10 Video Games That Insult You For Losing

The Ninja Gaiden series has been long known as one of the most difficult franchises in gaming. Its developers seem to take pride in how hard their games are, which is probably why they’re quick to point and laugh when you can’t even play them on the lowest difficulty setting.

Due to the studio’s concerns over the high difficulty impacting Ninja Gaiden’s popularity, the series’ 2005 installment, Ninja Gaiden Black, introduced a new easy mode for beginner players called Ninja Dog. This said, this difficulty setting wasn’t accessible right off the bat—you had to die at least three times and get humiliated by the game first.

After dying three times in the first chapter of the game, a special cutscene would play in which your greatest admirer, Ayane, comes in to chastise you for your lack of skill. With the tone of a disappointed mother, Ayane tells you you’re not ready for the true Ninja Gaiden experience and then permanently locks you in Ninja Dog mode.

If you think that’s cruel, the game also forces you to wear a special violet ribbon for the rest of the campaign to constantly remind you what it thinks of you.