Has anyone noticed how retro games tend to be very difficult compared to modern games? I mean, I can't even beat Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer or Megaman X. Despite this, I can easily beat games like the Force Unleashed 1 or 2. So, was this change gradual or did it occur suddenly? Also, was it due to the increasing popularity of video games, especially among children?

SonicPwn3z13 : This is because Retro Games were hardcore back than and Modern Games are more user friendly.

SuperGameBoy1 : But why were retro games more hardcore? Why are games today more user friendly? I'm looking for reasons. Also, I couldn't help but notice that picture of Cell there. I like DBZ, too.

Yeah, that is why I never play easy or normal modes. I start out playing the hardest difficulty they allow you. I think the only modern game I can call truly as difficult as the classics is the first Ninja Gaiden for Xbox (on master ninja mode). That is a beast. But I think one of the big differences that contributes to the difficulty is the game play. Remember that retro games were pretty much all side scrollers, meaning you had a very limited amount of choices of movement for strategy and escaping danger. With modern games, you have a 360 degree range play field, severely increasing the your boundaries. I think that is a big difference. It is just so much harder to dodge something coming at you when you are limited to jumping or moving left/right by the correct distance than being able to go whichever way you want. But it really doesn't help that nowadays, if they make insanely hard games, ratings for that game go down because people gripe and moan about how "It's too hard Wah wah!". Back in the day of the retro, people sought out hard games for bragging rights for beating them. That is why you notice the best gamers out there are in the 21-30 year old age range. They hardened their skills with the hardest games out there. About 95% of the younger generation gamers who consider themselves 'hard core' really can't compare to to the previous generation. One trend I notice is almost all the younger kids who have some real skill happen to be no strangers to the cartridge systems. Coincidence? I think not.

I have been noticing this with quite a hand full of games. It seems that gaming industries look like they are making their games either:













a) simply easier for a younger age group






b) easier so that you'll think you're a pro XD






c) it's just that modern games are becoming more "user friendly" which seems to mean "easier than back in the 90s and earlier"






Also the fact that some games give you character spoken tutorials to reach your goal, the difficulty in games these days is pretty easy in general. :/






I believe this sums this up pretty well:

warmaker : Yes, I do know what "grinding levels" is. There are a couple modern games
that have that as a necessity. In Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi, in the Hero Mode, you have to do plenty of extra fighting to get your stats up enough. In many MMO's, you have to do random battles to gain enough XP for higher level missions. In Star Wars: The Old Republic, you have to constantly take on extra side missions just to keep up with the main storyline.

rcarter2 : Bioshock, mass effect 2, resident evil 5, and resistance fall of man (all ps3) are seriously hard on the hardest difficulty(which i did to platinum them), i almost gave up with mass effect, and it took me about 10 minutes to beat the first enemy in the game when i played bioshock on hardest.
If a game has no difficultys, its generally easy, if it does, the very hardest can be challenging.
I normally play on medium the 1st playthrough, because i want to take my time, mess around, explore, etc etc.
If its good enough, il play through on hardest and try and get all the trophys.

As for grinding, i did that for a couple of ps2 games, one was really good and i never finished it, i wish i could remember its name cus id buy it again, it was a really good streefighting game where all the boxers and thugs started taking an enhancement drug which made them crazy.
I got to the 3rd last boss and couldnt beat them.
So i started again and grinded, i was destroying parking metres for 50 cents just to save for better moves.
I should have grinded further because i ended up stuck on the 2nd last boss that playthrough, and couldnt be bothered with a 3rd, i regret that.
I did it for the destroy all humas games too, including for the ps3.
Theres always a solid mission in each where you have to protect something with your flying saucer, and i wouldnt have any upgrades for it so id grind to try and get past the level.
Games tend to aim for the biggest bracket now, some games tailor well for the more interested gamers though, like resident evil 5, that offered a ton of stuff if you were dedicated enough.
I got all of it then my ps3 broke *cries*

Old games are harder than today's games but some pretty tough too

thenumberone : I agree that Resident Evil 5 can be hard on the hardest difficulty due, but mainly because your AI partner sucks and it is pretty much 1 hit kill unless you are lucky enough to be right next to them when they get themselves hit. I think the part that took me forever to beat was the fight with Wesker and Jill because my AI partner could not keep from getting hit. I recently bought Mass Effect 2, but I am working on clearing achievements for some other games first and I'll move to that one next. I heard the hardest mode there is absolutely insane, which I am really looking forward to. I love challenges

Most part of the Retro Games are very difficult, yes... But, another problem is that most part of the modern games are easier... That means, How much you play Modern games can inflict on the difficulty of the Retro games (in my opinion.)

They can be difficult i take my time and keep trying or till i throw my console out the window.

Yes a lot if u look these days games..I personally love ill challenge..but yes old games was harder than these days games where they need teach all to do..before u find all yourself

Yes and no. Some "retro" games are hard, some aren't. Most new games aren't so much "easy" as they are predictable.

Retro games were harder than the now modern games but the ROM's for these retro games add even more difficulty.

How do ROMs add difficulty?

I believe that old games are more hard. Almost every person in my country think that the games are getting more harder, but they never played any old game, so what they say is stupid.

Basiclly it is because of the leap in gaming technology. One thing was the fact that the save and checkpoint system made everything easier since there now is no penalty for dying (and a few nintendo games takes it to a whole new level). Also since the games aren´t as big in memory and such, they had to make them harder in order to make you play longer. Besides, many games involve in playing against other players.
The thing is that gamers are pretty adjustable in this regard. If you increased the average difficulty of all game back to the old days, people would probably adjust to that. It´s either that or quit and gamers don´t quit gaming easily.

I agree with rcarter2, the older generation of gamers seemed to like playing the levels on hard mode's. And our attention span seems longer than the new generation. It's also like the kids now just want to pass the game very fast even if it's not on a harder mode. They don't care if they pass it on the advanced levels, they just want to pass it quick. I honestly don't know why as I'm not a part of this new generation. I grew up playing on the atari's.

SonicPwn3z13 : The main answer to that is Marketing my friend.  Retro games are like how I wish new game would be.  Marketing and profit mongering are what shape every game more and more progressively as passes.  Try Rad Racer never beat the game (playing it like it was ment to be played at its time, either play the whole game or play it from the beginning.  Ninja Gaiden, hard as heck, Original Metroid, RC Pro Am, Commando is hard, Contra, Megaman 1 and 2 are the hardest and I think most creative ones.  Rush n Attack is difficult and good, oh and Bionic Commando is excellent to play and I think ahead of its time (like most NES, SEGA, and Turbo Graphics 16).