10 Hardest Platforming Sequences In Video Games, Ranked

10 Hardest Platforming Sequences In Video Games, Ranked

Key Takeaways

  • Platforming games are known for creative levels, fun abilities, and precise controls.
  • Some games have frustratingly difficult sections, like Rugged Ridge in Cuphead.
  • The toughest levels, like Farewell in Celeste, test the player’s knowledge of game mechanics and their reflexes.

As someone who’s spent countless hours in front of old-school consoles, I can confidently say that the levels listed here are some of the most challenging and notorious in gaming history. Each one requires skill, patience, and an encyclopedic knowledge of the game’s mechanics to conquer.


Top-tier platform games are renowned for their imaginative level designs, engaging puzzles, entertaining power-ups, and finely tuned gameplay mechanics.

Some parts of this list are infamous for being maddeningly challenging, causing even the ordinary gamer to pull their hair out in frustration. These sections have become legendary in the annals of gaming.

Are you skilled enough to beat them all?

10 Cuphead

Rugged Ridge

10 Hardest Platforming Sequences In Video Games, Ranked

Cuphead is most well-known for its boss rush gameplay and iconic, gorgeous art style.

less often do players discuss the fast-paced ‘Run & Shoot’ levels, and let me tell you, they can be quite challenging! The especially tricky ‘Rugged Ridge’ stage is a prime example, as it presents a lethal blend of obstacles for you to navigate. Continuous pits and numerous adversaries await your careful avoidance.

In simpler terms, the stage you’re navigating is a merciless obstacle course. You never know where to focus your gaze, and the ground under your feet feels unreliable. It’s also challenging because if you stand still for too long, the scales beneath you start sinking, which can be a big issue when you’re trying to dodge projectiles. To top it off, there’s a sequence towards the end where you’re being pursued through a castle.

Playing Cuphead is a delight due to its consistent challenge that remains both demanding yet fair. In comparison, Rugged Ridge presents an even steeper difficulty level, perhaps the most challenging Run & Gun within the entire game.>

9 Crash Bandicoot

Stormy Ascent

10 Hardest Platforming Sequences In Video Games, Ranked

I absolutely love the game Crash Bandicoot, so finding out about a level that was considered too challenging for most players really caught my attention.

If you’ve conquered Crash Bandicoot, you likely found yourself left in awe by Slippery Climb – a cunningly designed level that appears to have overlooked the placement of checkpoints on its vertical castle walls. Compared to Stormy Ascent, which boasts the same visual charm, it’s significantly more intricate in every aspect.

Originally, the project remained incomplete, but the release of the N.Sane Trilogy saw it through to completion. The developers fixed up Stormy Ascent and made it available as an additional, free-of-charge level.

Following its completion, I must admit that it was undoubtedly the most challenging level within the compilation, making me understand why it wasn’t part of the initial version.

8 Rayman

Candy Château

10 Hardest Platforming Sequences In Video Games, Ranked

Rayman on PlayStation is often recognized for its challenging nature, even though it appears to be a family-friendly platformer in appearance. The last level of the game showcases an enchanting setting filled with candies and pastries, but unfortunately, very few players reach this point due to running out of lives beforehand.

In numerous stages of the game Rayman, several could be included on this list, but a unique part of Candy Château undeniably shatters the established norms.

Mr. Dark manufactures a duplicate of Rayman who relentlessly pursues you, mimicking your actions step by step. While it may not seem menacing at first glance, you find yourself repeatedly retracing your steps and encountering this replica on your journey.

In this game, the jumping segments can be challenging on their own. However, if you so much as brush against the doppelganger, it’s an instant game over for you. It’s a sneaky trick that catches you off guard, and even if you manage to avoid it, you’ll encounter more unexpected issues in the next zone, such as reversed control schemes.

7 Celeste

Farewell

10 Hardest Platforming Sequences In Video Games, Ranked

Celeste is cherished due to its exceptional control mechanics and imaginative level layouts. For those prepared to put their leaping abilities to the ultimate test, allow me to present Chapter 9.

Goodbye is arguably the most challenging aspect in the basic game, consistently pushing your skills to the limit. Many leap challenges necessitate precise timing and execution, leading to numerous falls as you adapt to the mechanics.

The Chapter is also pretty long, and it can feel like a neverending task when every room demands your undivided attention.

In a positive light, conquering Farewell means you’re well-prepared to tackle any challenge in Celeste, including the B-side levels and everything in between. You’ve truly got this!

6 Jump King

Underburg

10 Hardest Platforming Sequences In Video Games, Ranked
Key InformationDetails
DeveloperNexile
PlatformAll
Release DateMay 2019

It’s quite feasible to argue that any part of the game “Jump King” could fit on this list. For those not familiar, “Jump King” is a challenging vertical platformer in which you navigate through a series of tricky levels to reach the “Smoking Hot Babe” at the end.

The problem lies in not being able to walk; instead, you have to leap around everywhere. Holding down the jump button allows you to travel farther, but making even a small error often causes you to be set back quite far.

