Top 10 Hardest Video Games of the 90s

[@WatchMojo]

Which of these made your blood boil? Head to the comments and let us know. For more challenging video games, check out our playlist: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5u6g4GAqZVnjJY

[@ericfox1470]

First

[@CleetusVanDamme530]

Castlevania 3 (NA release) was harder than Super Castlevania imo.

[@derrickhaggard]

I'm starting to get scarred flashbacks of Battletoads' Turbo Tunnel level.

[@mlggamer5296]

It's Crash Bandicoot for me cuz I never played anything else out of these. I don't think I ever played the Super Mario Lost Levels either and you would think so because I've been on a site known for the loads of Mario fan games and you would have completely thought that something like this would have been inserted. Unfortunately Nintendo took it over.

[@Jamessmith-xk3fh]

Battle Toads because that's the only one I owned out of the list. I hated the dang cave level when you go down the cave on a wire

[@jeromeheramis2932]

Even if they are hard and difficult (and sometimes gives us the scares in some), these games are definitely nostalgic and especially created memories that we enjoy and cherish as children back in those days.

[@mr.decencykeepinitreal6348]

The original ‘Battletoads’ is turning 30 this year.

[@oscarh2744]

Battletoads and double dragons now that was a game

[@contentconsumer963]

You mean the devils game…

[@sanchezjoshua4885]

Neat! 📸

[@just_neon7978]

And it's still hard as fuck lol

[@KRAVER_]

yah Battle toads and Double Dragon was awesome . and by them selves as games. many hours in each game

[@dankicks]

Mario Lost Levels. Me: “How hard can it be?” Game: “Omae wa, mou shindiru” Me: “Nani?!?”

[@misterjersey5460]

YOU WA SHOCK!!

[@BrickNGamesTwitch]

SNES version isn't even hard. You get to restart every level. Lives do not matter at all. Original version you restart at the beginning of the world if you game over.

[@wirti94]

@@BrickNGamesTwitch Still hard. I was trying some levels at the end for like 1,5 hours

[@95mudshovel]

The Lion King game was SO tough. so many memories.

[@CrimsonNineTail]

I actually loved that game, but the "Be Prepared" level kicked my ass as a kid.

[@mikewagner9395]

I beat it so I didn’t think it was that tough

[@dragonballinvestments115]

Lol Jungle Book blew lion king away

[@robertpotochney4036]

I played the heck out of that game. There was couple parts that drove me nuts tho I think the worst was after the monkeys riding on the rino part and having to keep redoing all that.

[@thejman5683]

Fun fact: the games difficult was due to Blockbuster rentals… no I’m serious look it up

[@adnanasif9538]

In the Japanese version of contra hard corps, You don't die from one hit. You have two hit points which make the game bearable.

[@cynthiamccraw6376]

I played Lion King obsessively as a kid. Got to where I could beat it quickly. I still have the game today and have yet to see any of my kids finish it. I'm proud of myself lol

[@RowDy2Times]

they weren’t ready for that elephant grave yard... Have them play Aladdin as well lol

[@AverageJoe483]

Before watching the SNES Star Wars games better be on here . The empire strikes back is INSANELY TOUGH. But, I’m sure battle toads will be in the top 3

[@YouthPotential]

I’m also reply to this with the same anticipation before watching the video; regarding Star Wars. Damn they were tough; I was 7 at the time😅

[@jimb.7523]

I just recently played Super ESB on an emulator and got stuck on the Luke on Cloud City level because I needed the Force Jump powerup to get to a certain area. It was so annoying because I didn't know for the one Dagobah level I was supposed to look for and collect all the Jedi powerups.

[@scottstark5528]

Super Empire Strikes Back was a bitch, especially the Bespin levels with Chewbacca.The amount of timed double jumps was insane. I had bruised quads and stabbed my closet door frame with a compass so many times trying to beat that level. After that the final boss battles against Vader were not that difficult. Ironically enough it was Super Return of the Jedi that I never beat. Escaped the interior of the Death Star once into space but the fireball still caught the Millenium Falcon and blew it up.

[@AverageJoe483]

@@scottstark5528 haha dagobah always whooped my ass and that damn swamp monster . Now surprisingly I thought ROTJ was a breeze! Haha . But I SUCK at the ESB, no doubt about it!

