The term "Nintendo hard" is often used to describe a game with such white-knuckled difficulty that it evokes memories of standardly difficult games released on the original Nintendo consoles. Though the days of the NES have come and gone, the beloved game company has no shortage of brutal challenge for its players.
We might have a few strange soft spots for our 8-bit endurance tests, but what about their more difficult settings. Even a gauntlet of a game can still be made controller-smashingly hard. Don't believe us? Have a look at a few choice titles from Nintendo who's hard modes really grind our gears.
10 The Lion King
This remarkable adaptation of the 1994 animated classic from Disney gets our entry-level spot mainly due to one huge and horrifying factor. If you grew up in the '90s, chances are you already know what we're talking about It's an infuriating little level involving giraffes, rhino tails, and monkeys, lots of monkeys.
The "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" level was what separated the cubs from the kings, and everyone knew it. But spike up the difficulty and pair it with the crisp but challenging platforming of the latter half of the game, and you'll want to chuck your SNES to the nearest group of hyenas.
9 Breath of the Wild: Master Quest
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the most revolutionary and beautiful titles the Zelda series has ever seen. But that doesn't mean the realm of Hyrule is any less hazardous, especially when paired with the Master Mode in the Expansion Pass.
This game's difficulty mode earns this spot on our list because although it's definitely more difficult than your typical tight-clad stroll through the fields, it can be tamed if Link is properly prepared. Also, monsters and other enemies are not only difficult to put down, but they can also heal themselves making for longer bouts of combat. We're gonna need a little more than a Master Sword here.
8 Contra III: The Alien Wars
All together now, up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right-B-A-start. For those of you who don't speak NES. Contra is one of the most difficult games in existence. In fact, it's one of the founders of the Nintendo hard reputation. And if you thought the first game was a doozy, the aforementioned Konami Code will do little to help you now.
You might look like a 16-bit action hero, but unless your run-and-gun skills are tougher than nails, the alien masses are going to absolutely mop the floor with you in this game's hard mode. You can't afford a single misstep in this bullet-blasting title.
7 Castlevania
Castlevania changed the action-adventure genre as we know it, but with that in mind, it was still one of the absolute hardest titles the NES had ever known, and that was on its standard-setting. It'll take more than a cross and some holy water to get through Castle Dracula this go around, and Simon's going to need all the help he can get.
The bosses are brutal, the environments are massive, and the platforming requires the most diligent of players. But it's not the monsters and traps that will ruin your day, it's the knockback. The original Castlevania is notorious for its knockback from enemy impacts. In hard mode, you'll literally need to stay on your toes.
6 Mega Man
Let's make one thing clear before we proceed onto our next title. The Mega Man titles didn't officially find their footing until the second game. That being said, the Blue Bomber's original outing was definitely one of the most difficult platforming experiences Nintendo and Capcom had to offer. But if that wasn't enough punishment for you, the harder mode would make you bite a Megabuster bullet.
Mega Man's sequels and future outings would most definitely become more intense. We're looking at you, Mega Man 9. But there are few as nail-bitingly brutal as the original title, no matter what difficulty you choose.
5 Ghosts and Goblins/Ghouls and Ghosts
It's two for the price of one on this spot. Both Ghosts and Goblins and its SNES sequel are notoriously difficult and leave almost absolutely no room for error. Because unlike most knight characters in video games, Arthur's armor must be made out of tin foil because it disintegrates at the drop of a hat!
Not only do you have to play through the monster-infested world twice to get the true ending, but it's even harder mode is reserved mainly for sadists who thought Dark Souls had too realistic graphics. Trust us, these games don't play with kid gauntlets.
4 Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Though still relatively new to the Switch, we're going to include this monster-mashing action RPG simply due to one big feature. The Death March mode. Hunting various monsters and demons isn't exactly the easiest profession in a medieval fantasy realm, but make those monsters more brutal and charms and oils basically made a requirement, Geralt's gonna have a rough day.
If you've ever played a Witcher title, you know that some of these creatures can get absolutely massive. You basically need to further strategize and treat almost every encounter like a boss fight. It's a jungle out there, and you might be some creature's lunch if you're not careful.
3 Metroid: Samus Returns (Remake)
When Nintendo does a remaster or rerelease on a new console, it's usually pretty decent. Ocarina of Time was arguably the best game on the 3DS. Also on the 3DS was Samus Returns and it was like the ultimate fan-service outside of a Super Metroid remake. That being said, this new Varia Suit came with a little something extra.
If you purchased the Samus Amiibo, you could unlock Fusion Mode, which is literally harder than the game's preinstalled hard mode. Yes, it does grant you the fusion suit, but you'll need more than that to hack away at this already challenging sci-fi adventure.
2 Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
The Fire Emblem series is already one of the hardest titles in Nintendo's history. Pair the strategic battles with the unforgiving permadeath system and you've got to be a regular Bobby Fischer to master this anime-chess hybrid. But when people talk about the truest Fire Emblem experience, Radiant Dawn takes center stage.
The title's normal mode is already a gauntlet to get through, even with the immense character roster to fill your troops with. So imagine how brutal the hard mode must be. Every move you make on the board could be the difference between victory and defeat. And with one of the longest campaigns in the series, how long do you think you'll last?
1 Celeste
Celeste is a lot of things. It's an absolutely gorgeous, retro-designed indie game with a surprisingly deep and emotional storyline, crisp controls, and some of the most difficult platforming stages we've seen in ages. And all of that is right out of the gate. So imagine how absolutely insidious it must be to maneuver through a mountain full of spikes, traps, and pitfalls on an even harder mode.
On this game's harder difficulty, Madeline makes Mario look like a noob. You have to be an 8-bit acrobat to even have a sliver of a prayer in this game. You will die over and over again, but at least you're still into a beautiful visual experience.