5 Hardest Platformers Ever Made, Ranked by Difficulty

There is an undeniable innocence to platform games. Ever since Super Mario Bros., they have captured the escapist delight that so many people associate with video games. Their vibrant visuals, inventive art styles, and wonderfully straightforward gameplay are hard to resist. Countless other genres have risen to prominence over the decades, yet none has matched the effortless charm of running and leaping over obstacles. That pure sense of fun makes platformers the ultimate comfort food of gaming. Then again, not every serving is sweet.

Some platformers are positively merciless. They offer the same jumps and bounds as the genre’s finest, but they push those ideas to absurd extremes. Their levels are often so crowded with hazards and hostile creatures that finishing them feels almost impossible. A single misstep can mean instant defeat, which can catch even veteran players off guard. After all, who expects such punishing standards from a game about hopping across platforms? Once the initial shock fades, however, fans tend to grow more determined than ever to conquer these games.

5 Castlevania

Released in 1986, this classic is a tribute to gothic horror, and its premise makes that plain. In Castlevania, the vampire lord Dracula brings chaos to the world. From within his eerie fortress, he unleashes zombies, gorgons, werewolves, and other creatures of the night upon the countryside. Only Simon Belmont stands against them. Descended from a proud lineage of monster hunters, the whip-wielding hero is ideally suited to confront Dracula’s horde. That said, being well suited doesn’t make the fight any easier.

The count’s castle is a genuine death trap. Its crumbling foundations are riddled with bottomless pits. Crossing them demands the skill of a master acrobat, yet Simon has only a stiff stride and a pitiful hop. Those flaws would be dangerous enough alone, but Belmont must also fend off a relentless stream of monsters. Nearly every screen throws enemies at him, whether they charge forward or fire projectiles. Simon can certainly dispatch them with his trusty whip, but it only strikes left and right, leaving him helpless against anything approaching from above or below. Worse still, a single hit can send him tumbling into the nearest pit. It’s ironic that the most terrifying part of Castlevania is its basic platforming.

4 Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time

The Crash Bandicoot series has long been known for its demanding platforming. Even by that standard, the 2020 sequel is a formidable climb. In Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, Neo Cortex and his fellow villains rip a hole through dimensions, linking their universe to countless other timelines. Crash and his sister, Coco, set out to repair the multiverse, but they can only succeed with the help of the Quantum Masks. These mystical beings resemble the series’ other talking masks, except that they exist to safeguard space and time. Yet they may prove to be more trouble than they’re worth.

Crash 4 continues the series’ tradition of precision. The marsupial must cross levels packed with spikes, chasms, flame jets, and monstrous mutants. Avoiding these dangers is as hard as ever, but the Quantum Masks multiply the difficulty tenfold. They bestow new abilities, such as slowing time, shifting gravity, and making objects intangible. Keeping them all straight is tricky, but players must do it at a moment’s notice. Each new mechanic turns the game into an even sterner test of skill. Before long, fans are every bit as “N. Sane” as Crash himself.

3 Sonic the Hedgehog

The Blue Blur stands alongside Mario in gaming fame, but neither he nor his games are nearly as welcoming. The 1991 title Sonic the Hedgehog begins with the wicked Dr. Robotnik (also known as Dr. Eggman) gathering the magical Chaos Emeralds in pursuit of ultimate power. To get there, he captures woodland animals and uses their life energy to power his robot army. Only Sonic can foil the scheme. His blistering speed reduces Eggman’s machines to scrap, and he can even harness the Emeralds to gain godlike abilities. You would expect him to be a bit tougher, then.

Sonic’s greatest strength is also his biggest weakness. The cheeky hedgehog moves at blinding speeds, leaving every other game protagonist in the dust. He’s so fast that the screen can barely keep up, and therein lies the problem. The stages contain all the staples of 2D platformers: spikes, lava, death pits, cartoonish foes, and other obstacles. At such velocity, though, players can’t see them coming. Sonic has a split second to react before he slams into a wall, plunges down a hole, or collides with an enemy. In short, the game’s signature gimmick is exactly what makes it so maddening.

2 Cuphead

Cuphead is a throwback in every sense. This 2017 indie release not only recalls the cartoons of the 1930s but also serves as a love letter to classic 2D platformers. Players take control of Cuphead and his brother, Mugman, who run up a gambling debt at the Devil’s Casino. To settle it, the demonic owner assigns the pair a simple job: collect from the Devil’s other debtors. They have no idea how difficult it will be. These unruly rogues have pledged their souls to the dealer, and unwilling to give up something so precious, they’ll pay only if the brothers beat them in combat. Going quietly is not an option.

From that setup, Cuphead crafts a hellish adventure. The platforming itself is admittedly basic, built on easy hops from one block to the next. The true challenge lies in the shooting. The brothers can fire energy blasts from their fingertips, and they must use that power against malevolent flowers, mushrooms, bubbles, clowns, and other threats that flood the screen. Dodging and shooting these deadly hurdles at once can descend into pure chaos. Pair that chaos with platforming, and every stage becomes a test of endurance. What else could fans expect from a deal with the Devil?

1 Rayman

Behold one of gaming’s greatest practical jokes. Released in 1995, Rayman is as bizarre as it is whimsical. Its world runs on magical Lums, which supply energy to the many enchanted realms. Threatening that balance is the shadowy Mr. Dark (yes, really), who locks the Lums away for his sinister plans. The crisis calls for a limbless hero named Rayman. With his floating fists and helicopter hair, he journeys across the land to free the Lums and thwart Mr. Dark’s wicked designs. Given that setup, players might anticipate a silly romp for children, but the reality couldn’t be further from that.

The game’s animated look is a facade that conceals one of the most punishing experiences ever made. Every problem described in the earlier entries returns here with a vengeance. Fans must contend with Castlevania‘s treacherous jumps, Cuphead‘s endless foes, Crash Bandicoot‘s intricate gimmicks, and even Sonic‘s self-sabotaging speed. Not a single frame passes without pain. The cartoonish visuals only add insult to injury, as though the game is laughing at you. What’s more, that same silliness makes the next challenge impossible to predict. Rayman is a game where anything can happen, and that is precisely what makes it so dangerous.

Source: Polygon