The 10 HARDEST Licensed Games

The 10 Hardest Licensed Games

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking back at some of the most difficult video games to feature our favorite licensed characters.

“RoboCop” (1989)

Unsurprisingly, there will be a lot of older games on our list. Based on the first movie in the “RoboCop” series, this licensed game adapts its plot into a series of run-and-gun, beat ‘em up levels. As is the case with others at the time, what makes this game so hard are the overwhelming enemies. They often spawn at inopportune moments or places, dashing directly at you to catch you off guard. Even if you have quick enough reflexes to react in time, the controls, which were stiff even at release, makes doing so incredibly difficult. We knew that serving justice in dystopian Detroit was never going to be easy. But the challenge level here is absurd.

“The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants” (1991)

Fans of “The Simpsons” have enjoyed different types of games at different eras of the show’s fame. But for anyone who picked up “Bart vs. the Space Mutants” back in the day, hoping for a whacky adventure with the family’s scene stealer, you have our sympathies. Because this is not some silly romp, but a lesson in pain. Levels are ridiculously long, with unpredictable enemies and no checkpoints in between them. So, if you die, you have to start each frustrating stage from the beginning. This game is also infamous for its unclear objectives, like having to spray paint certain items purple in the first level to move on. It’s an awful lot of work for someone who’s meant to be a slacker.

“X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse” (1994)

Capcom knows a thing or two about making hard games. And that was particularly true during the 80s and 90s. “Mutant Apocalypse” is a pretty enjoyable X-Men adventure; it looks great, sounds great, and has five unique heroes to choose from, each getting their own stage. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t hard as hell. It combines your lives across all characters, some of which are harder to use than others. But you also have to deal with huge difficulty spikes and bullet-sponge enemies, depending on the level. And when you lose all of your lives, you lose your progress and have to redo levels you’ve already completed. Needless to say, that’s pretty aggravating.

“Jurassic Park” (1993)

Depending on whether you play it on Sega Genesis or Super Nintendo, “Jurassic Park” offers a different experience. And wouldn’t you know it? Both are pretty tough. Genesis offered two campaigns; one as Alan Grant and one as a raptor. Grant’s sections see you swarmed with relentless enemies, but both are brought down, and made difficult, by fairly poor controls. The Super Nintendo version is even harder. It’s mostly composed of tedious overworld sections that lack clarity in what to do, and awkward first-person sequences. But by the far the hardest aspect is the questionable lack of any way to save. You have one life, one sitting, one chance to beat it, and that’s all.

“Friday the 13th” (1989)

To players familiar with retro games, LJN is a notorious publisher, responsible for some of the most unfairly difficult games of the NES era. And as far as licensed games go, “Friday the 13th” is one of its most brutal. Not for the violence of its namesake, of course, but for a myriad of obstacles seemingly designed to eliminate fun. It is not only extremely unclear about what you’re meant to do, but simply how you’re meant to play. Mechanics and objectives aren’t properly explained, so players would spend time wandering around identical forest and cabin areas, being attacked by wildlife…and zombies, for some reason. All while being stalked by Jason, who would likely defeat you due to your limited options.

“Silver Surfer” (1990)

Another famously challenging NES game, of which we’re obviously covering a few of today, “Silver Surfer” honestly feels like it’s actively trying to hurt you. It doesn’t matter how powerful the comic character is; the video game counterpart is a giant wuss. Even the slightest graze of a bullet will put him down, or if you simply brush up against the environment. This is made all the more maddening by the Surfer’s giant hitbox, and the fact that every level, whether side-scrolling or top-down, is flooded with enemies, projectiles, and hazards. You die over and over again, which earned this game a strong reputation. But it wasn’t fun then, and it isn’t fun now.

“Alien Trilogy” (1996)

In an effort for this list to not be made up only of old Nintendo games, we have to pay tribute to this FPS classic that originally launched on PlayStation. Obviously inspired by the first three movies in the “Alien” series, it appropriately adapts the action and terror viewers felt while watching them. Emphasis on the terror, though, because these Xenomorphs are relentless. And remarkably strong, too. Labyrinthine and often confusing level layouts don’t help; you can get distracted by figuring out where you’re going, only for enemies to keep popping out from any direction to take you out in mere moments. It isn’t quite on the level of unfair difficulty as others on the list. But the tough enemies and infrequent saves definitely pose a challenge.

“Predator” (1987)

And now, back to the days of the NES. Another violent 80s film to be turned into a video game was “Predator.” Only this version of Dutch has a lot more to go up against than just the titular alien. Cheap deaths become incredibly common in a playthrough, whether they come from enemies strategically placed to ruin your day or tricky platforming with stupidly tough jumps to make. As is to be expected from the time period, it’s also very easy to lose progress. There are no checkpoints within levels, so you start them over when you die. And while you do have lives and unlimited continues, overall progression checkpoints are only kept at every five levels. You can only take so much dying and repeating before you’re ready to give up.

“The Lion King” (1994)

Released on the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, “The Lion King” is one of the most commonly mentioned names when it comes to nightmarishly hard licensed games. And there's a good reason for it. At the time, Disney required its games to be longer to deal with rental prices, which led to some artificially inflated difficulty. The second level, recreating the “Can’t Wait to be King” sequence, famously had its difficulty raised, particularly with an annoying puzzle featuring a group of monkeys throwing Simba between them. Other moments of player frustration came during the stampede section that requires perfect reaction time, and the increasingly more aggravating platforming that comes with adult Simba. We know, it’s tough to be king.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (1989)

Like “The Lion King,” there’s a specific level in the NES “TMNT” whose fame has long since taken on another life, as one of the most notoriously unfair levels in gaming: the Dam. And yeah, the harmful seaweed and unforgiving time limit are hard to top. Still, the rest of the game is no walk in the park either. When the health of each Turtle runs out, they’re locked from play. You can save them later. But only one per level, and chances are good you’ll need more than that. Some of the platforming here is some of the most diabolical of the NES. As you continue to miss jumps, you’ve also got the many hearty members of the Foot Clan to face, with tactics and placement appropriately infuriating for the era.

What are some of the hardest licensed games you’ve ever played? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments, and we’ll see you next time!