What are the easiest games you've ever played?

[Rick Dangerous]

Most older games are known for being "hard as nails." Every once in a while you find a game and you're like "man this is easy." What are those games for you.

 

For example I was recently playing Santa Clause Is Coming To Town for the Wii and it was just a super easy game. Hardly any way to get lost, barely any enemies, etc.

 

What are the downright easiest games you've ever encountered? Did you enjoy them as a guilty pleasure, or did the lack of challenge bother you??

[mbd30]

Fire Fighter for the Atari 2600. It's impossible to lose. No sense of tension whatsoever.

[Rick Dangerous]

I guess it's safe to include game modes as well.

 

For example the Mario Kart games on 50cc. Easy peasey!

[digdugnate]

Well, it's comparative, I guess.

 

I feel like Mega Man V was the easiest of the NES Mega Man series in terms of difficulty and pacing. I think also that Asteroids on the Atari 2600 is pretty easy to rollover, depending on the mode.

[spacecadet]

Astrosmash on Intellivision - I always just get bored way before I legitimately start losing. I don't even know how long I could really play it for, because I just kind of give up before I get to that point. Sometimes I turn the system off with a bunch of lives left (and I mean an absurd number, usually); sometimes I just start looking out the window or something until the game really kills me. But I don't think I've ever really been tested in that game.

 

I never did really see the appeal of it, mostly for that reason. I owned it back in the day but never played it much. I own it now too and never play it unless I need video capture footage or something.

Edited December 5, 2018 by spacecadet

[Flojomojo]

^^ along those lines -- SPACE HAWK

Zzzzzzzzz

[Tanooki]

I wanted it so bad when it came out as I could school the hell out of the arcade game, so I grabbed Super Dodgeball for the NES. I cleaned its clock in under an hour, and did it again but on hard thinking it was a fluke and did that too. It still isn't boring by any means, almost therapeutic fun beating the crap out of the other team and watching the goofy pain faces.

[derFunkenstein]

I wanted it so bad when it came out as I could school the hell out of the arcade game, so I grabbed Super Dodgeball for the NES. I cleaned its clock in under an hour, and did it again but on hard thinking it was a fluke and did that too. It still isn't boring by any means, almost therapeutic fun beating the crap out of the other team and watching the goofy pain faces.

Lots of games have a sort of "in-the-zone" kind of feeling, and they're less "games" and more "experiences". Super Dodgeball wasn't meant to be that, but more modern games like flOw and Every Extend Extra Extreme spring to mind.

[deepthaw]

I seem to recall Dig Dug on 2600 being so easy as to be boring. Maybe I had it on an incorrect difficult setting?

[Flojomojo]

I forget if it was from the era of the "teddy bear" variations? Put BERZERK into Children's Mode and zone out for days.

[Tanooki]

Lots of games have a sort of "in-the-zone" kind of feeling, and they're less "games" and more "experiences". Super Dodgeball wasn't meant to be that, but more modern games like flOw and Every Extend Extra Extreme spring to mind.

I could see that and you're right. The game maybe easy and short for me, but one thing it never became even in 30 years is boring or repetitive in a bad way. It's that whole experience, zen, relaxation thing just to do. It is in a way like flow or flower, any of those that give that same kind of vibe.

[BassGuitari]

Astrosmash is one of my favorite Intellivision games (and my favorite Aquarius game, hands-down)...but it's easy to burn out on. The difficulty slope is waaaaaay too gradual--by the time the game starts putting up much of a fight, you've probably got 70 extra lives (at least!). But then, the more you die, the difficulty backs off a little bit, giving you an opportunity (albeit, over time, a diminishing one) to restock and go on for another hour or so.

 

Defender: once you get the hang of the nuances and quirks unique to the various console and computer ports--which probably doesn't take that long--you can play forever. As hard as the arcade version is, that's how easy the home versions are. The only versions I've played that I haven't been able to master (read: roll the score) are the VIC-20, Apple II, and Intellivision ports, which actually kick my ass for various reasons.

