On October 27th, the Genesis Mini 2 is finally getting released in North America as an Amazon exclusive, bringing with it over 50 classic games and new ones as well. With four classic Sega Genesis games recently being added to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, like Comix Zone and Target Earth, there has never been a greater time for retro game fans to test their patience with some of the Genesis’ hardest titles.
From the cult classic Ecco the Dolphin to Contra: Hard Corps, game creators for the console maximized their playability by making them grueling to complete with unfair mechanics and an onslaught of enemies. Despite these setbacks, many of these patience-thinning games are still worth a play, but some are certainly hellish to complete.
Ecco The Dolphin
A game that Nintendo promoted for the Sega Genesis and a fan-favorite at that, Ecco the Dolphin may seem to be a serene and playful side-scroller at first. However, that dream is soon thwarted by a giant waterspout that sucks all marine from Ecco’s bay home, except him.
The game is considered a masterpiece by many retro fans, but its underwater elements prove to test the player's patience, especially since Ecco must come up for air every minute or so while the player tries to navigate the maze of the ocean. There are also time limits in some of the levels, making it that much more aggravating.
Target Earth
One of the many hidden gems of the Sega Genesis, Target Earth, is a platformer that is as sporadic as it is challenging. Though the game is rather short, it makes up for this with an intense, unforgettable gaming experience.
While controlling a powerful mech, players battle a rival space force and use advanced weaponry to beat them. What makes the game hard lies in the sheer number of enemies on the attack and having to steer the mech correctly. Each level has the player use different tools and abilities to achieve goals, like protecting allies or defeating an opposing ship.
MUSHA: Metallic Uniframe Super Hybrid Armor
Regarded for being one of the rarest games for the Genesis, M.U.S.H.A. is a game that fans recommend be played with a turbo controller, due to its extensive difficulty.
The top-down shooter lets players fly around in a robot as strange foes, like oni heads and flaming skulls, zoom at them as enemy ships blast shots relentlessly. Without as much as a break between onslaughts, slip-ups are not affordable, since one hit is all it takes for certain demise.
The Revenge Of Shinobi
Though the Shinobi game series has somewhat of a cult following, since it is one of the oldest games of the Sega Genesis, The Revenge of Shinobi is the one that even fans can barely stand. As a ninja whose master is killed while his fiancée was captured by a rival clan, the player must save his bride from an untimely fate.
With complicated controls and suddenly appearing foes, The Revenge of Shinobi is no walk in the park. Despite being a ninja, the players is stiff and slow, which makes countering and avoiding the game’s quick enemies daunting to say the least. The title is still pretty entertaining, but the level design and overpowered boss battles add another layer of frustration.
Comix Zone
A game that won people over with its comic book inspired creative stylization, Comix Zone’s hardness debatably denounces its many strengths. Playing as a man that must defend himself in the chaos of the comic world, it does make sense that he would die quickly when attacked by vicious beings, but the game takes it to another level.
Even though there is a health bar, instant deaths are quite common, partly because just attacking a foe causes hp depletion. With such little fortification and cruel mechanics, the player is punished just for playing the game in the most comical ways.
Chakan: The Forever Man
Chakan: The Forever Man follows a mortal warrior who fights death and wins, but is then cursed to spend an eternity battling other supernatural enemies. Arguably the scariest Sega Genesis game ever, the player must defeat the evils plaguing the planet.
The action platformer’s bleak feel and haunting soundtrack tie in perfectly with the storyline, but the game's tricky controls take away from its pros considerably. Given the player’s lack of defensive options against wildly strong opponents, the satisfaction from playing is on a high-risk, high-reward basis.
Fatal Labyrinth
Fatal Labyrinth is a nightmare of an RPG that involves the player venturing through a forbidden maze of 30 levels and slaying monsters in order to fight the sinister dragon that protects a stolen Holy Goblet.
Beginning with wielding nothing but a knife, the hero must find items like swords and armor to make himself stronger, otherwise staying completely vulnerable as the game pulls cheap tricks. For example, though food is necessary to survive, the game will not warn the player that eating too much will kill them. Furthermore, the hero can die from things like carrying too much gold and there is no way to save progress, so the game must be beaten in one go.
Ghouls ‘N Ghosts
Almost identical to its Super Nintendo version, Ghouls ‘n Ghosts for the Sega Genesis is just as much (if not more) of a hassle. Taking place three years after Ghosts 'n Goblins, the player become Sir Arthur, who must save his princess after her soul is sucked from her body.
With bottomless pits and other death traps scattered throughout each level, Arthur suffers greatly as he faces insanely strong foes. Perhaps the worst part of the game is its infamous armor system, which does little to help the player as they still die in a few hits. Even after all the levels are completed, the game must be played over again to receive the Goddess Bracelet that is needed to kill the Devil.
Contra: Hard Corps
Putting “Hard” in the title isn’t enough to warn the player of its legendary strenuousness. Contra: Hard Corps is arguably the best Sega Genesis game of all time, depicting the main character sprinting through the robot-invested streets of a decimated city in a post-apocalyptic world.
As the sole hope for humanity, the player must survive an onslaught of bug-like tech that is visually similar to The Matrix while shooting their way. Without giving the player a break then having them fight giant robots that are enough to make grown men cry, it's easy to see why Genesis fans both love and hate the game.
The Immortal
In terms of dungeon crawlers on the Sega Genesis, The Immortal is by far the hardest. While searching for his long-lost master, an unnamed character controlled by the player must wander about the Labyrinth of Eternity and solve tedious puzzles.
With each step into the unknown, the player has a chance of running into deadly traps that lead to an instant game over. Even combining items can mean losing them forever if done wrong or at a bad time. On top of this, once a puzzle is failed or a trap is walked into, the entire game must be started all over again, making it near impossible to beat.
Source:gamerant.com