Top 30 Most Frustrating Video Game Levels

[@WatchMojo]

What’s the most frustrating level you’ve ever conquered? How about one that made you give up completely? Share your thoughts in the comments! For more video game content, click here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXe0pXtoociYp8k Play our Daily Point Battles to earn MojoPoints and qualify for CASH BATTLES! Check it out: WatchMojo.com/play

[@devingiles6597]

Honorable mention: Champion's Road (Super Mario 3D World)

[@devingiles6597]

The Doom (Shadow the Hedgehog) Mad Space (Sonic Adventure 2) Labyrinth Zone (Sonic the Hedgehog) (1991)

[@hunterrousseau3770]

The Snow mountain gliding level in "Batman: Dark Tomorrow," and the Iron Man Grand Central Station level (w) low health in "Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects" even with the walkthrough video to try and help me here with that there

[@WilliamDearthwd]

#2 on this list is the highest ranked one I cleared.

[@lahen507]

MW2 Campaign Remastered on Veteran with All challenge Cheats on after the Campaign

[@Vandri2388]

In the Bridge level of Crash Bandicoot you can actually just walk on the rope on the side, as long as your careful with balance you can just run straight through the level.

[@WatchMojo]

That’s a great tip! Thanks for sharing! Do you have any other helpful tricks for tricky levels in Crash Bandicoot?

[@WouldYouKindlyWatch]

What?!!!?

[@freakstarhacker4736]

my first game play was in remaster, and i found it after 30 minutes of frustration.....

[@yushigo12]

I was playing this game since I was a kid, I found this trick in my 20s. Now I feel bad off the old controller I beat up because of frustration 😭😭😭

[@roberthersey3665]

I tried this and found it just as difficult to accomplish as playing the level as intended.

[@saltbombcreations8336]

“All we had to do was follow the damn train, CJ!”

[@ekdrecjacks7308]

did you know you can jump on top of the train

[@axelwulf6220]

I don't know what's so difficult about that one level, I actually had to unplug the controller just to fail the mission

[@RussellSmith91]

​@axelwulf6220 Mainly that Smoke has the aim of a stormtrooper.

[@axelwulf6220]

@@RussellSmith91 Okay yeah His aim is terrible Which I don't really understand

[@mattlatakas7051]

I still say that the Zero mission with the remote control plane is more frustrating.

[@stircrazyvidz8530]

I like the fact that you showed the end of some of these missions because they show players that they're not impossible and encourage them to never give up

[@dtyler4307]

As a kid that crash bandicoot stage drove me to insanity 😂

[@arkoudanthrope]

You mean, to … N.Sanity 😎

[@Dj.D25]

I remember keeping an eye on Crash's shadow somewhat helped in timing the jumps properly. That level was far worse though when trying to 100% the whole game.

[@BlatantFarmer]

Came here to say that. 👍😅​@@arkoudanthrope

[@matts1978]

I know they left out boss fight, but Holy crap...the last 30 minutes of Kingdom Hearts was just insane

[@tlucas5656]

I always felt like Stormy Ascent was harder than The High Road, it’s still freaking hard though 😂

[@starmancrusader]

I think I heard Disney purposefully made that Lion King level hard, so those who rented the game would have to buy it

[@jenningsslayer314]

That's is true. They made it hard on purpose.

[@zzz43344]

Go figure... 😒

[@jimb.7523]

Wasn't it just for the SNES version and not the Genesis version?

[@PhenomsServant4]

@@jimb.7523 Im pretty sure both versions are the same, you might be thinking of the Alladin games that are different.

[@carmawarlock8455]

​@@jimb.7523I remember it on Genesis

[@UumaZooma]

I remember playing 2002 Spider-Man video game and getting passed the security lasers at Oscorp lab and not trigger the alarm

[@atasker7432]

The Oscorp levels in that game are SOOOO damn hard. And if you die, you have to go all the way back to the start of the level!

[@DanceGavinDanceIsBae]

You're talking about the Tobey Maguire one?

[@UumaZooma]

@@DanceGavinDanceIsBae yes.

[@atasker7432]

@@UumaZooma What I hated the most about the Oscorp levels was, if you die, you have to go all the way back to the start of the level!

[@blind_t2]

man, thanks for reminding me of my early YT days when I just came on here just for fun before taking this app seriously and putting videos of my own up. I still remember how hard the guitar hero level was. just seeing compilations either raging cause this was hard, or peeps losing their minds in excitement once they got the FC.

