While theMega Manmainline series has had its share of undeniable success and lent gaming history more than a few ofthe best platformers ever madeover the years, that has never stopped Capcom from regularly tormenting fans with some brutally difficult games. In fact, intense difficulty is one of the things the series is best known for.
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There are some legendarily tricky moments in theMega Manseries that are capable of causing an otherwise sane and gentle gamer to cross over the threshold into total rage and utter madness. Knowing where to find those moments can be useful for gamers with either a low threshold for irritation or an insatiable appetite for ruthless challenge.
12Mega Man 5
After the impressive challenge of the previous twoMega Manentries, fans were given a significant breather with the easiest entry in the entire mainline series.Mega Man 5offers ample items and extra lives, straightforward level design, and a distinctive lack of moments reputed to inspire a drywall-punching rage in even the most mild-mannered gamer.
While this entry is plenty of fun overall, there are times that it can feel a bittooeasy, which is odd to say about aMega Mangame. It does make it a great entry point for beginners, however.
11Mega Man 2
It seems as if Capcom heard word thatMega Manwas widely considered an almost painfully difficult game because they clearly relented a bit on the sequel. Well, actually, they relented a lot:Mega Man 2is one of the easierMega Mantitles of them all.
However, “easier” doesn’t mean easy, nor does it mean the game isn’t great. In fact,Mega Man 2isa fan favorite. There’s still a fair amount of challenge here, as well, especially in Quick Man’s level with the deadly horizontal laser beams, and in Wily’s Fortress 4 with the Boobeam Trap.
10Mega Man 6
The final NES entry forMega Manwas far from a bad game, but it was also not all that different from the previous five titles, and therefore anyone playing them in order was likely to start feeling a bit ofBlue Bomberfatigue. It was probably wise, then, that Capcom didn’t make this one excruciatingly hard on top of being pretty stagnant.
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One of the cooler aspects this game has to offer is the Rush Jet Adapter, which is cool-looking, fun to use, and just alittlebit OP.
9Mega Man 8
Fans dedicated enough to battle their way past the excruciating Dr. Wily battle inMega Man 7are often terrified to imagine whatMega Man 8has in store, but are then pleasantly surprised to learn that the game is fairly challenging, but (usually) not in a cruel or sadistic sort of way.
This title has its grueling moments (see: jet board) for sure, but for the most part, it’s a well-balanced experience and a somewhat underratedMega Manentry.
8Mega Man 11
Even the most masochistic lover of difficult games can likely admit that it’s not really very fun when the challenge is due to something perceived as cheap or totally random. While some of the olderMega Mantitles could be somewhat guilty of this,Mega Man 11generally avoids it altogether while remaining challenging.
Utilizing the gear system in this game can reduce the difficulty significantly, as can simply turning the difficulty down manually, but if fans want a strong but fair challenge, it’s waiting here in this latestMega Mantitle.
7Mega Man 7
The leapover to Super NintendoforMega Manbegan with an entirely new series inMega Man X, which probably left fans wondering whetherthe Blue Bomber as they knew himwas gone for good. That theory was proven wrong with the excellentMega Man 7, which updated the original series with some pretty 16-bit graphics and significantly more challenge than the previous two entries.
While there’s a fairly strong difficulty balance throughout the first half of the game, things get far grimmer after the Wily stages kick in, particularly in the final fight, which is considered by many to be thetoughestMega Manboss of them all.
6Mega Man 3
While there is a fair amount of challenge throughoutMega Man 3, the real difficulty doesn’t set in until the player has cleared out all the Robot Masters and is ready to continue onto Wily’s Castle, only to discover that there are four more mysterious levels to complete.
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The second half of this game is long and it is unrelentingly challenging. Clearing out the four mystery levels with their two bosses each and then going onto six levels of pursuing Dr. Wily can be a harrowing experience, but it is without a doubt a rewarding one.
5Mega Man 4
Mega Man 4saw the advent of one of the game’s most iconic features: the charging Mega Buster. It came just in time, too, because there are parts of this one that require all the help a player can get.
With some beautiful level design ending up in some brutal boss fights, this one strikes a great balance when it comes to the challenge it offers in the game’s first half, but once Dr. Cossack’s Citadel hits, the difficulty begins elevating, and it does not relent.
4Mega Man 10
Capcom’s second retro-style entry in theMega Manseries built off of the many successes ofMega Man 9while also dialing back the difficulty just a tad. Overall, it was a wise decision, as it made the game more accessible to lessBlue Bomber-savvy gamers. And for those who were expecting something more torturous, there’s always Hard Mode.
With that added little kick of difficulty, players got to experience some trickier enemy placement and variations to the already-tough bosses. It’s not for the faint of heart.
3Mega Man & Bass
Super Famicom’sMega Man & Basswas the original ninth mainline entry, but it would take five years to get to North America, and even then it was in a subpar port to the Game Boy Advance. The game was already one of the tougher entries in the series, but with the screen squeezed onto a handheld it became legendarily difficult.
Playing the original Super Famicom title can reduce some of the trickiness, but not enough to keep this one from near the top of the list.
