Most Devilishly Difficult Games

Like GCSEs and A-Levels, everybody seems to think games are getting easier – but the next time somebody suggests something along those lines, slap that copy of Babysitting Mama out of their fingers and show them some of the more recent titles on this list. These games are so tough they’ll actually cause your hands to swell up and your brain to shutdown. We’ve chosen some vintage oldies from the peak of the thumb-blistering generation, too.

Be warned, however, that some of these games are too difficult for normal people to comprehend. If you feel light-headed after reading about some of these, seek professional medical advice.

Super Meat Boy

An indie darling released in late 2010, the adorable Super Meat Boy has you sprinting and jumping across 300 short but maddeningly impossible courses. Download it on Xbox Live Arcade or via Steam.

Ikaruga

We swear this game is so difficult you’d actually need robotic eyes to process all of the bullets flying on the screen at once. A quintessentially Japanese game, the easiest way to get hold of it is on Xbox LIVE Arcade.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma

The definitive version of Tecmo’s last-gen masterpiece, Sigma is a jazzed up PS3 exclusive – Xbox original Ninja Gaiden Black also runs via the 360’s backwards compatibility. As elite ninja badass Ryu Hyabusa, you’ll kick, punch and cry over and over during the boss fight against Alma. We hate her.

Demon’s Souls

Fantasy RPG Demon’s Souls is so tough you actually have to train your body and mind to beat it. We had to put ourselves through a gruelling two-month regime of finger crunches and advanced mental arithmetic just to do the second level.

Dead Rising

Dead Rising’s combination of savage time management and strict inventory space ensure you’ll always be panicking about something – not to mention the massive, zombie-infested mall you’re forced to navigate through. The sequel is still tough, but not quite as maddening as the original.

R-Type

Finishing this classic side-scrolling shooter will absolutely test your mettle. It’s a game so popular it’s been ported to absolutely everything – there’s even an iPhone version doing the rounds.

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

This is the Mario Bros. game Nintendo Japan originally thought too difficult to warrant distribution in America and Europe. We eventually saw it included in the Super Mario All-Stars compilation, which has recently been re-released on the Wii.

Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts

Few games are cruel enough to be as difficult as Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, but fewer still are so maddeningly frustrating as to send you back to the very beginning of the game, forcing you to replay it a second time, before allowing you to fight the final boss.

Donkey Kong Country

Rare’s classic SNES platformer still proves itself difficult enough to provide a serious challenge to even the most seasoned gamers. Donkey Kong has always been about difficultly – both the modern Donkey Kong Country Returns and the original arcade game are harder than platinum.

Contra

You know why the Konami code (up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, Start) is the most famous cheat of all time? Because in Contra it would give you thirty extra lives. Which you’d need every three minutes, as the game was actually impossible without cheating. Fact.