Top 10 Video Games That Make Fun of You For Playing Easy Mode

The original “DOOM” was a groundbreaking release that influenced the FPS genre for years to come. Given its hyper-aggressive premise about a space marine slaying demonic hordes on Mars, it made fun of anyone that couldn’t handle it. The game featured 5 difficulty levels, with Easy being named ‘Hey, Not Too Rough,’ and an even easier mode being labeled ‘I’m Too Young to Die.’ It was the perfect level of inoffensive joke at the player’s expense. Future releases would change things up a bit. The easiest mode in “DOOM 64” was called ‘Be Gentle,’ while the PlayStation and Sega Saturn ports of the original simply changed it to ‘I’m A Wimp.’ Clicking on that last one had to hurt.

With its whacky humor and odd lead character, “Earthworm Jim” was definitely a product of its time. But it was loved by many, leading to a Special Edition a year after release. Available on the Sega CD and PC, it featured crisper animation, a new level, and a fantastic joke aimed at anyone who completed it on Easy, or ‘Practice’ Mode. After beating the last boss, the final cutscene would be replaced by creator and voice of Earthworm Jim himself, Doug Tennapel, calling you a worm for playing on Easy. He then spends several minutes reading you a bunch of incorrect worm facts followed by the game’s credits. We really appreciate the dedication with this one.

Before Bungie created “Halo” and “Destiny,” it released this beloved fantasy tactics game on PC. Set in the middle of a war between good and evil, “Myth” tasked players with reclaiming a magical land from dark forces. You had 5 difficulty settings to choose from, each coming with descriptors on what to expect. For those wanting the easiest route, the ‘Timid’ setting was the way to go, but Bungie didn’t make you feel too good about picking it. It essentially promised you’d grow tired of fighting mindless enemies and that any “taste of success” would “turn to ashes in your mouth.” It’s pretty bold to tell your players they won’t have any fun, but that’s what they get for picking Easy!

In 2004, TeamNinja revived “Ninja Gaiden” for the Xbox. It was brutally tough, which actually made a lot of sense considering the original NES series. However, it seems a few too many players complained about the difficulty. When it was re-released as “Ninja Gaiden Black” and later “Ninja Gaiden Sigma” it came with an Easy Mode. But the developer didn’t let you off the hook that easily. Known as ‘Ninja Dog’ mode, it would only become available after dying three times on the first level. After then confirming three times that you wanted to abandon the way of the ninja, you’d get a cutscene of Ayane expressing her dissatisfaction with you. You’d also have to wear pretty, colorful ribbons, meant to further insult all the big, strong gamers.

Pirates can be intimidating foes, though the “Monkey Island” series usually keeps things pretty light. In “Monkey Island 2,” LucasArts offered an easy mode for inexperienced players, but not without upholding the humor that made the first game a hit. Referred to as ‘Monkey Island Lite,’ its descriptor read, “I’ve never played an adventure game before. I’m scared.” Well, fear not, little one, because this difficulty let you skip right through most of the game’s puzzles. However, the studio went one step further. Advertising the new mode on the back of the box, it stated ‘Lite’ was for beginners and reviewers. Game reviewers being bad at games is a running joke to this day, though we wouldn’t have guessed it stretched this far back.

“Metal Gear Solid V” offers reduced difficulty when you die too many times, though it definitely makes you feel bad about it. It transitioned the series to an open world while retaining the stealth-centric origins. If sneaking through enemies gave you too much trouble, and you just couldn’t stop dying, the game gave you an out. Easy mode came in the form of a chicken hat that would stop you from being noticed up to three times in a mission. You could also choose it in the settings, but if you still kept dying with it on, you’d then be offered the lil chicken hat. This stopped all enemies from noticing you and humorously played into the childhood insult.

By putting the player in charge of all of humanity, “Sid Meier’s Civilization” tasks you with either conquering the planet or winning the space race to beat the game. At the end, you’ll receive a ranking based on how well you did, compared to real-life figures and world leaders. If you play on Easy Mode, you’ll receive a rank of Warren G. Harding no matter how well you actually did. For those that don’t know, Harding was the 29th President of the United States and is objectively considered by many to be one of the worst. He died after two years in office, with multiple scandals coming to light afterwards. “Civilization” essentially called you an ineffective leader; a rare history burn.

When “Streets of Rage 3” was localized for Western players, Sega made a lot of changes. In addition to alterations in plot and character appearances, it also made changes to the difficulty. Our Normal mode was more difficult than Japan’s Hard mode. That would’ve been fine if playing on Easy wasn’t a complete waste of time. It’s impossible to beat the game on Easy as it ends two levels early. A cutscene after defeating the boss of Level 5 will actually say, “You play this game like a beginner.” One of the heroes will even say “we must try harder.” It’s not as if you can increase the difficulty then to reach the ending; you have to start all the way over. That’s just cold.

Similar to how id Software shamed players for playing on Easy in “DOOM,” the studio also made fun of you for going too lightly on the Nazis. “Wolfenstein 3D” came with four difficulty levels; Easy was labeled ‘Don’t Hurt Me’ while the Easiest was called ‘Can I Play, Daddy?’ Not only are they calling you a baby, but the setting is accompanied by the image of protagonist BJ sucking on a pacifier and wearing a bonnet. That’s enough to keep many players from choosing it out of sheer stubbornness, but it’s also one of the game’s many iconic elements. MachineGames has kept the tradition going with newer entries. And seeing that baby-fied picture of BJ in more realistic graphics just makes the insult sting more.

While many Easy modes make fun of the player, most at least still let you play the game. But if you’re that type of player, “Twisted Metal 2” wants absolutely nothing to do with you. The sequel’s campaign takes you through major cities across the globe, though playing on Easy means you’ll hardly see any of it. After beating the first boss, you’ll be met by a graphic of a Stop sign stating no losers are allowed beyond this point. You have to switch to a higher difficulty to continue. While ‘Loser’ isn’t quite as creative an insult as some others, there’s something about the bluntness in this method that makes you feel humiliated to your core.