notoriously difficult NES games that you've beaten- and haven't?

[Tanooki]

Don't feel bad I didn't get to it until the later 90s and I didn't get much further. I cheated on that one and printed up a minimalists move guide and played it for like a couple hours to finish it using that so I could figure it out. The game is so obtuse you need able to pick up on the really dumb nuances and flawed logic of this do this for that setup they placed into it to get anywhere. Only after going that route I figured out how it worked, years later the GBC release popped up and I was able to slug that out but haven't since as that style of game just does nothing for me beyond that one.

[toptenmaterial]

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (Sandman and Tyson definitely get you in "the zone"; Super Macho Man as well, to a lesser extent)

Super Mario Bros. (not sure if this counts as notorious; World 3-1 infinite lives is the ticket)

Castlevania I (usually die at the reaper, beat it once, maybe twice)

Castlevania II (oh, the maps I made)

Castlevania III (yes, I used the 'Help Me' trick)

Contra (many times w/Konami code!)

Metroid (is this considered notoriously hard?)

 

I still haven't beat SMB 2 or 3, to my shame.

Here is my cheap method to beating SMB 3: play the game straight and save your clouds and p-wings, except for maybe one or two levels in the sky world. At the beginning of 7, warp to 8, cloud or fly over everything and be sure to use a p-wing in Bowser's castle. The Bowser boss fight is not hard, trust me I am hardly exceptional at NES games. I did beat 1 as an adult, and 2 as a child. In my opinion 2 is the hardest, followed by 1 and then 3. They aren't the hardest but I wouldn't call them easy (at least 1 & 2).

[icemanxp300]

Here is my cheap method to beating SMB 3:

 

Play world 1 all the way through, get both warp whistles in castle and level 4 and do level 3 white box drop for p-wing and beat the castle for p-wing. Soon as world 2 opens warp twice to world 8. Use p-wing over airship. If you like you can stock up lives in world 1 level 2 by stomping goombas. You can let time run out and just die if you wish so you can repeat and get to 99 lives if you need them. Make sure you play all the bridge levels in case you go by fats so you can get the extra items as you will not have much and they may come in handy. Or just skip the bridge levels if you want.

 

Or you could simply play world 1 levels 1 2 4 and castle and warp to level 8 right there w/out any help.

[Burt_Lancaster]

Being a kid playing first SMB with no instructions. Didnt know that B button also made you run. Always arriving at 8-1 and failing miserably in the big leap because didnt know what to do to jump "longer". For months.

 

I really believe that NES games tought us how to deal with frustration. Today's kids don't have that, that's why they are pussies.