For some strange reason, a select part of the gaming community looks down on anyone who prefers to play on easy mode. Even if some games are designed around offering a challenge, at the end of the day, the only important thing is that the player looks back fondly on their time spent with the property. Who has the right to decide which setting is the correct way to experience a game? An argument can be made in favor of the developers, but nobody should be mocked for trying out a mode that was included as part of their purchase. If the mechanics are not particularly suited for the lowest difficulty, then it is the studio's blunder for failing to balance the gameplay for that setting.

Alas, many creators love to lambast customers for even daring to consider anything lower than normal. Admittedly, it rarely goes beyond harmless teasing, but a well put together entry-level option can lead to a variety of positives. If nothing else, a player is provided the chance to become accustomed to the control scheme and gameplay, which might lead to a future playthrough on a harder setting.

Nevertheless, some games have included some genuinely funny or clever digs at the expense of their easy mode. Here are 25 console games that punish players for playing on easy!

25 Ninja Dog

Via powet.tv

Ninja Gaiden Black is a soul-crushing experience. Team Ninja constructed a wholly satisfying combat system and filled levels with a never-ending supply of dangerous enemies who are far more direct than the fodder seen in games like Bayonetta or Devil May Cry. If the player fails three times during the first level, Ninja Dog becomes unlocked, which is equivalent to easy mode. Besides increasing Ryu's strength and crippling the enemies, Ayane also berates the legendary shinobi for being a disappointment and the protagonist wears a purple ribbon. Considering Ninja Gaiden Black is difficult at any level, a touch of embarrassment might be worth it.

24 War Is Not For Babies

Via medium.com

As one of the forefathers of first-person shooters, Wolfenstein launched as a tough-as-nails series with little time for anyone who is not up to the challenge. Wolfenstein: The New Order's hilarious image associated with Can I Play, Daddy? mode, which is the lowest difficulty setting, gained a bit of press when the sequel was released; however, Wolfenstein less-than-subtle attempts at humor date back to the first game. To be fair, William J. Blazkowicz needs to be at the top of his game to defeat the fascist dictatorship that has seized control of the world.

23 No Losers Allowed!

Via Emulator.Games

Twisted Metal is a no-holds-barred destruction derby that has no time for children, losers, or environmentalists. While the gameplay was never extremely hard, at least on the default setting, most of the pleasure arises from the sheer satisfaction that comes from wrecking your enemies. As such, easy mode can be rather tempting, although Twisted Metal 2 punishes players for going with this option. Tournament consists of eight different stages, but only the first four may be experienced on the lowest setting. After reducing Minion to a stain on the road, players hit a stop sign declaring that losers are not allowed beyond this point...

22 A Tutorial Inspired By Full Metal Jacket...

Via polygon.com

If asked to pick a developer who has perfected the art of fighting games, Arc System Works would be it. Most people are probably familiar with Dragon Ball FighterZ, but a reasonable argument can be presented for Guilty Gear and BlazBlue being the studio's greatest franchises. Packed with more mechanics and combos than a PlatinumGames title, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift EXTEND can be somewhat overwhelming for beginners. In order to ease players in, Arc System Works constructed a simpler control scheme known as Stylish mode. Just be warned, Rachel is far from a nurturing educator...

21 Snake Is No Chicken

Via eurogamer.net

Even though the intro placed developers on the stand for failing to properly balance games for their lowest setting, we are not implying that such a feat is rudimentary. Obviously, there must be suitable rewards for playing through a more challenging version of a campaign. Admittedly, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is hardly a typical case, as Hideo Kojima seems to construct certain mechanics simply to mess with players. Anyone struggling to come to grips with the stealth missions is offered a special hat that reduces their visibility, effectively acting as an easy mode. As a consequence, the end level rewards are reduced.

20 God Hand's Reward System

via pinterest.com

Clover Studio's final release, God Hand is the living embodiment of substance over style. Putting aside some of the more outlandish boss fights, the beat 'em up's combat system features over a hundred different potential combos and comes with a rather steep learning curve. Instead of a traditional leveling up system, an in-game three-tier scale increases whenever Gene lands successful blows, so the player is rewarded instantly for their performance. If the lowest difficulty is chosen, the Tension Gauge is limited to only the first two levels, meaning the player is actually at their weakest.

