5 Hardest NES Games That You Could Easily Beat Today

When the Nintendo Entertainment System arrived on the scene, players quickly coined the term “Nintendo Hard.” Essentially, many games on the system felt nearly impossible, as developers often ported over arcade games designed to munch as many quarters as possible. However, several of those games were only difficult because of hardware and technology limitations. These days, some of those games that felt unbeatable are actually relatively easy.

Here are five difficult NES games that you can beat relatively easily these days.

5) Final Fantasy

The original Final Fantasy isn’t so much difficult as it is frustrating. That’s true about many RPGs of the era, which required tons of grinding to level up enough to get past their challenges. However, Final Fantasy is one of the worst offenders, so it’s representing all of those games on this list.

Thankfully, some modern ports and remasters have included options to increase XP gain. That speeds up the process quite a bit, which is incredibly helpful for anyone who doesn’t want to spend hours slamming their face into groups of enemies to level up. You’ll still need to play well, but Final Fantasy is much less annoying these days.

4) Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!

Punch-Out‘s bosses require pinpoint precision. In the ’80s, the only way to learn was to play over and over again. However, if you wanted to practice on the toughest fighters, you needed to grind through the early ranks over and over again.

These days, you can use save states to practice on the likes of Mike Tyson. Plus, you don’t have to use trial and error if you don’t want to. Instead, dozens of great YouTube tutorials will teach you exactly how to take Iron Mike down. Sure, you still have to perform when it counts, but modern solutions let you speed that process up quite a bit. Let the internet become your very own Doc Louis, teaching how to take down Punch-Out‘s most challenging tests.

3) Zelda II: The Adventures of Link

Zelda II is one of the weirdest games the series has ever produced. And that’s saying something for a series with so many weird offshoots. The side-scrolling combat is tough-as-nails, particularly when you get to Death Mountain. However, if you know what you’re doing, it’s not as difficult as you might think.

See, Zelda II includes RPG elements that let you level up your version of Link. Back in the day, maybe players didn’t know exactly what each scenario required. Now that the internet is filled with guides and tutorials, you can quickly learn exactly how to use the mechanics to your advantage, making Zelda II much more manageable. Don’t get me wrong, Death Mountain is still a challenge, but it won’t feel impossible.

2) Blaster Master

Blaster Master isn’t that difficult of an NES game, outside of one incredibly frustrating aspect. In this classic game, you cannot save. If you want to finish Blaster Master on original hardware, you’ll need to beat it in one go. That turns this into a marathon session that requires your full attention.

Using save states, Blaster Master becomes much easier. You can pause whenever you want and come back to the action. School or work is no longer going to completely derail your progress. Of course, you can use save states to make any classic game much easier, but this application isn’t doing that. You’re just using them to add a quality-of-life feature that makes Blaster Master finally respect your time.

1) Mega Man

In some ways, Mega Man is one of the reasons players even created the “Nintendo Hard” moniker. It’s definitely a tough game, but it shouldn’t rank as highly as it often does on lists featuring the hardest games on the Nintendo Entertainment System. That’s because Mega Man is a well-made game.

Sure, it’s challenging, but it’s a test most players can overcome with practice. Toss in the ability to load save states to practice some of the tougher stages and bosses, and you have a game that’s not as bad as you might remember. Plus, there are so many resources to help you learn the best path through the levels and all of the bosses’ attacks.

Again, the Mega Man games from the NES era aren’t easy, especially the first one, but they don’t rank alongside games like Bayou Billy and Fester’s Quest. Those games aren’t just difficult, but they also have some of the worst controls on the system. Mega Man might be a challenge, but it’s actually fun to play. That makes facing the challenge much more appealing.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

6 Hardest NES Levels Ever