Takeshi's Challenge

Submission 5,237

About

Takeshi's Challenge is a video game developed and published by Taito with input from Japanese comedian and director Takeshi Kitano. The game is best known for being one of the worst games ever created by design, as the game intentionally asks players to complete highly frustrating and nearly impossible tasks to beat it on top of having fiddly controls. The game also allows for gratuitous violence, as the player can punch anyone in the game, including the player-character's wife and the elderly. Over thirty years since its release, the game has been featured in videos by prominent YouTubers like JonTron and VideoGameDunkey.

History

Takeshi's Challenge was developed by Taito Corporation with input from Takeshi "Beat" Kitano, and released December 10th, 1986.^[1] Ostensibly, the game is a traditional side-scrolling adventure in which a player controls a Japanese salary man on the hunt for great treasure. According to legend, Takeshi pitched ideas for the game to Taito's developers while drinking in a bar, and that is the cause of the game's surreal and sadistic elements. The game has several game over screens placed in odd places; for example, the game's password-entry screen has a "punch the old man" option, which if the player chooses will result in a game over. A player can reach an unavoidable game over if they attempt to fly into an area with a hang-glider. At one point, the player will be forced to sing karaoke, and if they are able to do so three times successfully, they receive a blank piece of paper, which only turns into a treasure map if the player does not touch the controller for an hour.

The game has seen re-releases, first on the Japanese Wii Virtual Console in 2009 and on iOS and Android in 2015.

Reception

Despite its intentionally sadistic gameplay, Takechi's Challenge sold over 800,000 copies.^[2] The game is cited by some as one of the worst video games of all time^[1] but also a "masterpiece."^[3] It was nominated for the Retro Game Award in 2007,^[4] but lost to Super Mario Bros.. It has also been cited as one of the most difficult games of all time by publications like Telegraph.^[5]

Online Presence

The game grew popular on YouTube thanks in part to videos by JonTron and videogamedunkey. Dunkey's video on the game, posted April 18th, 2013, gained over 3.3 million views (shown below, left). JonTron's video, posted April 22nd, 2014, gained over 12 million views (shown below, right). The game has a page on TV Tropes.^[6]