Hard NES Games (We Can't Stop Playing)

[@mikematei]

This makes me want to try Dino Riki Again. Is there just one hidden bird icon? Or is it like one per stage and you have to know the locations? I just tried it, the platforming is miserable. I'm hoping there's a hidden bird on the first stage somewhere.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Yes! There’s one on nearly every stage. And often right before you need it. Once you know where they all are you can bypass almost all the jumping. It even flys over the fire traps and anything else.

[@mikematei]

@@ShmupJunkie It seems like some of the later stages don't have them? Also since Holy Diver is on this list, it includes famicom. So What about Recca? Maybe you dont find that one impossible.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I remember finding one on every one of the last stage 4 sections except the very last stage before the boss. But that area is doable without it. Im positive there is one for the stage 4 lillipad area and also the green stage.

[@shanecorning5222]

Whoa "mutha F%ckin MIKE" knows who Shmpjunkie is !!!!!!!! COOL . Beans. .... guys. ... .. . . :-))))) ... . . ~ Cheers , ~ "the" Rev

[@mukaiba1]

There's actually a trick in Dino-Riki that not too many people know about. If you have a 2nd person on hand, they can fire on the 2nd controller, while you control Riki on the first. Me and my brother were able to beat the game by having a turbo controller in the 2nd port - he'd be firing, and I'd worry about the platforming. Good ol' days...

[@RedLP5000S]

Beating the original Castlevania in front of my brother and father was the proudest moment in my gaming life.

[@ShmupJunkie]

You had proof! I remember with Ninja Gaiden people literally didn't believe I finished it. You needed a friend watching to vouch for you lmao.

[@loki.odinson]

I still haven't been able to beat Dracula without Save States. 2 forms for Dracula and he is so damn difficult. Much respect to you.

[@loki.odinson]

@@ShmupJunkie Same here. My friend at the time didn't believe me that I beat all 3 bosses, so I had to beat the game a 2nd time in front of him at his house for him to believe me. That spinning blade slash thing was a life saver and I memorized all of the enemy placements as well as item drops. It was the only way to beat it.

[@MarshallMathersthe7th]

I remember having trouble beating the first Castlevania at first, but now i can play through it with ease and finish it in like 45 minutes. I remember at first it took me days, even left my nes on overnight haha. But yea, i did it as an adult, i assume you did as a kid which is actually more impressive imo.

[@MarshallMathersthe7th]

@@loki.odinson It's not that hard when you get the pattern down. Stand right in front of him and jump half a second after he opens his cape to shoot those fireballs and hit his head. Also have the holy water and lots of hearts lol.

[@ShmupJunkie]

HARD NES Games that Kicked our Butts but we can't stop playing. Games so good that despite the struggle, or especially the struggle, they remain nostalgic favorites to replay. Can you beat some of these games? Enjoy this super fun video of my personal struggles and share your gaming experiences in the comments.

[@jszekerj]

There's a number of them I've completed at least once, and there's some that just whoop my ass lol. All the Castlevanias are so well made, they're tough, but can be mastered. Like Gaiden and tons of shmups. Great vid man! 👏 🎮

[@sammylane21]

Ninja Garden gave turrets syndrome.😂 Ninja Garden made go RAGE SUPER SYAN.

[@ShmupJunkie]

@@sammylane21 Gotta love that autocorrect. Ninja Garden sounds like a game that needs to happen! 🤣

[@loki.odinson]

Try Blaster Master on the NES. It was such a great game with amazing music. The beginning levels weren't too bad, but once you arrived at Level 4 and beyond it punished you for the tiniest mistakes. Level 8 was beyond brutal filled with quick deaths and a boss that will make you cry. It had Limited Continues, so you needed to make your deaths count because once you ran out, it was back to Level 1.

[@Ruudos]

Never played Holy Diver, T&C and Karate Kid but I've beaten the other games (Dino Riki without continue code).

[@greenmaillink]

Man, just hearing the Ninja Gaiden songs is enough to put me in a massive nostalgia trip.

[@ShmupJunkie]

People don’t believe me when I say I still usually watch the cut scenes when replaying it. Even though we’ve seen them endless times. It still takes me back.

[@stellacapone]

I was just saying the same thing. this video made me cry because I relieved some of my childhood. I really wish things were like the 80s and 90s. Life was much better than

[@chasingshangrila]

Absolutely 👍

[@TheWizardsTales]

@@ShmupJunkie It's a crime NOT to watch them.

[@TheWizardsTales]

Level 4-2: Unbreakable Determination is one of the best tracks in video game history!

[@moroz1999]

Completing any of the Ninja Gaiden games on NES was one of the most cleansing and cathartic experienses in my childhood.

[@19zach75]

Ninja Gaiden is my all time favorite series of NES games. I had all three, and as hard as they were, I enjoyed them thoroughly. And yes, you had to have precise timing skills to make it through those levels. I also had "The Adventures of Bayou Billy" and it was fun and required skills to advance.

[@j.t.thomas1859]

HATED bayou billy but LOVED ninja gaiden

[@dopefiendchronicles2974]

Loved Bayou Billy The Music and the fact that you can play it like a true movie soundtrack kept me returning for more punishment

[@countdread6467]

"I love the power glove, it's so bad"-"Californiaaaa". Your reference to The Wizard(Favorite movie as a kid) and Dune earned you a huge sub. Love those movies to death and all the games you listed are my games too lol. Ninja Gaiden for life! Great video! Other mentions that drove me crazy: Blaster Master, Contra and 8 eyes. Don't forget Battle Toads. Raage!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! And welcome to the channel. I love making fun vids like this and always pepper in my fav movies and stuff I was into from that era. Good timing as I’ve been MIA for a couple months working hard on a new vid that releases in just a couple hours. Oh yeah… Ninja Gaiden for life 🤘

[@mikef8846]

Perfect timing. I'm out for breakfast by myself and now I have something to watch. Thanks SJ!!!

[@ShmupJunkie]

You're welcome and please enjoy it! I had a super fun time making it.

[@mondragon9282]

Fester's Quest was one of those games that kicked my ass endlessly, but I could never stop playing it.

[@ShmupJunkie]

You pretty have to never stop playing it to get anywhere haha. I remember really looking forward to it back then. Not because I was some kind of Adams Family fan but it just looked cool and had a great feature in Nintendo Power.