[@AverageJoe483]

@@jimb.7523 yeah Dagobah is the worst dude . I HATED that level. Yeah you need that stupid “jump” ability which really is just flying around the map hahaha .

[@jhawkkw87]

Something to keep in mind is that the version of Lost Levels that appeared on Mario All-Stars was an easier version of the SMB2 game released in 1986 in Japan. The obvious enhancements being: 1) Which mushrooms were good vs poison was made more obvious 2) In the All-Stars version, when you continued you picked back up on the stage you died on. In the original Japanese version, you went back to stage 1 of the world you died on. So if you were on the castle level, back to stage 1 of that world you went. 3) You had to beat the game 8 times to unlock worlds A-D in the Japanese version, while in the All Stars version you reached them automatically after completing world 8 (if used a warp) or world 9 (if no warp was used).

[@AndersonNeo12]

90s: "this game soooo hard" Speedrunner: "we'll be there in 5 minutes"

[@WatchMojo]

LOL HILARIOUS, and true

[@Lovuschka]

Yea, speedrunners even beat the demo of Ocarina of Time, which has a time limit of 5 minutes.

[@macgyver6999]

@@Lovuschka for dreamcast?

[@Lovuschka]

@@macgyver6999 I think for GameCube, but not sure. It came with some Super Smash Brothers game. You'd have to look up the video. Essentially they used the premade save to get the Stale Reference Manipulation, so they can either beat Ganon or warp to the credits in time (but they can't beat Ganon and see the credits in the same run).

[@macgyver6999]

@@Lovuschka ah...awesome thx for info

[@IchigoKurosakitheSalvation]

WatchMojo: *has Ecco Dolphin on the list* SomecallmeJohnny: I sense a disturbance in the universe

[@PaulRockey]

Ecco was not that hard! I beat it on the Sega cd as a kid. One of my favorite games of all time.

[@seanfeld-]

It was just hard to keep interest in on a hard level. I just stopped having fun with this game at a point.

[@lworthy2518]

Johnny: FUCK THIS GAME!!!

[@nathancamus1080]

I finished this game in 4 days Not difficult at all

[@loki.odinson]

I beat Super Mario Lost Levels, Myst, and Super Castlevania IV when I was a teen. Of those, only Myst posed a challenge to me. I used to beat Super Castlevania IV over and over again just for fun. It is still one of my favorite games of a time.

[@bmillette]

Really, Super Castlevania IV? I've always felt like that was a cakewalk compared to some of the absolute demoniac difficulty of III, or the insane boss rush style of Order of Ecclesia.

[@thecunninlynguist]

also easier than the NES ones. OoE wasn't too bad either though. Definitely the most difficult of the DSvanias, but they weren't hard overall.

[@thecunninlynguist]

@이저 they wasn't implying that. They're just saying it probably doesn't belong on the list, which I agree. SC4 wasn't that hard.

[@himuradrew]

I'd have to agree that Super CV4 shouldn't be on this list, as actually the 2nd Castlevania I ever finished (first was Simon's Quest which was hard not because of the gameplay but because they made it super obtuse) I would say the Dracula X remake for the Super Nintendo was way harder.

[@thecunninlynguist]

@@himuradrew the drac fight in X was way harder and ridiculous.

[@adnanasif9538]

Dracula X on snes was way more difficult.

[@olympuskikyo]

To think some people thought Dark Souls was difficult... These games simply said: "Hold My Beer!"

[@Dumbstuffwatcher]

I think the difference is, that Dark Souls was curated and tweaked to be the exact difficulty it is. It's not supposed to be impossibly difficult. These games were insanely difficult because there were fewer dials to turn, so if you mess with one mechanic (AI aggression, player movement speed) the entire game gets upended

[@DavidElkind42]

Hold up, Battletoads is one of the hardest games ever?? That's great to hear, I always just assumed I was ass at it

[@powerofk]

Yeah, and then it was slightly tweaked for the SNES as Battletoads I’m Battlemaniacs and for the Game Boy as Battletoads in Ragnarok’s World. But yeah, Battletoads was that rare game that was actually harder on multiplayer than single player. Not only was there friendly fire (which was mercifully made optional in Battletoads and Double Dragon and Battletoads in Battlemaniacs), but continues were shared AND if one player required a continue, BOTH players had to start over at the beginning of the level.

