follows the famous turtles as they undertake their mission: to defeat Shredder and his many minions. Players start as Leonardo but can choose to play as another at any time during gameplay.

This single-player game really put fans to the test. Though it sports great music and graphics, its difficulties include frame rate problems, a weak resource mechanic, requiring nigh-on impossible jumps from the player, and a horrible amount of enemies.

6 Ninja Gaiden 3: The Ancient Ship of Doom (1991)

Too Many Enemies

The final installment in the Ninja Gaiden trilogy, The Ancient Ship of Doom is a side-scrolling platforming adventure, following protagonist Ryu Hayabusa on a quest to clear his name, after he’s falsely accused of murder. The ninja must take on 7 stages, each full of action and adventure.

That action and adventure, however, render this game very difficult. There’s a frantic amount of enemies, with even the standard ones able to deplete Ryu’s health bar by a sizable amount. The amount of continues is also more limited in this release. Only expert players are likely to find it enjoyable due to the challenges presented here.

5 Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels (1986)

Precise Movements Are Essential To Survival

This title is a direct sequel to the original Super Mario Bros. The game was playable on the Famicom Disk System, which wasn’t released outside of Japan. This was an accessory for the Famicom in which games were stored on floppy disks. The Lost Levels didn’t see an outside release until 1993.

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This title is often considered the hardest Mario game, for good reason. It demands quick reaction time and absolutely accurate precision in order to get Mario through the intense stages. New inclusions such as poison mushrooms and wind gusts, combined with an overall increased difficulty level, make this game very challenging, and some situations even require players to perform blind jumps. With a great focus on trial and error and memorization, The Lost Levels were deemed too difficult by Nintendo of America. It certainly takes much replaying to suss out how to beat each level.

4 Mega Man (1987)

Rough Controls Means Harder Platforming

Developed by Capcom, Mega Man was released in 1987 in North America and Japan, however, the release in Europe didn’t arrive until 1990. Called Rockman in Japan, this was the first title in what has grown into a fully-fledged and popular gaming franchise.

Though all the Mega Man games are difficult in their own right, the first game is notable for being particularly challenging. This is mostly down to rough controls, which make the already tough platforming segments even trickier to master. The boss fights also can be unforgiving, especially the notorious “Yellow Devil”, up there among the toughest bosses in the entire series.

3 Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse (1989)

Hoards Of Enemies And Limited Movement

Held as one of the best NES platformers and games, Castlevania 3 contains many challenges, making it a notoriously difficult game. Players control Belmont, as he traverses many obstacles on his adventure to destroy Dracula. And yes, there certainly are many obstacles on his journey. From projectiles, hoards of enemies, seemingly endless stairs that provide limited movement, and multiple-stage boss battles, players should be warned that this isn’t an easy venture.

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Despite the multitude of difficulties, Castlevania 3 still stands out as a highlight in the NES library and definitely carries the all-important replay value.

2 Ghosts and Goblins (1986)

Unpredictable Traps, Hard Requirements For Extra Lives

Originally released as an arcade game, this title was first ported to the NES in 1986. It was a commercial success across both the arcade and home console mediums and got good reviews, although it’s considered one of the hardest games ever made.

The platforming is extremely difficult, and the level design seems almost ridiculously hard in places. The singular thing providing the most challenge, though, is that players can only take 2 hits before dying. This is among hoards of enemies constantly appearing all across the screen. What's more, to truly beat the game players must go through it twice, the second at a higher difficulty level. All these elements mean the game can be much less enjoyable than other platformers from the time.

1 Battletoads (1991)

Fast Paced & Hard Hitting

Published by Tradewest, the first game in the Battletoads series was praised for showing off the NES graphics’ true potential. A beat-‘em-up style platformer, it was released in 1991 and was also ported to the Sega Genesis, Sega Game Gear, and Nintendo’s Game Boy. It’s reputably known as one of the most difficult games of all time, let alone one of the hardest NES titles.

It features multiple challenges that require near-perfect precision on the part of the player. Along with fast-paced action, enemies would quickly fill the screen. On top of that, the perspective would constantly change. Battletoads certainly offers one of the most challenging game experiences out there, even today.

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