Top 5 Frustrating Moments In Nintendo Gaming History

I’m not sure why I’m writing about today’s topic. I’m in a good mood, it’s Friday so the weekend is nearly here. Today we’re going to talk about the frustrating moments in gaming. It’s the times that controllers were shattered against the wall, and you made oaths to never play a certain game again. Then to only pick the controller back up and go at it. So, today we honor those moments in gaming that kept punching us in the face, but left us wanting to come back for more…

5. Blue Spiky Shell (Mario Kart Series) – Imagine if you will, having a huge smile on your face by passing all the less than adequate drivers in Mario Kart. You’re hitting all of your drifts, and conserving your mushrooms for the right moment of use. You’re the true master of your craft, and no one can touch you. That is until a noob, who has no right to call himself a Mario Kartster happens to get a certain item reserved for the back of the pack.

This item is called the, ‘Blue Spiky Shell’. If you’re a dedicated Mario Kart player I’m sure you have different names as I do; only I won’t reveal them on here (I’m sure there are younger kids reading). In case you’re unaware of the item, it’s used to blow up or knockout the player who is in first place.

The Mario Kart ‘n00b bomb’ Is One Name I Have For This Item

The Blue Spiky Shell didn’t necessarily start off all that bad. In its original form it did more than just hurt the person in first place. It zoomed along the stage knocking anyone in its path out of commission. As the Mario Kart series grew bigger, so did the power of the Blue Spiky Shell. Mario Kart: Wii is where it’s at its most powerful. Playing online is the worst, as I could name you a number of instances where I got hit by one three times in a race. I don’t care how good you are at Mario Kart, that is a giant hurdle to overcome to stay in the lead.

People are lucky that Wii Speak won’t be compatible with Mario Kart: Wii. I’m sure there would be enough expletives flying out that I could make the South Park Movie look tame to the profanity I’d spew out.

4. Hall Of The Brahmans (Ninja Gaiden) – Ninja Gaiden is a game that is in the Hall of Fame of gaming for many reasons. One of those reasons is the extreme difficulty that the game has, and still can challenge gamers. Although you might have the patterns of the stages memorized now, coming up in the game for the first time seemed impossible.

Inside one of the hardest games of all time, is arguably the hardest stage. Act VI, Stage 2 is synonymous with difficulty in some its cheapest form. I’d be willing to take a huge bet that there isn’t one person no matter how good at gaming could beat this stage in their first go at it. You can tread through the stage quickly, or slowly and it still doesn’t matter. If you don’t know what’s coming at you at what time it’s nearly instant death..

You’ll probably see more enemies flung at you in Hall Of The Brahmans then any other time in the game. So, would having the most enemies be what makes the stage so hard? Yes, and no. While timing enemy movements is a daunting task, imagine having that coupled with bottomless pits. Many times taking a hit in some of the more narrow parts of the stage means instant death. Once you figure out the pattern of the stage it’s a bit easier. Just hope you have enough spare controllers to replace the ones you’re going to break.

3. Ganon (Legend Of Zelda) – In my experience with gaming there’s two kinds of difficulties. A game is difficult because you know what you have to do you just can’t do it, or you’re struggling figuring ‘what’ needs to be done. Not being able to figure out something always leaves me more frustrated. If I know what needs to be done then I can simply practice and get good enough to execute it.

The final boss fight Ganon in the original Legend of Zelda is the perfect example of having to figure out what you need to do to win the day. The boss fight itself isn’t hard on paper. Ganon shifts around the stage invisibly to pop up here and there for you to get your attack on. It’s all about timing your movements and dodging the fireballs from the four corners of the stage.

So, anticipating Ganon’s movements and getting your sword attacks right should be all it takes right? WRONG! Looking back in hindsight, and knowing how to defeat Ganon now it might seem pretty silly to think the fight is frustrating. But back in 1989, the year I first played the game trying to defeat Ganon was like trying to get a square block into a spherical hole. Why can’t I get my final hit in on him?? I was about 5-6 years old, and patience was something I was extremely lacking. Eventually my Mom would be the one to figure out the strategy of using the silver arrows to beat Ganon.

The Ganon boss fight gets it spot today mostly for personal reasons. One, I just couldn’t do it when I was little. Second, it’s the only time in gaming I’ve had to have my Mom step in and beat something for me.

2. Battletoad’s Co-Op Friendly Fire – Battletoads is one of the greatest side scrolling beat-em-ups of all time. Double Dragon, Fatal Fury, and Battletoads are all in my heart in terms of gameplay style. What really sets Battletoads apart from the others is how it implemented various difficulties into the game.

Frustration can’t truly be known until you try Battletoads out in 2-player mode. The enemies, and bosses are tough enough in the game, but Rare (yes, that Rare) decided to go even further. Not only can enemies harm you, but your teammate can damage you as well if you happen to attack one another.

One Of Rare’s Masterpieces…Before They Went To The Dark Side

I’m pretty sure that Battletoads is the reason for a few rocky friendships back in the late 80’s. If you were playing with someone who didn’t know what they were doing, you could forget about getting anywhere. Battletoads forced you to have a true team dynamic. I can say that numerous friendly hits in Battletoads, led to some hits in real life.

1. Mike Tyson – Before Mike Tyson became the character known as Mike Tyson, he was simply the greatest boxer in the world. If you want to see true domination in a sport, then go look up archive footage of his early fights. It’s nothing short of amazing. It’s easy to say that same domination translated from his boxing skills in real life, to his virtual counterpart.

Punch-Out! is probably the hardest game I’ve ever played. The reason for this undoubtedly sprouts from the game’s final challenge; the ear biting, child eating Mike Tyson. It’s hard to put into words what makes Tyson such a challenge.

First, you can forget about taking an uppercut. If you’re not quick enough for a Tyson uppercut then you hit the mat instantly. They are easy to time once you play long enough, but even just one slip up and you can pretty much throw in the towel. His hooks aren’t anything to laugh at though, as taking about 4-5 can put you at critical health. So, once you can time a dodge you can throw a counter puch right? Yes, but you have to be lightning quick. You have to time your counter perfect enough that when you come back Tyson doesn’t have time to block. So the difficulty ends there? No, even when you knock him down, he comes back with nearly a full bar of health everytime. So, if you’re going to beat Tyson it’s going to require a marathon. Unless you’re just ungodly at the game, and have played it more than a few thousand times.

Here’s a great video I found of someone who has beaten Tyson. I have to hand it to the person because he/she actually came back to get the victory. That in itself is an achievement. Notice the first uppercut Little Mac takes in the match.

Today’s Top 5 might have sounded like a negative but it isn’t. These moments are ones that definitely left me, and I’m sure many gamers frustrated. Like many things in life, there’s a yin and yang. Without that frustration, there wouldn’t be an overwhelming sense of accomplishment that follows afterwards.

So, what are some of your most frustrating moments in Gaming? Have you been privileged to check out some of Tyson’s early boxing matches? If not, then you’re truly missing out on poetry in motion.

:: Source: Nintendo Wii News