[@TheWizardsTales]

I loved Fester's Quest, but it annoyed me because I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing, and I never got anywhere. Pretty much the only way I knew how to gauge if I was doing well was by how powerful my gun got.

[@biglowe4776]

I rented Fester's Quest on a Friday and couldn't wait till Monday to have Dad return that turd of crap😂

[@snowyowl9132]

​@@TheWizardsTales I remember feeling that way too, but just like you said leveling up the gun to its max early in the game dramatically helps you win. Same goes for the whip Morticia gives you.

[@Vik1919]

If I know someone completed a hard NES game like Ninja Gaiden, I know their determination is unmatched. I did too and I am damn proud of myself.

[@ShmupJunkie]

They didn't call one of the main tracks in the game Unbreakable Determination for nothing!

[@Vik1919]

@Damion Manuel Emulating is fine as long as you play the game normally. Besides, emulating is the only way to play certain games now.

[@j.t.thomas1859]

It's actually easy when you've played it enough. Most don't realize that Ninja Gaiden was VERY flexible compared to games like the first Castlevania and The first Adventure Island 🏝️ ETC The controls are a bitch and you can't always or sometimes NEVER control yourself in the air or staying on a platform or edge whenever you land on one while jumping over too it and fall too your death but Ryu HOWEVER doesn't scoot or move when he lands on something and you can control him MUCH BETTER with ANYTHING up too and including attackin jumping or dodging vs someone like NES version of Simon Belmont or others like his control style. One of the MAIN KEYS too success in this game is remembering where the enemies are respawning and what sub weapon's you need to get past a certain point of enemies. Might I suggest holding on to the slicer attack for jumps that have birds flying at you as soon as you make the jump. I died ALOT before I got as good as I did at this game. I think The first Castlevania was MUCH HARDER then this game EVER WAS!! This game had it's MAJOR rough points for me when I first started playing it THAT'S FOR SURE!!! CHEERS 🥂

[@Vik1919]

@Damion Manuel People have their reasons. Not having the original hardware is just one of them.

[@TheWizardsTales]

@@ShmupJunkie The best track of almost any game ever!

[@JM-qh5zi]

I can't believe there is someone else out there that experienced the anguish I felt 😂. This is amazing. 😢Suddenly, I feel less alone. That ninja Gaiden and G&G commentary was spot on!

[@nicholasmiller10]

You nailed it! I will never forget beating Castlevania, Ninja Gaiden, Metroid, Fridaythe 13th, and the Zelda games as a kid. NES is by far my favorite console. I still play it regularly, and am still beating games for the first time creating excellent memories.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I would definitely say the same in terms of the NES being my most nostalgic console of all time. The only other system I still play just as much is my Turbografx/PC Engine for all the shooting games I loved on there and still replay. But when it comes to the feels and especially the platformers, just nothing touches the NES. I still prefer those original classics to most of the sequels that came later.

[@mac1bc]

I'd add Battletoads and Double Dragon as accomplishments

[@zerotattsreviews9767]

No u didn’t

[@HiNRGboy]

I prefer all the 8 bit systems generally over the 16 bit ones (except Arcade, I love everything arcade till around '95)..I feel like there was more variety in the 80's and early 90's games than anything that came afterwords :)

[@HiNRGboy]

Have you tried Clash At Demonhead and Battle Of Olympus? Both are epic games that take awhile to go through, I've never completed them yet myself :) Ohh and Xexyz!

[@dangunheadachron1603]

The first Batman on NES is a masterpiece. I still play it once in awhile. You should definitely cover the Power Blade series Shatterhand, and Shadow of the Ninja. More tough as nails NES action platformers on a Part 2 video. :)

[@ShmupJunkie]

Agreed on all those games. Batman is a total masterpiece and I really dig Shatterhand and Shadow. Depending on how well or not this video does and if there is interest, I would certainly do more.

[@dangunheadachron1603]

@@ShmupJunkie i think non shmup related content is a great idea. You'll draw in more people. Maybe they'll discover the shmups we love :)

[@ShmupJunkie]

@@dangunheadachron1603 That’s the idea. I’m trying to expose new audiences to the genre. It’s hit and miss. Some themes do better then others. This one is off to a really poor start unfortunately but it’s early. Hoping it gets more interest as I thought it came out really well.

[@tayloredon2527]

You are an amazing story teller, great video editing ,great voice, awesome games,all this got a little tear in my eyes at the end, thank you , your video was really really good!

[@ShmupJunkie]

You’re very welcome it’s always much appreciated to hear that it’s being enjoyed. It took a lot of videos and practice to eventually get to this point in editing and putting a fun video together. But I’ve always enjoyed it and hope to make more like it.

[@ScruffyTheMovie]

OMG your commentary about these hard as nails games touched my soul! It's like you were reading my 8 year old mind.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Well these games touched more than our soul back in the day haha. It was fun reminiscing the good and the bad while working on the video. Was so much fun I might make another someday.

[@robertlawrence9000]

Great video! I was a kid when the NES was the top new console. One game I pride myself in beating was Bionic Commando. There is some brutal areas at the end that test your patience. With no jump but trying to time out the use of the grappling hook made me want to tear my hair out. Destroying Hitler was top priority.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Man I love Bionic Commando so much. Agreed it's not an easy game like most NES stuff was. It's one of my fav old games to replay though too. None of us were expecting the hitler angle at the end so it was the coolest thing getting to explode his face lmao

[@drewpool4537]

"Ninja Gaiden is a dance. And just like real life; if you lose the rhythm and mess up: you die." Best line I've heard in a while.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Ninja Gaiden brings out the philosopher in us. Either that or a bout of Tourettes 😅.

[@carlosmariscal6379]

I have such fond memories of these games.. I remember my dad would stay up late into the night with me on weekends playing Ghosts and Goblins. I think Hudson’s adventure island was one of the very few games I could not be in my childhood.

[@ShmupJunkie]

That’s a cool dad to work on that with you. My folks didn’t know anything about or touch games, but at least they got them for me. So I tried to spend lots of time playing with my son who’s all grown up now. Adventure Island is one of the more brutal games!

