Get ready for some painful memories. Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the most difficult levels, missions, and dungeons found in video games.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top most difficult
00:09levels, missions and dungeons found in video games.
00:13Get ready for some painful memories.
00:19Number 30.
00:20Wrong Side of the Tracks – Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
00:28Chasing after a group of gang members sounds like an easy feat until you actually start
00:32to play through this notorious mission.
00:34Wrong Side of the Tracks from San Andreas follows CJ and Big Smoke chasing down members
00:37of the Vagos gang as they ride on top of a train.
00:40Catch?
00:41You have to drive a dirt bike while Big Smoke shoots at them.
00:44The aim of Smoke's AI isn't nearly as good as yours would be, and balancing the
00:47distance so he actually stands a chance can be pretty annoying with cars and other trains
00:51getting in your way.
00:53This one definitely saw its fair share of failures back in the day.
01:02Number 29.
01:03Can't Wait to be King – The Lion King Back when you could rent games from stores,
01:11some companies specifically made games harder so that players would spend more time on them,
01:15and therefore more on rental fees.
01:17Disney did this for the second level of its Lion King adaptation, which has made it infamous.
01:22As Simba platforms through various animal pals, the bright colors and recreation of
01:26the movie's music may seem jolly, but it certainly isn't.
01:29The ostrich riding section is frustrating due to obstacles that come quickly, but the
01:32section Disney altered saw the young cub tossed back and forth by a group of monkeys.
01:37Roaring changes the throw direction of the pink ones, but most of them are still hidden
01:40off-screen, resulting in an infuriating loop.
01:48Number 28.
01:50Path of Hades – God of War If you like falling over and over again, then
01:58do we have a level for you.
02:00After being sent to the Underworld in the first God of War, Kratos is forced to navigate
02:03the Path of Hades.
02:04This level mostly consists of miniscule platforms and spinning cylinders with way too many blades
02:09sticking out of them.
02:10Jumping between all of this is made even more difficult by packs of enemies either waiting
02:14to knock you into the abyss or shooting you full of arrows.
02:17The worst part comes towards the end, a long climb up a rotating cylinder with an army's
02:21worth of swords sticking out.
02:23Just one mistake and you fall all the way back down to the bottom.
02:32Number 27.
02:33Perilous Passage – Donkey Kong Country Returns
02:40When Donkey Kong Country returned on the Wii, it brought new levels of irritation.
02:43While those rocket barrel levels are a gigantic pain, Perilous Passage just beats them out
02:48in the impressive amount of death it brought players.
02:50It forces you to climb upwards at a swift pace to avoid lava rising from below.
02:54As you do so, there are several annoyingly placed enemies waiting to trip you up and
02:58falling platforms you're meant to use, some of which can easily crush you.
03:01It's a surefire recipe for rage, especially if you're also trying to collect all the
03:05puzzle pieces.
03:06If you make no mistakes, this level is pretty short, but you'll suffer a lot of losses
03:10before you make it out.
03:19Number 26.
03:20Angel Slayer – Bayonetta
03:28Bayonetta and its sequels feature more than a few tough combat challenges, but by far
03:32the hardest of the bunch is the lost chapter, Angel Slayer, from the original.
03:35It's a test of your stamina to keep going, as there are a total of 51 fights to make
03:40it through.
03:41While the first 10 are set to normal difficulty, the next 20 are set to hard, while the final
03:4421 are set to non-stop climax, the highest difficulty in the game.
03:48There are naturally a lot of intimidating enemies throughout.
03:51However, the second-to-last fight against three versions of Jeanne and the final bout
03:55against Bayonetta herself are clearly the ones that enraged players the most.
04:05Number 25.
04:06Blighttown – Dark Souls
04:13When it comes to high difficulty, FromSoftware's bosses get the most frequent mentions, but
04:17there are definitely some levels that rightfully earn the ire of the studio's fanbase.
04:21Blighttown from the first Dark Souls is such a level, especially in the game's original
04:24version where its poor framerate just intensified the difficulty.