[@WatchMojo]

Welcome back!

[@jrearman]

That Driver tutorial was the reason I never even got to play the damn game...

[@karlhans6678]

lmao

[@Jakco808]

Me neither

[@user-cs4fg1rm5k]

It wasn't that hard once you got the controls. There was another timed level on Driver 2 that was much harder. Took me a week

[@grahamdamberger7130]

My most frustrating level was Tubular from Super Mario World. I don't think it's that hard to beat now but it certainly was years ago.

[@Dj.D25]

I remember it took a few years for me to figure out how to beat that level. Using a Blue Yoshi made it easier.

[@tylergoodman3560]

The worst part is when you use all the cheat codes, and you still lose. 🎉

[@WatchMojo]

Even with cheat codes, some missions can be surprisingly tough. Sometimes it feels like the game just has it out for you! Do you have a favorite cheat code or strategy you use to make the game more enjoyable?

[@tylergoodman3560]

@WatchMojo In Angry Birds Space, I had to use all the cheat codes on this impossible level, and it was supposed to be easy, but I used everyone just to clear it. 💯🎉

[@Richtofen-gy9cj]

Depending on the Cheat Code, it can make the impossible to complete

[@OverlordZeroULTIMA]

Funny how true this is because I used cheats to max out my team's stats in Final Fantasy 4 on the 3DS but Proto Babil still kills me basically in one shot. So yeah, cheaters don't always prosper... :(

[@ahadadil786]

For me, nothing will top the mission 'supply lines' of GTA San Andreas. It was a total nightmare. To make things worse, my controller was also a little broken.

[@krogdog]

Yes that one took me an entire weekend, waaay tougher than _Wrong Side of the Tracks_

[@DanceGavinDanceIsBae]

Is that the one where you have to steal stuff from houses? Or maybe the forklift mission?

[@ahadadil786]

@@DanceGavinDanceIsBae you are a remote controlled stunt plane with a limited fuel. Before your fuel ends, you have to make sure to take down five criminal vehicles in different locations with your built in machine gun and come back to the starting place. Way harder than it looks. The biggest problem is the fuel itself it drains very fast.

[@tlucas5656]

Same, the hardest mission in that game for sure!

[@thevideogamehit9016]

"Through the fire and flames is the hardest song in guitar hero" "But operation ground and pound is the hardest song in the rock band games"

[@skrubbyentertainment]

Fury of the storm is harder.

[@ml9867]

I haven't played video games in a over a decade, but I remember that some of the Spyro games had areas where I couldn't find anywhere to continue playing on. Also, one of the Ace Combat games had a level where you had to follow a big plane, but I didn't know what special thing you had to do, so the level & game would just end.

[@glam4663]

I could not complete the PS spyro games for the same reason 😂

[@Thelodis]

There are much harder levels in Battletoads, but you probably won't get that far. That's why the turbo tunnel is the most frustrating level, you won't get far enough to get even more frustrated.

[@Dj.D25]

Agree. Later levels require even faster reflexes. The Sega Genesis version of Battletoads is much easier, but some levels have lost most of the challenge that was intended.

[@chrisgriffin6779]

totally, I got past the turbo tunnel but I would get beat on the various other levels. even with a game genie I never could figure out level 11 with that trailing sphere.

[@jimberry5318]

It's the one with the wheel thing you have to make like 20 perfect right angle turns while being chased. Most frustrating in the game.

[@Limegreenedragon]

Turbo Tunnels is hard, but manageable if you get the megawarp. Rat Race and Clinger Winger on the other hand, may whatever higher being you worship have mercy on you. ESPECIALLY on the latter because there's a game breaking bug where player 2 can't play the level. And with only and continues at the start, both you AND your friend WILL have to make them count, cause if one dies, both WILL have to start over again

[@Limegreenedragon]

​@@chrisgriffin6779Clinger Winger has a game breaking bug where player 2 can't play the level

[@EndlessFunctionality]

Cod4 - One Shot, One Kill on Veteran. Easy enough level until the final part. Infinitely respawning enemies, constant grenade spam, dying in 1-2 instantaneous shots from multiple enemies that have literal aimbots for seeing and shooting you. Having to hold out for so long, then if you hold out long enough. You have to grab your buddy Miller exposing yourself in the open to the same instananeous kill shots. Checkpoint is all the way back at the start of the final part, having to frustratingly wait for the enemies to start respawning again. At least a 5 minute wait EVERYTIME!