[@TheElectricUnderground]

My favs are the ninja gaiden games on nes, stone cold classics. It would be cool to go through one day and no death all 3 in a row ha

[@ShmupJunkie]

That would be tricky! It's so easy to get upended during a run with a random death in these games due to all the pitfalls and your timing being off ever so slightly. I've done it for them individually but never tried it in a row lol. Usually it takes a handful of tries before I can get a lucky run like that.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

@@ShmupJunkie yes I'm looking forward to covering the games on the channel at some point :-) Shame trilogy on snes is so underwhelming

[@ShmupJunkie]

@@TheElectricUnderground Agree there I have no love for that trilogy. Nor much for the remake on pc engine either. Nobody really got it right porting them.

[@arslanxelan9606]

I still constantly tease my best friend about the time he set fire to his Nintendo. With Ninja Gaiden in it! I am definitely sending him this video!

[@ShmupJunkie]

seriously? ahahaha, that's funny I hope they did it outside!

[@WhiteHat94]

There's actually an input bug in Holy Diver. Pressing any 2 buttons, including dpad, on the same frame results in 1 of the inputs getting eaten, and the A button has lowest priority. It's consistent so you just have to be sure to either jump first then move, or be moving then jump.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Good to know wow! Or would have been good to know a lot sooner haha. I never knew the system behind it. I could just always tell that sometimes a jump just wouldn't happen. So I kind of started doing what you're saying naturally, feeling like I had to be very deliberate in my jump timing and couldn't just rely on it happening every time I pressed the button. So now I know why!

[@sargesmash1]

Ah, nuts, I just posted the same thing and didn't notice this comment. Yep, that's it. Surprised no one has gone in to fix this particular bug.

[@shadowledastray]

Thanks for this info! I remember an old Shmup Forums post describing a programming mistake in Holy Diver, and was sure the jumping issue mentioned in video were the result of it. But couldn't for life of me remember what the issue was specifically. That input bug was definitely it, and after seeing how hectic the game gets in this video, that sounds like one stress inducing bug. Lol

[@RodrigoGarciaCarmona]

Loved this video! Specially the segment at the end in which you pay homage to those games that didn't make the cut. Please, make a part 2 of this video in the future. The NES has enough hard games for at least 5 more installments.

[@ShmupJunkie]

True that, I originally wanted to do a lot more but just realized it was impossible for a single video. So I made the end sequence. There's a long list of great and hard games that would be great to do. I don't know when I'll make another one of these but if the demand is high enough it will happen sooner or later haha.

[@jopezu]

we had similar childhoods, lol. it's always odd to me hearing younger guys call games like zelda 2 and tmnt "impossible" by knowing their reputations only. i can still pick up these nes games today and breeze through them by memory. overcoming "nes brutality" literally means etching them into your brain, and sometimes they don't ever seem to leave. 😊

[@ShmupJunkie]

And they weren't necessarily harder than your typical arcade game meant to eat quarters, often more reasonable. They were just designed the same way, to be practiced and etched into your memory to become so proficient with it. Definitely a recipe for how to learn most shmups as well so the skill comes in handy.

[@JD.78]

My young Nephew was playing the Turtles on the NES and couldn't get by the electric weeds, so i showed him how to do it, and he was in absolute awe at how easy i made it look, i felt like a games master lol.

[@heavysystemsinc.]

Very true. I feel like the reason I sucked at math is because the entire map of Blaster Master overwrote that part and it's still there to this day.

[@JD.78]

@@heavysystemsinc. You gotta overwrite memory for remembering those levels somehow lol.

[@robertsaurer6431]

100% spot on!! I played all those NES games as a teenager in the 80’s. They were brutal beyond belief! Today I play them on my emulator and they’re amazingly nostalgic! Only now I must admit I do abuse the save states! Lol 😂

[@hungrygoriya]

Thanks for sharing some of your personal battles with some truly tough titles here. This was an awesome watch!

[@ShmupJunkie]

You probably already know this but this topic was inspired by your video a month ago... which was also a great nostalgic watch. So thank you for the inspiration! It reminded me how much I enjoyed my NES and that I had yet to make a dedicated video for some of those personal battles.

[@hungrygoriya]

@@ShmupJunkie Well I'm very honoured! The more I play other systems, the more I keep coming to the same conclusion as you. NES is where it's at for me and I never seem to get sick of anything it throws at me. I'm glad you and so many others here are on the same page!

[@omegaman1409]

I remember playing Ghosts n Gobblers all night long. It was addictive. Loved the design. The colors and sounds. It was ahead of it's time.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Had the difficulty been adjusted/balanced better it could be known as an all time classic as opposed to it's cool but impossible reputation. Instead of famous it's now infamous lol.

[@brandonlahman7945]

Ghosts n Gobblers sounds pretty iffy. Japanese definitely are into some weird shit!

[@HPPrintervx4p5q]

Great video, I love the references to your earlier videos, especially the ninja gaiden part! The way you talk about these games is a lot of fun to listen to. You go much more in depth on the gameplay and your experience of it than other KZbinrs, and it's definitely something I miss with other retro gaming KZbinrs. Especially because I've never even seen an nes in my life, that console is twice as old as I am

[@ShmupJunkie]

I've been wanting to remaster that old Ninja Gaiden video for a while now so this was a perfect chance to reboot it. Throw in some of my favorite parts from the original and make it even better. My favorite NES game deserved no less. I really had a fun time making this so thank you. I hope it does well enough so I can make more like it.

[@ncube2468]

The Ninja Gaiden bird portion of the video legit had me laughing with tears, but everything that was said, is true. Too funny, yet painful memories at the same time 😅

[@ShmupJunkie]

I sure had a grand old time writing that script and editing haha. I had to do my favorite NES series justice.

[@215RICARDOSCOTT]

I cant tell you how many times those birds made me slam my controller 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@polaricedragon7052]

One of the best memories I had was when my brother, and I were kids sharing a room in our childhood home. I remember one night around 2am on a Saturday, my brother woke me up to excitement with the Ninja Gaiden ending on the screen of how he stayed up almost all night just to beat that beast of a game. That's one night I'll never forget, And to this day I still don't know how he did it.

[@ShmupJunkie]

If he didn't stay up and leave the console on for you to see there's a good chance you may not have believed him! I had the same problem and eventually needed witnesses lmao. It really did have some bragging rights attached back then.

[@catsaregovernmentspies]

I had a VHS tape that I would record my NES game endings on. Right when I defeated the final boss, I would smash pause and put that tape in the VCR to record the ending. I wish I still had that tape.

[@ShmupJunkie]

@@catsaregovernmentspies I did similar though I often recorded some gameplay too. I do wish I kept some of those old tapes too. Don’t think about those kinds of things back then and regret it later.

