15 Most Difficult Levels In Video Game History

Last Updated on November 13, 2022 by Sam

Every gamer has had that experience. You’re having fun until you reach a level you can’t beat. Some games are designed to be brutal and punishing. Others are a breeze that surprise the player with sudden difficulty. Maybe the challenge wasn’t meant to be hard. The level design and enemy placement could just make it too easy to beat.

On this list, we’ll talk about some of the hardest video game levels that have ever been made. We’re going to be loose with the word “level” in this case, meaning that boss fights will count if they’re hard enough to complete. We’re also counting levels that are hard compared to the rest of the game. For example, if you’re playing an easy game and there’s a level that seems like it was made to hurt you, that’s a good candidate for the list. Here are some of the hardest levels in the history of video games, to bring back some bad memories.

15 Most Difficult Levels In Video Game History

14. Tree Tops — Spyro The Dragon

Considering how entertaining it looks and how it’s played, it’s possible that the fact that Spyro the Dragon has one of the most challenging levels in the history of video games will come as a surprise to you. Nevertheless, we can guarantee that it is the case. The level “Tree Tops” in Spyro Reignited features a multitude of distinct platforms, all of which are separated from one another by enormous chasms, making it exceptionally challenging to advance through the level.

Spyro needs to get across this obstacle course by utilizing various speed boosts and ramps. However, in the vast majority of cases, this will not be sufficient, and you will need to make an effort to chain some of the ramps together in order to make them stable enough to jump across. Grab a copy of Spyro Reignited for your PlayStation 4 or Xbox One and give it a go if you think something like that might be entertaining to you and you think you have what it takes to do well in the game.

P.S. Please let us know the total number of repetitions required to finish it.

13. Through the Fire and Flames — Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

Fans are aware of how difficult this is to accomplish, despite the fact that the rhythm genre has become less popular in recent years. The song “Through the Fire and Flames” by Dragonforce is not only the most difficult track in the Guitar Hero series, but it is also a requirement for any player who aspires to be considered a true expert in the genre.

Because of the ridiculously fast notes and the need to tap your fingers and have perfect timing, the majority of players are unable to even get past the introduction without failing. Whoever is skilled enough to make it past that point has a long song ahead of them that is full of difficult solos. It’s possible that learning how to play the real guitar would be less difficult than finishing “Through the Fire and Flames” on Guitar Hero.

12. Rainbow Road – Mario Kart Wii

The Rainbow Road course in Mario Kart Wii, which is commonly considered to be one of the most entertaining games to play, will swiftly transform that perception into a nightmare that never ends! Even after all of the changes that have been made to Rainbow Road over the years, it still manages to maintain its reputation for being extremely challenging.

The Super Mario Galaxy theme can be found on the course that concludes the Special Cup in Mario Kart Wii. This is the game’s most difficult challenge. The lack of safety features like as guard rails, an excessive number of dash panels that, if you aren’t careful, will launch you into space, and the game’s generally quick-paced nature are the primary contributors to its challenging nature.

The track features a number of bends at an angle of ninety degrees, boost pads, a section of undulating road, and a half-pipe. Nintendo is responsible for the development as well as the publication of the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series, Mario Kart Wii.

It was made available for Nintendo Wiis all over the world in 2008, and it swiftly rose to the position of the world’s second best-selling video game.

11. Sora Versus Sephiroth — Kingdom Hearts II

If you were a child during the initial wave of excitement surrounding Kingdom Hearts II, then you are fully aware of the difficulty of this battle. The battle with Sephiroth is completely optional, but if it is won, the player will receive one of the most powerful weapons available in the game.

Sephiroth is incredibly nimble and possesses a vast arsenal of devastating attacks. Even his most basic sword cuts deal a significant amount of damage. Because he has a lot of health, even experienced players should get ready for a drawn-out battle against him. If you make even one mistake, the fight will be over in a matter of seconds. That is not a typo — we’re talking about actual seconds here.

10. Mike Tyson Himself — Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!

It should come as no surprise that the most formidable opponent in Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! is none other than the legendary heavyweight champion and boxing great himself, Mike Tyson. The game is based on fictional boxers rather than real ones; however, the real Mike Tyson is included as an extremely difficult unlockable character. We have a good feeling that the real Mike Tyson would not be able to defeat Punch-Out!!!’s version of Mike Tyson.

The majority of Mike Tyson’s digital double’s fight consists of one-hit knockouts, and in between those, the digital Mike Tyson throws lightning quick “lightning jabs.” Although the player is able to block his attacks, they still deal significant damage to the character. There is a chance that you could beat Tyson at his own game, but even if you did, this would still be considered one of the most challenging video game levels ever created.

9. Dam Level – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Cowabunga man! We’re sorry, but we’re huge turtle fans and can’t help ourselves!

Moving on, the NES version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the first video game based on the TMNT franchise, and it was released in 1989. The game was made by Konami, and Ultra Games put it out in North America. The film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is based on the animated series of the same name and tells the story of the turtles’ (Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello) quest to retrieve the “Life Transformer Gun” from their sworn enemy, Shredder.

Once you reach the “Dam Level,” you’ll be pulling out your hair. Then, when you find out that it’s an underwater level, you might as well just rip the rest of it out because it’s a pain. You’ll be in charge of guiding a turtle through an underwater world, where you’ll have to avoid hazards and defuse bombs.

Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it?

Well, the walls are charged and you only have two minutes left. Have fun, and whether you succeed or fail, do your best not to give in to the stress and frustration that this level brings.

8. The Water Temple — The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

It’s not the hardest temple in the series, but it’s why players hate water levels so much. In Ocarina of Time, the Water Temple is hard to get through. Not because it’s necessarily hard, but because it’s annoying.

The temple is dark and can be tough to navigate. Raising and lowering the water level gets boring, especially when the player has to keep putting on and taking off Link’s Iron Boots to keep going. Link has to walk very slowly because of the boots, which makes things even worse. The level was and still is so hard that the Water Temple in the 3DS version of Ocarina of Time has been changed to make it easier.

7. Mike Tyson Fight – Punch Out

Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out! is the next hardest level in a video game.

It is a sports fighting video game made by Nintendo and released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. (NES). The small player in the game is called “Little Mac,” and his goal is to move up through the World Video Boxing Association’s ranks.

Little Mac has fought his way to the top and now has a chance to win his last “Dream Fight.” Mike Tyson, the heavyweight champion, will be his opponent, so it won’t be that easy. Iron Mike is a giant in the game, which makes things very hard for Little Mac. If fighting a giant wasn’t hard enough, keep in mind that you’re also fighting Mike Tyson, who can knock you out with one quick uppercut.

If he lands even one punch, you’re in big trouble. Because he hits so often, it’s nearly impossible to fight back, which is why the level is so hard. So, time your punches well and never, ever give a right uppercut!

6. Any Level Of Super Star Wars — Super Star Wars Series

These games based on movies are known for being so hard that it seems pointless to choose a level. They might look like simple, colorful platform games, but they’re harder than Darth Vader at the end of Rogue One. There are so many enemies on the screen coming from every direction at once that the game feels unfair.

The series seems to get harder and harder as it goes on, and Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is one of the most difficult games in the series. To finish a level, let alone any of the three games, takes a lot of patience. You’d be better off watching someone else play it, or you could watch Attack of the Clones and suffer almost as much… almost.

5. The Water Temple – The Legend of Zelda

“The Water Temple” in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the fourth hardest video game level of all time. The game was made by Nintendo, which also put it out on the N64 in 1998.

Players take control of “Link” as he goes on a quest to stop King Ganondorf that takes him all over the magical fantasy land of Hyrule. Once you get to The Water Temple, you realize it’s a scary water level, like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Dam Level.

The Water Temple is not the hardest level in the game, but the water makes it by far the most frustrating. Having the water levels change all the time and having to mess with Link’s Iron Boots all the time makes things even worse. On top of that, Link has to walk slowly because of his Iron boots, which is very annoying.

The Water Temple became one of the most hated levels of all time because so many people got angry and complained about it. As a result, the 3DS port had a few changes made to make it a little easier to beat.

4. Turbo Tunnel — Battletoads

Battletoads is one of the games that is the hardest to play. The game is known for how hard it is, and Turbo Tunnel, which is the third level, is where the difficulty spikes in an unfair way.

It starts with a simple “beat ’em up” part, but it quickly changes to a driving part that gets hilariously hard. There are a lot of things in your way, and you’re going so fast that you don’t have much time to deal with them. It’s just a taste of how hard Battletoads can get, and it’s also the level that makes most people stop playing.

3. Aztec — Goldeneye 007

GoldenEye is known for being the first first-person shooter game, but not for being very hard. The real challenge starts when players get to the secret Aztec level. We’re 19 levels into the game at this point, so players should be ready for it when they get there. So, that’s the point.

Aztec is a maze of tight hallways where dozens of enemies are waiting around every corner. As if their placement wasn’t enough, most enemies in Aztec are twice as fast and twice as accurate as the average James Bond goon. The only way to beat it is to be very careful and try things out.

2. Turbo Tunnel – Battletoads

Battletoads is a beat ’em up/platform video game made by Rare and sold by Tradewest. It was the first Battletoad game, and it came out in 1991 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). In the game, “The Battletoads” are a group of humanoid space toad warriors who work together. They go on a mission to save their friends from the Dark Queen and stop her bad behavior.

Now, Turbo Tunnel, the third level of the game, is without a doubt one of the hardest video game levels ever made. It looks easy on paper. But it isn’t the third hardest video game level ever for nothing. It starts off slowly with a beat-em-up section, which isn’t too bad. The nightmare starts when you have to drive, though.

You have to get to the end of the road while avoiding many obstacles, but the problem is that you’re going so fast that you don’t have time to move. So, if you want to try this, you should be ready to fail a few times before you get it right. If you do end up being successful.

1. Ornstein and Smough — Dark Souls

Is it fair to put Dark Souls at the end of the list? This game is a great example of a game that is too hard, but the fight with Ornstein and Smough is right up there as one of its hardest parts. Two giants, the slow Smough and the quick Ornstein, are hard to beat, let alone live through.

Just like in any other Dark Souls battle, you need to be careful and quick on your feet to win. You will also get far if you use the pillars around you to your advantage. Most of the time, though, you’ll just keep losing. But if you like Dark Souls, you probably like that kind of pain, so enjoy what could be one of the hardest parts of any video game ever made.