5 Hardest Games Based On Popular Kids’ Cartoons

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Video game creators have traditionally aimed to appeal to families. Since children often have more leisure time, it’s logical to create games they’ll enjoy. But in the beginning, many developers focused on making games incredibly difficult to keep players hooked. Surprisingly, even games based on popular children’s cartoons were often just as challenging as any other game available.

These are five of the most challenging games based on popular children’s cartoons. Keep in mind these are kids’ shows, so we’ve left out notoriously hard games like Bart vs. The Space Mutants, even though it’s famously difficult (and not very good).

5) Goof Troop

Unlike typical cartoon games from that time, Goof Troop isn’t about running and jumping through levels. It’s actually a puzzle game based on the popular TV show. While Goofy and Max can fight enemies a little, the game mostly challenges you with increasingly difficult puzzles, which many kids found frustrating.

What’s particularly cool about this game is that Shinji Mikami, the creative force behind the popular Resident Evil series, was a lead designer. While you won’t see direct influences of Resident Evil in Goof Troop‘s gameplay, it’s a fun look back at what Mikami and Capcom were working on in the early 1990s.

4) Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mania has a clever idea: each level is designed around a different era of Mickey Mouse’s history. You’ll play through stages inspired by classic shorts like Steamboat Willie and feature films like The Prince and the Pauper. This makes for a really creative game, and overall, Mickey Mania is a well-made platformer.

While Mickey Mania looks and sounds great – especially for Mickey Mouse fans – it’s a surprisingly difficult game. Younger players might struggle with the challenging platforming, as it demands a level of skill many didn’t have at the time. However, if you love Mickey, it’s still worth checking out!

3) Garfield: Caught in the Act

There are a couple of issues with Garfield: Caught in the Act that hold it back. The biggest is Garfield’s slow movement speed. While you could say this fits his lazy personality and love of lasagna, it ultimately makes the game less enjoyable. Additionally, Garfield’s attacks aren’t very strong, causing enemies to take a long time to defeat. This turns fights into frustrating encounters and makes some of the platforming sections feel unfair.

Let’s be honest, Caught in the Act just isn’t a very good game, and its clunky controls make it even harder to enjoy. Even if you’re a big Garfield fan, you probably won’t find much to like. It doesn’t even have any funny moments! You’d have a much better time simply reading the Garfield comic strip, because playing this game feels like a chore.

2) Gargoyles

The Disney animated series Gargoyles was known for its mature themes, but the Sega Genesis game adaptation took that darkness a bit too far. Players control Goliath, the leader of the Gargoyles, using his strength and agility in platforming levels. While the gameplay itself is solid, the game is often so visually dark that it’s hard to see what you’re supposed to do.

The original game suffered from clunky controls that were hard to get the hang of, and it generally felt a little unpolished. While Gargoyles is a good game overall, it was too challenging for its target audience. Fortunately, a remastered version came out in 2023, and it’s a much smoother experience – making it easy to recommend to fans of the TV series.

1) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)

I wouldn’t recommend the NES Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game to anyone, even big fans of the series. The Dam and Technodrome levels are incredibly frustrating – they’re not just difficult, they’re unfair. Enemies constantly reappear, and the level design makes it nearly impossible to get through without taking damage.

The NES version of TMNT had some good concepts – each turtle has unique attacks, and you can switch between them instantly, which could have made the game really interesting. However, the frustratingly high difficulty overshadows everything else. Even dedicated TMNT fans will likely want to avoid this one.

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2026-02-14 02:41