Most Difficult 2600 Game?

[scogey]

we played a friggin ridiculous version of space invaders on hsc recently, where the invaders were invisible and the shields moved...and missiles curved...and...and...I swear i tuned my head and the grim reaper was standing there too!

[jhammond]

Mountain King...I cannot beat the game because the stupid bat keeps taking my crown before I make it out!!! Does anyone have any help tips how to make it out with the crown???

[Pioneer4x4]

Mountain King...I cannot beat the game because the stupid bat keeps taking my crown before I make it out!!! Does anyone have any help tips how to make it out with the crown???

Speed, plain as that. And don't run down any long passages, stay on the ends so you can go up or down quickly.

[StanJr]

Also note that the bats are spawned in predictable patterns both in locaiton and timing. Scout out a route to the top from the crown room that minimizes your time in the air or your time on a horizontal area (like Pioneer said). If you see a bat, be able to jump, up, down anywhere, or better have a ladder handy. Also remember that you can jump to a ladder not just a platform. Do NOT count on ducking for anything.

[Ranthulfr]

Gravitar is kinda tough. And yeah, they threw the kitchen sink in with all those Space Invaders variations.

[KevinMos3]

Most satisfying to complete was definately Double Dragon

 

If you like Double Dragon, you should check out my sprite and color edit. IMHO it makes the game look much much better. (shameless plug )

There's also a trained version with infinite life and a 2-button version for the Genesis controller in my zip file.

 

The most difficult game of all time though has to be Double Dragon for it is virtually unplayable

 

This is a common misconception. The game is almost too easy once you learn how to play. First master the elbow smash and you can beat the game easily. If using a joystick, it helps to push up & roll to the side to get your diagonal (being right-handed, I prefer rolling left so I deliver a smash to the right). Before the enemy gets up, move in and deliver another. When he tries to get up, he'll instantly be knocked back down. The entire sequence is like moving the joystick in an almost circular pattern. Up-Left-Button (smash), Down-Right (to adjust and move in again), Up-Left-Button... (repeat). You can check out my trained version (thanks to Nukey Shay) to practice with less frustration.

 

Once you get that move down, you can start playing with all kinds of fighting methods and just resort back to the elbow smash if you get into trouble. I like to give each enemy a few kicks and then an elbow smash to rack up points. I also like to back them up against the edge of the screen where I can do the "double hit jump kick." (With their back to the edge, each kick or jump kick will deliver 2 or even 3 hits).

 

If you stay slightly above or below the enemy, they will be concerned with getting in line with you rather than attacking. Use this to your advantage to deliver all kinds of punishment. I've managed to beat the game with over 200,000 points. That's way more than the current record on Twin Galaxies!

[jhammond]

stargate!!

[jhammond]

Also note that the bats are spawned in predictable patterns both in locaiton and timing. Scout out a route to the top from the crown room that minimizes your time in the air or your time on a horizontal area (like Pioneer said). If you see a bat, be able to jump, up, down anywhere, or better have a ladder handy. Also remember that you can jump to a ladder not just a platform. Do NOT count on ducking for anything.

Thanks and your right. I finally made it to the top with the crown...jumping just as a bat is about to hit me allowed me to keep my crown most of the time. Also, I finally realized I had beatin' level 1 twice and didn't even know it. I thought I was one second or a couple of inches away from the fire at the top and "fell short of winning"...but that was the end of level one! No music, No pause, NO nothing ..just a flash (I thought that meant I didn't make it).....good grief. Now, after 8 hours of practice I finally got the route figured out. that was hard! reminds me of first figuring out Tutankham.

[jhammond]

Gravitar is kinda tough. And yeah, they threw the kitchen sink in with all those Space Invaders variations.

 

yes Gravitar is very hard. I've never "beaten" that game.

[Syntaxerror999]

Johnny is going home... jumping is awkward and hearing "what a friend we have in Jesus" over and over again will drive you insane.

