It's generally accepted that games these days are easier than they used to be. Of course, it's a generalization, as there have been plenty of very difficult titles in recent times. But many games released in the last decade come with a deep tutorial and plenty of hand-holding. Plus, the smoother gameplay mechanics seen in today's big titles often make them easier to play.
The 2000s were a bit more of a trickier time for gamers. While not every title was challenging, a fair few were extremely difficult. Here are the most punishing ones released from 2000 to 2009.
8 Shinobi
There are several tough Ninja games on the PlayStation 2, and Shinobi is one of the most punishing. You play as a master Ninja, so you'd think that you should be able to handle pretty much anyone. But you've got a significant disadvantage in the form of your own sword.
The protagonist carries around Akujiki, which is a sword that feeds on souls, including your own. In other words, while playing, your health slowly decreases. The only way to stop it is by killing enemies. Therefore, you have to wipe out enemies quickly just to stay alive. To make matters worse, sometimes you need to do it during already difficult platforming sections. It's a unique feature, but after playing a while, you probably won't think Akujiki is one of the best swords in gaming.
7 Maximo: Ghosts To Glory
In this 3D hack-and-slash title, you spend much of your time killing skeletons. Facing one isn't too bad, but when you start getting attacked in groups, the difficulty of the combat increases significantly. After all, these enemies aren't fragile. They can take some hits and dish out a few powerful blows of their own.
So, you often die, which is where things get more annoying as if you run out of lives, you have to use in-game coins to continue, and the price increases every time you perish. And it's not like you're only at risk of death when fighting skeletons either, as the game also has plenty of challenging platforming sections.
6 Ninja Gaiden Black
If you want a game that lets you play as a Ninja, the Ninja Gaiden series is one of the best options. Yet, don't be expecting an easy ride as the games are known for their brutal difficulty. There are no special gimmicks that make these titles hard. Enemies are just incredibly quick and deadly, meaning you need some fantastic reactions to block their strikes.
Ninja Gaiden Black is a reworked version of the original game and its DLC. It includes difficulty levels, so you can make the game much easier by playing on Ninja Dog - yet the game mocks you for it. But the game also includes the Master Ninja setting, which makes this remake even harder than the original.
5 Contra: Shattered Soldier
In premise, Contra: Shattered Soldier is a simple 2D game. It's a run-and-gun title, where you kill everything in your path. Unfortunately, there tends to be quite a lot in said path, from bloodthirsty infantry to heavily weaponized vehicles. That's not to mention the several screen-filling bosses that feature in the game.
At least you have a few decent weapons at your disposal, but even so, it's often hard to overcome the onslaught. And dying regularly is extra frustrating in this game as it doesn't give you many checkpoints or continues. Plus, too many deaths can mean you earn a worse ending.
4 F-Zero GX
You could argue that F-Zero GX is the best sci-fi racing game ever. Yet, it may also be the most frustrating due to its grueling difficulty. Races play out at a blistering pace, giving you little time to dodge anyone or anything in front of you. And you can't afford to crash as your fellow racers seem even quicker than you, particularly during the story mode.
There's not much you can do to slow your opponents down, either. You just have to find a way to get close to the other drivers and shove them into walls or off the map completely. Outside of that, you're only chance to win most races is to memorize the track, so you know when everything is coming.
3 Ikaruga
Ikaruga is a bullet hell game, meaning there are many deadly projectiles on screen at once. While these sorts of games can often be difficult, Ikaruga is still more tricky than most. The game incorporates a switchable shield for your ship that protects you from bullets of the same color.
This sounds like it makes the game easier, but it doesn't. What it does is it allows the game to put as many bullets on screen as possible because you always have a way to defend against them. Yet, paying attention to everything heading your way is almost impossible as there's so much happening at once.
2 Demon's Souls
While the popularity of Dark Souls arguably spawned the soulslike genre, Demon's Souls was the first of its kind. As such, it established some of the things these types of games are known for, including punishing gameplay.
There are so many things in this RPG that can kill you easily, perhaps even in one hit, especially the very tough bosses. But occasionally, deaths aren't caused by combat as the environment can take you down, too, whether it's random boulders or holes in the ground. Interestingly, the game gets harder the more you die due to the character tendency system. So, if you're struggling, it's only going to get more difficult.
1 I Wanna Be The Guy
Calling I Wanna Be The Guy difficult is an understatement as the game is basically one giant troll. It plays on your pre-conceived assumptions of platformers. For instance, things you expect to fall fly upwards towards you instead, or sometimes seemingly safe platforms push you directly into spikes.
There are also plenty of deadly things that spawn out of thin air to kill you. So, unless you're the luckiest person in the world - or use a guide - it's impossible to beat this game without ever dying. It doesn't get any more difficult than that.