3
Demons Souls (PLAYSTATION 3)
When Demons Souls came along this year, it was a shock to not only players sensibilities, but also the video game industry as a whole. Here was a new game that did not pander to current conventions, but rather the designers stuck to their convictions and created something that kicked your butt seven ways from Sunday.
Demons Souls never stoops to the level of being cheap, but rather it offers up a immense challenge that will leave you feeling a huge sense of accomplishment even when you beat the most basic of enemies. Demons Souls is so serious about its intense gameplay that the game doesnt even have a pause feature, so you can forget about trying to stop a rough boss battle to get some tips from the internet.
If the themes in Demons Souls were not ominous enough, the in-game assistance comes from notes left behind and ghosts of dearly departed other players.
Hardest part: On Halloween 2009, publisher Atlus made a tough game even harder. For one night only, they gave all of the already challenging enemies a boost by plunging the entire world into pure black tendencies. Sure, they offered special loot rewards, but its not like anybody even stood a chance at getting them.
2
Ninja Gaiden Black (PlayStation 2)
Be forewarned that just by turning on Ninja Gaiden Black, you are likely to have about 15 years taken off your life. From its gang-attacking multiple enemies to the spirit-crushing boss fights that lack any discernible pattern or weakness, this game is pure evil. The Black in Ninja Gaidens title clearly stands for the color of its heart, because this thing is as unforgiving as it gets.
After about your 50th death in a row on one of the games earlier levels, Ninja Gaiden finally offers you a bone by unlocking the Ninja Dog difficulty mode. It can be assumed that calling it Ninja Bitch mode was probably too insensitive, but make no mistake about it, this game is fully calling you out. Between the vicious cat-women and decidedly evil challenge modes, Black will have even the most seasoned gamers ready to put a dress on and scream uncle.
Hardest part: She might be decked out in pink from head to toe, but Ninja Gaiden boss Alma would make even the toughest guys weep. A Ninja master knows no pain like having a giant marble pillar tossed on top of his head by this winged woman of death.
1
Battletoads (NES)
Back before Rare made games with cute piñata animals and loveable bears, the developer was responsible for some lethally hard games. No game is more infamously a representation of pure unadulterated evil as Battletoads. This early 90s beat-em-up platformer took the familiar tropes of Double Dragon and ratcheted it up to 11.
Lets get one thing straight right off the bat; you simply cannot play Battletoads alone. There are just too many enemies and obstacles for one toad to handle all by his lonesome. However, for some asinine reason, Battletoads allows the two co-op players to attack each other, and if one player dies, both return to the start of the level. In a game with occasional one-hit kills and tightly restricted fighting areas, it is only a matter of time before you hit your friends toad, followed by the inevitable retaliation from him, and before you know it the two of you are busy beating the crap out of each other instead of the computer.
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With no passwords or save features and only three measly continues, you are probably more likely to win the local lottery than you are to see the ending to Battletoads.
Hardest part: The last level of Battletoads is obviously a beast, but the Volkmires Inferno level will usually put an end to any mere mortals quest to finish this game. This is one of Battletoads famous speed levels, and really the only strategy that is even the least bit effective is trial and error. You just dont survive Volkmires Inferno, plain and simple.