[Lentzquest]

Boss battle in Krull is pretty satisfying to beat, and pretty tough for me anwyay. Also actually getting across the screen to Skeletor in Masters of the Universe.

 

Then there's Sea Hunt. Pretty much all I can achieve in that one is jumping out of the boat and getting eaten. I've never even gotten to see the treasure

[GideonsDad]

Sea Hunt. Most difficult but what a sense of accomplishment if you manage to get the treasure back to your boat. The majority of the difficulty comes from timing your dives just right, seems like it boils down to luck most of the time. If you do make a successful dive you'll want to harpoon the shark, stingray, and fish right in the nose as close as you can (you are vulnerable and unable to move while reeling them in). Once you can go into the shipwreck you have to do your best to avoid the walls as they are sticky and on top of that killer crabs are guarding the treasure. It's hard but it is possible. I know it's odd but this is my favorite 2600 game.

 

I wrote a review on Sea Hunt here.

[Rik]

Maybe not the hardest, maybe the most complicated "Space Shuttle"I have the game but just haven't played it yet so i really can't comment.Just by looking at the manual and console overlays, it looks both complicated and hard to play.What do you guys think?

Edited June 17, 2012 by Rik

[slamthedoor]

it looks both complicated and hard to play.What do you guys think?

 

Aye yie yie, Space Shuttle was complicated and got harder at the higher levels. After each time you docked, it would get much harder to dock the next time (meaning you use more fuel)! Brutally hard after a few attempts and you'd have the pressure of using up too much fuel and not having enough for landing. But it was rewarding to bring the bird home with a perfect landing and a little fuel to spare.

[StanJr]

Space Shuttle and Shuttle Orbiter are both brutal. It makes sense that Space Shuttle is so hard, it was painstakingly made to be as realistic as possible. Somewhere around here people know the lore behind its origin.

[CrazyChris]

Swordquest: Earthworld

 

[Godzilla]

Beating survival island was exceptionally challenging. I agree on spikes peak as well. turmoil gets insane and so does space master x-7, I think that's why I love them so Beany Bopper and Worm War I can be really fun when they get going. Still waiting for Worm War II :-)

[StanJr]

http://www.atariage.com/store/index.php?l=product_detail&p=312

 

 

Done.

[maiki]

I agree with Thrust. Definitely the most difficult game that does not suck from a game designing point of view. If you start searching in the waters of crap, dozens appear though...

[AtariBrian]

spikes peak is super hard, and so is conquest of mars in my opinion

[+frankodragon]

Spikes Peak is tough. My cousins used to have more Atari 2600 games than I did but when I played them, they must of had the difficulty setting to "A" instead of "B" making games I never played before hard

[GideonsDad]

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

 

I am going to have to agree on Airlock at least being one of the most difficult 2600 games. I can't make it past the first floor and I am not entirely sure what it is I am supposed to do other than go up (which I can't do!).

[Mxyzptlk]

Suicide Adventure II. I get killed so fast I can barely start mapping the dungeons.

[Mad-Mike]

I'd save Adventure on Level 3 with no resets was the most satisfying - this included hitting the key points before taking the chalice back to the castle...

- Locking the bat in the white castle (so the only thing he can steal is red dragon's hamburger stash)

- finding the mystery dot and leaving several items in that area to increase the flicker till the line between the secret area and the rest of Adventure dissappeared

- have a few chase with all three dragons in tow (with sword) prior to killing them.

- killing all three dragons

- the ultimate goal of taking the chalice back to the castle

 

That took some luck as I hear some games Level 3 generates are un-beatable.

 

Possibly the hardest game is Bugs (Data Age), however, it seems when I recorded my entire Atari collection to youtube (from the atari itself), I actually had a pretty good round of Bugs going on and started to enjoy it.

[R.O.T.S]

I have trouble with Reactor but that is more to do with the fact i do not know what i am doing more than the game being difficult,Haunted House is a little difficult later on but has a lot of variance so if you keep chipping away at it eventually you will get good item position,i have completed all 9 games but was stuck on game 7 so i had to come back to it.