Ghosts 'n Goblins

Ghosts 'n Goblins is a side-scrolling action game originally released as an arcade hit by Capcom in 1985 and ported to the NES in 1986. Knight Arthur ventures alone into a demon-infested realm to rescue a princess abducted by the demon king Astaroth, hurling lances, daggers, and other weapons through waves of undead and monsters. Two hits spell death — the first strips Arthur of his armor, leaving him to fight in his boxer shorts. Completing the first loop resets the game at a higher difficulty; only finishing this second playthrough unlocks the true ending. Its punishing challenge made it one of the most notorious games of the NES era.