"Your least favourite level"

[FLips]

After hours-long sessions on DOOM on the 360 (one of my most replayable games ever, and one of my top FPS games) I realised that while every level has it's own perculiar little charms there's always a small amount of levels that just absolutely do your tits in. So I thought i'd make myself semi-useful on this board and try to kick off a new thread in which you all discuss what level in what game pissed you off the most, and why.

It's easy usually for people to name their favourite parts of games but least favourite part takes some doing, whether it be a map on DOOM, a mission on GTA, or a level on Sonic or Mario. You can name numerous levels from the same or different games, you don't have to limit your post to just the one. "Level" is used very loosely to accomodate all genres, so in the case of DOOM it will be a map, fighting games will be characters you fight such as Seth in SFIV, platformers will be levels and so on.

 

So bringing you mine, DOOM.

 

E4M2: Perfect Hatred

 

Below is a picture of the starting point, the enemies are there when you start, behind you is a pool of lava and the large noticable gaps in front of you also lead to lava, you must run up the steps at full speed to cross the gaps.

 

 

On a recent play through trying to do all the levels on Ultra-Violent this has to be the level that wound me up the most. About 60% of the map is lava that takes 10% from your health for every second you're in it, and to avoid this you have to sprint across large gaps in the floor. If you run too slow or too fast you'll fall into the pit and either die or lose a considerable amount trying to get out. The map before this didn't help at all either as you have to fight at the very least 1 Baron and numerous spawning Imps, Spectres, Sergeants and such other common enemies. It also never gave you any health pick-up and very little ammo pick-ups. If you went for the secrets too then get ready to be trapped in a small space with 4 barons. Nightmare. So starting Map 2 I had about 60% health and next to no ammo, and it starts you right in front of a bunch of enemies. The level is a nightmare to navigate due to the lava and the fact that there must have been at least 10 Barons coming from all directions, and on top of that when you finally fight through it all and reach the exit there is a Cyberdemon quietly tucked away to a small gap in the side that just launches rockets at you as you try to pass. I was lucky enough to find the secret exit though which not only teleports you into the Cyberdemon and kills him, but also grants you the wonderful BFG 9000.

So due to the sheer number of really tough enemies, the large amount of lava taking up the level, the lack of health and weapons and playing it on the second hardest difficulty this is my least favourite level on DOOM.

 

Below is the map of the level, the large white circle in the middle is lava other than the outlines of land. The smaller cirlcle in the bottom left is also lava, and the bottom-most two circles in the centre are the start point and lava pool. The large maze-like area to the right is home to the blue keycard and the Barons, numerous and mainly invisible enemies you have to cross through to get it. The top is a circular area full of demons and the Cyberdemon tucked in on the left hand side room.

 

 

 

And for those who can't picture it and want to see what i'm talking about, here's a youtube vid on Ultra-Violent mode:

 

 

 

So there's my map and reasons, let's be having you!

 

EDIT: I also realise that this is originally an episode from Ultimate DOOM, but on the 360 port it comes with the other 3 episodes, so I counted it as DOOM.

[Mr. Seven]

Would this not work better as a catch-all thread where people can talk about what levels/bosses/bits/etc that pissed them off in whatever game? I'm not knocking your thread, I just wonder how much discussion you'll get about one specific game...

[kendal mint cake]

Good idea, but I agree with Wait and Bleed over there, make it a catch-all thread.

 

And 2 good threads in as many days?! Good form!

[FLips]

Well i'd thought about it, and it came to 3 options. One was this, where it'd stick to one game (maybe I could shorten the time between updates) and would stay on topic about that one game. Then there was what you're suggesting but I thought that might end up with just a load of "live discussion" entries like "OOT's water temple is shit" and would lose focus between the heaps of games people would bring up. Then the last one was the "I name a game, then you do" chain-like thread, but that would inevitably lead to a load of short posts so people could get their game in before someone else. If this totally dies on it's arse i'll try your suggestion, but I thought if I suggested popular enough games that most people will have played and tried to keep it detailed, and focused then it might work.

[kendal mint cake]

Well, I think the WHAT PLAY YOU? thread is proof that discussion on games can flow concurrently quite smoothly. 'Losing focus' isn't really an issue, I find the UKFF as a whole will dictate how a thread pans out, such is the nature of the beast.

[Mr. Seven]

I don't think the middle suggestion would be like a live discussion thread at all. Consider that the only dedicated gaming thread on here only gets updates about what people are playing with little or no worthwhile discussion, however on this board there's a fucking huge amount of gamers, and some of JLM's best posts about this subject. I'm not saying make it the official videogame rant thread or anything, but if you go with your current idea, I can't see it being terribly successful.

 

But hey, it's your thread.

[FLips]

Ok, I appreciate the suggestions and you both make good points so i'll change it up.

[kendal mint cake]

Who would have thought the 3 of us could have a dignified discussion without flaming? God I'm getting soft in my old age

[FLips]

Maybe it's because I didn't give you both reasons to flame me for a change. Don't deny it's what you both came into the thread hoping to be able to do though

[neil]

I always hated those flying tomatoes on Doom.

