History NintendoHard / ActionAdventure

* ''VideoGame/MissionImpossibleKonami'' for the NES is quite punishing for a video game. Developed by Creator/{{Konami}}, you control three IMF agents, each with their unique attributes and weapons, as enemies will often get the jump on you in close quarters. In the first level alone, UsefulNotes/{{Moscow}}, you cannot kill civilians, lest you want to lose an IMF agent. Caution is mandatory because there are a lot of OneHitKill traps in every mission, ranging from water, bottomless pits or even crashing into objects on the ski boat stage or while skiing in the mountains. The levels are quite long, and some enemies can easily send your character into near death in a heartbeat. The last level alone will take more than a half-hour to complete and keeping everyone healthy is required.

** ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'' eschews the gameplay of the first game for a side scrolling swordplay based game. You have to learn how to attack and defend properly because enemies ''will'' clobber you when given the chance and more advanced enemies will constantly block your attacks. It also doesn't help that Link's sword is extremely short, which you'll have to be on top of enemies to land a hit. Even enemies that are minor nuisances that go down in one hit in the other games are a lot more deadly here, and can sometimes only be destroyed with a particular item or spell. Finding some places or things needed to progress are in full GuideDangIt territory, requiring you to take actions you'd never think of (such as, if it's in ''this one spot'' an item will do something it never does at any other place or time in the game, with no indication that you should do that). The game also sports a lives system to ramp up the difficulty further, so getting a GameOver means being sent back to your starting point in the overworld (progress like beaten levels and gained items stay, but you ''will'' have to retake the sometimes-treacherous path back to the place that kicked your ass before, so YOU WILL NOT arrive with full health, moreso when opportunities to recharge your health and magic are much scarcer than in other games), although dying in the final dungeon will send you at the dungeon's start instead. It is widely considered the most difficult game in the entire franchise, miles beyond the next-hardest (which is, of course, the original, ''also'' for the UsefulNotes/{{NES}}).

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' introduces new challenges with the game's move to a WideOpenSandbox: the environment plays a much larger role in the difficulty than other games, with players having to account for what armor to wear and what items to craft to deal with arid deserts and frozen mountains. In addition, enemies are [[ArtificialBrilliance very crafty]] and will learn from their encounters with you; they will set their wooden weapons on fire to hurt you, try to move in erratic patterns to avoid arrows, kick bombs back at you, and improvise weapons if none are to be found in their immediate vicinity. In a more direct sense, many normal enemies and mini-bosses do ''enormous'' amounts of damage--even after getting several heart containers, you can easily die to a single hit from a generic Moblin--and most monsters have considerably more hit points than you do. And that's not counting the truly ridiculous LightningBruiser enemies like Lynels; dodging their attacks consistently is pretty much impossible, so beating one basically requires level-3 defense-boosting food/elixirs (which you must figure out how to craft on your own).

* ''Series/MissionImpossible'' for the NES is quite punishing for a video game. Developed by Creator/{{Konami}}, you control three IMF agents, each with their unique attributes and weapons, as enemies will often get the jump on you in close quarters. In the first level alone, UsefulNotes/{{Moscow}}, you cannot kill civilians, lest you want to lose an IMF agent. Caution is mandatory because there are a lot of OneHitKill traps in every mission, ranging from water, bottomless pits or even crashing into objects on the ski boat stage or while skiing in the mountains. The levels are quite long, and some enemies can easily send your character into near death in a heartbeat. The last level alone will take more than a half-hour to complete and keeping everyone healthy is required.

*** The [[DifficultyByRegion Japanese version]] is harder in some ways, [[ZigZaggingTrope though easier in others]]. Most notoriously, you can choose which stat (defense, attack, or magic power) to increase when you get enough ExperiencePoints to spend, but in Japan, upon a GameOver (or quitting and saving!) '''all your stats will be reduced to match whichever is the lowest'''. In either case, your unspent experience points will also drop to zero.

