10 Video Games That Start Hard But Get A Lot Easier Later On

The first stages of the original Kid Icarus were notoriously difficult. In fact, 2012's Kid Icarus: Uprising on 3DS even joked about it with the hero, Pit, saying that the "difficulty level was just brutal" in his first adventure. This classic NES title starts off with Pit down in the underworld, forced to fight his way up into the sky.

In the beginning of the game, Pit is equipped with a really weak bow and barely has any health, making it very easy to die. The first few levels also seem to have some of the toughest enemy patterns, as well as a vertically-scrolling screen that kills you if you drop off the bottom at any time.

As the game continues, you'll get access to the store and black market, where you can purchase health upgrades, protective items, and a much stronger bow, helping to make the latter stages seem almost heavenly in comparison with the game's hellish opening.