[@unknownhicks6473]

I think it's the easiest out of every hard games list tbh but then Again my reaction time got very good once I started speedrunning smb1 this just my opinion though

[@modernretro5383]

Myst wasn't that hard. I beat it when I was a kid with no walkthrough, and I'm not exactly a genius. If I recall, as long as you took the time to observe the world, both Myst and Riven were pretty good about giving you the answers to their puzzles.

[@bilbo1778]

Yes - for the most part the puzzles were logical/fair and didn't follow ridiculous moon logic. An adventure gamer of average skill/experience can usually beat Myst without a walkthrough. Riven is more difficult but there's only a few puzzles that really give people a lot of trouble. A better choice would have been the Discworld game but Watchmojo bases their lists on surveys so you don't usually find more esoteric choices on their 10 tens.

[@jeffcox6539]

I thought the same thing. Only part of Myst that gave me trouble was the maze tunnel at the end. Riven I never got far in, but I didn't play if for very long before my brother moved away and took his PC.

[@Lans32485]

Myst was ok, Riven though...especially the marble grid puzzle, all the clues for which were spread accross all the islands, including the one you can't get to yet, forcing you to guess. Definitely the hardest puzzle in the game.

[@brunotorres9669]

In One of the two bridge levels in crash bandicoot you could actually walk on the rope all the way to the end avoiding all dangers. On the other one tho, you'd have to do the most precise jumps on the falling planks, so nerve wrecking but so damn fun

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

'90S GAMER: The games in this era are hard '80S GAMER: Try the games in my era

[@micahwendell]

Seriously the Lost Levels is like something that would be created in Mario Maker.

[@RonaldDorsinator]

*Lol surprisingly I beat the game but yea the levels in that game will drive you up the wall*

[@WrinkledPlatypus]

Lion King kicked my ass. if I remember correctly, my friend's mom called a hotline for tips to help! Eventually I beat it and I never understood until recently the impact that game had on others as well.

[@ExzellenteRetroNerdAction]

The Lion King is really not easy and it takes some practice, but we love it! 🔥🔥🔥🙌🙌🙌

[@Dzuno18]

Other 90s games that were difficult - Mega Man X3 - Donkey Kong County 3 - Jet Force Gemini - Oddworld Abe's Exoddus - Castlevania Dracula X

[@centemo]

Yeah i remember playing battletoads with my big bro, and we ended up just punching each other, so much fun.

[@cameronjr8]

Top 10 Reasons why Jump Force is Hated. I’m still waiting please.

[@DissociatedWomenIncorporated]

Well its most prominent use resulted in Anakin Skywalker getting all sliced up, so I’m guessing most of those reasons are simply “the Dark Side”.

[@mathewcameron123mc]

My fiancé claimed she wasn't a gamer. I bought the Aladdin/Lion King pack on Xbox. She ran through Lion King like it was nothing and said her and her brother had it growing up....she still says she's not a gamer lol.

[@iamjohnporter67]

Thats really shocking.

[@usaskjock]

Buy her Celeste and hollow knight!

[@mathewcameron123mc]

@@iamjohnporter67 It shocked me too lol

[@ciborg25]

While watching this video, for each entry, a little voice in my head is repeating "FUUUUUUUUCK" and "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING??!!"

[@TakatofanAgain]

I'm 35 and I've still never beaten the lion king, and I play it once or twice a year. Every few years I get a little farther, but that's it.

[@Hybrid80525]

I played and loved mist. I actually had enjoyed it so much that when it came out for the VR on the oculus, I didn't hesitate to buy it. By far one of the hardest games I have ever played, is still enjoyed to this day

[@CatsOverBrats]

Yup, never got through Lion King. I tried a lot but gave up.

[@Thunderhawk3]

Fun Fact about the "Contra: Hard Corps": The Japanese version is much better, because unlike in the english version, you have 3 HP, not just 1, making the game much more easier. You could use your favorite weapon, until you have only 1 HP, then switch to the less favorite one, not feeling sorry if you lose it. Furthermore, if you finished the stage with 1 HP, you will start the next stage with full, 3 HP.

