Capcom was at the height of its power in the 90s. They were firing on all cylinders in the arcades and on consoles like the SNES. Some games exploded on both scenes like Street Fighter 2 which help define a genre.

10 Best Capcom Games, According To Metacritic featured image
Best Capcom Games, According To Metacritic

Resident Evil or Street Fighter - Capcom is responsible for many classic franchises.

1

One of the best deals Capcom struck was with Disney, as they helped make some truly beloved platformers. This deal began on the NES with titles like DuckTales and Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers. There were plenty more on the SNES and they weren’t easy either. A lot of Capcom games beyond Disney tie-ins were quite tricky and caused many players to tear their hair out because of the high difficulty of these titles.

Updated on August 6, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: The term Nintendo Hard didn't spring up out of nowhere. Old-school games on Nintendo's groundbreaking consoles didn't shake off their arcade roots all that much, meaning that players had to fight against the odds time and time again across most games on the Super Nintendo as they tried to improve their skills and best the foes who were giving them a tough time. Out of the many third-party publishers who had the green light to release their games on this console, Capcom was notorious for introducing a ridiculous level of difficulty in their games that made the vast majority of these titles a nightmare to make meaningful progress unless players were willing to find a guide (a tough ask at the time) or improve their skills to godlike levels.

11 Disney's Aladdin

GameFAQs Difficulty: 2.86/5

Jumping around in Disney's Aladdin (SNES)
Disney's Aladdin
Display card tags widget
Platformer
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
November 11, 1993
Platform(s)
Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Game Boy Color, Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, SNES
Developer
Virgin Games USA, Disney Software
Genre(s)
Platformer

There were two major console games based around Disney's hit animated action-adventure comedy, Aladdin, both called Disney's Aladdin. Capcom made the SNES version, while Virgin Interactive made the Sega Genesis version. Some prefer the Sega Genesis game because Aladdin got a sword, whereas the SNES counterpart could throw apples like Mickey.

Both games have high challenge ratings, though, no matter what Aladdin uses for a weapon. The hardest part has to be the platforming on SNES because it can be unforgiving.

10 Disney's Goof Troop

GameFAQs Difficulty: 2.89/5

Exploring the world in Goof Troop
Goof Troop
Display card tags widget
Action-Adventure
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
July 11, 1993
Developer(s)
Capcom
Platform(s)
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Genre(s)
Action-Adventure

Disney's Goof Troop is the final Disney-backed Capcom game worth discussing on the SNES. It’s significant because Shinji Mikami worked on it, who most may know as one of the core creators of the Resident Evil franchise. The DNA can be seen blatantly in Disney's Goof Troop because there are puzzles galore in this one. They’re what makes the game hard, although the combat is weak, too, making it hard to take out the game’s many pirates. Internet guides can alleviate some of the challenge now, but that defeats the purpose of a puzzle adventure like this.

9 The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse

GameFAQs Difficulty: 2.91/5

Fighting a boss in The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse
The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse
Display card tags widget
Platformer
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
November 20, 1992
Developer(s)
Capcom
Genre(s)
Platformer

Capcom made a lot of great games starring Mickey Mouse during this generation, including The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse, which was the first in an SNES trilogy. Mickey can pick up objects and toss them at enemies, like boxes or apples, but his main power can be found at dressing kiosks.

Best Selling Capcom Franchises of All-Time, Ranked

Capcom has put out some of the most popular gaming franchisers of all-time. These are the best selling in their impressive repertoire.

Players can transform into various costumes and get powers like the firefighter costume which gives Mickey a hose to spray water with. It’s another game that doesn’t have a brutal challenge, but Mickey’s health isn’t that high, and some of the platforming segments can be tricky.

8 Breath Of Fire

GameFAQs Difficulty: 3.07/5

A scene featuring characters in Breath Of Fire 1
Breath of Fire
Display card tags widget
JRPG
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
April 3, 1993
Developer(s)
Capcom
Genre(s)
JRPG

Breath of Fire is one of Capcom’s forgotten RPG franchises which they have very little of. The hardest game in the series is on PS2, Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter, which is borderline unfair. With the original game, it’s just a bit difficult to get used to the grinding. Like any good RPG, it can become easier the more time players put into it. Battles aside, sometimes the quests are a bit obtuse, but thankfully, there are plenty of modern guides and videos to help with that.

7 Mega Man 7

GameFAQs Difficulty: 3.42/5

Mega Man 7 promotional image of Mega Man shooting
Mega Man 7
Display card tags widget
Platformer
Adventure
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
March 24, 1995
Developer(s)
Capcom
Platform(s)
SNES, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Wii U, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo 3DS
Genre(s)
Platformer, Adventure

The Mega Man games are the poster child of what Nintendo Hard is all about, with each and every game in the series boasting a ridiculous level of difficulty that made these stages daunting to make progress in. Unless players followed a guide and figured out the weaknesses every boss possessed, trying to get past the first few stages with limited weaponry was a tall order.

