Back in the day though, the games were hard mainly because of limitations of a console, or controller or something, or developers actually making a hard game. But if you talk in terms of games not being about fun anymore, then I recommend you try anything by Nintendo.
I'm almost calling myself nintendo fanboy, because in the last 4 years i just bought nintendo games.
I only call a game great when you finish it and later you wanna play it again, like castlevania games on NES, GBA and DS.
DS have a great collection of good games, specially because its HW specs, but nintendo's masterpiece always will be the NES.
I mean, did you ever read the history of games like kabuki clash, street fighter 2010, adventure island ?
My brother have a Xbox and i like to watch him playing games like Castlevania: Lord of shadows and Dante's inferno and i think that i enjoy this kind of game better than him, because while he is focused on hit the right buttons, dodge and perform combos, I can apreciate all the game details. Sme thing with GOW, game is awesome, have a great story, graphics are awesome, the the gameplay is: combo, combo, combo, combo, swing analog to open a door, combo, combo, combo, hit O button to open a door...
That's why i think that these games are more of a movie than a game.
Back on the topic: This is the reason i want to have 6GB of arcade games pirated on my computer.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/209919_117189718360799_5822021_o.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/209919_117189718360799_5822021_o.jpgI just found out that i don't know how to put that spiler section, o i pasted the pictue link instead posting the pic itself.