 

Asteroids for the Atari was interminably easy and dull...until I learned you need to change up the game variation and set the difficulty to A.

[RetroRob]

Mouse Trap on Atari 2600 Novice B setting! And why is it rolling over at 9999 already?

[Reaperman]

I'd say wall street kid on nes needs a mention.

I was playing it for my first time, and having a darn good time, when *poof* ending.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Kirby's Dream Land on the Game Boy was the first one that came to mind for me. Super easy, but really fun. The same could be said for Kirby's Epic Yarn on the Wii and now the 3DS. Sometimes it's nice to play a really easy game as long as the developers put enough thought and care into crafting the gameplay to be fun in spite of the lack of challenge.

[derFunkenstein]

Kirby's Dream Land on the Game Boy was the first one that came to mind for me. Super easy, but really fun. The same could be said for Kirby's Epic Yarn on the Wii and now the 3DS. Sometimes it's nice to play a really easy game as long as the developers put enough thought and care into crafting the gameplay to be fun in spite of the lack of challenge.

Oh, that's a great call. The Game Boy game was the first Kirby game I had ever played, and I never bothered with the NES version for a long time because it was so easy.

[bigfriendly]

Realsports Football on the 2600. The computer opponent was a cupcake. It was fine for learning how to play the game but that was all. Still at least Atari tried to make it a 1 player game.

[John Stamos Mullet]

Dolphin for the 2600. Just stay up at the top.

[Eltigro]

I'll second Asteroids on the 2600. The default, first game mode can be played indefinitely.

[Video]

Asteroids for 2600. Most people don't realize the diff switch changes from vertical rocks to angular ones. Not a bad game by any stretch, it's to this day one of my faves. But play in vertical mode and you can zone out indefinitely, or at least till you have to do something else.

 

Any modern 2d Mario game. Don't get me wrong, you can die, and die a LOT (and easily) but these games put out extra lives like diarrhea. Mildly challenging to 100%, but ultra easy to just beat. Again, not a bad game, I love me some Mario, but it's still insanely easy.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Any modern 2d Mario game. Don't get me wrong, you can die, and die a LOT (and easily) but these games put out extra lives like diarrhea. Mildly challenging to 100%, but ultra easy to just beat. Again, not a bad game, I love me some Mario, but it's still insanely easy.

Oh man, that reminds me of another Game Boy game I should have mentioned: Donkey Kong '94. It's a wonderful puzzle platformer but it's so absurdly generous with extra lives that I don't think I've ever finished the game with less than 90 lives in reserve, and the same goes for Super Mario 3D Land on the 3DS. A fantastically fun game that gives you a ludicrous amount of extra lives.

[bigfriendly]

Asteroids for 2600. Most people don't realize the diff switch changes from vertical rocks to angular ones. Not a bad game by any stretch, it's to this day one of my faves. But play in vertical mode and you can zone out indefinitely, or at least till you have to do something else.

 

Any modern 2d Mario game. Don't get me wrong, you can die, and die a LOT (and easily) but these games put out extra lives like diarrhea. Mildly challenging to 100%, but ultra easy to just beat. Again, not a bad game, I love me some Mario, but it's still insanely easy.

 

I never played Super Mario Brothers at the arcade but I did watch. It was MUCH harder! I think you had to get a 1000 coins for an extra life!

[+save2600]

VCS Asteroids - like shooting fish in a barrel!

 

Activision's Seaquest also. Get so bored with that game, end up turning it off before too long. Which reminds me... exactly how I feel playing most 90's and newer pinball machines.

[Cynicaster]

Atari 2600 Ms. Pac-Man on the game mode where there's only one ghost monster. Excruciatingly boring.

 

Mat Mania in the arcade. Probably one of the most easily marathon-able arcade games once you get a few basic tricks down.

[mbd30]

Atari 2600 Ms. Pac-Man on the game mode where there's only one ghost monster. Excruciatingly boring.

 

Mat Mania in the arcade. Probably one of the most easily marathon-able arcade games once you get a few basic tricks down.

 

Mat Mania always whooped my ass when I was a kid.