04:27While the upper area consists of moving bridges, making it easy to get lost, the lower area
04:32is full of enemies that can easily poison you, making for multiple agonizing deaths.
04:37The reward for making it through is to enter Quelaag's domain, where the powerful witch
04:39will make you question coming this way.
04:42Blighttown has a reputation among the playerbase as a grueling challenge and not the fun kind.
04:51Number 24.
04:52The Guy – Super Meat Boy
04:57Super Meat Boy is the type of game that gets you very comfortable with seeing your character
05:00die over and over.
05:02Among the many maddening stages it has to offer, the three-part hidden area, The Guy,
05:06is sure to test your reflexes the most.
05:08Filled with more spikes than you can count, there's no way to get through it without
05:11your character getting turned to mush so many times you'll hear that splat sound effect
05:15in your dreams.
05:16Each of the three parts is undeniably hard, requiring pixel-perfect movement, but the
05:20third section is truly something else, featuring lightning-fast spike walls that'll make
05:24you want to scream.
05:32Number 23.
05:33Champions Road – Super Mario 3D World
05:41This is the final level in the game, and you can be sure to expect a few more final-level
05:46entries in this list as well.
05:48The Mario franchise continues to evolve and revolutionize the platformer genre with every
05:51entry, and for that, we're grateful.
05:54What we aren't grateful for, however, is this level from the 2013 release, Super Mario
05:593D World.
06:05There are vanishing blocks, enemies that require ultra-quick reflexes to dodge, and
06:09every type of platform you can think of to traverse.
06:12One small misstep and you're a goner, but hey, at least there's a nice message at
06:17the end.
06:24Number 22.
06:25The Impossible Lair – Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
06:34When the level has the word impossible in the name, you know you're in for trouble.
06:38While this particular level isn't literally impossible, it's close to it, and has been
06:42known to take even experienced gamers upwards of 50 tries to complete.
06:47That is, if you don't give up first.
06:52You're going to need all 48 bees to make it through alive, and that's saying something
06:58when most games give you no more than 10 chances to get hit.
07:02Each section of the level is a test of timing and reflexes, with every movement requiring
07:06the utmost concentration.
07:13Number 21.
07:14Death Mountain – Zelda II – The Adventure of Link
07:21While we don't mind this 2D side-scrolling iteration of this influential franchise, we
07:25still prefer its top-down and 3D entries.
07:28That being said, you can't deny that this entry had charm, or, in the case of this level,
07:32a relentless difficulty that earns it a place of distinction in the series.
07:41You can't just mash the attack button in Death Mountain.
07:44Enemies have certain weaknesses that can be tough to discover, requiring you to study
07:48them before you make a move.
07:50That said, if you can get past the red axe throwing baddies, then you should be able
07:53to make it to the end.
08:00Number 20.
08:01Tubular – Super Mario World – The Level That Made Fans Hate The Pee Balloon
08:11As it may take hours of attempts to beat, but with a runtime of about a minute, you
08:15can expect to hear that annoying, albeit catchy, death tune pretty often.
08:28Not only does controlling the Pee Balloon feel like dragging a heavy rock on an icy
08:31pond, but a single hit will make you fall to your death, even if you have a power-up.
08:36If the plants don't get you, the baseball-throwing menaces will.
08:40Add to that the pressure of making sure you get to the next Pee Balloon power-up before
08:43the time runs out and you fall to your death, and you're gaming under seriously stressful
08:47conditions.
08:55Number 19.
08:56Welcome to the Machine – Echo the Dolphin
09:05This game gave me nightmares as a kid.
09:07It's like something about the sea and what lies beneath it.
09:12Most retro games have at least a couple of annoying sound effects, but mashing the sonar
09:16button over and over again, which is unfortunately required to have a chance at beating this
09:21level, will have you playing on mute.
09:23This narrow corridor auto-scrolling level, combined with the speed at which the enemies
09:26fly into you, gives you barely any time to react.
09:36Couple that with the camera's unpredictable path, and your sanity will steadily erode
09:41attempt.
09:42Aliens weren't something we were expecting when we started this game.
