What's the hardest retro game you've ever completed?

[Kobu]

Castlevania I'd say.

I coudn't beat Castlevania 3 though. That shit was super tough near the end.

 

[aviaovrumvrum]

Castlevania 1 for the NES. Although it does have some unfair moments every now and then, it's a great game. I've been playing it since I was a kid but never managed to get past level 3 back then, this year I decided to finish it and it still took me around 5 months.

 

[Skellerick]

Contra 1 on original hardware and no Konami code. The ending blew my mind as a kid.

 

[soulsas]

Xenogears isn't complex, but I wanted to unlock all the combat skills, and I really struggled in the final dungeon.

 

[doobleleaf]

I would say Adventure Island, which I managed to beat recently. Those last two worlds in particular were super brutal for me. I would've said Castlevania 3 before I beat Adventure Island though, especially with the US version's changes.

 

[RetroRover]

The Simpsons: Bart vs. The Space Mutants... I used a guide and even then, it was a nightmare, half the battle is knowing what to do, the other half is fighting the slippery movement.

Without a guide, Mega Man V. Not particularly hard, but for a 7-year-old beating it meant the world to me.

My current nemesis is Disney's TailSpin for NES, those patterns are really devilish.