[@mrmaninred22]

Is that the one with the grenade hill ?

[@DuffyDevil]

I completed it but gave up on getting the best time in training and the plane mission on veteran difficulty before selling it

[@gingaddict]

OH THE ALCHEMIST! Thank you for mentioning that! But you also forgot to mention you had to do it twice if you hadn't learnt the head-bush move first as that was the only way to complete the next challenge which requires Hunter! Another level in Spyro that frustrates me in Misty Bog - those damn frogs!

[@PresMan36]

Ironic that I saw The High Road. I just got into playing the N. Sane Trilogy since it was on sale for $16 on the eShop. I've been struggling more with Un-Bearable and Cold Hard Crash more than The High Road. Here's some other frustrating levels Chapter 18: The Ring of Chaos (Kid Icarus Uprising) You play as Magnus rather than Pit. He's got no ranged attacks. That means all the enemies lower themselves into their doom. But they're still hard. Especially the the Strongarms, Crawler, and Juggernauts. Pit's Body isn't a cakewalk either. Luckily, the air battle is a breather. VEGA Central Processing (DOOM) The hordes of demons that are present in this level are pure evil. So many Barons of Hell. All the while, you've often got Revenants, Cacodemons, or Summoners to deal with. The confined spaces also have Specters. If you're not careful, you'll have a meltdown before VEGA does. Fluff-Puff Peaks Special Climb to the Beat (Super Mario Bros. Wonder) Such a short level, but not fair at all. The rising poison, the rhythmic blocks appearing and dissappearing are very annoying. The 10-flower coins are out of your way and almost can't be collected without dying. The last blocks are so tiny that you'll miss them a lot.

[@danielt93]

Personally, I'm a casual gamer and I suck at a lot of games. My skillset is my own biggest hurdle. BUT for me any Legend of Zelda game is immediately a tough one. I have never been able to pass a single game on my own without the use of youtube tutorials or passing the game off to my nephew to do the hard parts.

[@charadreemerr4195]

On a more personal level, it would have to be the Scourge of Winter mission from Destiny. I always got towards the end of it, but it took me attempts numbering in the high double digits in order to FINALLY deal with all the enemies in that throne room and Draksis himself

[@628curtis]

The RC plane mission in GTA San Andreas was so difficult that I sold it due to frustration. Didn’t beat it til years later when it got rereleased lol

[@MattsFreeChannel1]

I don't know how you guys have so many apt lists for such a wide variety of things. You really do get the good picks.

[@adampellett4917]

The Biggest difficult level ever made was Dark World from Super Mario Bros 3. From the flying fortresses, Rocky Wrenches, boiling lava pits and facing Bowser himself was actually living hell.

[@dyl_pickle16-mta48]

The parking garage tutorial from Driver will forever haunt me. I’ve never been able to get past it. No matter how hard I try, I can’t prevent myself from bumping into the other cars or the garage walls.

[@JohnJacksonJohnson]

#21, there's a trick to beating the mission, though: if you can think OUTSIDE the box, take off on the dirtbike and try to get ON top of the train right as the mission starts. It takes precision timing, but you don't have to follow the train

[@sara-9015]

Earthworm Jim, Spyro, sonic, crash bandicoot, golden eye coop mode made my childhood great. I forgot about the lion king, omg I played that so much how could have I ever forgotten.

[@kiba1367]

Now hear me out, ive played a lot of mario games. But Super Mario 3D World’s final level really pissed me tf off 😭

[@queenrhubarb1676]

I have enough trouble in the white palace in Hollow Knight, my brother managed to beat path of pain once and it took him hours.

[@StopSpiderMan]

Going to the Battle Pyramid in Pokémon Emerald and I'm not allowed to catch any of the wild Pokémon

[@OverlordZeroULTIMA]

Omg, yes! I could also make it to the first Brain fight, but after? Hell no. Battle Tower was my real bane of existence as well; I do blame it on the fact there's only fighting there, nothing extra like ability to try inflicting status conditions or lowering stats of your opponents...

[@REALmikegordan]

Honestly, speaking as a hardcore Sonic fan, Labyrinth Zone is a far cry from the most difficult level in Sonic history. Even if you stick to the 2D titles. Eggmanland in Sonic Unleashed is notorious for being one of--if not THE hardest level in Sonic history, and this difficulty is amplified by just how long it is. Good luck getting an S rank in that level.

