Anyone who says the dam was the infamously hardest level has never made it to the Technodrome. That's where the enemies will one-shot you. Definitely one of the hardest games ever, certainly. I spent weeks leaving my Nintendo in a paused state just to make it that far, and gave up when all of my turtles were killed instantly by some lasers. This game is about building a habitual pattern of play techniques, pressing the buttons just light enough, and timing every hit just right. It's a game of patience.