** The main problem is the aliens who jump, drift and stomp on you causing you to suffer damage on you and your vehicles. There's no way to escape from the aliens no matter if you're using a [[LightningBruiser faster car]] like an LMP1 car, a dragster or a F1 car or a MighyGlacier vehicle like a tank, so the aliens will destroy your car and kill you very easily.

** The iOS re-release of ''VideoGame/TombRaider'' quickly becomes this due to the questionable touchscreen controls. Among the highlights include not being able to shoot while jumping (unless you take the time to assume an awkward finger position on the screen) and difficulty in running in a straight line. Good luck in Atlantis, you'll need it.

** ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'' eschews the gameplay of the first game for a side scrolling swordplay based game. You have to learn how to attack and defend properly because enemies ''will'' clobber you when given the chance and more advanced enemies will constantly block your attacks. It also doesn't help that Link's sword is extremely short, which you'll have to be on top of enemies to land a hit. Even enemies that are minor nuisances that go down in one hit in the other games are a lot more deadly here, and can sometimes only be destroyed with a particular item or spell. Finding some places or things needed to progress are in full GuideDangIt territory, requiring you to take actions you'd never think of (such as, if it's in ''this one spot'' an item will do something it never does at any other place or time in the game, with no indication that you should do that). The game also sports a lives system to ramp up the difficulty further, so getting a GameOver means being sent back to your starting point in the overworld (progress like beaten levels and gained items stay, but you ''will'' have to retake the sometimes-treacherous path back to the place that kicked your ass before, so YOU WILL NOT arrive with full health). although dying in the final dungeon will send you at the dungeon's start instead. It is widely considered the most difficult game in the entire franchise, miles beyond the next-hardest (which is, of course, the original, ''also'' for the UsefulNotes/{{NES}}).

* ''VideoGame/TheGuardianLegend'' was at the very least TrialAndErrorGameplay at its finest, in those pre-Website/GameFAQs days. The ''[[TheLegendofZelda Zelda]]''-like bits weren't so bad once you memorized them, but some of the space-shooter parts were terrifying even when you knew exactly what was coming.

** ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'' continues the ''Metroid'' tradition with E.M.M.I. zones which are inhabited by effectively indestructible robots that are as fast and agile as Samus and can stalk her wherever she goes, and if they catch her, it's certain death unless the player can make an incredibly difficult save by attacking the E.M.M.I. a split second before it strikes. Needless to say, when you enter an E.M.M.I. zone, prepare to see the "Game Over" screen. A lot. At least the developers had the compassion to put checkpoints at every E.M.M.I. zone entrance.

** ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'' continues the ''Metroid'' tradition with E.M.M.I. zones which are inhabited by effectively indestructible robots that as fast and agile as Samus and can stalk her wherever she goes, and if they catch her, it's certain death unless the player can make an incredibly difficult save by attacking the E.M.M.I. a split second before it strikes. Needless to say, when you enter an E.M.M.I. zone, prepare to see the "Game Over" screen. A lot. At least the developers had the compassion to put checkpoints at every E.M.M.I. zone entrance.

** ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'' continues the ''Metroid'' tradition with E.M.M.I. zones which are inhabited by effectively indestructible robots that are fast and agile and can stalk Samus wherever she goes, and if they catch her, it's certain death unless the player can make an incredibly difficult save by attacking the E.M.M.I. a split second before it strikes. Needless to say, when you enter an E.M.M.I. zone, prepare to see the "Game Over" screen. A lot. At least the developers had the compassion to put checkpoints at every E.M.M.I. zone entrance.

** ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'' continues the ''Metroid'' tradition with E.M.M.I. zones which are inhabited by effectively indestructible robots that are fast and agile and can stalk Samus wherever she goes, and if they catch her, it's certain death unless the player can make an incredibly difficult save by attacking the E.M.M.I. a split second before it strikes. Needless to say, when you enter an E.M.M.I. zone, prepare to see the "Game Over" screen. A lot. At least the developers had the compassion to put checkpoints at the entrance of every E.M.M.I. zone.

** ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'' continues the Metroid tradition with E.M.M.I. zones which are inhabited by effectively indestructible robots that are fast and agile and can stalk Samus wherever she goes, and if they catch you, it's certain death unless you can make an incredibly difficult save by attacking the E.M.M.I. a split second before it strikes. Needless to say, when you enter an E.M.M.I. zone, prepare to see the "Game Over" screen. A lot.

** ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'' continues the Metroid tradition with EMMI zones which are inhabited by effectively indestructible robots that are fast and agile and can stalk Samus wherever she goes, and if they catch you, it's certain death unless you can make an incredibly difficult save by attacking the EMMI a split second before it strikes. Needless to say, when you enter an EMMI zone, prepare to see the "Game Over" screen. A lot.

** ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'' continues the Metroid tradition with EMMI zones which are inhabited by effectively indestructible robots that have the agility to stalk Samus wherever she goes, and if they catch you, it's certain death unless you can make an incredibly difficult save by attacking the EMMI a split second before it strikes. Needless to say, when you enter an EMMI zone, prepare to see the "Game Over" screen. A lot.

* For all of its whimsical setting and western animation-style characters, ''VideoGame/KenaBridgeOfSpirits'' is a deceptively brutal game in terms of difficulty. As many reviewers and players have come to discover, combat requires quick timing and awareness at all times. Bosses and minibosses have numerous deadly moves that can easily kill Kena in a couple of hits. Moreover, since the game does not feature health potions or other healing items apart from specific locations within an arena, the player only has a limited number of heals. And even outside of combat, the game does not hold the player's hand in terms of finding collectibles or Rot located throughout the map, making HundredPercentCompletion difficult to obtain. This is dialed up to eleven when the game is played in [[HarderThanHard Master Spirit Guide difficulty]], in which enemies become significantly more aggressive and can even one-shot Kena if their attacks connect. The Rot also lose courage whenever Kena gets hit by an enemy, meaning the player will have to master parrying and guarding to maintain the momentum.

* ''VideoGame/EccoTheDolphin'' is infamous for this. To make things even worse, most of the achievements/trophies for the ports revolve around not dying until getting to a certain level and until you beat the game ''three times in a row''. On his Twitter, [[WordOfGod Ed Annunziata]] [[https://twitter.com/edannunziata/status/285469578635640832 admitted]] to making the game harder on purpose so that kids who rented it wouldn't beat it in a weekend.

* ''VideoGame/TheGuardianLegend'' was at the very least TrialAndErrorGameplay at its finest, in those pre-Website/GameFaqs days. The Zelda-like bits weren't so bad once you memorized them, but some of the space-shooter parts were terrifying even when you knew exactly what was coming.

** ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'' eschews the gameplay of the first game for a side scrolling swordplay based game. You have to learn how to attack and defend properly because enemies ''will'' clobber you when given the chance and more advanced enemies will constantly block your attacks. It also doesn't help that Link's sword is extremely short, which you'll have to be on top of enemies to land a hit. Even enemies that are minor nuisances that go down in one hit in the other games are a lot more deadly here, and can sometimes only be destroyed with a particular item or spell. Finding some places or things needed to progress are in full GuideDangIt territory, requiring you to take actions you'd never think of (such as, if it's in ''this one spot'' an item will do something it never does at any other place or time in the game, with no indication that you should do that). The game also sports a lives system to ramp up the difficulty further, so getting a game over means being sent back to your starting point in the overworld (progress like beaten levels and gained items stays, but you ''will'' have to retake the sometimes-treacherous path back to the place that kicked your ass before, so YOU WILL NOT arrive with full health). although dying in the final dungeon will send you at the dungeon's start instead. It is widely considered the most difficult game in the entire franchise, miles beyond the next-hardest (which is, of course, the original, ''also'' for the NES).

*** Those who play the first game from scratch know that between CopyAndPasteEnvironments inside of a maze, not starting at full energy (you have to ''fill it'') regardless of passwords, only being able to shoot forward and up, [[GuideDangIt needing the ice beam to fight Metroids in the last level despite not being told of this and having a choice of other weapons]], and real hard bosses (especially the last one, which requires you to shoot while being harassed by turrets and "onion rings of death"), getting through the game at all is almost insane.