What puzzles in games stumped you back in the day?

Paco

Paco

CAGiversary!
Remember before the internet and faqs? You know, when you had to actually SOLVE the games on your own or pray to god they put some tips in a mag? Post some memories about puzzles that infinitely annoyed you? Here are some of mine

The Cliffs of Logic. King's Quest VI

Ok not only is the thing annoying because it's a long puzzle, but one mis step WILL kill you instantly. Also failing to solve the puzzle kills you instantly. Solving it wrong ALSO kills you instantly. But the worst offender was using a sort of greek alphabet for all the puzzles. It took a LONG time to solve this one. Especially when you're a kid and have very little patience.

The Castlevania 2 one.

The Angry Nintendo Nerd just brought back bad memories with this one. So you have to kneel at the wall for several seconds WITh the right crystal? I had to look at Nintendo Power for this one. How can people even solve this game without help? It's so freaking hard! Of course that was probably just age. I was like what, six or seven when playing this? But even now, most of the diaglogue is as cryptic as ever.

Solomon's Club for the Gameboy

Puzzle game. Me and my friend spent ALL summer trying to beat this game. We got to level 107 I think and we could never solve it. To this day I still harbor resentment towards this game.

Shadowgate. MOST of the later puzzles.

Did ANY of them ever make ANY sense? Most of these puzzles are so damn out there, that it's literally a crapshoot to see if you make it. Dejavu was GOOD. That was reasonable and far more balanced puzzle wise and logistics wise. But Shadowgate? GOD THE PAIN. I got stuck at the freaking beginning because I couldn't find the key! How many people would think to open up the skull to get a key? Wouldn't you expect that to you know, be under the rug or on a shelf or somewhere else? Plus almost everything you do KILLS YOU. Hell you get killed just for wasting too much time.
 
The original Dragon Warrior on NES stumped me for a while back in the 80s. I can't remember any particulars, but goddamn that game really too a lot out of me!
 
Ha...good idea for a thread. This should bring back some memories.

I know there's a ton but the first one that pops in my mind were those damn little jungle mazes in metal gear (NES) and also the sequel i think. If I played it now it would probably be super easy but they really pissed me off back then. Remember, it was like left, then up, then left, then down on the right, then left, then up on the left, aaaaargh!! I know I had to call the tip hotline on at least 2 different occasions cause I forgot to right it down the first time.

Also agree with a lot of Kings Quest stuff.
 
Don't know if (N64) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time counts as being "old school," but that damn Water Temple tested the patience of my 6th grade self. You had to keep changing the water levels and such.:bomb:
 
[quote name='Ma12kez']Don't know if (N64) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time counts as being "old school," but that damn Water Temple tested the patience of my 6th grade self. You had to keep changing the water levels and such.:bomb:[/QUOTE]

Honestly, I was about to write the same thing. As soon as I read the topic this game instantly came to mind. I think that's the only game I quit playing cause I didn't know what the hell to do, in that Water Temple.

I'd like to think I'm a little wiser, so maybe I should give it another shot.
 
[quote name='Strell']Legacy of the Wizard.

That game was designed by trolls.

Evil, twisted trolls from the fourth level of hell.[/quote]

Oh my god! Someone else played this game?! I'm not alone?! But seriously. Legacy of the wizard was designed by the devil. Not only do you have to use certain characters for certain puzzles, BUT some of the puzzles are just randomized out of SPITE. And not being able to change characters when you want, being forced to go to the house when you find somewhere you can't go? ARGH! This game is MURDER. I never even got close to beating this thing.
 
[quote name='organicow']The original Dragon Warrior on NES stumped me for a while back in the 80s. I can't remember any particulars...[/quote]The only thing I remember about it is the first level, with the bats and the dragon on the drawbridge. I STILL don't know what to do there.
 
[quote name='Z-Saber']The only thing I remember about it is the first level, with the bats and the dragon on the drawbridge. I STILL don't know what to do there.[/quote]

I think you're talking about the rainbow bridge. That puzzle made no sense, but it was at least talked about in a way that's somewhat decipherable. Even though the puzzle still made very little damn sense.
 
[quote name='Paco'] The Castlevania 2 one.

The Angry Nintendo Nerd just brought back bad memories with this one. So you have to kneel at the wall for several seconds WITh the right crystal? I had to look at Nintendo Power for this one. How can people even solve this game without help? It's so freaking hard! Of course that was probably just age. I was like what, six or seven when playing this? But even now, most of the diaglogue is as cryptic as ever. [/quote]

The only way to really solve that puzzle in-game is to realize that the one NPC who tells you to kneel at the base of the nearby mountain is one of the lying NPCs...in a way. The mountain that appears a few screens over, if I recall, is just a ruse. The OTHER mountain, on the other hand, is the one you're supposed to kneel before. Even still, didn't you need to have the right item equipped (or at least in your inventory) for that anyway or the whirlwind wouldn't show up?

As much as I wanted to throw my controller at the screen throughout the majority of the game I do have to admit that, frustrations aside, it was one hell of a worthwhile purchase. Frustrating to no end, of course, but that game alone offered a few solid months of constant playing just to make it to the end, not to mention getting the better endings. You really had to make some purchasing decisions and quick work of dungeons in order to nail the best ending.


Otherwise, yes, Legacy of the Wizard is downright evil. Another fun romp, overall, and a brilliant concept for its day but I can't imagine too many people got through it without throwing their NES against the wall in agony.
 
[quote name='Kapwanil']The only way to really solve that puzzle in-game is to realize that the one NPC who tells you to kneel at the base of the nearby mountain is one of the lying NPCs...in a way. The mountain that appears a few screens over, if I recall, is just a ruse. The OTHER mountain, on the other hand, is the one you're supposed to kneel before. Even still, didn't you need to have the right item equipped (or at least in your inventory) for that anyway or the whirlwind wouldn't show up?

