godzillajoe Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 I don't mean like Space Shuttle where without some documentation, forget it. I mean just ass kicking hard. My vote goes to Jr. Pac-Man. Can ANYONE clear the first board without losing a life? Feel free to add your choices including..... You should try playing X, game variation Y with difficulty switches set to....... It's poker night this weekend and we may break out the Atari after a few beers Need a good challenge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+xucaen Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 I find Spider Fighter pretty hard but extremely fun. One of my current favorite 2600 games. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sloth-machine Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Gravitar is a pretty brutal experience. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zwackery Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Math Gran Prix (But seriously, Gravitar is pretty tough) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidbrit2 Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Dodge 'em and Challenger both make me want to throw the Atari at a wall. Marauder on game 4 is brutal, but enjoyable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godzillajoe Posted July 11, 2014 Author Share Posted July 11, 2014 Dodge' em?! I still remember the patterns from 30 years ago. That might be a fun one to bust out though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nathan Strum Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 From a homebrew standpoint, I'd say Oystron is really challenging, but still fun. For me, Marble Craze crosses the line into being more frustrating than fun. Stay Frosty 2 (when it gets released) will have some levels that are pretty hard. The longer development went along, and the better we got at play-testing the game, the more challenging we wanted it to be. The trick was finding a balance to keep it "challenging enough to be rewarding" without it becoming "unfair to the point of frustration". We'd push across that line, then dial it back based on play-tester feedback. We wanted players to recognize that even if a level was hard, that if they kept at it, they would progressively improve and be able to solve it. There are also some easier levels to give players a break from the hard ones. I think it's a really well-balanced game, and I'm looking forward to people finally getting to play it someday. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Eyeball Mural Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Jr. Pac-Man gets my vote. Punishing gameplay. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+cvga Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Jr. Pac-man was the first cart that came to mind for me also. Dodge 'Em was also a great suggestion. I also thought Double Dunk was pretty difficult but it's possible I just haven't played it enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian O Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 From a homebrew standpoint, I'd say Oystron is really challenging, but still fun. For me, Marble Craze crosses the line into being more frustrating than fun. Stay Frosty 2 (when it gets released) will have some levels that are pretty hard. The longer development went along, and the better we got at play-testing the game, the more challenging we wanted it to be. The trick was finding a balance to keep it "challenging enough to be rewarding" without it becoming "unfair to the point of frustration". We'd push across that line, then dial it back based on play-tester feedback. We wanted players to recognize that even if a level was hard, that if they kept at it, they would progressively improve and be able to solve it. There are also some easier levels to give players a break from the hard ones. I think it's a really well-balanced game, and I'm looking forward to people finally getting to play it someday. The demo was awesome. Really looking forward to this one. You guys have done a great job with this so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atarian7 Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Breaking 6 seconds on Dragster. I haven't done it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godzillajoe Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 Breaking 6 seconds on Dragster. I haven't done it. I don't think I've ever finished a race without blowing up the engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ransom Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 The hardest? Why, Beat 'Em & Eat 'Em, of course. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Burgertime and the two Miner games. Hard to stay awake long enough to play! Thankfully, the Miner 2049er games got a speed up hack.On a serious note, hardest 2600 game for me these days has got to be Star Castle. Love the release and cherish my LED equipped cart, but damn... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almightytodd Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 ..., hardest 2600 game for me these days has got to be Star Castle. I agree, and yet I still find I'm able to do better on this version than the arcade original through MAME... ...if I'm able to blow up the star cannon once, it's been a successful playing round. Twice is rare... ...three times? I may have done that once... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walter_J64bit Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Gravitar,Star Castle and Omega Race. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Gotta agree on Jr. Pac-Man and Gravitar. But the most balls-out difficult 2600 game I can think of is Double Dragon. You *must* master the elbow smash move, and even then, perfect timing is critical.Bugs, Karate, and Airlock are pretty difficult, due mostly to their mechanics and/or collision detection. Ditto for Texas Chainsaw Massacre.Space Invaders with invisible invaders, moving shields, and fast zig-zagging bombs is basically suicide. Setting the difficulty switch to A on top of that is masochism.Seaquest takes a while to get going, but after a while the game decides it really, really hates you.I can't even get to the third mission in River Raid II. I can get close if I just avoid enemies and only worry about staying fueled, but something usually flies into me or shoots me before I can make it to the carrier anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 I only have 13 or so atari 2600 games but I am finding superman and e.t. Very difficult to the point I'm seriously wondering whether beating them is worth the effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Eyeball Mural Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 I only have 13 or so atari 2600 games but I am finding superman and e.t. Very difficult to the point I'm seriously wondering whether beating them is worth the effort. Don't give up! If you haven't yet read the instructions for those games make sure you do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennybingo Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Q: What is the hardest 2600 game? A: Beat em' and Eat em??? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Don't give up! If you haven't yet read the instructions for those games make sure you do. I read the superman instructions I still don't understand how to make the bridge. And in e.t. they steal the phone so often I don't see how the game is possible especially since you can't even use the phone unless you find the special spot to stand on in the whole game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 I read the superman instructions I still don't understand how to make the bridge. And in e.t. they steal the phone so often I don't see how the game is possible especially since you can't even use the phone unless you find the special spot to stand on in the whole game. I set the difficulty to easy and managed to beat Superman in 11:55. I won't go into all the details unless someone asks since I don't want to ruin the game. It was actually a fun superman adventure I just don't see exactly how things happened in the game also I don't see how the game is possible at the high difficulty because its very hard to avoid the kryptonite and it takes forever to find lois. I think the game's best feature is the beautiful backgrounds with the almost eerie buildings, but flying through screen after screen of them looking for lois is too much to take. I know the answer is not to get hit by the kryptonite. Maybe I'll get better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sloth-machine Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Gotta agree on Jr. Pac-Man and Gravitar. Gravitar knows it's difficult, which is why there is a variation that gives you 100 lives. It's a great coin op conversion, even the difficulty is retained. Although I think the game is easier without a joystick (using a keyboard with Stella is preferred to simulate the arcades button controls). I remember hearing an interview from an Atari programmer (who's name I cannot recall) saying the game received criticism during play testing for being too hard. This is why the game only saw a limited release in the beginning (exclusive to Atari Club members). Gravitar reminds me of what makes Dark Souls so popular. The difficulty is not cheap. It's a game that requires patience, skill and practice. If you master it, you can complete it without losing a single life. And yes I have to also agree on Double Dragon. I can't even make it past the first few fighters. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolfAmongWolves Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Cosmic Ark, game variation 4. It's actually more impossible than hard. The meteor showers are already pretty tough, but once you reach the second planet surface, the planetary defense system just fires incessantly, and it's a matter of sheer luck whether you can steer the shuttle through or not. As far as I can tell there is no skill involved and no chance to improve with practice. It's a pretty pointless game variation; I only used it to shock my friends as a kid. If anybody has figured out a method of actually beating the second level, let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lentzquest Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 I definitely agree with both Star Castle and Gravitar. I'd also throw in Frankenstein's Monster. While the first few rounds aren't that tough, I've never successfully managed to finish walling up the monster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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