[@chriswilkinson7636]

I've never played Contra Hard Corps on the Megadrive for more than two minutes at a time because it's so damn hard.

[@adrianb4121]

90s Games made you want to play outside with friends, lol! I remember all of these, and man did you have to be patient to go far in any of these games.

[@jeremybetz16]

It's funny a lot of older games were hard to encourage rerentals

[@Spaz740]

Well not just that, a lot of older games where based on arcade games which in turn where designed to keep you sticking quarters in.

[@jeremybetz16]

@@Spaz740 true

[@andremead6192]

Mojo: "Battletoads may be the hardest game ever Chakan the Forever Man: "Am I a joke to you??"

[@COMPFUNK2]

MAN, did I forget about Oddworld. That sure was a hard game.

[@jamesriley2927]

Thanks for the Memories, Great Battletoads Assurance.

[@VisuallyImpairedGamer1987]

I found Mortal Kombat II to be a challenge as it felt like the AI was overpowered a lot!

[@RonaldDorsinator]

*Shao Khan: you Will never win* 😭😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@kidzanarkand]

I found Spider Man x men arcades revenge pretty challenging as well, good list!!

[@romansochacki7678]

"Mickey Mania" for the SNES was impossible.

[@ict113090]

The Empire Struck back harder in that game than they did in the movie.

[@truthhurts3524]

That Castlevania clip/music brings back memories…was always my favorite series in the 90’s

[@williamsummerson1204]

Great job mojo as always. The games I've played as a pre teen that were difficult. Contra. Hard corps Battletoads Mario bros the lost levels Mike Tyson punchout( the 1st time I played it, but I beat it the 2nd time)

[@scottjackson369]

Ah, Silver Suffer a game so infamous that Angry Video Game Nerd made a episode about it!

[@CJ_Pharaoh]

Decent list. And even though it can never be complete to everyone it gets a 👍 from me. I enjoyed all these games as a kid and have endless more I could add. 🤔 Blackthorne comes to mind. Thanks for the trip team Mojo 💜🤗😙💛 Be safe and STAY blessed everyone 🙏

[@leef-r2583]

90s the best time to be alive

[@EdinMike]

As a kid I never thought The Lion King was difficult, frustrating as hell, yeh. But I managed to beat it plenty of times and often replayed it !

[@Lunis85]

Me too. Still got the muscle memory.

[@vinceedwards3978]

Ninja Gaiden was by far the toughest game I remember from the original NES system. I threw the cartridge out of my window!!!

[@kirkmiller9814]

The scariest thing about Battle toads? It actually gets harder after the speed tunnel.

[@bowlesmovement08]

Man I didnt even get to Big Simba in the Lion King. Lol. I literally got stuck on them Monkeys

[@civilizedsasquatch6722]

I did beat myst and yes it took a long a** time to do it and several notebooks worth of notes and trying to work out the puzzles. I loved every minute of it. I want more games like it to come out

[@LoneWolf-gz9mr]

I remember the "wizards and warriors" series was *controller crunching* level of difficult too.

[@derrickhaggard]

In an interview with the creator of the original Ecco games he stated the reason why Ecco 1 was so tough was because he didn't want Ecco 1 to be one of those one and done games basically he didn't want Ecco 1 to be a game that could be beaten in one go, and forgot about.

[@kylebentley7512]

Eternal Champions should’ve gotten an honorable mention.

[@danielferrieri7434]

Top Ten Best Rage Games Examples: Getting Over It with Bennet Foddy Super Meat Boy Celeste Cuphead

[@andrewmiller5126]

You forgot Mario Party.

[@jamesbutlerx64]

I played Super Mario Bros The Lost Levels and IT MADE MY BLOOD BOIL IN HATE AND RAGE!

[@potatospopsandcollectibles]

I got frustrated just seeing the Mario lost levels😂😂😂

[@FlashaniMan247]

Mega Man and Bass should have been on the list for many reasons. From the broken level design, the unfair enemy placement, and most of the boss battles being unfairly hard and sometimes boring, the game is almost unplayable and hard for the wrong reasons.

[@Dzuno18]

True. Another Mega Man that was difficult is Mega Man X3.