09:51Number 18.
09:52Water Temple – The Legend of Zelda – Ocarina of Time
10:02If you thought being inside a whale's stomach was bad, wait until you become an adult and
10:06do the temple equivalent of Ocarina of Time's Water Dungeon.
10:09The constant resetting of water levels makes it annoying, the maze of whirlpools makes
10:13it frustrating, its non-linearity makes it confusing, and the battle with Dark Link makes
10:18it painful.
10:27But hey, it does make for a damn good battle.
10:30Keys are also spaced out around the level, which can also mean lengthy backtracking if
10:34you don't have enough to get through doors at the end of long corridors.
10:37The Water Temple is an exhausting experience to say the least, but it's a rewarding one.
10:49Number 17.
10:50Parking Garage Tutorial – Driver
10:59When the tutorial is harder than the actual gameplay experience, you can be sure that
11:03many gamers never played long enough to find that out for themselves.
11:07You have to prove you're the driver for the job, and with that comes a list of driving
11:11tasks you need to accomplish, all with a strict time limit and only a handful of chances to
11:16mess things up.
11:20Oh, and if you think you've done a track multiple times and still aren't getting
11:27the checkmark for some strange reason, well, that's just part of the level's charm.
11:38Number 16.
11:39Path of Pain – Hollow Knight
11:46The Metroidvania genre has a reputation for being tough, but Hollow Knight is the one
11:50you turn to when you think the others are too easy.
11:52One section that's sure to send you into a blind fury is the Path of Pain, a section
11:57added as part of the Grim Troop DLC.
11:59Staying true to many challenging platforming sections that came before it, the path is
12:02littered with hazards – spinning blades, enemies, and prickly vines that cover most
12:06walls and floors.
12:07With only a few spots to catch your breath, you must wall jump when it's safe or bounce
12:11off enemies and hazards with your weapon when it isn't.
12:13They don't call it the Path of Pain for nothing.
12:23Number 15.
12:24Mile High Club on Veteran
12:26Call of Duty 4 – Modern Warfare
12:34Given the title of this level and its corresponding achievement, we weren't quite sure what to
12:38expect and whether or not this belonged in a Call of Duty game.
12:41Rest assured, not only does it belong, but it will test a COD player like few other missions
12:46can.
12:53It's a short-form linear level through a plane that is absolutely hell to complete on the
12:57hardest difficulty, and probably resulted in a lot of broken controllers and cracked
13:02TV screens.
13:03Running through the level in under a minute requires a memorized pattern of movements,
13:07and just one minor slip-up is all it takes to prompt you to immediately restart.
13:18Number 14.
13:19Slippery Climb – Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
13:21In this ominous 24th level, you'll need to climb the outside of Cortex's castle
13:32on a wet and stormy night.
13:34Moving platforms, acid-throwing lab assistants, and evil hands trying to swipe you from below
13:38are just a few of the challenges you'll face on your hair-raising ascent.
13:47There are stairs throughout the level that disappear causing you to slide back down,
13:51making it a, you guessed it, slippery climb.
13:53While the entire course theoretically takes about six minutes to complete, we can guarantee
13:57that it'll take you much longer than that.
14:07Number 13.
14:08Flying Machine – Shovel Knight
14:16Who would have thought a game about a knight and his shovel would be so endearing and challenging?
14:20In many games, a boss will be difficult and their corresponding level easy, or vice versa.
14:25But what we have here is a high-difficulty package deal.
14:29These green hover minis are an absolute nuisance, especially when they're pushing you into
14:33cannonballs.
14:41Not to mention the constantly changing air currents will mean that you have to be very
14:44precise with your movements.
14:46Then there's the actual boss.
14:48Propeller Knight moves incredibly fast, meaning you're going to have to time your jumps
14:52to a T.
14:53Of course, it doesn't help that the floor literally begins to crumble underneath you.
15:03Number 12.
15:04Through the Fire and Flames – Guitar Hero 3 – Legends of Rock
15:13Who knew fingers could move this fast?
