10 Video Games That Insult You For Winning

The sense of achievement and relief over beating that final boss, solving a final puzzle or saving the world is one of unbridled joy. You seek validation, the thrill of a journey's end and a metaphorical pat on the back.

So when the game points a finger and laughs instead, it can really knock the wind out of your sails.

Imagine taking the time to hunt down a finite number of items around the world, only for your prize to be something you produce on a regular basis. Or when you think you've reached the end, and the game rug-pulls another several hours of gameplay out for you.

Even worse, when the whole point of your adventure has the indecency to be somewhere else when you get there, and no one remembers what you've done for them.

There's been no end of false endings, joke endings and downright mockery for playing the game on easier difficulty settings over the years. It's even more insulting when the game essentially breaks the fourth wall to address you directly.

Some of these are end game mockeries, whilst others are when you venture off the beaten track for the thrill of the rewards. Which one bugged you the most?

Make no bones about it, Ghouls N' Ghosts (and its various iterations) are absolutely nails games. Borne of the arcade era of, "Make games hard equals more money spent to play it", it carried that ethos over to its console ports.

Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts, the upgraded and better looking entry on the SNES, carries on the arcade lineage of being bloody difficult. Poor Arthur doesn't have it easy, with shiny armour that still breaks after one hit, as well as the myriad of obstacles and enemies to overcome on his journey to rescue the princess from Sardius.

So you've made your way to his castle, and you'd be right in thinking that you've done it. But as it turns out, the only prize there is the Goddess Bracelet required to defeating Sardius.

"Right," you're thinking. "Bring him on".

Were it that easy, but no. You only have to go and repeat every level again to experience the true ending, like it was a piece of cake.

It made a lot of players nope out of it, with many never experiencing the joy of saving the princess.