[@Dj.D25]

I remember hearing how infamous Labyrinth Zone was back in the day and when I finally played it, it didn't feel as difficult as I thought it would be. Air bubbles were everywhere and the enemies weren't that bad. The toughest part to me was the boss, climbing up to outrun the water since you couldn't get air. The final level of the game felt harder to me since it was like an extra Labyrinth level and there was less air bubbles and more enemies.

[@Dalton1294]

Eggmanland's beta version is even harder than the final version

[@mojo3318]

I'm trying to pass act 3 of the Labyrinth Zone. That's hard.

[@REALmikegordan]

@@mojo3318 What part are you struggling with? 'Cause most of the stages and acts in Sonic 1 have shortcuts one could easily make use of in order to skip a large chunk of the difficult sections. Honestly, the one exception I can think of is the boss battle. That section can be tricky if you're climbing up and don't have any rings. Even moreso if you get hit and fall all the way down.

[@mojo3318]

@@REALmikegordan The boss battle is what I'm struggling with.

[@wampa25]

The final level in Super Return of the Jedi. Escaping from the inside of the exploding Death Star, while flying towards the camera. I never completed that game.

[@DarkAnomaly]

I could never run along the ropes in Crash Bandicoot as I always got the shakes. Good God those Bridge levels were intolerable.

[@therunawaykid6523]

Yeah they are pretty challenging but I would say slippery climb and stormy ascent are harder, but then again I have been playing crash bandicoot games for over 20 years now so I’ve had a lot of practice 😁😏

[@Barricade379]

For me the annoying part the Lion King level with "Can't Wait To Be King" was not the monkeys but grabbing the hippo tails. Its very easy to miss

[@dinorpg]

double jumping on the ostrich, only to hit an invisible object.

[@darthstarkiller1912]

The final level of "Super Return of the Jedi" for SNES. Died a lot not knowing I had to use L and R buttons to rotate the Falcon.

[@krogdog]

YEP, I was looking for someone to mention that level!

[@zalden2565]

Oh yeah…

[@FlashaniMan247]

I'm surprised that King Fortress 2 from Mega Man and Bass was not on the list. It makes me wonder if anyone from WatchMojo ever played that game.

[@Dj.D25]

True. Arguably the hardest Mega Man game and that was the hardest level in the game. The second boss could blind you, hit you with an unavoidable attack if you don't stop it fast enough and destroy the platforms you need. Playing as Bass required you to double jump or dash jump between every platform.

[@maddestmike5791]

I don't have the patience for The Impossible Lair

[@matthewogle2621]

Yeah this should have been way higher up on the list.

[@rpgfan1187]

Others that come to mind for me: - Stage 9 (Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, 1989) - Doom (Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny, 1988) - Ikuto (Phantasy Star II, 1989) - Episode 6, Floor 10 (Wolfenstein 3D, 1992) - Clockwork Mansion (Valkyrie Profile, 1999)

[@TheRealJohnnieBlaze]

Wow, really?? Just gonna ignore animal antics from Donkey Kong Country 2??

[@krogdog]

Is that the one where you’re playing as each animal and there’s all this wind blowing?

[@TheRealJohnnieBlaze]

@@krogdogyes, but the wind part is just with the parrot and I’m sure this is where my anxiety began as a kid. Although the green ranger giving the other rangers the business for a week is an honorable mention as well.

[@COMPFUNK2]

Web Woods was a harder level.

[@TheRealJohnnieBlaze]

@@COMPFUNK2I didn’t have as much trouble with that level

[@timhiltz6323]

Animal Antics ain’t that bad, just take your time in the wind section with Squawks.

[@BlueDragonCody]

Okay... I just completed the "Great Master Challenge" from _Astro Bot_ for the PS5... ONE RUN. ONE HEALTH. NO CHECKPOINTS. Talk about a nod to the Perfect Run, huh?

[@mathprodigy]

Man you had to be there when Driver came out. That game was truly an experience. I loved the missions, and the train mode cheat or whatever was just an absolute blast to play , running head on into city traffic and launching them to the moon 😂

[@jacobdrolet4262]

Amazing video watch mojo of the hardest levels in video games,fantastic job.

[@COMPFUNK2]

World C-3 - Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels Web Woods - Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest

[@timhiltz6323]

Web Woods ain’t bad, it’s just a long boring level, the DK coin at the end goal is so cheap😂

[@Limegreenedragon]

​@@timhiltz6323Animal Antics is worse

[@COMPFUNK2]

@@timhiltz6323 Yeah, but it took me a very long time to figure out how to make those spiderwebs stationary. Plus, the DK coin flashes by for literally half a second just to taunt you.