[@christopherrasmussen9245]

I really like your selection of games. It felt like perusing the gaming section of a late 80s, early 90s rental store. Good times, good times

[@BknMoonStudios]

Beating Castlevania 3 Hard Mode was one of the most satisfying gaming experiences I've had. Very tough, but also fair.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I don't think I ever tried Vania in hard mode before now that I think about it. It felt hard enough as a kid on normal haha. But now that I can clear so much more easily I should totally try it. Not all games even had hard modes back then so it wasn't something that even crossed my mind.

[@Ofecks]

@Cold Snap the 2nd loop. In the case of CV3/AkuDen, there's a name you can input to start directly on it. "AKAMA"

[@billranes8541]

Mine was beating Contra without the Konami Code. Battletoads with warps is a close second

[@이동혁-w7p]

To me, castle Vania 1 was the hardest

[@timothylewis2527]

I best CVIII with all characters (, except Trevor by himself) back in the day. Didn't know it had a hard mode, tho!

[@gabrielesquaratti5709]

this channel is PURE GOLD

[@ChicagoRetroGamer]

Double Dragon II and Contra are my two favorite NES games of all time, so you know I love a good Nintendo difficult NES game! Cheers and rock on!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Anyone who doesn't love the original Contra can't be trusted haha. That game is just too good for a quick run through, alone or with a friend.

[@ChicagoRetroGamer]

@@ShmupJunkie oh, 100%! And you got to beat it at least once without the code, you truly feel on top of the world! Cheers to that!

[@HalifaxHercules]

I found Double Dragon II to be easier than the original NES Double Dragon as you can use high quality special moves early in the game. In the NES Double Dragon, you had to build experience just to master special moves like the Jump Kick, Hair Pull and Throw, Elbow Punch, Pin Attack, and Jumping Spin Kick. You also had no continues which made it just as hard. At least in the arcade Double Dragon, you don't have to face Jimmy Lee, and just have Machine Gun Joe (Willy) as your final boss.

[@Iohannis42]

The NES was definitely one of the best video game consoles of all time, with many interesting adventures that inspired me. As a child I was an avid reader, so I loved games with a good backstory. Games with cutscenes were among my favorite, and it made them so much more than an ordinary game. I definitely left it behind and "graduated" to the Sega Genesis and SNES after finishing numerous games, but nothing could replace the feeling of playing the NES. They are some of my mist treasured childhood memory, whether playing solo or with my little brother. This was a great video! Well done! Thank you!

[@Xodyak]

This may as well be a video about why I almost exclusively play RPGs 😅. Great stuff man. Can't wait for the next one.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I remember coming across a hardest nes games list back in the day and seeing final fantasy on there. I was like wait, what? lol Don't get me wrong I adore the original final fantasy. And I guess it definitely forces you to grind like crazy to progress sometimes. But I saw it on a list with the likes of Fester's Quest.

[@then1533]

Another great video and a pleasure to watch.Made me think about how prepared we were to get hammered by games again and again without any save states,rewinds etc and that this was ok!!Probably cause the games were so fun, and without being consciously aware of it, realising that the graphics ,sound and gameplay was just the most awesome experience. Probably also explains why even these days I don't get too irritated by the latest psikyo ports not having any training features!

[@ShmupJunkie]

We didn't have any other options back then or know any better. Happy to keep plugging away at a game and just keep trying multiple times a day and improving. We did have a lot more free time as kids. It's nice to have the modern conveniences but I won't say it didn't harden our skills back then.

[@creativecatproductions]

Man, this is a great video. Your best ever. I love it. Beautifully edited, and extremely funny. 😎

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks man. Of course I had a blast making it. Wanted at least a few more games in here but had to cut it. Was already taking over a month to make haha.

[@anti-wokeness7424]

you guys have to see Running & Gaming, with the NES BIKE... Ninja Gaiden was defeated in 3 miles and 25 minutes, there was a 55 min showdown with battletoads...

[@ShmupJunkie]

Where do I find that? I haven't seen it.

[@anti-wokeness7424]

@@ShmupJunkie the tagging must not be working well for the videos, type in running & gaming marmax gaming and that gets them to pop up!

[@ShmupJunkie]

@@anti-wokeness7424 lol that’s crazy. I found it. The stuff people come up with. I see he used the speed slash trick on the final boss. Don’t blame him. I would try it one day but I can’t run for that long! 🤣

[@anti-wokeness7424]

@@ShmupJunkie yeah that's no gimme lol but that was only form #1, then the 2nd and 3rd form was just raw without any tricks... imagine going back to 6-1 haha devastating. Hell most people can't takes some practice, takes months of a couple jogs a week.

[@retrosuperbox8434]

Amazing stuff. Loved the humour and nostalgia. So much suffering haha. Well done

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! Been wanting to do a fun nostalgic vid like this for a while with some of the games I had stories for. It was a good time and the video is doing well so maybe there's a sequel in it's future.

[@RyryJayTee]

Dude so funny. I fell down the rabbit hole of nes docs and your vid had me laughing so hard. Thank you!! Wizards and warriors is one of my all time favorite nes games! I just like yelling that.

[@ShmupJunkie]

You know what? Mine too! I played the heck out of both Ironsword/W&W games. You'd think that endlessly climbing your way up through levels and getting knocked down to start over would get annoying, but I just couldn't stop playing it. Just fun to play, good controls, cool music and effects. I still play one or the other every year or so too.

[@kimjago9881]

great work man that was a blast from the past and that was brutal games hard as hell

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! Had a super fun time making it too. Minus the getting my butt kicked again by GnG haha

[@Vanfernal]

I grew up with these games, but ironically, I was finally able to beat the likes of Ninja Gaiden and Ghosts N Goblins last year. There's nothing like the sheer rush of finally being able to overcome these obstacles.

[@jacobolopez7007]

Those two games are hard I never beat them😂

[@ShmupJunkie]

Congrats man, especially for me GnG was a real beast of a game. Seeing it through twice tested every last bit of patience back in the day.

[@geminiivii]

This is the first video I've ever seen from you and I LOVED it. What a great nostalgic trip through some of these insanely hard NES games, it really felt like going on a retro journey. Fantastic video!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! And welcome to the channel. I had a blast making this and will likely do more in the future. And hope you enjoy some of my other recent stuff as well. We have an awesome community here.