15:16If you can complete this track on expert mode without getting booed off the stage within
15:1930 seconds, then you're truly a legend of guitar hero.
15:23The constant onslaught of keys to hit does, mercifully, have a couple of small intermissions
15:27so you can catch your breath and shake your hand around.
15:36But the entire song is just so long that you're all but guaranteed to cramp up or lose feeling
15:40in your fingers before you hit that final note.
15:43Getting through the song is one thing, but getting 100% is nearly impossible.
15:52Number 11.
15:53Assault – Hotline Miami
15:55You're going to die a lot playing Hotline Miami.
16:05Each level is a trial-and-error experiment as you attempt to figure out the exact pattern
16:09that's going to have you killing everyone in the level without falling victim yourself.
16:13But Chapter 13, titled Assault, is in a league of its own.
16:27It features tons of baddies with high-powered weapons that move just as fast as you do.
16:31In the context of a game where one person with a baseball bat can give you grief, that
16:34should give you pause.
16:36But at least the music is really good.
16:38It might not seem important now, but trust us, you're going to be hearing a lot of it.
16:49Number 10.
16:50Dark Side of the Moon – Super Mario Odyssey
16:59Unlocked after you find 500 Power Moons, this level gives you a bit more Odyssey to experience,
17:04but it has to be earned.
17:06The level honestly feels like a chore, but chores can be fun, right?
17:17Practice makes perfect, but if you don't have time to practice, then you can skip multiple
17:21segments of the level.
17:22The caveat?
17:23Discovering the skips can become a challenge in itself.
17:27Hat throws, wall jumps, triple jumps and impeccable timing are all required in unison here.
17:32This definitely gives Grandmaster Galaxy from Super Mario Galaxy 2 a run for its money.
17:46At least you still get a health bar to deal with the swarm of enemies.
17:49Trust us, you're going to need it.
17:51Number 9.
17:52Ringed City – Dark Souls 3
18:01The Ringed City is the final DLC released for Dark Souls 3, and it's safe to say they
18:06left the hardest for last.
18:07In particular, we're talking about the pain and suffering that the Ringed City archers
18:11have brought so many players.
18:23Dozens of ghostly archers fire a barrage of arrows at you, disappearing, then reappearing
18:28behind you even if you've found cover behind the nearby tombstones.
18:32Nowhere is safe.
18:33Oh, and you've also got to face off with arguably one of the hardest bosses in the
18:37entire franchise, Dark Eater Medir.
18:40Dark Souls has always been known for its high level of difficulty, but the Ringed City is
18:44on another level.
18:53Number 8.
18:54Farewell, Celeste
19:04Celeste's main game is notoriously tough but fair.
19:06The B-side and C-side stages were grueling, but Chapter 9, which was offered as free DLC,
19:12makes you feel like your spirit has been ripped out of you and there's no hope left.
19:16And as such, we can understand you not wanting to put in the effort to complete it.
19:27Combining complicated movesets is the only way to get through this DLC chapter, which,
19:32on top of everything else, is much longer than previous levels.
19:36So when you multiply the length by the overall high level of difficulty and add newly introduced
19:41technical mechanics, you get one epic and exhausting farewell.
19:54Number 7.
19:55The Perfect Run, Super Mario Galaxy 2
20:03As another final level in a Mario game, the Grandmaster Galaxy delivers multiple demanding
20:07obstacles to test you.
20:08But then, you're asked to beat it again, this time with a single-hit health bar and
20:12not a checkpoint in sight.
20:14The Perfect Run is a nightmare for everyone who experienced it.
20:17Even though it's a pristinely crafted level, it's hard to appreciate that when there
20:20are lasers of every form ripping their way towards you, not to mention obnoxious projectile-based
20:25enemies making it nigh impossible to focus on the task at hand.
20:28And as we said, dying with one hit on a level with no checkpoints makes for a whole lot
20:32of do-overs.
20:41Number 6.
20:42Dr. Wily's Castle, Mega Man 9
20:51In Mega Man 9, Dr. Wily's Castle introduced sadistic traps and gimmicks that the player
20:55hadn't encountered before, resulting in a certain unpreparedness that we had to overcome.