 

One of the most annoying "levels" I've played recently would have to be "Wrong Side of the Tracks" on GTA:SA. Just a horribly annoying mission that requires you figure out that you can't be too close or too far away from the stupid train. It takes forever to figure this out, and when you fail you have to drive about 10 minute back to restart the mission. The drizzling shits.

[Mike Castle]

The secret exit teleporter thing would explain why I was wondering I hadn't seen the Cyberdemon in that level last time I played through it, I was positive there was one in there but despite my searching for him (as I was doing a full playthrough on the PS1 trying to get as many secrets and kills as possible), couldn't find him. Turns out I must have just blew him to pieces via the teleport without ever realizing.

 

The level as a whole is damned annoying though, and is easily the worst Doom level I've ever played (this doesn't count shitty custom Wads for the PC version of course).

[Devon Malcolm]

I always hated those flying tomatoes on Doom.

 

One of the most annoying "levels" I've played recently would have to be "Wrong Side of the Tracks" on GTA:SA. Just a horribly annoying mission that requires you figure out that you can't be too close or too far away from the stupid train. It takes forever to figure this out, and when you fail you have to drive about 10 minute back to restart the mission. The drizzling shits.

 

Oh my giddy aunt. I nearly put my foot through the screen after the 145th time of being told by that fat cunt that I'd failed.

[JLM]

I was one of the lucky folks who did "Wrong side of the tracks" after a couple of attempts. I can see why it would be insanely annoying if the distance thing didn't click, though for me it seemed reasonably logical as he needs a decent angle to be able to shoot at the guys. Still very sketchy in execution though and as I say I can see why people were enraged at apparently failing for no reason after keeping up with the train and seeing Big Smoke seemingly unload clip after clip into the guys only for the train to pull away.

 

On a topical note, Whinehouse will attest to the frustration inflincted upon our household by the "The Escape" stage on Aladdin on the Mega Drive. I completed Aladdin in my youth and have since completed it many times via emulation because it's a bit of a favourite (Disney 16 bit platformers were ossum. Tertally ossum.) However, on this attempt, the mojo had completely vanished. I sailed through the dungeon in a couple of attempts (that stage can be hella annoying) but got totally screwed over by the cave of wonders escape.

 

If you haven't played it (then get an emulator and do so damn it!), the stage involves a continuous run of pixel perfect jumping through caves and onto little sinking platforms. The entire floor of the cave is lava which causes instant death, there are various pits of instant death and there are Indiana Jones rolling boulders that cause instant death. There are also no restart points or any other namby-pampy modern game safety nets. As such, (unless you bitch out and use save states), you must do it in one run. The upshot of this is that if there's one tiny jump that screws you over repeatedly (as was the case for me), you have to trawl through the rest of the stage to have another crack at it. Fun fun.

 

Five people in total made attempts at escaping the cave before I eventually did so. It was a gruelling ordeal, and one that inspired us to finish the rest of the game. One housemate did the magic carpet ride sequence that follows (and is fairly tough in itself) and also the final battle with Jafar in his snake form, one did the Sultan's Palace and I handled pretty much everything else.

 

Modern platformers with their forgiving level design and playtesting to ensure that players don't go into murderous rage have turned us veteran gamers into incompetent sissies. Luckily for us, emulation won't allow us to forget what "I HATE THIS FUCKING LEVEL" really means.

 

Oh yeah, and Whinehouse will have a killer contribution for this thread.

[Just Me]

Sonic & Knuckles: Sandopolis Zone, Act 2

 

The whole frustration of this level is centred around a small network of criss-crossing sand slides, which you must negotiate in the correct order to advance. And no matter how many times I've played the game, I can never remember when and where I need to jump to take me onto the correct route. Going round in circles so many times, while having to constantly reactivate light switches to keep the ghosts at bay, ensures that when I do reach Dr Robotnik at the end of the stage, I've got precious few seconds in which to beat him.

 

In its own right, the level isn't the worst ever. What makes it so annoying is that it's the one irritation in an otherwise wonderful game. S&K (or the extended Sonic 3 & Knuckles) deserves to be played more often, but I'm usually put off by the fact that I'll have to face Sandopolis Zone in the middle of it all.

[NEWM]

Sonic & Knuckles: Sandopolis Zone, Act 2

 

This, for all the same reasons, I must have had a blast on S&K and given up here a hundred times, no exagerration. Weirdly, the one time I completed the game (when I was a kid), I think I fluked this level first time, because it held no vivid childhood rage memories. All from when I go on just to kill some time. What a fucker it is.

 

Also Labrynth, from Sonic 1 on the Master System, used to cause me to explode with rage when I was younger. I hate water levels on Sonic games at the best of times, but for whatever reason, something used to boil me about getting lost, losing air and what not in there.

 

Not strictly a level, but there's been some challenges on the Smackdown games (e.g 3-on-1, or Mexicools vs super dead hard Undertaker and Kane) that have taken me forever, and stung everytime I came within a whisker of doing them.

 

And I must be getting progressively shitter at games, because a couple of the missions on Ghostbusters have done my fucking nut in. I've not even completed it now, got lost in the sewers and have just stopped playing it for a bit.

 

EDIT: Just remembered how much I used to hate the castle on Alex Kidd in Miracle World, but can't for the life of me remember why. It was really tough though.