Often times games use difficulty as a means to challenge a player and to increase the sense of accomplishment one feels after defeating a certain scenario. Sometimes though it seems that the difficulty in games can become almost impossible for a human to accomplish through normal means. I often find myself wanting a little robotic help during some particularly tough game outings, so here it is: The top 5 video games in which a cybernetic enhancement is needed.

1. Mushihime-sama

 

In the Words of Mike Kurz: “I can’t fathom fathoming victory in that fight”

The term bullet hell is defined as a game “in which the entire screen is often almost completely filled with enemy bullets.” Of all of the so called “bullet hell” games, one is just a bit more hellish then any others: Mushihime-sama. With a hit zone (the space on the screen in which an enemy attack will register as a hit) of only 1 pixel, Mushihime-sama is undoubtedly a game that would be a bit more manageable with the aid of a bionic eye to help with pattern recognition as well as the movement of your ship, however even with advanced technology at your disposal this game would still be hell.

2. The Ouendan Series

With it’s unique style of gameplay that has players tapping, tracing and spinning, the Ouendan series has been providing a fantastic game experience since the original was released in 2005. Through the games 4 levels of difficulty the amount of notes increase while giving you less time to react and time your motions correctly. Once reaching the final difficulty, affectionately dubbed the “Gracefully Cheer” mode, the size of the targets as well as the margin for hitting them are decreased, making for a true challenge. With this increased challenge comes an inherent problem, when moving your hand across the screen fast moving patterns can become hidden behind the stylus wielding appendage. While memorizing is your best option, another option would be lopping off your low-tech hand in favor of a transparent bionic one. With this amazing addition repeated runs for memorization would be a thing of the past, instead allowing the player to see the entirety of the DS screen and being able to anticipate sudden changes in the pattern.

3. Gran Turismo Endurance Races

The Gran Turismo series has always been known for its absurd attention to detail and realism, but some of the races remain brutally masochistic to even the most hardcore players. With the introduction of Endurance events to the series came some of the most brutal races ever created. Having players race continuously for up to 24 hours upped the ante in a game that already demands perfection no matter the length of the race. While still allowing a player to pause and continue at any point, as well as having some of the best payouts and prize cars, completing an Endurance event often seem like an impossible task. While some gamers prefer to take frequent breaks in the action, with the addition of neural implants controlling the flow of adrenaline and endorphins a 24-hour race on Nurburgring would be as easy as 1,2,

4. Unreal Tournament

The Unreal Tournament games have always been about fast action, and even faster deaths. With the game speed seeming to run anywhere between supersonic and the speed of light, it can be easy to loose control for one second and be the next victim of the Flak Canon. With the need to both process and react to the action onscreen, the threshold for hand eye coordination is quite high. Without skills that have been honed through the tedium of thousands of hours of online matches against far superior players (Who are often to young to drive a car), the only answer would be to decrease the time between seeing and reacting through the use of augmented limbs. Yes, a bit extreme, but there’s nothing like hearing a deep voice yell HOLY SHIT!

5. Battletoads

Often remembered as one of the hardest games for the NES, Battletoads took the arcade experience home, swapping quarters for broken controllers and the slow loss of one’s sanity. With the ill-fated Wind Tunnel level taking the most casualties, the only thing that could get you by was a keen sense of memorization and a bit of luck. The only answer for those born without luck would be to increase the rate at which a human can store long-term memory, yes, that’s right, time for a Robot Brain. Not only will you finally be able to get through Battletoads, but think of all the other possibilities: Infinite Knowledge, Becoming an amazing Trivial Pursuit player, or more importantly, never forgetting your Girlfriend’s Birthday.

-Eric Wall

Tags: featured

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