[@matrixandraia]

I used to own The Adventures of Bayou Billy and I got to the last bosses several times. The reason I never beat it was because I didn't think the whip was doing any damage to them! Holy hell, if I'd been a little more patient and persistent, I would've beaten it.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I honestly don't know how/if I could ever beat them without the distance the whip gives you. They're hard enough to avoid with that alone. It really does take forever to finally whittle the health down.

[@officialtruvotru-druvevoch7049]

Never could beat the first level.

[@chewiebacca5841]

This video makes me want to try it again. I didn't like the fighting because I was used to Double Dragon and River City Ransom, to which Bayou Billy cannot compare. Now it's clear that it's a game of patience.

[@matthewlane518]

Great vid man, you tell the storys so we'll, you had my attention thru the entire vid

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! I clearly had a great time making this and would enjoy making similar in the future. I left plenty of games on the table that I wanted to talk about, so there's plenty of material left for a sequel.

[@RyuHayabusa06]

Great video! In my heyday I could beat Ninja Gaiden on a single life without taking a hit until Bloody Malth. That was before I knew how powerful the spinning slash was. I could also beat NG2 on a single life. Now NG3, that was by far the hardest of the trilogy, at least in the US. I've only beaten it once. They screwed up the controls. Oh, and in case you didn't notice, I loved Ninja Gaiden so much I often use it's protagonist as my profile name, lol.

[@ShmupJunkie]

hahah, my brotha from anotha motha. We both share that love. I'm the same way. I can still run through it no death but not often, as one way or another something gets you. I still love playing through it though like almost nothing else. I never did jive with 3 as much as the first two either. I like the momentum of constantly being on the move in the first game and the second. The verticality in 3 was cool and a fun change of pace, but it also slows the game down in ways and turns it into something else. I eventually learned to appreciate it for what it is, but I don't enjoy replaying it as much either as the first two.

[@RyuHayabusa06]

@@ShmupJunkie Another thing that bothered me about part 3 was the story. I absolutely loved the stories of the first two games with Jaquio, Ashtar, the demon world, magic swords etc. Part three with it's bio-engineered robots and no real ties to the first two other than Foster and Irene really lost something. And again, the floaty controls really screwed it up. On a CRT TV I can still rip through the game no problem. Every pattern is burned in my brain forever. I remember years ago in Nintendo Power one of the game counselor's best accomplishments was beating both NG 1&2 in under two hours. I thought I was hot shit for doing it in 45 minutes, lol.

[@simonkorica9467]

Machine gun of good commentary, no time for respite. The Ninja Gaiden was good enough to be is own video, but you just kept on going. It must be a crime to make content this good, yet not get the recognize you deserve. Keep being awesome and never stop loving what you do. Great video!

[@ShmupJunkie]

That’s cool of you to say thank you. I just take my time with each video and don’t rush them out any longer just to make KZbin happy. And I’m having fun with it. I originally planned to do a few more games but decided to save the other half for a potential sequel video if this one was popular.

[@Isteak80]

I think the "They tried and died" describes my experience with most of the games on this list lol

[@ShmupJunkie]

hahaha, yeah, you and the rest of us. That's just how it went back then playing the old school way pre save state practice.

[@BigJuffer]

Epic work here, had me laughing from the get go and wanting to go back to some of these classic games :) Although the thought of dancing with the ninja birds gives me the heebie jeebies...

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks dude! If I didn't have so much practice with those birds already and know the game like the back of my hand from so much replay, I doubt I'd go back to the frustration often too. As that's how I feel about GnG to this day.

[@Charlie-Cat.]

Hardest game that I ever played is Magician Lord for the Neo-Geo. Now that game needs a video on its own SJ. I would love to see you talking about this all so challenging gem for sure bro. 8^) Anthony..

[@ShmupJunkie]

Magician Lord is brutal! I've never practiced it enough to get a legit clear. I do really enjoy it though... one of the few Neo games I own physical that are non shmups along with Nam 75. Those two games are what really made me want a Neo back in the day. So we settled on playing them at the local blockbuster demo setup instead on weekends haha. Or in arcades when I came across it.

[@NinjaRunningWild]

You know what’s crazy, my best friend in high school was this semi rich Jewish kid who got a Neo Geo AES then (there were actually 2 people in my high school who had one including him). He got it with 2 controllers & 1 game, & that was the game. Man, what awesome music & sprite art. He got so insanely good at it that one time we walked in a local arcade & he put in 1 quarter & beat the _entire game!_ I was blown away. That was the first time I ever heard of what I now know is a 1CC.

[@jakek5417]

Loved this video man! Holy Diver is ridiculous. Haven't finished that beast yet.

[@apocalypticminister1369]

@SHhmup Junkie You did a great job on this episode... I love it!💪🏿

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! I worked really hard on it and really enjoyed it. I'm proud of how it came out too.

[@apocalypticminister1369]

@@ShmupJunkie You should be! The intro with Ninja Gaiden is tight, the Music segments are Radical, and only certain people will understand your love for the NES Ghouls and Ghosts ... I do... Waiting f for the next, and you got a new subscriber...💪🏿

[@albertotequida6964]

Man, half these games I finished, half I didn't hear about them. I do however have the memory of accidentaly despawning enemies in the last stage of Ninja Gaiden, specifically on that imposible jump. Great video!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! I never got lucky and despawned that enemy back in the day. It wasn't until much later and the interent that I learned it could be done. And then wished I knew it sooner!

[@HE360]

In speaking of Ninja Gaiden, one of my favorite games of all time is Ninja Gaiden I, II, and III on Xbox 360. I hope that they'll make a new one soon. By the way, thanks for the great video and the trip down memory lane with the games mentioned in this video.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I'd love to see another NG game yeah and am all for it. Though who knows if that kind of game will be welcomed by the masses in this day and age. I thought they did a really great job bringing it into 3D with the original and even enjoyed the second one too.

[@robinhatherall6779]

Always so entertaining. Great vid.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! You can probably tell I had a great time making it 🤣

[@kosinarm]

Forgot to tell the game makers there wasn’t a coin slot on the side of the Nintendo.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Right? haha. I know they did want you to get your money's worth and not finish it so quickly, but sometimes it was a bridge too far. I think games like Contra, Metroid, even Vania straddled the line perfectly. Being very challenging but not to the point where it feels impossible.