19 Exercise In Idleness

Via justpushstart.com

After Clover Studio rode off into the sunset, PlatinumGames rose up from the developer's ashes. Synonymous with stylish but deep action games, the Japanese studio's offerings tend to be on the difficult side, especially when it comes to the late game boss encounters. Turning Raiden into a mecha, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance opts to introduce a parry system rather than something akin to Bayonetta's dodge mechanic. Blocking requires quick reflexes and a modicum of practice, but the lowest difficulty just circumvents this obstacle by automatically parring for the player. While useful for those interested in solely the story, easy mode punishes players by not teaching them a core mechanic of the combat system.

18 Halo Ignores Your Achievements

Via gamespot.com

During Bungie's tenure as Microsoft's leading FPS developer, Halo tested its fanbase's skills on even the default setting. The aggressive A.I. helped extend a campaign's replayability and served as a decent tutorial for multiplayer. Sitting among the Xbox's more mainstream franchises, Halo always included a more forgiven mode for beginners, but an achievement has never been rewarded for completing all the single-player missions on easy. Halo 5: Guardians kept up this tradition, although 343 Industries' era coincided with a sharp decline in difficulty.

17 Isn't Everything Easy For Superman?

Via wizarddojo.com

Completing Superman 64 on any difficulty is an achievement in and of itself, although there is not enough gold in the world to justify such a frustrating undertaking. Regularly cited among the worst games of all time, Titus Interactive clearly had no clue what they created, as the developer barred the final level behind a wall. Unless playing on the hardest difficulty, Superman 64's ending cannot be accessed, so the game actively punishes anyone who devises to push through the awful campaign. Considering the game's lousy reputation and general clunkiness, a swifter end might be welcome!

16 Dante's Automatic Win

via pinterest.com

Devil May Cry 2 proved Capcom's iconic hack-and-slash series can be rather unsatisfying when Dante wipes the floor with enemies. Difficult but gratifying, the other numbered entries balance out the protagonist's overwhelming awesomeness by dishing out just enough challenging bosses to ruin the private investigator's day. If stuck on a particular level, there is always the option to upgrade weapons or purchase new items by grinding for orbs. For those who instantly ran into a wall, automatic mode becomes available, which reduces attacks to a single button. As the later games are far more combo oriented, this setting actually becomes somewhat of a hindrance, as players lose the ability to string together certain moves.

15 Nathan Drake Is More Than An Explorer

Via dualshockers.com

Introduced during the current generation, Explorer Mode strips enemies down to their weakest state, turning Uncharted's Nathan Drake into a superhero who is barely deterred by explosions or bullets. A Thief's End coincided with a noteworthy improvement in the combat, but Naughty Dog's titles tend to be appreciated more for their stories rather than the gameplay. This "easier than easy" setting is perfect for those who tire of Uncharted's endless shooting galleries, and there is a certain joy that comes from owning an army worth of foes as Super Drake. So, what is the downside? Trophies are disabled.

14 Splatoon Grants Mercy (At A Price)

Via gameplanet.co.nz

Primarily renowned for its colorful and engaging multiplayer, Nintendo still found time to craft an extensive single-player campaign for Splatoon 2. Amounting to more than a glorified tutorial designed to teach the basics, a handful of missions should test the capabilities of even the most seasoned of Inklings. Demonstrating that Nintendo Hard is still a thing, Octo Expansion's DLC is shockingly unforgiving! Realizing that most players only want to unlock the characters, Nintendo introduced a "Mercy Rule" which tricks the computer into thinking that a station has been completed. While useful for those interested in the story, most of the collectibles are forfeited using this method.

13 Lightning In A Bottle

Via wired.com

As previously mentioned, developers must incorporate incentives for playing on a higher difficulty. The sense of pride and accomplishment that arises from beating "Super Insane Impossible Master Mode" might be enough for certain people, but many prefer to be rewarded for their effort. Commonly amounting to an alteration in the amount of grinding required to complete the campaign, the majority of JRPGs include the option to switch the difficulty at any point during the narrative. Final Fantasy XIII's command synergy battle system tends to be inaccurately labeled as brainless, but simply picking automatic is a recipe for disaster in any of the more arduous areas. easy mode circumvents any potential strategy required to overcome fights, but earning rare drops becomes quite unlikely.