[@s-b6218]

As a kid you got one game if you were lucky back then, you didn't read reviews because you had no money to buy the magazine's, so you go off the artwork on the cover and pictures etc on the back. I unfortunately choose battle toads in 91/92 and got completely stuck when it came to the bike level. Just my luck to pick that one 😒

[@dudebro5527]

When I finally beat Lion King, I broke the game in half so I would never do that to myself again

[@elliesaint1984]

I remember playing the lion king for sega, I hated that game, let's just say my controller took flight alot while playing it

[@FrancistheBrave]

Welcome to my world lol. I had The Lion King for my Sega Genesis it was hard and I finally beat it back in the day ☺

[@laurenced2916]

Alien 3 on Mega Drive! The time limit is so strict it turns the game into a giant memory test.

[@Randomark3087]

I knew Battle Toads would be number one. Apparently the main programmer LOVED brutally challenging games.

[@TheRealSupaSmiff]

My mom was a single mom, with 2 kids.. The Lion King came WITH my Sega Genesis in some early bundle/combo situation.. it was the ONLY game I ever had on the system.. it was the most insanely awesomely painfully beautiful experience that I had successfully suppressed until now so thanks jerks.. EDIT: P.S. Never made it back to Pride Rock 😩 usually got taken out by the giraffes.. (I was 3🤷🏾‍♂️) only ever played with teen Simba maybe 15-20 times out of like 2000 attempts 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@Dreamybloo101]

This is so cool and awesome

[@firedupishim2324]

Looks like a great video also first

[@mlggamer5296]

I didn't know Simon could swing with that whip

[@tarjeijensen8717]

I remember two games on pc back in the 90's that was so hard. The first one is Extreme Assault, omg. Loved how they maked that game and hope its coming another type of that game soon. The second is the RTS Incubation.

[@Kno_Buddy]

For the 2000s Constantine should definitely be on there. The game is super easy, including Mammon, but the angel Gabriel was almost impossible without cheating on any difficulty.

[@Seiferboi]

I have Battletoads, but not an NES to play it with. My fave in the list is Myst! When I was in school, I took Auto CAD, and instead of doing our work, a group of us sat at the teacher's desk and played/watched Myst lol! We also played a game called Connections, which is just as cool. I've got both games. Too bad all of my laptops/PCs are too new to play them on! Even though I have the updated QuickTime player, the games require the older versions to play. Amber: Journeys Beyond is another game I miss playing.

[@karaokekitten1084]

The Lion King is one of my all time fav games from the 90's! Played it, beat it, several times 😉👌 You def have to have the patience for it though, lol Another game I feel like should have been mentioned is, Gladious! That game has made me throw a controller or two! 😂🎮

[@RockmanZeroModernDay]

My version Number 10: Ecco The Dolphin (Sega Genesis) Harsh Game. Number 9: Ikaruga (Gamecube) LPA beat it without deaths Number 8: Silver Surfer (NES) 1 hour less beaten Number 7: Contra: Hard Corps (Genesis) NintendoComplete did it with no deaths Number 6: Rayman (PS1) Colorful and difficult, with hidden cages! Number 5: Super Star Wars (SNES) Hard game, but fun Number 4: Myst (PC) No context Number 3: Super Ghouls and Ghosts (Fun and difficult) Number 2: The Lion King (SNES) (Insanely difficult) Honorable Mentions Super R-Type (SNES) Hard fun Crash Bandicoot (PS1) Get ready to fall, a lot. Oddworld: Abe's Odyssey (PS1) This game… Number 1: The Adventures of Lomax (PS1) Colorful graphics, cute characters, hard game…

[@ronaldclayton8347]

I got super ghouls and ghosts Christmas 1991 with my super NES/Mario world it was the only other game I owned for a few months and I was so determined and obsessed I beat it within a month once through anyways,not long after I learned the stage select code that takes you directly to the last boss (the second pass through real one)and within 6 months I had played through final fantasy 2, super Castlevania 4,and Zelda 3.Back in the day I was a real serious gamer before the internet when games were a challenge and played/beaten solo.

[@Geolaw1]

Battletoads was an absolute beast! I owned it for years before I beat it, and that only happened once without a Game Genie!

