The Impossible Games Collection.

[Zerohero]

Cybernoid ( Please email me if you actually bet this game)

Kaboki the Quantom fighter...... Nuff said

Operation wolf, loved the game..... But way to freaking hard to latter levels.

Air Wolf, fun for about 5 stages then it just gets HARD...

[QUOTE=Mzo]The only one I never did straight was the hardest difficulty in the Alien Wars. I used the ol' rubber band on the controller trick to rack up points for 30 lives for both players -_o[/QUOTE

Super Contra is more fun than hard to me, But the first one..... geeez without the code it's over...

[Vasteel]

I didn't really think Kabuki Quantum Fighter was that tough.
Also, wasn't Snake's Revenge actually impossible to beat due to some bug?

[Master of 7s]

If my memory of about 20 years ago serves correctly, ET just looped over and over again- I might be wrong.

Actually, (dear God why do I still remember this?) it was possible to beat ET.

You actually had to watch the top center of the screen for a specific symbol to appear. It would act as a sonar so when you'd do your neck-strecth thingie on random screens, if there was piece of the phone you needed to call home, you'd see a blinking light in one of the pits.

Once you'd obtained all three pieces of the phone you had to run all over the damn place looking for another specific symbol to appear (it sorta looked like a space invader, go figure). Once you found it (it was always random) you'd neck-stretch to activate a timer.

Once the timer was activated you'd have to haul ass back to where you started out or you'd miss your ride home. The game sucked ass, but it was still beatable.

[Vasteel]

Super Contra is more fun than hard to me, But the first one..... geeez without the code it's over...

Jeez, I've one-lived the first Contra, but don't think I've ever been past level 3 of SuperC...hmm, I have a day off coming up.

[Zerohero]

Jeez, I've one-lived the first Contra, but don't think I've ever been past level 3 of SuperC...hmm, I have a day off coming up.

You'll beat it on that day off trust me. After you do, you will realize how mostly fun it is rather than hard. The last boss is HARD on all levels so dont think picking easy will get you by

[JetsToBrazil]

The last boss in NAM 1975 is a bitch to beat.

[Glass Joe]

Is it just me or is there no pressure anymore when your fighting a last boss in a game these days. I use to get excited to finall beat a tough last boss to a great game but these days I just know its easy enough to do it and I feel none of that stress build up.

That's because everyone is afraid to make a hard god damn game because it will scare away the masses. It does suck and I agree that it takes away all the tension of a boss fight.

[animegirl]

I could never beat the last boss in the first Ninja Gaiden. He kicked my ass everytime. Then when you died you had to go all the way back to the beginning of that really fucking hard last stage. Maybe I should go back and try to beat it again. With SAVE STATES!

[Frogacuda]

apart from those already mentioned, I'd give Viewpoint a nod.

The Visual Concepts remake anyway. The arcade one was challenging, but reasonable, at least compared to other old school shmups. The PSX one was just broken and cheap.

[George]

That's because everyone is afraid to make a hard god damn game because it will scare away the masses. It does suck and I agree that it takes away all the tension of a boss fight.

I find solace in some of the more recent Capcom action games in that regard. Games like Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe 1+2 are really hard on the upper difficulties. Even games like RE for the Gamecube get really challenging.

EDIT: Note, Legendary mode in Halo 2 does not count. It's not a difficulty setting, I'm convinced it's a secret government test to find the perfect soldier.