10 Most Brutally Difficult Opening Levels In Video Games
5. Jungle - Contra
Endless enemies, one-shot kills and a formidable boss at the end, the first level of classic side-scrolling shooter Contra is, for many people, the only level seen in the entire game on account of its difficulty.
The trick here is to just keep shooting and keep moving, because not shooting gives enemies time to shoot you, and not moving means that more will quickly come running in from the right side of the screen. You'll not only instantly die if any of the 20 or so bullet globules onscreen at once hits you, but also if an enemy so much as touches you. For an Arnie/Sly lookalike, you're not especially resilient.
While not a terribly long level, the fact that a single mistake can get you killed makes it an incredible tense experience, and that boss at the end that can best be described as a 'Wall of Guns' is a fittingly savage finale.