[@luisrivera7991]

Happy new year junkie and blessings to you and your family. Thanks for the entertainment

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! And Happy New Year to you as well. So far it's off to a nice start.

[@-RH80-]

Awesome video, I laughed a lot especially with Bayou Billy 😆, which still I havent beated yet. I remember finish Ninja Gaiden just once when I was 10 or 11 using only that cyclone slash or whatever that power up was called. Ninja Gaiden 2 was way easier and beated many times, but then directly from Hell's oven came Ninja Gaiden 3 and kicked my @$$ way worse than the first game. So many great games that requiere practice and patience but once you beat them it felt so damn good. What a great time to be alive.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thank you. I had a bunch of fun making it so it's been so cool seeing the great response and enjoyment from everyone. Maybe I had a little too much fun with bayou billy haha. I think most people say that about NG3 being the hardest, mainly with the US changes they made. I definitely thought 2 was much easier, but it's still possibly my favorite one. It's like the original only improved with an even cooler story and visuals.

[@opaljk4835]

The music sounds extra nice in this video…like there’s some stereo imaging or something? Killer vid, fun as always.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I'm not sure I did the audio pretty much the same. But glad it came out good!

[@Christian-wr4ge]

It's nice to see you branch out into other genres :)

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks. As much as I adore shmups and will keep plugging them, I think we all have a wide variety of games we like playing. So I'm always testing what my community and viewers are interested in and try to mix it up. It's also a great strategy to get new subs that wouldn't normally click on a "shmup" oriented video, but may find how I present them compelling enough to give them more time and branch out into the genre more. Although I doubt watching Dino Riki here would actively make someone want to play it ahaha

[@Christian-wr4ge]

@@ShmupJunkie funny you say that, cause it made me dig out my old cartridge and try to find the wing items. I had forgotten I had that game so it was nice to see it showcased. Also...what happened to Timmy? Did he move out? XD

[@michaels4610]

You make me want to try ghosts n' goblins again... Your videos are awesome! For me it was 8 eyes as a single player experience. So good I kept going back!!!! I will always love going back to the ninja Gaiden games!!!

[@ShmupJunkie]

It made you WANT to play it? 😂 I thought it would only remind most of why they don't play it anymore lol. Even for me that game is a love hate relationship. I love the sequels and play them all the time but I don't come back to the NES version often... mainly for this video. It's a real ass kicker. Now Ninja Gaiden I still can't stop playing all of them. Masterful games. ❤

[@michaels4610]

@@ShmupJunkie Yup, I want to play ghosts n goblins again... back in the mid 80's it was one of the first games my buddy owned... and it owned us again, and again, and again... Love hate indeed! We only made it to level 3 back then... now... well... not much better!

[@ChairmanMeow1]

As a kid I loved the idea of infinite continues, but as an adult, I've realized infinite continues = incredibly incredibly incredibly hard game

[@ShmupJunkie]

With the older games, you had to restart at checkpoints after dying so infinite continues let you keep trying, but still forced you to improve and learn the game. I liked that. The games that let you credit feed without penalty and finish it without improving your skills or effort just lose any challenge or fun for me.

[@ChairmanMeow1]

@@ShmupJunkie Yea, like I enjoy neo geo games, but its hard to resist quarter pumping at home.

[@CT-yc4gd]

2:09 omg That music brings back SO many memories.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Hopefully good memories haha, not just the painful ones. It certainly does for me.

[@bok3rnes425]

Great Review as Usual SHmup Junkie. A lot of great game and great memories of our childhood on Nes ❤❤❤

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! I really had fun making this video and hope everyone enjoys it.

[@caleofcaledonia6226]

Beautiful editing so many good cut ins lol

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks. It takes a long time to make these videos but it’s always worth taking the extra time to get them just right. I had a lot of fun making this one.

[@WorldBeater123]

Ninja Gaiden was my specialty

[@ShmupJunkie]

It's certainly mine now too, but not back when I was 12 haha. At least not until I beat it a bunch of times and became very good at it. The first few times was definitely a struggle on the final stage. But now there's few things more fun than running the game. Think that's why I love it so much. Something that was so seemingly hard and frustrating became so nuanced and fun once you understand it.

[@pererikgranberg1240]

This takes me back to the absolut best time in my life.. ofc im still play video games but the feeling this games gived us is Epic. This was our Golden Game era

[@yermongo]

I just ran across this channel and it's exactly what I've been looking for.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Welcome! Glad you found it and hope you enjoy whatever you find interesting.

[@billydelacey]

I remember having trouble with Batman and with Wizards&Warriors, but I beat them both.

[@neojeets]

Damn birds, is right! I was terrible Ninja Gaiden as a kid but as an old guy now, I managed to get a no-death clear of this bastard a couple of years ago. Save state practice really helped lessen the time it took to practice and memorize everything. Ghosts n Goblins still kicks my ass though. Awesome video, Junkie!

[@ShmupJunkie]

I'm in the same boat. Even though I got really good at it, I don't know if I ever did get a no death on NG as a kid. Not until I got much older and just played it to death where it became second nature. Can't say the same for GnG though, it's so unpredictable and random sometimes I have no desire to even attempt such a feat. Though I know there are folks out there that do.

[@neojeets]

@@ShmupJunkie Yeah Kudos to those who can get through both loops of GnG without dying. The recent GnG Resurrection is another game that took me a long time to complete. Hard as hell!

[@detonandovideogames522]

What an AMAZING video! Just 2 words for you, or better 4 words! Thank you, my friend!

[@ShmupJunkie]

You're welcome! I had so much fun making it and would do another one someday in the future. There was still so many I wanted to include.

[@Unquestionable]

So many great memories here, really makes me think of all the hours spent in childhood learning the ins and outs of various titles. Of course stuff like learning to beat Contra without continuing or defeating the jumping sections in Double Dragon II were staples of my after school activities. Even carried onto my gaming habits as I got older, spending high school puzzling out the mysterious mechanics of SaGa Frontier (a game where research only carries you so far, so much depends on learning the game's various unexplained systems).

[@ShmupJunkie]

I admit I am still not hot at Double Dragon as beat em ups was one of the genres I was the weakest in. I did complete the second one, but only got so far in the original and the third is a bridge too far haha. Trying to beat DD3 may make for some great future video material.