[@jakebaca264]

Empire strikes back is still one of my favorite games

[@RonaldDorsinator]

*Yea the game so dope but hard just imagine it being remastered for next gen consoles*

[@rookie1405]

Seeing that Lion King game is giving me some ptsd. My word, did I struggle with that game as a kid. I remember finding out about that cheat code BARRY, my experience changed drastically lol

[@MrTheandrejs]

Damn, Battletoads nr 1, Somewhere TheMexicanRunner is laughing. The guy beat Turbo tunnels blindfolded and also beat the game with one arm.

[@Ohaithurr92]

I beat Lion King as a kid, I feel proud.

[@amanda-leemarie87]

I could never pass the jumping on animals level in lion king. Drove me nuts as a kid

[@dgatsby6495]

I got seasick when I was a kid playing Echo the Dolphin 🤢🤮

[@angelus4282]

Agree wholeheartedly with 8/10 on this list... #9: If we're talking Castlevania, I'd argue for either Castlevania III or Castlevania: Dracula X before even thinking about SC4. #7: I've always found Contra III far more frustrating than Hard Corps. It's hard for much of the same reasons as Hard Corps, but it also has those annoying topdown levels.

[@Acidrain82]

Battletoads in Battlemaniacs - never made it passed the bike level

[@lizzybethnj617]

Mario lost levels was the only Mario game in the 90s I never finished. I got stuck on one castle level

[@scottgrasser9475]

whatever castle it was unless it was the last just know it gets worse

[@wallacemaldonado7710]

So Glad Super Ghouls 'N Ghost made top 3 I still love this Game to this Day. Its one of Capcom's Greatest Games cause I love the Animations, the Story, Also the Games difficulty. I beaten this game so many time best game ever!

[@sammylane21]

SUPER GHOULS AND GHOSTS is on a asthenic level, one of gaming's most beautifully designed games, let alone on the good ole SNES.

[@Penguforce]

Dang ninja turtles was off by a year lol

[@jameswalsh292]

I got the lion king when I was about 6. Finished it finally when I was about 20. Proud moment. Great game.

[@sixohtwo12]

Aladdin and jungle book were brutal too. I don't remember ever beating them.

[@saschaberger3212]

Contra Hard Corps was my first game when I was 5. This one started my love for games

[@chriswilkinson7636]

Contra Hard Corps/Probotector would be a brilliant game if it was a bit kinder to the player. It's just beyond my skill level.

[@cyjoker333]

Super Castlevania 4? Really? I thought that was an amazing all around game. Never thought it was hard.

[@PWY5730]

i was born in the 90s, but have never played any of these games!!! POOR ME 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@IlanaIllaRouge]

I'm 2:13 into this video, and I've watched 3 fucking commercials! Fuck it, I'm reading a book.

[@chikish]

What's even crazier is that the Turbo Tunnel stage in Battletoads isn't even the hardest in the game. The latter stages are even more difficult, but everyone always talks about the Turbo Tunnel.

[@nathanielchapman1829]

Star Fox should be on this list. One of my childhood favorites, but that game was insanely hard to play!

[@mauriciopimentel6451]

Honorable mention to the PC-98 era of the Touhou franchise, an franchise notable for hard levels and op bosses

[@travisr5694]

The 7th Guest (PC) had a word puzzle that you had to solve using only Y’s for the vowel. We used to always struggle with Bubsy (Sega Genesis) also. Game Genie helped with a lot of video games.

[@johnsesia9050]

I've beaten six of the games on the list, as well as one of the honorable mentions. Also, Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels probably shouldn't count, since it's technically an '80s game. 6:57 It's the only one from the '90s. The next installment didn't come out until mid-2006.

[@bradley8867]

I always thought Mario was too difficult to be a children’s game

[@thesparxeffect9734]

Can't wait for the 2000's line up.

[@CRead227]

I’m surprised that they didn’t include any Mega Man games in this list, other than that I agree with the list.

[@chriswilkinson7636]

I have a mini Megadrive and I'm constantly amazed at how brutally hard most of the games are. Games like Space Harrier and Thunderforce give you no room for error whatsoever.

[@leviticusjohnson2082]

Coming from someone who had beaten battle toads fully..... It truly is the hardest of them all

[@10tourch]

Haven’t seen it yet, but I’m calling it now. Battle toads is #1 on here. I guarantee it