Dude, what about super tricky platforming? The old-school Ninja Gaiden series (mostly 1 and 2) for NES had some precision jumping that made Castlevania look like a walk in the park! The Underground Labyrinth level in the first Ninja Gaiden definitely had me tossing some retangular controllers against walls.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PSX) - I sold my original copy, 'cause I was broke, but damn, was that a mistake. Bought another on Ebay, haven't played it since I got it (years ago). But I have it, just in case. Pitfall! (Atari 2600) - Dude, this game came out (not long) before I was born. It still r0xx0rz the hizzouse (or whatever the kids say/type these days). Strider 2 (PSX) - Everyone seems to have missed the boat on this one. Stupid people. Not only is it an amazingly frantic 2D action game, but it included an arcade perfect version of the original Strider! River City Ransom (NES) - Oh, yeah, you know you loves it. Like Double Dragon with some RPG elements thrown in for good measure. Stone Hands forever, baby! Super Dodger Ball (NES) - From the same Japanese series as River City Ransom (the main character is known as Kunio, and does almost as many things as Mario and his friends), throw a ball at people until they die. Single player's super easy, but 2 player with someone who's good is an amazing (and potentially really long) experience. It all comes down to who makes the first mistake.
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