[@Sinn0100]

Oh man, I'm so happy to see you still rocking it. I haven't gotten an alert from you in a long damn time. It's good to be back because you my friend not only have great content but you tell those "It's too hard" crying children like it is. Now, bring on those Nintendo hard games! Addendum- Right off the bat you show my favorite Nes game of all times...Ninja Gaiden! That game was my jam and even though I got a Sega Genesis in 1989 I still played Tecmo's magnus opus. It's that damn good. I got so good I could beat it without dying, oh yes.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Dangit youtube! Not sending out all the alerts properly to my good subs haha. I've been doing some complex videos lately so it's hard to release something more often than once a month these days. You did see my last one on Run n Guns right? That one totally blew up! Wish all my videos did that well haha. I think Ninja Gaiden including the second game will be something I play into even older age. As long as I can still enjoy it and my fingers function. Few games bring the same nostalgia. Believe it or not I will still watch a lot of the cut scenes while playing and I'm not just blowing through it because I'm mainly playing for the nostalgia of it. It all just brings me back.

[@Sinn0100]

@@ShmupJunkie Thanks for saying that man and no I don't believe I saw the run n' gun video yet. I'll be sure to watch that next as I'm on a 3 day weekend! As far as Ninja Gaiden is concerned, I also watch all the cut scenes when I play and I agree with you that Ninja Gaiden II is just as incredible as the first. The third was good but I really didn't get the chance to play it until it released on the Snes as I was well into playing everything on my 16-bit consoles. On a side note and speaking of amazing Nes games...have you checked out Blaster Master 0 yet? I had no idea it was a thing but I just bought it for our Series X and it is incredible. There are two more games that continue the story from the first one. I just bought all three of them for $10.99 each.

[@eversosleight]

What an awesome entertaining video! Instantly subbed!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! I had such a good time making it and was hoping it can reach some new audience. Glad to have you and welcome. I make a lot of videos in a similar style.

[@catsaregovernmentspies]

Same here

[@unlimitedretrogaming]

Superb video!! I always enjoy seeing the NES get some love, not to say Ninja Gaiden. I must admit I am proud to say that I have completed most of the ones featured here bitd and eventually every know and then, except for Dino Riki and Holy Diver. Holy Diver is high on my list, Dino Riki I need to get back at it. Loved the NG as the opening featured game 💯🙂

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks my dude! Of course Ninja Gaiden had to be first. Anything else would be uncivilized. Just do yourself a favor on Dino Riki and make sure to look up or memorize where all those bird icons are. I don't know how anyone could finish it trying to do the actual platforming hahaha.

[@unlimitedretrogaming]

@@ShmupJunkie will surely do but I got very impressed with you beating Holy Diver, the game is very, very difficult 😦 my respects.

[@zombee38]

Awesome video ...I laughed with the dog as well

[@robertmartins1712]

Brought back memories of me and my brothers taking turns playing Ninja Gaiden and then laughing hysterically watching them get frustrated every time they would die. Ah the good old days. Thanks for this.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Almost as good as two player Contra and leaving your friends behind on the waterfall stage to die because they can't keep up! haha

[@pjorkan]

this is so funny, the bit about ghost n goblins brings back so many memories. I felt the exact same way.. lol

[@PacoStTaco]

Alright, I just found your channel and your commentary on Ninja Gaiden is hilarious, but so true! Ninja Birds?!? 🤣 Subbed!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Welcome! You sure picked a heck of a video to find me lol. Ninja Gaiden is just too good and too fun to roast at the same time. Will always love it.

[@Evercade_Effect]

Very well done and nostalgic!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! I had a really fun time making it.

[@crayfishroll]

I loved this video ! And you are 100% correct when an nes game has unlimited continues you know it's a controller snapping game! I recently beat super contra for the first time and I have to say I have fallen in love with my nes all over again !

[@ShmupJunkie]

SuperC is so good! Speaking of which, did you see me feature Super Cyborg in my last Run n Gun's video? If you love NES SuperC you gotta play it. It's on Switch, Steam, PS4 etc and only a few bucks.

[@crayfishroll]

@@ShmupJunkie nope but just went back and watched it quick and yep just downloaded super cyborg on my switch !!! Keep the videos coming !!!!

[@wizardexemplar5240]

Good to see you again! Ninja Gaiden and Ghosts and Goblins both used the committed jump design (Castlevania did as well). There was no way to change trajectory once you started your jump. On top of the brutal difficulty of enemy patterns and damage ratios, your jumps had to be perfect. I never played them when they originally released. I tried them out when they were re-leased on the Nintendo Online's NES games, and I "noped" out pretty quickly. I managed to finish stage 1 of Ninja Gaiden, but I couldn't get through stage 1 of Ghosts n' Goblins. These games were hard, because most require a ton of memorization, and there is little or no room for improvisation or course-correction.

[@ShmupJunkie]

NG took it to a whole extra level too, not just with jumping but moving in general. The way enemies respawn endlessly and come at you from behind. It's basically saying don't stop moving forward and stay in rhythm or you'll be punished lol. So even if you could jump backwards or in reverse, something would punish you severely for doing it. Vania is very rhythm based too strangely enough even if you don't have to play it that way. I eventually discovered a flow to the enemies and staying in a certain rhythm with them made the game flow easier. Like swimming with the tide instead of against it if that makes sense. A lot of really good game design went into those early games and all that movement limitation was on purpose. Not gonna comment on GnG though that port was unfriendly lmao.

[@wizardexemplar5240]

@@ShmupJunkie Yes, I noticed that "forward momentum" too when playing NG on Nintendo Online. The birds in stage 2 were the worst, as you noted. That's when I noped out. Yes, movement restrictions were on part of design. That doesn't mean I had to like them, even as a kid. :)

[@JackTripper27]

Great video. Holy Diver is the one game on NES that makes me feel like I might be incompetent at video games. These days I can beat games like Ninja Gaiden and Ghosts n' Goblins with relative ease, but Holy Diver is just infuriating. Pure torture. I recommend it.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Lol, recommended for your worst enemies. I think it's the nature of the difficulty. Playing it feels like beating your head against a rock wall and making slow progress. It's cool but it's also frustrating. A game has to be truly fun to want to keep going. Holy Diver is on the edge of not being fun but a chore.

[@JackTripper27]

@@ShmupJunkie I agree. At least with something like Ninja Gaiden you can get into a rhythm or groove and certain hard sections become second nature through repetition. Not so with Holy Diver (at least not for me)! Love the atmosphere, though.

