Glad you got the reference! This is the only game I've NEVER beaten.

 

Games have definitely gotten easier as a whole.  

However, in my opinion, the enhancements in graphics and control inputs have aided in this immensely.

Yeah, looking down iron sights (or optics) was a game changer for me as well.  I can't even really play games anymore where it just zooms in on the crosshairs instead (like the older games tended to).   But I think that is more of a cosmetic/immersive type feature.

I believe the biggest thing that has changed in regards to difficulty now is how, with pretty much every shooter out there now (as far as campaign modes go anyway) you have pretty much unlimited health, just as long as you don't too much consecutive damage.  Way different than having to run around with 15% health desperately hoping for another health pack.

How many of the modern games are based on an arcade game, vs 20 years ago?

Games have also gotten more complex as a result.

Play 5 minutes of "Pac Man" vs 5 hours. Not much difference in game play.

I think you touched on it here a little, but missed it. IT's because of online gaming, especially FPS. It used to take a long time to be good, and you are right, you have to play a lot to get good. For me this was much more rewarding. Winning after earning the skill. Ghost Recon is a great example of this



But as they started to release cookie cutter games every year (COD and battlefield I'm looking at you, but others as well) The one thing they changed was it got easier and easier to score a kill, the last time I played player skill wasn't as big a factor, now it's really all map knowledge. If you know the level better than the other guy you will win. They have dropped the learning curve and skill required so that little Johnny (who is probably too young for the game anyway) can sit down with the game and 2 hours after opening the box can get kills and wins against better, more skilled, players.



 

the hardest game i have ever played was Mad max for the NES but to be honest I just got it for the novelty of it

There was an old game for PC called Cannon Fodder that was mega hard, too.

I get an aneurism thinking about that fucking black room with the blood trail and the baby crying......

I hated that game.... lol

If you're having fun, then it's not a real game.  You filthy casuals.  

If little Johnny beats me, then he has the only skills that matter.  Sorry man, that just sounds like sour grapes from someone who was beat by some kid.  And I say that as a guy who always gets beat by some kid.  

yeah for the most part.

Its pretty bad when you can beat most games with a 2nd player when you are both drunker than a skunk.

I remember I kept falling off or missing the damn jumps, I ended to having to mute it.

Because there was little depth/content to most games. If they didn't force you to start from the beginning so often you could finish the game in an hour or two.

That game and Ghosts and Goblins were no motherfucking joke man.

Star Defender 4 is way easier than Star Defender 3



So, yes.

Most old games are crazy easy. I've been playing through old RTSes and FPSes on PC and find that a majority of them are cakewalk; I suspect being MUCH younger playing them the first time through made them feel difficult when in reality they aren't.

In some ways, yes.  As another poster mentioned, shitty mechanics, absurd physics, and abysmal hit-detection made some of these games extremely frustrating.  Why am I floating around?  Why did I die from grazing a bird's wing?  Why does game always slow down at this key moment, causing me to fall into a pit?  How the fuck am I supposed to do this with three lives?  When you discovered the patterns, learned to deal with the stupidity, or conditioned yourself to grind through multiple replays, some of the games became a lot easier, and were rather easy / short.  

Some games, however, were just plain hard, no matter what.  You have to figure that, back in the 80s, games were still somewhat novel.  People would buy pretty much whatever came out.  Developers didn't care if their games weren't accessible, too hard, or just plain fucked up.  Someone would buy it, and some hardcore, obsessive gamer would probably play himself half-to-death to beat it.  I think difficulty settings weren't necessarily thought of as a way to introduce easier play, but to give replay value for the masochists.

One thing that is certain is that old video games had awesome music.  Games like Contra, Ninja Gaiden, Castlevania, and Gauntlet had some pretty cool music, especially considering the constraints of programming music with such limited capabilities.