As much as I wanted to throw my controller at the screen throughout the majority of the game I do have to admit that, frustrations aside, it was one hell of a worthwhile purchase. Frustrating to no end, of course, but that game alone offered a few solid months of constant playing just to make it to the end, not to mention getting the better endings. You really had to make some purchasing decisions and quick work of dungeons in order to nail the best ending.


Otherwise, yes, Legacy of the Wizard is downright evil. Another fun romp, overall, and a brilliant concept for its day but I can't imagine too many people got through it without throwing their NES against the wall in agony.[/quote]

Yeah Legacy of the wizard IS pretty fun. However, once you get your head up against a wall and get one of those puzzles which is not only character specific, and item specific WITH perfect jumping... This game makes you want to KILL SOMEONE. I don't even think beating this game is possible.
 
[quote name='Rodimus Donut']Honestly, I was about to write the same thing. As soon as I read the topic this game instantly came to mind. I think that's the only game I quit playing cause I didn't know what the hell to do, in that Water Temple.

I'd like to think I'm a little wiser, so maybe I should give it another shot.[/quote]Yeah I know what you mean. I almost stopped playing because I was so stumped. What was even worse was that my sister (right after I beat the game) flew by the Water Temple without a hitch.#-o
 
Good thread...

They are a few I would say the microscope puzzle in 7th guest was a bitch.

Also pouring the water on the chair in the museum in Beast Within (Gabriel Knight 2) was a bear.. Back then the hint books were not readily available everywhere online.
 
[quote name='Paco']I think you're talking about the rainbow bridge. That puzzle made no sense, but it was at least talked about in a way that's somewhat decipherable. Even though the puzzle still made very little damn sense.[/quote]I'm talking about starting the game, seeing the title screen, pressing start, and being stuck at the game's first area.
 
OT, but by OSU, do you mean Ohio State University? If so, you're only a couple hours from me.

And there's no real point to that. Just curious.
 
the can puzzle from 7th guest made me want to throw the computer out the window.

i STILL remember the solution, and i STILL want to punch the person in the face who designed the puzzle.
 
7th Guest was definitely rough. The can puzzle - pretty much impossible without hints. I also was never able to beat the one with the floor tiles in the church without hints. Interestingly, I was able to beat the slime puzzle. :)
 
Also, this never stumped me because I knew the locations before I ever tried, but I imagine the 2nd quest in Zelda would have been really rough without a guide or hints. The 8th dungeon entrance - bombing the wall across a river?
 
I just remembered another puzzle that annoyed the hell out of me back in the day. The Dr. Cranium puzzle in Quest for Glory 4 where you have to get a rat to go to the other wise and get the key. FREAKING ANNOYING! Especially on the harder difficulty. I had to lower the difficulty of this game to do this one.

Another game that had annoying puzzles that made absolutely no sense is Uninvited. It's nowhere near as cryptic as Shadowgate, but it makes far less sense then Dejavu. I swear Kemco made these games to bury people.
 
The worst part of Shadowgate was that stupid bridge that could only be crossed three times, so if you messed up the exact order of events you were totally screwed and had to start over. And of course you could also screw yourself by running out of torches. What kind of puzzle game allows that stuff?
 
[quote name='Paco']Yeah Legacy of the wizard IS pretty fun. However, once you get your head up against a wall and get one of those puzzles which is not only character specific, and item specific WITH perfect jumping... This game makes you want to KILL SOMEONE. I don't even think beating this game is possible.[/quote]

Legacy of the Wizard was definately the toughest game I ever beat. My cousin and I split the cost and played that thing for an entire summer when I was 10. I have tried to go back and beat it a couple of times since then, but it just isn't fun when you can actually afford more than one game every three months.
 
[quote name='Backlash']The worst part of Shadowgate was that stupid bridge that could only be crossed three times, so if you messed up the exact order of events you were totally screwed and had to start over. And of course you could also screw yourself by running out of torches. What kind of puzzle game allows that stuff?[/quote]

A Puzzle game that requires you to beat it rather quickly. I remember getting to places where I ran out of torches and wasn't done. It's weak that you die instantly when your torch runs out.
 
What I will never understand is E.T. for the Atari 2600. I thought it would be a fun game as a kid, and then when you fall in the hole its a bitch from there. Not that I am going to ever try again, but is there any possible way out of that one?
 
[quote name='Backlash']Also, this never stumped me because I knew the locations before I ever tried, but I imagine the 2nd quest in Zelda would have been really rough without a guide or hints. The 8th dungeon entrance - bombing the wall across a river?[/quote]or walking through a solid wall also. yeah, 2nd quest was ridiculous. they picked well when they chose it to be the fold-out map for the first nintendo power.
 
[quote name='jah2004']What I will never understand is E.T. for the Atari 2600. I thought it would be a fun game as a kid, and then when you fall in the hole its a bitch from there. Not that I am going to ever try again, but is there any possible way out of that one?[/QUOTE]


ET was easy. there were phone parts inthe holes, plus you could fall in them to get away from the FBI.

the swordquest games were a pain in the ass. me and my mom would stay up till 3am trying to beat them.

we never did.
 
My irritation was with the section of Myst with the endless mine-track tunnels. Every tunnel looked pretty much the same, they all twisted and curved all over the place.

How in the hell was I supposed to figure out that the rolling minecar made one sound when you were going in the right direction, and another sound when you weren't?

Geez that was frustrating. I cheated with a hint book of course.
 
I remember one of the latter levels of one of the Lolo games on the NES being extremely difficult and i never got past it.

On a better note I completed Shadowgate with 2 Nintendo power tips. One of my proudest, earliest gaming accomplishments
 
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