[@derekbuckler9888]

The expression that you put on Ryu's face, priceless lol. And your right, one of the best games ever made I'm my opinion

[@ShmupJunkie]

I remember making that photoshop bird edit a couple years ago and laughing my ass off, so I wanted to use it again here haha. The original and also part two are just games I have yet to tire of replaying.

[@FermentedGrumpyGrapeSqueezit]

It's crazy for me how the play style of nes games taught me life lessons that today at 38 years old I still apply when learning something new

[@mon11nom]

I remember the thumb calluses after getting the nes for Christmas as a kid! Such a good system. So many of the games still stand up even without the nostalgia glasses.

[@ShmupJunkie]

One thing I do NOT miss are the thumb calluses lol. That small square DPAD was murder for long play sessions. Once I got used to my comfy Saturn pad it's hard to go back. I really did need that butt paste for my sore thumb these days if I overuse one of those old style controllers. It's given me blisters more than once in the past haha.

[@mon11nom]

@@ShmupJunkie I bought the retro bit saturn pad the you reviewed on your input lag video and it feels great to use, especially for shooters.

[@loki.odinson]

What was especially frustrating and challenging in Ninja Gaiden was that if you died on any of the 3 different end bosses on 6-3, the game sent you all the way back to 6-1. Ghosts n Goblins was Dark Souls before there was a Dark Souls and the game literally trolled you when you died.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I only wish Ghosts N Goblins was as easy Dark Souls. I would have beat it with far less torture back then haha. Dark Souls is pretty perfect in terms of where a good difficulty lies. Bloodborne especially was my favorite of their games.

[@estebancruz6194]

You are a pro bro. I can’t get pass 6-3.. feels impossible. Some day tho.. Ghost & Goblins I can’t handle that level of frustration…

[@abdulcosmic_oracle3393]

Great work! I heavily enjoyed. 👍👌👏😀

[@Rams-ram]

Your videos are so well made ! great work you deserve way more subscribers !

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks. I had a blast with this one. And there’s easily several more nes games I’d enjoy making a follow up one day.

[@Rams-ram]

so a Part 2 when you have time for it please ;) @@ShmupJunkie

[@fabriciosilva5632]

Amazing video!

[@3to5andglassy]

60 year old gamer here. I finished Deadly Towers in 1988. Lol. I don't know what that means, other than I was obsessed with finishing game I bought. I love your channel!!!!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Oh man, I totally forgot about that game until you just mentioned it. Now that I think about it, I don't recall if I ever beat it as I didn't own it. But a friend did and that's how I got to put some time into it. Suddenly remembering a new game I completely forgot I played always brings back a flood of memories based around it. I may just need to fire up that rom on my flash cart in the near future.

[@WalrusFPGA]

Great video! I really need to try Holy Diver and Dino Riki. The rest I've already been through the gauntlet on. Most recent game that bashed me down repeatedly was the Japan-only Valkyrie no Boken. Such a ridiculous and often cryptic challenge. Excellent english translation patch available for it though. Thanks for the entertainment, as always!

[@ShmupJunkie]

You'll definitely get on with Dino Riki if and only if you look up and learn all the bird icon locations to skip all the platforming. Mark my words you will try the platforming for giggles and it'll be fun at first. But there's no predictable way to play or clear the damn thing without flying over it all lol. Holy Diver is a son of a b 😂 I find it less enjoyable to play and more like going to war when I pick it up. It's not that it isn't cool, but it's the definition of a beast to play through. I'd enjoy getting your thoughts on either game once you do though.

[@PM-xc8oo]

Completely lost it at the Dune reference 😂

[@ShmupJunkie]

They tried and died 😂

[@theseabass]

Loved this video! It would be cool to see similar videos on hard, but fun games for other systems too!

[@johnminer8672]

Props to you for beating it Ninja Gaiden. I spent my entire childhood proficiently getting to the final boss and never beating him.

[@ShmupJunkie]

At least back then I found it easier to just get to the boss with the jump slash weapon and kill it quickly. Especially the second form. It was getting to the boss without losing it that was the hard part!

[@x7heDeviLx]

The truth is how did we deal with Hard AF games back then was “ we beat far less games”. I think because of the arcade we were used to the idea of never beating or seeing the end of most games. But lucky for us a lot of games the gameplay was such that enjoyment wasn’t based on completion. I used to rent a lot of games cause we were poorer than most. So the idea of beating the game wasn’t the driving force of fun. Heck the most fun was playing multiplayer locally and you were gonna lose 50% of the time 😅. But games like TMNT, double dragon, Ninja Gaiden I loved but never beat on the NES and while that may seem sad it wasn’t it made the games like Mega Man 2 and All the Marios hit harder when I did beat them.

[@lukesmith9692]

Good video. Nice work

[@noside.foxhound]

I grew up playing the NES since a kid, and in fact, I love all these hard NES games and it is my favorite console of all times!

[@ShmupJunkie]

I'm with you there. I always profess my love for the PC Engine, but the NES is right up there with it for me. Both have that same 8bit feel to them and I felt like the PC Engine was almost an extension of the NES. IN fairness it was originally designed to be a suped up Famicom so it makes sense. Never going to stop playing these games.

[@Chinopolis]

I actually flinched during the Riki segment when you backed up into a ravine. It's been a couple years since I played it but it still haunts me. As for games from my childhood that bullied me, I can never forget Kid Kool which is one of the first game I had the misfortune of playing. All I can remember is that the physics made no sense and I don't think I ever made it past stage 2. Didn't take long for me to go back to Metroid and Mega Man

[@ShmupJunkie]

omg Kid Kool 😂 It's like what if inertia in a shmup was applied to a platformer. Mario did it right. Kid Kool went horribly wrong. Like it had some interesting mechanics but it was no fun to wrestle with. I never owned it and remember it being a one and done rental. I take it you backed up into a few ravines in your day playing Dino Riki as well haha

[@gamedruid]

man! such memories (and nightmares!! - lol) thank you for this awesome video! Back then i used to look at the box art in frustration after i couldn't beat a level and wonder if there was some secret hidden there! :'(

[@mikuneverdies6288]

"I dremt of Swooping Ninja birds Night after Night" ... hmm story of my Life~!! ^--^;;

[@ShmupJunkie]

haha no joke. I really was dreaming of this game constantly while playing it. And the birds always played a prominent role.