In the enhanced mode known as “New Game Plus,” Underburg presents an especially tough challenge due to the inclusion of a wind factor that introduces a timing aspect. While there’s wind in the basic game, it’s nothing like the difficulty you’ll encounter in this advanced version.

The funny part is the Lost Frontier after this section is arguably even more difficult, but if you have the skills to beat the Underburg, it’s only a matter of time before you conquer it.

5 Jazz Jackrabbit

Orbitus

10 Hardest Platforming Sequences In Video Games, Ranked
Key InformationDetails
DeveloperEpic Mega Games
PlatformWindows/DOS
Release DateAugust 1994

For this post, let’s revisit an older game that Epic developed before they started working on Fortnite.

Jazz Jackrabbit” is an exhilarating 2D side-scrolling game that lets you assume the role of a swift green rabbit armed with a gun. Despite its absurdity, the music in this game is fantastic, and its level layouts remain impressive even today.

This timeless classic earns its spot due to a leap in the Orbitus stage that’s nearly inaccessible. The environment features springy walls, and you must precisely land on a minuscule ledge to advance. Regrettably, achieving the trajectory to reach the platform necessitates an incredibly precise jump, which is so exacting it seems unreasonable.

In my experience, many gamers usually get past this stage by resorting to underhanded tactics like activating a Hoverboard or slowing down the gameplay. However, as demonstrated in vault012’s video, it can indeed be conquered fairly. This is a classic example of the challenging, old-school difficulty that really puts your gaming skills to the test!

4 Battletoads

Wind Tunnel

10 Hardest Platforming Sequences In Video Games, Ranked

In the library of Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), the Wind Tunnel section from Battletoads is widely renowned, which speaks volumes given its competition with numerous challenging games.

Battletoads is an incredibly challenging 2D platformer, featuring a Hoverbike stage that teeters on the edge of madness. You’re perpetually propelled to the right and must swiftly navigate numerous perils with mere moments to respond.

As you may expect, you can lose a ton of progress from a simple mistake, and your speed constantly changes, forcing micro-timing adjustments.

As a dedicated gamer, I’d say, “To conquer this challenging part, it feels like I need the lightning-fast reactions of an F1 driver or an eidetic memory to remember potential dangers.

3 Spelunky 2

Cosmic Ocean

10 Hardest Platforming Sequences In Video Games, Ranked

It’s somewhat playful to discuss Spelunky 2 since it falls under the category of Roguelikes and features randomly generated stages. However, I must admit that the Cosmic Ocean stands out extraordinarily, a place where few gamers get to venture, and even fewer manage to conquer!

Initially, the Cosmic Ocean is hidden via an unconventional path within the game, featuring numerous enigmatic tasks and enemies to defeat. Once you miraculously navigate your way there, you’ll encounter 99 levels of distorted landscapes reminiscent of earlier stages.

In the vast Cosmic Sea, each stage conceals numerous spheres that need to be discovered for the door to be unlocked. As soon as you seize the final one, a lethal space jellyfish starts pursuing you, capable of ending your journey with just one touch.

This zone is quite challenging, and getting through 99 stages here feels like running an unyielding marathon of perseverance. There are no rest stops along the way, it’s either succeed or fail. After all, Spelunky 2 is known for its demanding nature!

2 Mega Man

Wily Stage 1

10 Hardest Platforming Sequences In Video Games, Ranked

As a die-hard Mega Man fan, I must admit that the challenging stages in these games serve as an intriguing test of my acquired skills. Instead of relying on a single ability, I’m often compelled to utilize various powers I’ve previously overlooked.

Wily Stage 1 is a lengthy level full of tough enemies and deadly spike pits.

To truly excel at Mega Man, it’s essential that you become proficient with his entire collection of weapons, and clever tactics such as controlling item drops seem almost indispensable.

The big problem is that you require an “optional” item, which suddenly becomes essential. If you didn’t grab the Magnet Beam in Elec Man’s stage, you best go back and find it as it’s required to progress.

If you have the strength to conquer the platforming stage from Wily 1, you’ll be ready to face off against the challenging and legendary Yellow Devil boss, one of the most fearsome adversaries across the entire game series.

1 Ninja Gaiden

6-2

10 Hardest Platforming Sequences In Video Games, Ranked

Ninja Gaiden on the NES is an undisputed classic hack-and-slash with legendary difficulty.

Among the many stages from the game “Ninja Gaiden“, I’ve opted for Level 6-2. This particular level unyieldingly pours a constant wave of opponents upon you, without any respite.

In many battles, adversaries often launch attacks that catch you off guard, forcing you to endure damage unless you anticipate them. However, Ryu has the ability to withstand several hits, though it rarely makes much difference due to the strong push-back effect he possesses.

The problem lies in the fact that Ryu tends to recoil upon being struck, often causing him to plummet into an abyss. Additionally, enemies have a habit of reappearing from out of sight, preventing players from leisurely advancing at their own pace.

By the way, there’s a two-stage boss fight awaiting you if you manage to get to the end of the level in this stage, 6-2. Although it doesn’t have a catchy title, it represents the toughest challenges that the game Ninja Gaiden has to offer.

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2024-11-11 16:09