Most Difficult 2600 Game?

[silverpoodleman]

I've been finishing off some pretty hard genny games lately - I just love that feeling of "breaking the tape" - don't you? It got me wondering what is the most difficult 2600 game out there? What I am going for is the games that are difficult to acheive what the programmer set out to achieve, not, for example, a game that freezes your system up once you finish level seven due to a flaw in the program.

 

I am also curious what game gave you the most satisfaction in completing? Is it the same game?

 

For me, the answers are different -

Most Difficult is Thrust + Platinum

Most Satisfying was Solar Fox (remember HELIOS?)

Edited November 13, 2005 by silverpoodleman

[The_Laird]

Hardest game for me has to be Spike's Peak - havn't played it that much but its so bloody hard.

 

Most satisfying to complete was definately Double Dragon

[JimmydelaKopin]

What about Haunted House on the hardest setting?

 

My sister finished it--once. My brother and I could never get close to finishing it.

[+Omegamatrix]

I second Spike's Peak. Thrust just takes getting used to. I played it very briefly on the emulator, but found it to be to tough and kind of forgot about it. It wasn't until we played it in high score club that I really gave it a chance. I found I got better with just a bit of practice. It's one of my favorite games now, and I picked up a copy from the store.

[silverpoodleman]

I second Spike's Peak. Thrust just takes getting used to. I played it very briefly on the emulator, but found it to be to tough and kind of forgot about it. It wasn't until we played it in high score club that I really gave it a chance. I found I got better with just a bit of practice. It's one of my favorite games now, and I picked up a copy from the store.

964805[/snapback]

I picked up a copy of Thrust as well and did pretty well during the high score competition. However, for me, it has to be the most frustrating of the 2600 games. I have given it many, MANY chances and still find it ridiculously awkward, trigger-fingerish and very crashable. I feel like a 'tard trying to hump a doorknob (sorry - forget the movie reference - though the Disney version is "you look like a monkey trying to hump a football" from Miracle).

[Room 34]

Maybe I just never played it enough, but Pitfall! was always really tough for me. Both the crocodiles and the scorpions required precise timing, and there's no way to finish it unless you work out the correct sequence of tunnels (which I never bothered to do).

 

I never even came CLOSE to finishing it. On the other hand, I finished Pitfall 2 on my first attempt. (Granted, that was in 2002.) There's no way to lose! (Although getting to the end can be difficult and frustrating, but any lack of skill can be offset with enough patience.)

 

Most satisfying? Well, there aren't really that many 2600 games that you CAN "finish." I do like finishing Adventure though, and flicking the Game Select switch as soon as the music comes on.

[supercat]

I picked up a copy of Thrust as well and did pretty well during the high score competition. However, for me, it has to be the most frustrating of the 2600 games. I have given it many, MANY chances and still find it ridiculously awkward, trigger-fingerish and very crashable. I feel like a 'tard trying to hump a doorknob (sorry - forget the movie reference - though the Disney version is "you look like a monkey trying to hump a football" from Miracle).

964819[/snapback]

 

The problem with thrust is that the normal method of thrusting (pushing up on the joystick) is incompatible with the shield (pulling down on the joystick). It's very nice that Thomas allows the fire button to be used for thrusting while pulling down for shield, but if you have a control that allows simulatneous up and down, that would be much better (actually, it might have been interesting to have an option to remap the control: up=fire down=shield fire=thrust).

[supercat]

I am also curious what game gave you the most satisfaction in completing? Is it the same game?

964774[/snapback]

 

I think someone posted a homebrew 'connect the dots' game that was pretty tough...

[Thomas Jentzsch]

I think someone posted a homebrew 'connect the dots' game that was pretty tough...

Yup. I wasn't able to finish even a single level.

[Room 34]

I think someone posted a homebrew 'connect the dots' game that was pretty tough...

