Frustration is a natural part of any hobby, but video games can often be more stressful than any other fun endeavor. For many players, a big part of the fun of gaming is overcoming the toughest challenges imaginable instead of enjoying a relaxing experience. It's a huge part of why speed-runs exist and why players compare trophies or achievements, because reaching those milestones and breaking those records is part of the hobby.
Nintendo have long been known as the developer and publisher that manages to hit both sides of the hobby extremely well. They produce cozy games on one hand, while delivering some of the most punishing and stressful experiences on the other.
10 Warioware: Get It Together Forces Players To Adapt Quickly
There aren't many things more stressful than only having a handful of seconds to figure out the objective and get to work. That's exactly what the Warioware series does to players and although the microgames are always simple, the stress comes from trying to see the answer before the time runs out.
Warioware: Get It Together brought something new to the franchise by adding a huge roster of playable characters, giving players a random character from their chosen team. While that gave the game more variety, it also magnified the stress by forcing players to remember how each character works.
9 Super Mario Bros Is Still Stressful Decades Later
There are plenty of tough platformers out there, but the original entry to the Super Mario series is among the most difficult. Back when it was released on the NES in 1985, Super Marios Bros was groundbreaking. Although Mario had already featured in well over a dozen games, Super Mario Bros. was one of the first few times that Luigi was a playable character.
Previous entries to the Super Mario series were already hard, but Super Mario Bros stepped things up and got increasingly difficult as the game progressed.
8 Mario Kart 8: Deluxe Brings The Toughest The Series Has
The entire Mario Kart series is both fun and stressful, thanks to a combination of the competitive nature of the game and the chaotic items that are constantly in play. It's somehow both a great game for kids and parents to play together, and the type of game that can instantly ruin friendships.
The reason Mario Kart is among the most stressful Nintendo games often comes down to the other players as opposed to the tracks themselves. In Mario Kart 8, Nintendo brought together different tracks from across the history of the series; even the most stressful ones.
7 Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest Might Be The Hardest
The Donkey Kong Country series is known for punishing levels that can push even the calmest gamers into fits of rage. The original trilogy was released in 1981-83, taking a hiatus before the second trilogy was released in 1994-96. It came back later with Donkey Kong Country Returns and Tropical Freeze, keeping the series among the most difficult platformers.
Although it's hard to pinpoint which is the most stressful entry to the series, Nintendo outdid themselves with Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest. The minecart levels are often regarded by fans as among the toughest in the series.
6 Super Smash Bros Ultimate Is Non-Stop Pressure
Super Smash Bros is one of the most popular crossover fighting series and several of its editions are among the highest-rated fighting games too. Both Melee for the GameCube and Brawl for the Wii were fantastic games in their own right but by bringing together every playable character from the series' history, Super Smash Bros Ultimate gave players even more options.
Every edition of the series gives players fractions of a second to act, and sudden death with quickly reducing screen is one of the most stressful experiences Nintendo have ever given players.
5 Punch-Out!!! Thanks To Mike Tyson Or Mr. Dream
Punch-Out!!! was originally released in 1987 as Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!! before Nintendo's license with the boxing legend expired. When that happened his name was removed from the title, but the game stayed functionally the same. Tyson originally served as the final boss and a simple cosmetic change turned him into Mr. Dream instead.
Regardless of which version players faced, the challenge was just as stressful. A boxing match with one of the toughest opponents in any fighting game who was capable of ending the entire run in a single blow.
4 Mario Golf: Super Rush Gives Players A Slow Building Frustration
Mario Golf: Super Rush brought a fan-favorite sports game back to the Nintendo Switch and reminded players why golf can be so stressful. Mario Golf: Super Rush features all the same sandtraps and lakes that fans of other golf games will be familiar with but thanks to the Mario setting, there are plenty of other dangers too.
With hazards everywhere and the ever-present danger of simply having a bad shot, it's easy for players to go wildly off-course at a moment's notice. When the shots start racking up without being anywhere near the hole, the frustration quickly starts to build.
3 Super Mario Maker 2 Shows The Dark Side Of Players
Super Mario Maker 2 allows players to create their own levels and naturally, some of them are among the hardest Mario levels ever. The creativity of players can almost border on malicious at times, and they're completely unrestrained by the requirement to make levels that are accessible to the average player.
For some, putting together levels that are almost impossible is the best part of level creators in games. For others, experiencing the stress of taking on the worst that people can throw at you is where the fun comes from.
2 Metroid Dread Brings Exactly What It Promises
Samus Aran is one of the strongest female characters that Nintendo has developed, and she holds a place as one of the most iconic in their stable. Part of what made her so endearing is that the Metroid games were incredibly difficult and presented challenges guaranteed to stress any player out.
With the release of Metroid: Dread in 2021, the series saw some of it's toughest enemies ever. The main antagonist Raven Beak is what really stands out though, with different phases causing players more trouble than most can handle in a single sitting.
1 Super Mario Bros 2: The Lost Levels Took It To The Extreme
Super Mario Bros 2: The Lost Levels was released in 1986 in Japan, and it reached a height that no Mario game has before or since. It is often regarded as the hardest Mario game there is by fans, as some of the levels have been designed to break the spirit of even the most persistent player.
Poison mushrooms and gusts of wind were introduced to increase game's the difficulty, while Luigi is far tougher to control than Mario is. These factors combine with the level design itself to create one of the most stressful experiences in Nintendo history.