# 2 -
Posted on 12/1/2024 22:20:44
In case you're wondering why I chose the games I did:
ATV Offroad Fury 2
I played through the first game last year and had a blast, but I found the second game to be really annoying. The rubber band AI seemed to be cranked up a bit further in this one and it sapped all of the enjoyment out of it for me.
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines
I sunk quite a few hours into this one in the late '90s and early '00s...and I maybe made it to like level 5? This is such a cool game, but man is it tough!
Deadly Towers
When I first thought up the idea for this theme, Deadly Towers was one of the games that came to mind. I rented this game as a kid and I was super excited to try it out and ugh, it kicked my 8 year old butt!! I have no idea what you're supposed to do in this game because all I ever do is DIE.
Destruction Derby 2
These games are great '90s fun, but what the heck were they thinking with the difficulty on this one!? Maybe it's just me, but it sure feels like my car is made out of glass and just shatters ten seconds into the race.
Die by the Sword: Limb from Limb
Well, the main Die by the Sword game is a pretty tough one, so it stands to reason that the expansion would be difficult as well. Admittedly, I haven't given this one much time, but I do recall being slaughtered rather quickly.
Driver
I mean, the tutorial is harder than about 80% of the other games I've played in my life. I played this on PC back in the day and managed to get pretty far by playing it on a keyboard. It sure would be nice if this one could get a remaster or something.
Gungriffon
I'm pretty terrible at mech games and I know this one isn't a "sim" or anything, but about all I could do is get blasted from every direction. Now it's been many, MANY years since I played this game, but I recall moving slow as molasses and basically acting as target practice for the AI.
Hexen: Beyond Heretic
Hexen is probably one the greatest failures in my long-tenured gaming career. I took my first swipe at it on the Sega Saturn back in the '90s and spent most of my time lost and desperately searching for some obscure switch I needed to press. I've made a couple of runs at it over the years, but I've long since thrown the towel in on this one.
Hitman: Codename 47
I was hyped for this one after reading about it in PC Gamer, but it was a bit rough around the edges. The series has come a long way, but the original game is rather clunky.
Hydro Thunder
I can win most of the races, but I've never completed them all. These arcade racers were meant for munching quarters and memorizing the tracks is a necessity. Too bad I'm far too impatient for such things.
Mad Dog McCree
I've seen the arcade cabinet before, but I think the only version I've played is on the Wii. I got absolutely nowhere, but at least I can blame it on motion controls. Come on though, this is a 15 minute LaserDisc game, it's GOTTA be challenging or else it wouldn't generate any arcade money.
Manx TT Super Bike
Another arcade racer? I don't know what it is about this one, but I'm really bad at it. I was able to master Daytona USA and Sega Rally back in the day, but Manx TT said "nah".
Marble Madness
This is another fun arcade game, but it's tough as nails. There aren't very many levels and I can get pretty far, but eventually I lack the skill to progress.
NAM
I've completed quite a few Build engine games, but NAM sure knocked me down a peg or two. Within about 1.2 seconds, you're already taking damage in this game. Then you go around a corner and a missile lands two feet away. So you turn around to try and recover, but a kamikaze soldier runs right into and you're dead. There, I just summarized every single experience I've had when playing NAM.
One (1997)
One is a Contra clone that looked great in magazines, but I never got anywhere in it. Okay, so I did beat a level or two, but that's about it. Nifty graphics, tons of action, insanely difficult.
Punch-Out!!
I played the heck out of this game as a kid and I could get to Mr. Dream with relative ease...but that's as far as I could get. I don't think I've ever even hit the guy (or Tyson, if you prefer the original).
Re-Loaded
The first Loaded is such an underrated game. Like, seriously, why hasn't it ever been remastered!? Give me a 60fps version with higher resolution graphics and local co-op and I'll be a happy dude. But what about Reloaded, you say? What a huge disappointment. Perhaps one of the most disappointing sequels I've ever played. I got nowhere in the game and hated it.
Re-Volt
Now this is an awesome game! Great graphics, fast game engine, addictive gameplay...but also crazy hard in the later races. I got pretty far in this one, but I would always reach a point where I wasn't even close to winning the race.
Redneck Rampage
Another Build Engine game that took a good chunk out of my ego. The enemies hit like a truck, even on lower difficulties and keys are hidden in really dumb places. I really wanted to like this game, but it's way too tedious for me.
San Francisco Rush 2049
Yet another difficult arcade racer. I loved this one in the arcade, but when I got the Dreamcast version, I kinda soured on it. The controls seemed awfully touchy and the AI was ruthless. Occasionally I'll fire it up thinking "I got this", but then I'm quickly reminded that I'm still terrible at it.
Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter
Maybe it's just me, but the second Serious Sam game sure seems a lot more difficult than the first one. I'm still hopeful that I can beat this one eventually, but thus far it's bested me each time.
Silpheed: The Lost Planet
This is a nice shoot 'em up that's exclusive to the PS2, but it's a tough one. I can get a few levels in and that's about it. It's not a game that you can just credit feed your way to victory, which sucks since that's usually my only weapon in this genre. Victory by attrition!
Smuggler's Run
This game starts out easy enough, but it ramps up quickly. Eventually it becomes one of the most frustrating games out there since I always think I can beat a level, but then I come up just a few seconds short. It's like they knew a level would take 90 seconds to complete, so they made the time limit 87 seconds. I mean, how rude is that!?
Space Channel 5
This game has my name written all over it. Late '90s / early '00s Sega attitude, great lead character, colorful aesthetics, and addictive gameplay. Problem is, I could never get past the second level!
Space Hulk: Vengeance of the Blood Angels
I originally had a disc-only copy of this game and I had no idea what you're supposed to do or how to play. I eventually found a complete copy and when I tried to read the instructions, it was all gibberish. I'm not even convinced this is a game. What is this thing, exactly?
Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight
I had this one as a kid and actually made it pretty far. It was one of those games that I didn't really enjoy, but I didn't have many games, so I just sort of made it work. I've tried playing it in recent years and can barely beat the first level.
Super Hexagon
Such a fun game, but I've never gotten past the second level.
Tenchu: Stealth Assassins
I nearly purchased this one in the '90s and I wish I had because maybe I would've actually been able to beat it. I've tried it a few times over the years, but it feels awfully clunky nowadays. I love the concept and all, but I just can't seem to wrangle the controls.
WarCraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal
I consider myself to be fairly decent at RTS games. I'm not a pro by any means, but I can usually hold my own. I've finished the base WarCraft II game, so I thought I could just roll right through the expansion. Boy was I wrong! I didn't even get through the first mission!
Wolfenstein 3D
Shameful, I know. The godfather of FPS games and I've never actually finished it. Maybe one of these days...
Post Edited on 12/1/2024 22:24:10
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