[@animewatcher00]

The great gate levels in crash 1 were really frustrating, trying to time some of those jumps were annoying as anything. Lab escape from syphon filter 2 was another one as a kid i hated

[@blind_t2]

ok, for me, the hardest level in a game was that dark portal in hearthstone. my first go rounds, I was just aiming for the enemies, cause they keep spawning, but the trick was to aim for the portal. I guess now just aiming for the portal, yet not letting the enemies that spawn overwhelm, cause they can take over the field.

[@ryanrus2274]

My most frustrating Level was and still is "Challenge 28: Capture the Briefcase with no shields and expert opponents." from Perfect Dark N64. I still haven't beaten it yet. Its been over 20 years now. I still jump on my Everdrive and give it a couple attempts every now and then. Another frustrating one was "Challenge 20: One-Hit kills with a twist- protect the weaker simulants on your team. Pistols and shields." It took multiple attempts but my weaker teammate got locked in it's pathing and it confused the opponent simulant. I got lucky and was able to just beat it.

[@LylatKnight]

Test of Fear (Star Fox Adventures) is always scarier than the first time I ever did drugs.

[@LoveTwoExplore]

This was always weird for me. Sometimes I could do it first time other times could be there for 20 minutes. Also, hated the fact when you failed it reloaded from beginning of temple.

[@somebloke9067]

The High Road in Crash Bandicoot is hard at times but have you played Toxic Tunnels in Crash 4? That was pain

[@ZachMaster26]

If you wanted a hard Crash Bandicoot level, I would suggest "Slippery Climb"

[@therunawaykid6523]

Yeah I agree always been frustrating and the fact you don’t get a checkpoint until quite a way into the level makes it even more challenging

[@thejdoginfinity9995]

I’m proud to say I’ve beaten High Road from Crash 1, and I’m a player with low vision and usually need accessibility. Nowhere near perfect by any means, but I did it. I gave over Path of Hades to someone else when it came to the spiked pillar climb, and I’ve only passed Through the Fire and Flames once on medium.

[@Johngobirds]

How is any of the Donkey Kong country games not on this list

[@karlhans6678]

If i could beat those games then they dont belong on this list lol

[@andyauthor2007]

It took me at least an hour and a half to get past the vertical rotating tubes with the spikes in God of War. There are actually two of these back-to-back but after the first one there is at least a checkpoint. The first of those is not that bad at all, it's the second one that is a nightmare. David Jaffe actually apologized to players of the game. He said he was focusing on something else in the game at the time that second tube was created and he didn't realize how bad the person responsible had made it until after the game was released and players started complaining. You know it's bad when a game developer starts apologizing, LOL. A friend of mine owned Crash Bandicoot back in the day and both of us rage quit on The High Road. My friend gave up first, he loaned me the game, I broke a controller, and then I quit. Neither one of us ever beat the game.

[@bauuhmasquerade459]

I had more problems with Trouble with the Trolley than I did the Alchemist is Spyro 2 as I learned the pattern for his route quickly. What I think made the Alchemist worse though for everyone is the realization you had to do the mission a second time because you don't have the head bash ability.

[@tigerelegance9964]

My most frustrating level is Rusty bucket bay from Banjo Kazooie

[@Cody-y5y]

Not a level but a few of those gambler challenges in RDR2 are absolutely infuriating

[@pierrenguyen8155]

CupHead should have a place in thoose Frustratings videos :) BTW good job @watchMojo !

[@chrisrivers4560]

I remember that max payne stage. What made it worse for me was i had an old tv, and it was going dim. So when that thin red line had to be followed, I fell so many times, lol.

[@The1SquishyGamer]

the train mission San Andreas is always mentioned in these lists and I've never understood why, it was always a one or maybe two tries kinda mission for me even when I played through the game on mobile. for me the most annoying mission is when you parachute from the casino cuz its hard to get the chute to deploy from that height and not still kill you

[@homeropeniano1050]

Because of frustration, I used the jetpack cheatcode to ride on top of the train. That finished the job.

