Another Top 10 Frustrating Video Game Levels
Even great games can stumble from time to time. Join http://www.watchmojo.com as we countdown our picks for Another Top 10 Frustrating Video Game Levels.
For this list we've selected 10 more of the hardest and most annoyingly frustrating levels in gaming history. However, the game as a whole can't be horribly crappy or broken, so stuff like flying Superman through an endless stream of floating hoops in “Superman 64” doesn't count! Additionally, boss stages like the showdown with Mike Tyson in “Punchout!” also don't count. If some levels seem to be missing, be sure to check out our first list, “Top 10 Frustrating Video Game Levels.”
Special thanks to our user "AXHP" for suggesting this topic on our Suggestion Tool at http://www.WatchMojo.comsuggest
Script written by Nick Williams
#10: Eggmanland
“Sonic Unleashed” (2008)
Eggmanland is the culmination of everything you’ve experienced in “Sonic Unleashed” so far, and boy did the developers ever go overboard with this nightmare of a level. One instant-death hazard after another, after another…after another…did we mention the level is notoriously long. Insane precision is required to make it through Eggmanland alive, and even still, a lot of it is pure luck. You need to constantly switch into Sonic’s Werehog form, but the problem is, the camera angles are so bad in the Werehog sections that you’re going to die dozens of cheap deaths before you make it to the end.
#9: Blighttown
“Dark Souls” (2011)
Picking the most frustrating section in “Dark Souls” is tough, yet, there’s something extra special about Blighttown that makes it stick out from the rest. The first section is a maddeningly tough vertical descent, with lots of confusing possible routes, enemies that appear from nowhere and plenty opportunities to fall to your doom. Once you actually make it to the bottom, you find yourself in a swamp filled with enemies and land hazards that poison you. The boss the Chaos Witch Quelaag, though still tough, feels like a cakewalk compared to what came before.
#8: Demolition Man
“Grand Theft Auto: Vice City” (2002)
Rockstar decided the best way to destroy a construction site was to make you fly a hard-to-control RC helicopter through narrow spaces while a bunch of construction workers try to smack you with hammers, all while on an extremely strict time limit. Make’s sense, right? Anyway, a couple hammer whacks and your ‘chopper is in flames, and the mission’s over. Ugh. Seriously, couldn’t Tommy have just walked into the construction site and planted the bombs himself? He’s murdered thousands of people in broad daylight already, it’s not like planting a few bombs is crossing some sort of line!
#7: The Library
“Halo: Combat Evolved” (2001)
Top 20 Most Frustrating Video Game Levels
Relatively linear compared to many levels in “Halo,” the Library is nonetheless one of the most frustrating. You’re basically under constant assault from the Flood as you slowly follow the monitor around the Library. What makes things really annoying is that your progress is constantly impeded by closed doors that 343 Guilty Spark must slowly override. Of course, while you’re standing around waiting, an onslaught of The Flood is going to make things interesting for you. It’s all just kind of slow, plodding, and boring – and those rocket-launcher toting Flood are no cakewalk.
#6: Death Mountain
“Zelda II: The Adventure of Link” (1987)
Saddest Video Game Death of All Time - Aerith
Most “Zelda” games follow a standard difficulty curve: as you make your way deeper into the game, the dungeons get tougher. Sure, there are some exceptions, but nothing is QUITE as rough as “Zelda II’s” Death Mountain. This dungeon occurs early, when Link is underpowered and without access to most of his magic. To make matters worse, the dungeon is a giant maze, filled with convoluted twists and dead ends, as well as some of the hardest enemies in the game. Your only real hope is to grind with Link and try to level up as much as possible.
#5: Velvet Hammer
“Mechwarrior 2: 31st Century Combat” (1995)
Escort missions are some of most annoying mission types in general, but Velvet Hammer is one of the worst. You’re charged with escorting a hover limousine to the Opera. Yes, dozens of mission retries and hair-pulling frustration, all for the sake of getting some dude to the opera. The worst part is how fragile the hover limousine is: just one or two untimely hits, and its destroyed, game over. Your only real hope is to play the mission repeatedly, memorize the enemy positions, and cross your fingers – it ain’t over till the Fat lady sings.
#4: Castle Siege
“The Witcher 2” (2011)
Tutorial or prologue missions should NOT take hours to complete. “Witcher 2’s” prologue is pretty darn frustrating and rather restrictive, especially in a game that becomes fairly open ended later on. There are lots of really tough fights, like when you need to aim a ballista while being swarmed by foes, and it’s all just really aggravating, especially if you’re new to the series. These levels have single handedly turned many people off of an otherwise great game, and we haven’t mentioned the cheap auto-deaths that occur when you’re running away from the dragon.
#3: Welcome to the Machine
“Ecco: The Dolphin” (1992)
Top 20 Most Difficult Video Game Levels of All Time
A game where you control a cute little dolphin as he swims innocently through the ocean shouldn’t be so unforgivingly tough. “Ecco: The Dolphin,” is pretty punishingly hard as a whole, and yet nothing can prepare you for the last stage. “The Machine” is the hive of an alien species known as the Vortex. It’s a quickly auto-scrolling level, so one wrong move and Ecco is crushed to death. There are also dozens of alien drones flying everywhere, and even worse, if you die, you have to start over from the beginning.
#2: Tubular
“Super Mario World” (1990)
“Mario” games are all about precision platforming, but “Tubular” takes that concept too far. “Tubular” is like a check list of all the moments that had you wasting 10 lives on a single level: Those “P” balloons that turn Mario into a super vulnerable balloon? Yep. Dozens of football players throwing balls at you and other punishing obstacles bugging you while you float slowly through the sky? Yep. So what’s the secret to beating it? Lots and LOTS of trial and error, with a whole bunch of dumb luck thrown in.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Swoopbike Level
“Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire” (1996)
The Escape
“Aladdin (Genesis Version)” (1993)
GDI Mission 8A
“Command and Conquer” (1995)
#1: Parking Lot Tutorials
“Driver” (1999)
In a way, “Driver” was kind of a pre-cursor to much of the gameplay found in the ground-breaking “Grand Theft Auto 3,” yet it never really gets much recognition. Why? Well it’s probably because half the people who played this game never made it past the annoying tutorial stage. Tutorials are meant to ease you into a game by teaching you the basic controls. “Driver” decided to say, ‘screw that,’ and force you to complete a bunch of finicky, precise driving moves in the confines of a cramped indoor parking lot in under 60 seconds. Scratch your car 4 times and it’s game over. It’s seriously the worst.
Agree with our list? Did we forget any super-frustrating video game levels? For more hair-pullingly great top 10’s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
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