12 Arm Holds Back The Belt

Via nintendo-power.com

Super Mario Odyssey caught flack for failing to put up much of a contest, and Nintendo's biggest IPs have gravitated towards accessibility over complexity. There is no point in playing a Kirby game for the challenge, but the Nintendo Switch houses a couple of spirit-crushing exclusives. On the surface, Arms looks like a straightforward fighter that should be simple enough to master; however, appearances can be deceiving! With seven difficulty levels to pick from, Arms' champion can only be challenged on the four highest settings, and good luck beating the Grand Prix on anything above two!

11 F-Zero Is Not For The Faint Of Heart

Via mobygames.com

In the realm of racing games, F-Zero sits above its contemporaries as a franchise which truly captures the high octane adrenaline associated with a mad dash to the finish. Futuristic and rarely forgiving, F-Zero: GP Legend includes an incredible amount of content for a Game Boy Advance release. Besides an entertaining story mode and 34 playable characters, the Grand Prix's tracks transform depending on the chosen difficulty. Even though the final cup can be unlocked by completing the three available ones on novice, the Gold Cup's final race is switched out with a less interesting alternative.

10 Castle Of Encouragement

Via amazon.com

Serving as a welcome rest bite from the good-natured teasing that defines most of this article's entries, Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse opted for a more tactful approach when promoting a harsher setting. Sort of similar to Twisted Metal 2, practice mode concludes after three levels and encourages players to pick a higher difficulty to experience more of the game. Closer to a tutorial than an alternative setting, Castle of Illusion added this option for younger customers who might not be accustomed to platformers. Considers whose name is in the title, this was probably a wise design choice.

9 Contra III Locks Half The Game

Via nintendo.co.uk

BREAKING NEWS: Contra games are stupid hard! Just so we are 100% clear, that is not meant to be taken as a criticism. With less space to work with, SNES and NES titles loved to prolong their runtime by throwing everything at the player. Frankly, Dark Souls' got nothing on many old school beat 'em ups or platformers. Published in 1992, Contra III: The Alien Wars lasts for six glorious stages of punishment, although, if playing on easy, the length is significantly shortened. Missing out on 50% of the campaign might seem like a penalty, but we just wanted the frustration to end!

8 Bayonetta Does The Work For You

Via aminoapps.com

Despite Hideki Kamiya's stance on accessibility varying from year to year, PlatinumGames' director implemented Devil May Cry's automatic mode into Bayonetta and its Nintendo exclusive sequel. As reflected by Microsoft's Xbox Adaptive Controller, developers are gradually starting to take steps to enhance accessibility for gamers with disabilities. Hailed as one of the toughest additions to the action genre, Bayonetta's lowest setting makes it possible to complete the campaign with only one hand. It is a cool system which should be copied by other studios. Jeanne cannot be unlocked at this level, while it serves as a poor tutorial for Bayonetta's mechanics.

7 Missing The Point

Via thegamebakers.com

Consisting of a gauntlet of boss fights, Furi is an absurdly challenging hack-and-slash and shmup hybrid, and a prime example of a poorly balanced easy mode. Labeled as "promenade," the menu screen repeatedly asks players whether they really want to ruin the combat by lowering the difficulty, and the campaign becomes close to a cakewalk on this setting. With the combat boiling down to reflexes rather than strategy, Furi is clearly billed for gamers yearning for a challenge. That is perfectly fine, but why include a more forgiving option if it does nothing put shame someone for picking it?

6 Streets Of Rage 3 Takes A Detour

Via imdb.com

Quite a few games view their easy mode as a tutorial, so some of the harder content might be held back. Streets of Rage 3 pulled this stunt by ending the campaign after the boss fight against Robot X in stage 5, before hinting that a second playthrough could result in further opponents. If this was any other entry in the series, we would be inclined to be fairly tolerant of this creative choice, but Streets of Rage 3 is a strange monster. For some reason, Sega of America elected to spike up the difficulty for the international version, so the default setting was closer to the other games' hard mode.