[@knockout3630]

That mafia mission on classic difficulty is insane if you go around a corner to fast you flip the car but if you slow down then everyone will pass you

[@waheedabdullah6371]

Rolling Green Galaxy from Super Mario Galaxy took me 100+ tries to complete

[@WatchMojo]

That’s a tough galaxy! Rolling Green Galaxy is notorious for its challenging precision and timing. It’s impressive that you stuck with it for over 100 tries! Do you have any strategies or techniques that eventually helped you succeed?

[@waheedabdullah6371]

@@WatchMojo No strategies. I just kept going and finally completed it.

[@samyb4566]

​@@waheedabdullah6371 Still. All of this perseverance was worth it, right?

[@nicholasharvey1232]

Rolling Green isn't the hard one. That would be Rolling Gizmo.

[@elliottryan13]

18:24 I almost threw my phone into the floor just hearing the music and SFX with "LION KING."

[@benjamindeh873]

I am so happy you did not include Ocarina of Time's water temple. Its nowhere close to any of those on the list (At least the ones I know). Honestly, its difficulty is overstated. And its mechanically quite interesting and cool

[@michaelfritz5816]

Spyro year of the dragon, has a frustrating escort mission. With Sheila. Escorting two scientists to the end of a path. Mushrooms you have to ground pound, so they can cross them. Their paths are random, and if they're too slow, or you don't make it in time, you lose, and have to start again.

[@OverlordZeroULTIMA]

If they were firefly like or something, YES! That one was the biggest pain!!

[@michaelfritz5816]

@@OverlordZeroULTIMA that be the ones.

[@zerodragoone8684]

Driver 1. the mission " the president run" was a nightmare.

[@tmcdon94]

Wrong Side of the Tracks only took me about 20 times to beat cause I kept trying to land on top of the train instead of riding next to it 😂 I was on my Mission Impossible but it never happened

[@andrewhaase1826]

Dishonorable Mentions: *Clinger Winger - Battletoads -In Level 11, there's a glitch where player 2 can't move at all. You know what that means? It means you have to get a game over and let player one continue. Alone. True, they fixed that in rare replay, but we went through all that trouble only to be stopped by a glitch? Pffff, screw that! *Cortex Castle - Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time -All the levels in the final world are brutal if you're going for all the crates and ESPECIALLY if you're going for the N. Sanely Perfect Relics and Flashback Tapes. The worst case by far was the game's final level, Cortex Castle, which has the flashback tape near the end of the level, near the end of the most challenging platforming gauntlet in the game. *Screwball Missions - Marvel's Spider-Man -Screwball's missions will drive you mad from her loud, obnoxious, and annoying personality that never f-ing shuts up during these parts. *Temple of the Ocean King - The Legend Of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass -Even the worst dungeons in Zelda have one mitigating factor. You only have to do them once (twice at most). The Temple of the Ocean King from Phantom Hourglass meanwhile requires you to do it 5-6 TIMES ON EVERY PLAYTHROUGH! The dungeon is designed to suck the life out of you, but you have the Phantom Hourglass, which will protect you from the effects for a time (which is upgradable). Apart from that, this dungeon is filled to the brim with the worst and most annoying hallmarks. Time limits, arbitrary stealth segments with instakill enemies, and puzzles that reset every time you exit the dungeon and re-enter. The Tower of Spirits from Spirit Tracks did this concept infinitely better. Yeah you have to go into the dungeon multiple times, but at least you can skip all the parts you've already done. *Beetle Races - Donkey Kong 64 -You have to race a beetle to the end while collecting 50 tokens on the track. The problem is that one: the beetle is really fast. Two: if you touch the beetle, you lose 3 tokens. And three: There are segments with tight turns, segments with no guard rails, and sections with tight turns AND no guard rails, meaning if you go too fast, it's way too easy to fly off the track by accident. *Beaver Bother - Donkey Kong 64 -I know it may seem cheap to put a minigame on this list, but even by minigame standards, this one is just unfair and will have you question of the devs even tested this game. You need to herd beavers into a hole in the center of the arena. The problem is that when a beaver reaches the hole, it feels like an invisible barrier is preventing them from falling in. Also, you're on a time limit and if you fall in yourself, you auto-fail and have to do it again! *Playing As Shinobu - No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle -Just when you get a combo going, she interrupts it herself by taunting, leaving herself wide open for enemies. SHE HAS PROGRAMMED-IN-ARROGANCE AND THEY TURNED IT INTO A CRIPPLING GAME MECHANIC! And to top it all off, she gets two of the worst bosses in the game, Million Gunman and New Destroyman. *The Firefly Escort - Spyro 3 -It's a similar case to the Alchemist. You need to clear the path for the Fireflies. The problem is that (just like the alchemist) they deliberately walk into every obstacle in their path. They never think "Wait, why don't I just walk around them?" *Village of Calamity - Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty -This is due to the boss at the end, Zhang Liang, General of Man. He's unrelentingly aggressive, demands PERFECT deflection timing, your AI partner is practically useless since he hardly ever attacks the boss to draw his aggro, and he has the nerve, guts, gall, and balls of solid anti-matter diamond to pull a second phase where he transforms into a monster after his HP hits zero. Now with all that I just said, you'd think this would be something that you would do mid to late game. Well, here's the problem.... THIS IS THE GAME'S FIRST LEVEL!!! So before you can even get into the swing of things, you gotta deal with this crap!