Mega Man 7 is no exception here, with players having to battle against the odds to ensure that everyone's favorite robot didn't bite the dust before they could even reach the boss fight of a particular stage. With limited lives and the challenge being overbearing in some levels, it's easy to see why some people preferred to just give up instead of trying to figure out the optimal path through each stage before eventually duking it out with Dr. Wily himself.

6 X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse

GameFAQs Difficulty: 3.46/5

Climbing a wall in X-Men Mutant Apocalypse
X-Men Mutant Apocalypse
Display card tags widget
Fighting
Platformer
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
November 4, 1994
Developer(s)
Capcom
Platform(s)
nes
Genre(s)
Fighting, Platformer

X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse is a great game to bring up now since Disney started the X-Men animated reboot. While this game wasn’t directly a tie-in to the 1992 cartoon, it was certainly inspired by it. Players could begin with a wide assortment of X-Men, from Wolverine to Psylocke, who had introductory levels.

Forgotten X-Men Games
Forgotten X-Men Games

The X-Men franchise has been home to some great video games, but not all of them withstood the test of time.

3

If a hero lost all of their lives, then players could move on to someone else. If played poorly, it would be hard to finish the game without a big party. So, there was effectively a permadeath feature implemented to keep things interesting.

5 Final Fight

GameFAQs Difficulty: 3.53/5

Final Fight Arcade Haggar, Poison, Roxy
Final Fight
Display card tags widget
Beat 'Em Up
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
November 25, 1989
Developer(s)
Capcom
Platform(s)
SNES, Sega CD
Genre(s)
Beat 'Em Up

Final Fight is a classic beat-'em-up game that fans of the genre are quite familiar with. Making the most of the SNES's improved graphics, Final Fight's visuals were a treat to behold as players took control of the character of their choice and lay waste to the enemies that stood in their way in every stage. This was easier said than done, with players having to manage their health and lives to ensure that they could beat the bosses of every stage without failing at the final hurdle.

Mike Haggar, Cody Travers, and Guy feature unique movesets and are equally fun to control, but players need to be careful when tackling every stage. The arcade roots of this series are quite evident and will pummel players to oblivion if they don't manage enemy groups properly. One slip-up is all it takes for players to lose their health or watch on helplessly as they run out of time in each stage.

4 Knights Of The Round

GameFAQs Difficulty: 3.69/5

CA2S Forgotten Games- Knights of the Round
  • Platform(s): SNES
  • Released: April 1994
  • Developer(s): Capcom

The legend of the Knights of the Round Table is something a lot of players are familiar with, so it's easy to see why a beat-'em-up title that lets players take on the role of one of these legendary knights as they lay waste to their opponents is something that will entice many fans. This is precisely what players can accomplish in Knights of the Round, a simple and engaging title that covers the broad strokes of this story with a healthy dose of action.

Players can control King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, and Sir Perceval as they embark on a quest to liberate Britain from the evil king Garibaldi's rule. Along with regular attacks, players must pull off perfect blocks to become invincible and dish out a ton of damage in no time while also resorting to desperation attacks if the screen is crowded with too many enemies that may force players to lose a precious life if they aren't careful. This, coupled with the horseback combat sections, make for a challenging title where death awaits unsuspecting players who have no idea just how hard this arcade title is.

3 Demon's Crest

GameFAQs Difficulty: 3.72/5

Fighting enemies in Demon’s Crest
Demon's Crest
Display card tags widget
Action
Platformer
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
November 1, 1994
Developer(s)
Capcom
Platform(s)
SNES, Nintendo Wii U, Switch, 3DS
Genre(s)
Action, Platformer

Demon's Crest is a spinoff of the Ghosts 'n Goblins series and not the first either. This one starred the Red Arremer, which was a gargoyle-like enemy found in most of the games. It could fly and shoot fire, and players could collect new powers for it.

Canceled Capcom Games
Canceled Capcom Games You Never Knew Existed

When a company has a legacy as big as Capcom's, some games are bound to slip through the cracks. We'll never get to play these canceled Capcom titles.

All in all, it offered players more gameplay options for combat and exploration than the mainline games. In some ways, these features made it easier, but it still had the brutal lining of a Ghosts 'n Goblins game, especially when it came to boss battles.

2 Mega Man & Bass

GameFAQs Difficulty: 3.81/5

Mega Man vs Bass in Mega Man & Bass (SNES)
Mega Man & Bass
Display card tags widget
Platformer
Shooter
Adventure
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
April 24, 1998
Developer(s)
Capcom
Platform(s)
SNES, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Wii U, Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Genre(s)
Platformer, Shooter, Adventure

Mega Man & Bass was originally released late into the SNES’ life cycle in 1998. This was in Japan only, but the West eventually got it in 2003 on the Game Boy Advance and the difficulty was lowered a bit. The controls weren’t as stiff, and there were some other balance changes as well, like for damage counters.

Mega Man & Bass, like most games in the series, saw Mega Man fighting bosses and collecting various upgrades as usual. The big gimmick behind this spinoff was Bass being added as a playable character, and his mode was the hardest in the game.