964843[/snapback]

 

That was our beloved Pitfall Harry. I am proud owner of cart #2 (presumably "of 2") of Connect the Dots, which was my reward for having designed a Pitfall Harry-appropriate label for it.

[adams_ale]

Most Difficult: Spike's Peak

Most Satisfying: X-Man

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

J/K Most Satisfying: Ghost Manor or Star Wars-Death Star Battle

[shadow460]

Most difficult:

Mountain King (finishing every level in sequence up to the last)

 

Most satisfying: Sword of Saros. I probably hollered loud enough for the whole block to hear me when I beat this game.

I started playing it shortly after Starpath was bought out. I finally beat it in 2001.

[video game addict]

I think someone posted a homebrew 'connect the dots' game that was pretty tough...

964843[/snapback]

 

That was our beloved Pitfall Harry. I am proud owner of cart #2 (presumably "of 2") of Connect the Dots, which was my reward for having designed a Pitfall Harry-appropriate label for it.

964920[/snapback]

 

 

I wish Ben could come around more often.

 

How ironic that one of the simplest of children's games, is transformed into the hardest of Atari. I got a chuckle out of Thomas's reply above.

[Room 34]

How ironic that one of the simplest of children's games, is transformed into the hardest of Atari.  I got a chuckle out of Thomas's reply above.

965009[/snapback]

Did you ever actually see Connect the Dots? The game's "difficulty" was legendary.

[+Random Terrain]

I felt pretty good when I figured out how to finish Raiders of the Lost Ark back then.

[moycon]

I felt pretty good when I figured out how to finish Raiders of the Lost Ark back then.

965075[/snapback]

 

I'll second this, and my friend and I beat it without any stinking walkthrough.

We were estatic, even though the ending wasn't all that impressive.

[Foxsolo2000]

Thrust has to be one of the hardest games to beat that is still fun enough to keep comming back to. The most difficult game of all time though has to be Double Dragon for it is virtually unplayable

[Rom Hunter]

http://www.atariage.com/cart_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=542

 

...

 

Edited November 14, 2005 by Rom Hunter

[Lord Helmet]

Thrust continually kicks my ass. But it is such a fun game, I keep coming back for more.

 

There is a difference between a game that is good, and hard, and one that is hard simply because it sucks. There are lots of those on the 2600.

[silverpoodleman]

Thrust continually kicks my ass. But it is such a fun game, I keep coming back for more.

 

There is a difference between a game that is good, and hard, and one that is hard simply because it sucks. There are lots of those on the 2600.

965276[/snapback]

From my standpoint, the purpose of this thread is to find the games that are good AND hard AND satisfying to beat. It is no fun beating an easy game or playing a game that is hard because the programming sucks.

Edited November 20, 2005 by silverpoodleman

[shadow460]

To me, Sword of Saros meets those requirements, even though the character moves in a really odd fashion.

Some say this is what makes the game really bad. That's not the truth--you have to know when to fight/grab treasure and when to just run away, grabbing only what you absolutely need.

Once I hit about 3200 gold and the last stage, I knew I had it beat, but still I had to go through the motions.

Over fifteen years of playing off and on. Very satisfying indeed!

[Foxsolo2000]

I suppose that Raiders too was one of the most frustrating games ever released, especially when you only had the instruction book to go on. Talk about a waste of time that was. Took me forever to work out what had to be done and I have to admit that I enjoy watching my friends struggle to come to terms with it

[HP Atari King of Michigan]

One word: Airlock. Infuriating, especially when most folks are able to play it and beat it.

[Pontual-Harry]

Hardest game for me has to be Spike's Peak - havn't played it that much but its so bloody hard.

 

Most satisfying to complete was definately Double Dragon

964775[/snapback]

 

Yes, Double Dragon is very difficult!

[shadow460]

One word: Airlock. Infuriating, especially when most folks are able to play it and beat it.  

968055[/snapback]

 

Airlock has a bug that will allow you to move through the short barriers. Jump on top of any of them and you will see it.