[@Falchion1984]

Nothing from Super Mario Sunshine? The Bird, Leaf Raft, and Pachinko Naxhine levels all could’ve qualified.

[@mattiasolsson1523]

The final level in corona mountain, and yes that’s the name title of the level.

[@Falchion1984]

@@mattiasolsson1523 Yeah, that was a rough game.

[@nacho21183]

Driver 2 had a level where you tried to run a car off the road but it was on a track and was hard to do so. Never made it pass that level and gave up on the game

[@medichampion328]

I remember this one! Think I passed it by just getting ahead of him early, and his damage just racked up by driving into my rear.

[@Evan64m]

I always thought Egyptian was a lot worse than Aztec because of that room where you pretty much have to use trial and error no figure out what spaces don’t trigger the drone guns

[@jamiewalsh3349]

What makes The Alchemist side-mission in Spyro 2 even worse is that if you don't learn the head bash move, which learn in the next hub world by the way, you have to do the mission all over again. I love Spyro 2 and it is my favourite (fight me) but this mission sucks.

[@oasis6583]

Labyrinth Zone from Sonic 1 has to be the most overhyped difficult level ever. it wasn't that hard even when i was six years old.

[@Dj.D25]

Agree, I remember I kept hearing or reading how infamous it was. When I played the game a few years later and got to that level, it was nowhere as bad as I thought, especially with the air bubbles being everywhere.

[@DrayoDraxGaming]

I've never finished Daymare 1998 because in the final 5th chapter is a one hit kill boss that is fast, needs to be stun with explosive barrels and a time limit to avoid in a tight corridor till the elevator arrives.

[@zachlance6301]

The great maze was awesome, my favorite part of subspace emissary

[@Str8savage87]

My personal few: Crash bandicoot toxic waste stage Driver 2 bomb stage where van tossing out explosives Sonic 2 underwater stage Anything from the original megaman like omg

[@sxehero1376]

I would trade The High Road for Stormy Ascent & Wrong Side Of The Tracks for Supply Lines.

[@rodrigobiasuz6198]

I would like to add two wind related levels: - 7-3 in Super Mario Bros Lost Levels (smb2 in japan) - animal antics in dkc2

[@BigStef11]

The one thing that infuriated me the most when I was trying to beat the grand palace in Zelda II, was the fact that when you got to the Thunderbird right before the dark Link fight, to be able to do any damage to it you had to use the Thunder spell. Problem is, you only had enough magic to do it twice so if you failed to kill the thunderbird with just 2 thunder spells you had to commit suicide to get another chance. After 3 deaths, you had to restart at the very beginning, walk all the way back to the palace, get through all the enemies again to try your luck at the thunderbird. This game scarred me for life!!

[@HotaruYukimura]

Proud to be in the Cleared The Perfect Run club! :D (Many years of on-and-off tries at the challenge)

[@Jeissecastillo]

The perfect run on Mario Galaxy 2 is the reason why the game hasn’t been ported to switch. I truly believe this. Because that level requires such precision and it had motion controls and I don’t think it would translate well on the switch without the pointer.

[@sunsetpov824]

How was stormy ascent not featured 😭 that makes the high road look like a cakewalk

[@therunawaykid6523]

Exactly my thoughts!

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Battletoads. That one level is a nightmare

[@WatchMojo]

Do you have any strategies or tips for getting through those tough spots?

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

​@@WatchMojodon't get frustrated and plan ahead. Remember the patterns

[@MarkZickefoose]

@@WatchMojo NES Advantage controller with the slow-mo button.

