15 Brutally Difficult Video Games That Totally Broke You

4. Contra (1987)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWMyoNhGHbk This NES and arcade classic had you ducking and weaving straight out of the gate in a flurry of enemy fire and evasive manoeuvres just in the first level. Playing as a quintessentially 80's commando hero, the player is equipped with infinite ammo, however, you also have no armour or health bar and will die instantly from one hit, no matter where it hits you. But wait, there's more. You only have three lives for the entire game, making it near impossible to finish without the infamous Konami code that rewards players with 30 extra lives, and even then most gamers struggle to complete Contra. Despite becoming renowned as one of the absolute classics out of the arcade era, Contra is timelessly difficult to get through.