Top 10 HARDEST First Levels in Video Games

In Los Angeles, 2029 A.D., the decades-long war between the humans and the machines sets the stage before Kyle Reese goes back in time to try and set things right. Yeah, good luck with that. While this opening level is a short one, it is elongated and made more difficult by the giant robot to start the level and the endless wave of terminators afterward. Should Reese succeed in setting bombs inside the Skynet lab, he has to make his escape in 45 seconds before it blows. Fail in this mission and Reese will be terminated.

#9: Arkham Asylum - "Batman Forever" (1995)

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Responding to a jailbreak caused by Two-Face, the Dynamic Duo must deal with this unforgiving level. While the convicts are generally easy to deal with, many gamers managed to get stuck. With no platforms to jump on and seemingly no way out, players need to press the up and select buttons together to launch the grappling hook in a certain area to get past. If the timing is off or you’re standing in the wrong spot, the hook won't fire correctly. While looking in the manual can solve this riddle, there are no in-game hints to help you figure out what to do, leaving Batman trapped… forever.

#8: The Drawbridge - “Dragon's Lair” (1990)

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Top 20 HARDEST First Levels in Video Games

Princess Daphne has been captured and it's up to Dirk the Daring to rescue her. Time is of the essence, but instead of rushing into the castle, Dirk's adventure comes to a screeching halt. He must cross an eroding drawbridge guarded by a dragon while avoiding bats overhead. One hit from anything aside from the bats, even the castle door, and Dirk dies. Only a complicated pattern, which is never explained, will allow you to survive the ordeal in one piece. The arcade game of the same name was no walk through the renaissance fair either, but at least gamers could make it past the first level.

The Super Star Wars games we’re all notoriously difficult, but boy this one's a doozie. In his landspeeder, Luke Skywalker along with Chewie and Leah, drive along the sands of Tatooine in order to rescue Han from Jabba’s palace. The problem? Well, there must have been an earthquake or something, because the sands are separated by black, empty voids. Jump from platform to platform and you should be okay, oh, and avoid those giant rocks. While it can be beaten, this course is rough, and you’re bound to drive off the cliff a few times before you get it right, so may the force be with you.

#6: Temple of Trials - "Fallout 2" (1998)

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Following in his mother's footsteps, the Chosen One entered these perilous ruins to complete his training. Acting as a test to see how players would equip their skills, neglecting certain skills will have adverse effects in trying to beat the level. Most new players to the Fallout series were stumped about these skills so when it came time to fight radioactive bugs, sneak past enemies or pick locks they would not be able to succeed if they chose the wrong skills to improve. Those who were unable to escape the temple were doomed from the start.

#5: The Streets of Springfield - "The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants" (1991)

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Top 10 Hardest Levels In Video Games

Instead of going easy on the 10-year-old underachiever, this lengthy level has El Barto tagging purple items, avoiding the tiny aliens that will kill him on contact, and uncovering aliens disguised as humans using his x-ray glasses. The level becomes even more of a nuisance with Bart needing to go into stores to buy items without any in-game prompts and use these items in unexplained ways that are necessary for progressing. Add in the tough as nails skateboarding section at the second part of the level and it's enough to make sure gamers will never lay a finger on this game again.

For those who chose Bulbasaur or Squirtle as their starter Pokémon, the Pewter City Gym leader was probably pretty easy to handle given enough training beforehand. Unfortunately for Pokémon Yellow players, given that Pikachu is the only starter available, and the fact that electric types are weak against rock types, well... get ready for a challenge. This isn't like the anime where everyone's favourite electric mouse can somehow power through opponents using willpower. While there are other Pokémon that can be captured to battle in Pikachu's place, the power of Brock's Geodude and Onix may still make you rethink that whole “catch them all” / “Pokémon Master” thing.

Fans of the Souls series are used to its quirks by now. This was not always the case and the infamous 1-1 was a true education for players. Most will be caught off guard fighting these enemies and trying to avoid traps. It is not uncommon for players to spend days replaying the level either due to dying and starting over from the beginning or to farm items to make the character stronger. By being so unforgiving, 1-1 prepared players for the madness that was to come, if they beat the level that is.

#2: The Rings - "Superman" (1999)

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In an effort to save his friends from Lex Luthor, Superman enters this virtual reality world. It is here where the Man of Steel must first pass a frustrating ring maze. There is very little room for error should Superman miss too many rings or run out of time, forcing him to start the “maze” all over again. If you do manage to clear the rings, there’s a second challenge in the level, which involves… preventing a series of car crashes? Fail the second challenge, and it's back to the first set of rings again. Forget Kryptonite and magic, these flying hoops are Superman's real weakness.

We've talked about this level a lot. Don't get us wrong, the original Drivers is a decent game, but this bears repeating. The "tutorial” don’t teach players anything. They are given a time limit to complete the manoeuvres on the list through trial and error. Should time run out or you make too many mistakes and ding up the car, the level resets. Many gamers have never seen beyond this dank parking garage. What good is being the wheelman when the game stalls at the starting line?