21:01Stage 3 onwards, you will find sections in which the platforms you have to jump to are
21:05barely large enough for Mega Man to land on.
21:13As if that's not enough, you encounter shield-bearing enemies that give you only a small window
21:17to attack.
21:18Otherwise, they bring their shield up and do what they do best, taunt you.
21:22And don't even get me started on the gravity well sections.
21:32Number 5.
21:33Water Dam, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
21:42Timed levels are the bane of every gamer's existence, but couple that with a punishing
21:46control scheme and you've got a recipe for rage.
21:49In this notorious underwater level, energy beams appear in the weirdest spots with no
21:53notice, zapping your health away.
22:02There's one spot in particular that gives you a very narrow pathway to follow around
22:06a corner, and if you stray from it ever so slightly, then you're pretty much dead.
22:10Luckily, you have the option to switch Turtles and get full HP, otherwise there'd be literally
22:16no chance at beating this one.
22:23Number 4.
22:24Tidal Wave, Geometry Dash
22:32Even the toughest rhythm games bring immense satisfaction when you conquer a level.
22:35But good luck making it through this one.
22:37Geometry Dash allows users to create their own levels, which are verified before getting
22:41added in for the wider player base.
22:43Tidal Wave, which is classified under the game's accurately named Extreme Demon Difficulty,
22:47was added in late 2023.
22:49Although the level theoretically only lasts for three minutes, players have suffered thousands
22:53of losses, making that playtime far longer.
22:56The speed at which the stage and its hazards move is honestly insane, and we have no idea
23:00how anyone is meant to react in time.
23:02In early 2024, it topped the Player Created Demon list, ranking the 150 hardest levels
23:07in the game.
23:08We're not surprised.
23:12Number 3.
23:13C3, Super Mario Bros.
23:15The Lost Levels
23:26Mario is back at it again with another entry on the list, and this time, he's taking
23:30us back to his retro days with The Lost Levels.
23:33In World C3, which is an updated version of 7-3, but now with Lakitus, you'll spend
23:38most of the time guiding Mario through the stage without ever looking at him.
23:42The reason?
23:43Because he's being launched into the freakin' stratosphere by these unnaturally powerful
23:47springs scattered throughout the stage.
23:55You'll have to time it right so that when Mario begins his descent, he has a platform
23:59to land on.
24:00If you can manage that, you only have to do it a bunch more times to reach the end.
24:09Number 2.
24:10Stage 6-2, Ninja Gaiden
24:20Imagine not blinking for five minutes straight.
24:23Now imagine not blinking for five minutes straight so you can concentrate on not being
24:27destroyed by a flying ninja.
24:29In this particularly punishing level of 1988's Ninja Gaiden, multiple enemies come at you
24:34at the same time.
24:41The entire stage is one seemingly endless onslaught of varying enemy types that come
24:45flying at you from the sky and both sides of the screen.
24:48And should you make it through to the end, guess what?
24:51The subsequent levels are strong contenders for hardest levels in their own right.
24:55Heck, the entire game is a contender.
24:58And here we were thinking the 2005 version of the game was tough.
25:24Number 1.
25:25Turbo Tunnel, Battletoads
25:27Oh, the hours we've lost to Turbo Tunnel.
25:34With its unfairly placed obstacles, little to no grace period between movements, and
25:38sheer speed of the ramps and walls coming at you, this level earns its infamous place
25:42in gaming history.
25:50Turbo Tunnel undoubtedly resulted in anxiety attacks for a lot of players.
25:54There is no room for error.
25:57Move or jump a millisecond too late, and you pay the price.
26:00The sequence isn't that long, but it feels like you're spending hours traveling simply
26:04by virtue of the number of obstacles you need to avoid.
26:08Why did we have to jump on this dumb bike anyway?
26:17There are plenty of other tough levels we had to leave off, so head to the comments
26:20and let us know which ones brought you the most frustration.
26:23And be sure to subscribe to our channel for more great videos every day.