Worst Water Level

[_-_AceDragon_-_]

TMNT 1 on NES deservedly mentioned twice already. It is infamous. It is very hard. But it's also so damn rewarding beating that level and you're immediately treated to a cool cutscene straight after. The music was very cool and captured the struggle of this level. I remember often feeling like I won't make it, there's not enough time, but the music's speaking to me, "keep going"...

Oh and Megaman Legends 2 on the PS1 is the worst water level for me. There is even a hack to fix the ridiculous slowdown of the underwater sections. Made the game nearly unplayable for me.

 

[fishboneKiller]

i know that every time i get to world three in mario 3, i immediately just stop playing the game. it's not like they're even particularly hard, they're just so boring...

 

[Cu-Neo]

A very popular opinion is Atlantica in Kingdom Hearts 1

 

[VampireLord1024VampireLord1024's icon]

What about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's Water Temple?

 

[MasterEn]

What about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's Water Temple?

it's garbage. only slightly better in the remake.

 

[Ikagura]

If an Ice or Water level does not have proper ice nor water physics then maybe it's just an ice or water themed but not actually one.

 

[MasterEn]

If an Ice or Water level does not have proper ice nor water physics then maybe it's just an ice or water themed but not actually one.

that's the best kind of ice/water level.

 

[JamminJelly009]

Ocarina water temple was enough to make me put the game down once I finally finished the dungeon. So I guess I'll always go back to that.

Oh, the horrors of that temple.

 

[What's His Face]

Oh, the horrors of that temple.

To be fair, I liked the Water Temple in OoT. That should tell you just how bad the water levels in my opening post are.

 

[VampireLord1024VampireLord1024's icon]

it's garbage. only slightly better in the remake.

Well it's something then, even if it's only slightly better.

 

[MasterEn]

Well it's something then, even if it's only slightly better.

the iron boots have a hot key icon for them. and some walls are marked to be interactable. everything else is the same. so, yeah, i guess that its a good improvement. haven't played much of the game, so i can't really judge it, but based on my playing of other zelda games, that would have been pretty annoying to deal with.

 

[VampireLord1024VampireLord1024's icon]

the iron boots have a hot key icon for them. and some walls are marked to be interactable. everything else is the same. so, yeah, i guess that its a good improvement. haven't played much of the game, so i can't really judge it, but based on my playing of other zelda games, that would have been pretty annoying to deal with.

I do own the 3DS remake but I haven't played it in a long while or really bothered to get that far in the game.

 

[MasterEn]

I do own the 3DS remake but I haven't played it in a long while or really bothered to get that far in the game.

i usually get to the deku tree and stop. i did manage to make it to death mountain one time. i guess that the game doesn't really resonate with me.

 

[Jeff]

-Ocarina of Time Water Level temple
-Majora's Mask Great Bay Temple cause of the awful time limit gimmick
-The infamous TMNT 1 Dam level
-Mega Man Legends 2 slow-mo Water fortress
-Labyrinth Zone from Sonic 1 Genesis version
-Earthworm Jim's Glass Submarine of death
-Ecco the Dolphin= Water Level: The game

The only things water levels are good are the following
atmosphere, background, aesthetics and the music.

 

[Ikagura]

That's the best kind of ice/water level.

Eh, this is like making a desert themed level with 0 quicksand nor burning hot sun.

I usually get to the deku tree and stop. i did manage to make it to death mountain one time. i guess that the game doesn't really resonate with me.

You had to be there.

I'm joking, me neither.

In fact I don't vibrate with 3D Zelda that much, I've only finished Twilight Princess back in '07 because I had no other Wii game to do and more recently BotW in '22 because I wanted to try that one game everybody spoke of.

 

[Pandaprewmaster325]

But have we really looked at from developer perspective? Water is an obstacle that allows developers to have fun with the physics in the game in a unique way I think in order to understand wata levels you have to design a map or a level of your own only then would you get the full picture.

Maybe then the hate for wata levels would be toned down

 

[Ikagura]

Does Emerald Coast from Sonic Adventure count since it's a beach themed level (therefore there's water)?

 

[99nereids]

ive only interacted with a few that I can think of but off the top of my head it has to be world of warcrafts cataclysm expansion. More specifically, the underwater zone Vashj’ir. If you know you know, navigating around felt weird due to the underwater physics, coupled with the jankiest rage-inducing vertical combat that mostly consisted of getting swarmed by fish people from above that you couldn’t possibly see coming with how the camera is positioned.
This was supposed to be a teaser for a planned underwater-themed expansion iirc but everyone hated the zone so they scrapped the idea.

 

[Viviana Santos]

Does Emerald Coast from Sonic Adventure count since it's a beach themed level (therefore there's water)?

View attachment 23322

Not really in my opinion. Water is not the focus of the level.

Post automatically merged: Feb 9, 2025

Also Emerald Coast is a great level.

 

[Ikagura]

Water is not the focus of the level.

You're right, a better exemple of a water level should be Hot Shelter, especially the "Bad Taste Aquarium" area with Amy and Big or the Icy Cave in Icecap with Big.

SA2's Aquatic Mine was stressful imo.

Also Emerald Coast is a great level.

I'd rate it above even City Escape (sorry).

 

[MasterEn]

But have we really looked at from developer perspective? Water is an obstacle that allows developers to have fun with the physics in the game in a unique way I think in order to understand wata levels you have to design a map or a level of your own only then would you get the full picture.

Maybe then the hate for wata levels would be toned down

if you have an example, we love to see it. everyone here is so far not impressed with water levels.

 

[fake-kun]

But have we really looked at from developer perspective? Water is an obstacle that allows developers to have fun with the physics in the game in a unique way I think in order to understand wata levels you have to design a map or a level of your own only then would you get the full picture.

Maybe then the hate for wata levels would be toned down

The devs' "having fun with the physics" is the gamers' "suffering through terrible controls."

 

[The Missing Link]

Ocarina water temple was enough to make me put the game down once I finally finished the dungeon. So I guess I'll always go back to that.

That temple is just exceedingly annoyingly and tedious, on master quest its even worse. Also for some reason I get lost in that place way too much...

 

[Ikagura]

The devs' "having fun with the physics" is the gamers' "suffering through terrible controls."

What about Half-Life 2's Source Engine?


Metroid's water areas are tedious as hell to navigate in until you get the Gravity Armor.

 

[fake-kun]

What about Half-Life 2's Source Engine?

What about it?