[@Limegreenedragon]

Turbo Tunnels is hard, but it's manageable if you can get through or get the megawarp. I would argue that Terra Tubes and Clinger Winger are worse

[@pringals420]

That bridge level on crash bandicoot part 1 made me cry in intense frustration as a child. I'm not afraid to admit it. And I bet I'm not alone.

[@scalz420]

that mafia racing quest was really embarrassing. Those devs should be blacklisted from gaming in general. Not even allowed to play them let alone make them

[@jeremywilliams5141]

I had to set the difficulty on Easy just to get past the mission alone.

[@scalz420]

@@jeremywilliams5141 i never got past it rofl

[@BigBossBr4z1l]

This race almost made me give up the platinum. You need to beat the game on hard difficult and that includes this race. It's insane!! Took me days to finish it in 1st place. Everything in this mission is terrible. Even the mission before is terrible (to steal the car). But the race is a new level of sadism. It must be perfect or you won't make it, period. The last mission on hard is a nightmare too.

[@DuncanBennettDunco]

Although I did finally finish the Crash N’Sane trilogy on switch there was SO MANY frustrating levels

[@jeronmortensen9160]

I'm surprised that Legend of Zelda OOT water temple wasn't on here. With a guide it's not so bad but I see it on lots of top lists.

[@batmanbud2]

Not in the 3DS version.

[@davidparkes7741]

Oh man, that Driver level was all but impossible for me as a kid.

[@childress2931]

Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem for GameCube is frustrating throughout. Especially when your sanity drops. I put the game down for years because I was so frustrated that I couldn’t get past a certain level.

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

That Earthworm Jim bathysphere level was absolutely awful! That crap needed an analog stick to aim better but alas, none was to be had on a SNES. I usually cracked and damaged the damn thing before I could dock it at the next station.

[@gofezproductions2024]

I was playing that Ninja Turtle level, and I was going to beat it for the first time. The power went out. I started shrieking in anger, and was inconsolable. Good memories ;)

[@chrisgriffin6779]

I'm pretty sure that driver level is based off of the a similar scene from the 1978 movie the driver, but in that movie, the driver destroys the car in the garage and still manages to drive it

[@myzlstyx]

Little known 2D platformer called Skullmonkeys, the final stage. Evil Engine #9. That whole game is insanely tight platforming, and EE#9 is by far the worst of it.

[@blairmcmackin8857]

The Turbo Tunnel in Battletoads is an absolute cake walk compared to the Winger Clinger and some of those later levels. I had to keep an extra NES around just incase the one I was using got thrown out the window and smashed by a baseball bat.

[@SSMD999]

Top racer race tracks weren't on the list for frustration. There was a lot of race tracks that was hard and frustrating

[@soldancer]

La-Mulana: Hell Temple. I've never personally attempted it, but watching videos of how brutal it is online, I'm glad I never tried.

[@iannicol4537]

I didn't find Through the Fires and flames so bad - it is a bonus at the very end of the game meant as "pinnacle challenge". It's hard - but it's not blocking any sort of progression as you practice and train yourself to rise to the challenge at your own pace. The mandatory Guitar Battles however... where the computer often cheats by consistently getting deadlier attacks than you do, meant you had one option and one option only to win - and it wasn't by playing through the song well. All you could do was bank a full spread of attacks - hope they didn't suck - and hold out until your opponent hit the most intensive section of theirs and unload all attacks at once and hope they fail out before recovering.

[@josh72456]

I have memories of that level from EarthWorm Jim, I played Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage, I played Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, I don’t remember the level though, I played Sonic The Hedgehog but I don’t remember the level either, I played The Lion King, I played Crash Bandicoot and Super Smash Brawl too but I don’t think I played that level.

[@SuperDreampuffGamer]

I got used to The Great Maze sometime after reacquiring Brawl at a later date...and with more skill. In fact, I think every game I have gotten for the Wii and Wii U was mastered after learning the techniques and tricks very quickly.

[@ChaitanyaShukla2503]

Waterfall level in Contra was quite easy compared to top down levels in subsequent games.

[@tracegrimstead8219]

I’m really surprised Donkey Kong 64 wasn’t mentioned. The mini game version of donkey Kong that you have to play in the game was maddening

[@kiminowak8295]

Sector Z and Titania from Star Fox 64: ARE WE JOKES TO YOU!?!

[@Limegreenedragon]

Well, yes. Sector Z can be managed if Katt follows you from Zoness. I would argue that it and Aquas are harder. The former because it's a sneaking level, the latter at least in the N64 version because of the darkness.