10 Video Games That Mock Bad Players

The Ninja Gaiden series has always had a passion for brutally hard gameplay. Whether it was the NES originals or the relaunch in the mid-00s, players tended to know that they should keep away from the games if they weren’t confident in their skill.

That doesn’t mean that some games in the series didn’t find the quickest and most humiliating ways to beat any confidence out of you if you thought you were hot stuff. In 2005’s Ninja Gaiden Black, danger and therefore death comes thick and fast during the title and having Ryu Hayabusa crumple at the situation before him a mere three times will throw a prompt the players way:

“Do you choose to abandon the way of the Ninja?”

Selecting yes shows a cutscene where Ryu’s ally Ayane lets her disappointment known, which is something that carries on into the unlocked Ninja Dog mode. Ayane berates the player every step of the way but, on the plus side, they do get a sweet new accessory. The “band of strength” pink ribbon is an insulting mark of dishonour but the buff to damage (and Ryu’s fashion sense) is at least some respite.

To be fair, this difficulty is actually still a decent challenge for novice players that is designed to help them get better… it just so happens to chastise them on their way to that betterment.