5 Hardest Platformers On The SNES

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In the 1980s, gamers jokingly called Nintendo games “Nintendo hard” because they were notoriously difficult. Renting a game from the video store almost guaranteed a frustrating challenge. While the Super Nintendo was a bit easier, it still had plenty of incredibly tough games, especially platformers. Though you weren’t feeding quarters into the machine like with arcade games, some of these titles felt just as punishing.

Here are the hardest platformers on the Super Nintendo.

5) The Lion King

It’s easy to think a game based on a well-loved kids’ movie would be simple. After all, most teenagers and adults weren’t eager to play as Simba. But many young players quickly found out that assumption was incorrect.

The Lion King game lets you experience Simba’s life, from playful cub to his epic battle with his uncle, Scar. The game doesn’t hold back – even early on, players face tricky challenges, like a complicated animal-based puzzle in just the second level. It’s a chaotic jungle of creatures, and the game only gets harder from there. If you manage to climb Pride Rock for the final showdown, you’ll feel incredibly skilled. However, many players found the jungle levels too difficult to overcome.

4) Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest

The Donkey Kong Country games are known for being challenging, and Diddy Kong’s Quest is the most difficult of the bunch. DKC2 introduces a lot of new gameplay elements, but they can be tricky to learn. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t give you many chances to practice and get better.

DKC2 has a unique way of teaching you new skills. It introduces a technique in one level, then quickly moves on to something else. A few levels later, it brings that original technique back, but makes it much more challenging. This means you’ve often forgotten how to do it and have to re-learn under pressure. While DKC2 is a fantastic game and introduced the beloved character Dixie Kong, it’s also known for being quite difficult.

3) Hagane: The Final Conflict

Hagane is an older game from Hudson Soft where you play as a ninja cyborg seeking revenge against a rival ninja group and trying to recover the Holy Grail. Although the game’s graphics haven’t aged well and the levels can feel repetitive, it’s known for being genuinely challenging in a classic, old-school way.

Hagane is an incredibly fast-paced action game that constantly throws challenges your way, like waves of enemies and dangerous environmental hazards. Luckily, the controls are precise and responsive, letting you move with amazing speed. While it’s demanding, the game feels fair thanks to the variety of tools you have available – though you might need a good rest after finishing it!

2) Castlevania: Dracula X

I actually like the European title, Castlevania: Vampire’s Kiss, better – it’s a stronger name. But regardless of what it’s called, this game is one of the most challenging Castlevania titles Konami has ever made. You control Richter in a game that feels like a classic Castlevania experience from older consoles.

While Super Castlevania 4 was a great game, it was noticeably easier due to increased player control. Dracula X feels more like a direct continuation of Castlevania 3. The gameplay is very similar to Rondo of Blood, with multiple paths to explore, though you can’t play as different characters. The game does offer replay value with three distinct endings to discover.

1) Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts

The Ghosts ‘n Goblins games are famous for being challenging, and the 1991 title Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts is particularly tough. This game is the third in the series and was unique for not being released in arcades. Like other games in the series, you play as Arthur, on a quest to rescue Princess Guinevere from the villainous Emperor Sardius.

The game has eight challenging levels filled with enemies and a constant stream of attacks. You’re limited to only two hits before losing a life, and unlocking the full story requires completing the game twice. The final boss, Sardius, presents an incredibly difficult fight – one of the toughest in the entire system.

Fans will be happy to hear that Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts lets you choose the difficulty level, so you can switch to easy if it gets too tough. But be warned: the hardest setting is extremely challenging!

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2026-02-21 02:13