Extreme difficulty

[KLightningflik]

So how do you unlock it, do you just have to beat the game or do you need to beat Hard first? I just finished my first playthrough on Normal and wanted to try Extreme. How do you go about unlocking it?

[KLightningflik]

Looked all over the internet and finally got my answer, I have to beat Hard first.

[KLightningflik]

What exactly is the difference between Normal and Hard? It seems like I have the same number of hearts and lives...it's funny how there's barely any information anywhere about this game.

[venomenon]

On Hard and Extreme you can find:
- less hidden extra heart containers (2 instead of 5, if I'm not mistaken)
- far less health items
- more extra lives, though (probably more on Hard than on Extreme, not completely sure about that though. I think I found 8 during my Extreme run.)

Also, enemies seem to be faster. Not sure about the regular ones, but the bosses are definitely faster. This is most noticeable during the final boss fight.
Additionally, you're restricted to hard pogo on Extreme.

[KLightningflik]

Haven't noticed any difference in enemy speed, though I have noticed I'm not finding healing items anymore. Though I'm finding a ton of 1-ups, so it seems to have balanced out. Instead of finding extra Hearts, I'm finding these rare treasures/relics that just seem to add to my gold count.

Hard pogo does sound extreme though.

[buZz]

hard but not impossible

[Supr3mus]

I will "Remastered" this game again after 20 years!!

Just more 4 achievements to go!

[Mauste]

Originally posted by KGhaleon:

What exactly is the difference between Normal and Hard? It seems like I have the same number of hearts and lives...it's funny how there's barely any information anywhere about this game.

Easy:
- Unlimited lives.
- Map for the levels.
- Invulnerability Coins
- Checkpoints very often
- 5 extra heart containers
- Monsters do half the damage
- Cakes that fully restore health
- Your progress is saved after every level
- Pogo Jump is set on Easy and you cannot change it

Normal (compared to Easy):
- Monsters do normal damage
- Limited lives (starts out with 3)
- Pogo Jump can be set either on Easy mode or on Hard mode.

Hard (Compared to Normal):
- No map for the levels
- 2 extra heart containers
- No Invulnerability Coins
- Mrs. Beakley doesn't appear in Transylvania
- Mrs. Beakley doesn't appear in Himalayas
- No cakes. The best healing item is the ice cream that heals one heart.
- Checkpoints only when you enter another area.
- Less room for mistakes in the end
- More 1ups than on normal (some cake drops are 1ups)
- Less healing items (some cupcakes are diamonds)
- Completing Hard unlocks Extreme difficulty

Extreme (Compared to Hard) - Unlocked by completing Hard mode:
- Even less room for mistakes in the end
- Very few 1ups (considerably less than on hard and even less than on normal).
- Even less healing items (changed to diamond drops)
- No checkpoints (start from the beginning of the level)
- Pogo Jump is set to Hard mode and you can't change it.
- No saving after beating levels. You have to complete the game in one sitting.

[X01JP]

Originally posted by Olli:

The best healing item is the cupcake that heals one heart.

I thought they were ice creams

[Mauste]

Originally posted by X01JP:

I thought they were ice creams :gordon:

You are probably right :)

Personally I like to call them cupcakes, because Mrs. Beakley always throws them. She is known for her cooking & pastries, and you can't really "cook" ice creams. It just makes more sense to me :P

[skyace65]

Originally posted by Olli:

Originally posted by KGhaleon:

What exactly is the difference between Normal and Hard? It seems like I have the same number of hearts and lives...it's funny how there's barely any information anywhere about this game.

Easy:
- Unlimited lives.
- Invulnerability Coins
- Checkpoints very often
- 5 extra heart containers
- Monsters do half the damage
- Cakes that fully restore health
- Your progress is saved after every level
- Pogo Jump is set on Easy and you cannot change it

Normal (compared to Easy):
- Monsters do normal damage
- Limited lives (starts out with 3)
- Pogo Jump can be set either on Easy mode or on Hard mode.

Hard (Compared to Normal):
- 2 extra heart containers
- No Invulnerability Coins
- No cakes. The best healing item is the cupcake that heals one heart.
- Checkpoints only when you enter another area.
- Most of the cupcake/cake drops have been changed to diamond drops or in some cases 1ups.
- Less room for mistakes in the end

Extreme (Compared to Hard):
- Even less room for mistakes in the end
- No checkpoints (start from the beginning of the level)
- Pogo Jump is set to Hard mode and you can't change it.
- No saving after beating levels. You have to complete the game in one sitting.

umm you still get the cakes and coins on normal difficulty.

[Mauste]

Originally posted by skyace65:

umm you still get the cakes and coins on normal difficulty.

I only listed the differences, otherwise it is the same as the earlier diffculty.

[Zork Nemesis]

Originally posted by Olli:

Hard (Compared to Normal):
- Less 1ups and healing items (changed to diamond drops)

I swear I found far more 1ups playing Hard than Normal or Extreme. Where as playing Normal the only ones I remember I got from Mrs. Beakley, on Hard it seemed like every other healing item was a 1up. Hell, the end of the Money Bin stage, there's a hidden item just before the boss fight, I remember what it was. On normal, it was a cake. Hard was a 1up, Extreme was a ruby.

Also you forgot to mention that playing Hard or Extreme, Mrs. Beakley doesn't appear in Transylvania or the Himalayas.

[KLightningflik]

Nice list, thanks.
Though I think you get more 1-ups on Hard, that seems to be the case for me so far.

[figgiest]

13-15ish lives on hard.

[KLightningflik]

Just beat Hard mode, I easily had 10 lives at the end. Wasn't too tough, though I'm unsure I could beat extreme without dying :D