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.
The best games in the platforming genre are known for creative levels and puzzles, fun abilities, and precise controls.
Some are also known for frustratingly difficult sections, making the average player tear their hair out in a rage. This list is a homage to those sequences, and many now decorate the halls of gaming history.
Are you skilled enough to beat them all?
10 Cuphead
Rugged Ridge
Cuphead is most well-known for its boss rush gameplay and iconic, gorgeous art style.
Fewer players talk about the Run & Gun stages, and oh boy, there are some rough ones. Rugged Ridge, in particular, throws a deadly mix of obstacles your way. There are nonstop pitfalls and dozens of enemies to avoid.
You even have to battle on scales that slowly sink if you stand still for too long, which is a massive problem when you’re trying to avoid projectiles. The stage is a relentless gauntlet where you never know where to look and can’t even trust the ground beneath your feet. There’s even a sequence at the end where you’re chased through a castle.
Cuphead is so enjoyable because the difficulty always feels firm but fair. That’s certainly the case with Rugged Ridge, but it’s arguably the toughest Run & Gun in the game.
9 Crash Bandicoot
Stormy Ascent
I’m a massive fan of Crash Bandicoot, so naturally, the discovery of a level deemed too tough for public consumption piqued my interest.
If you’ve beaten Crash Bandicoot, you were no doubt humbled by Slippery Climb, a sly level built on the walls of a castle where they seem to have forgotten checkpoints exist. Stormy Ascent shares the same aesthetics but is far more complex in every way.
The original stage was never finished, although that changed with the N.Sane Trilogy. The developers patched up Stormy Ascent and released it for free as a bonus level.
After beating it, I can absolutely see why it never made it into the original release, as it’s easily the toughest level in the collection.
8 Rayman
Candy Château
Rayman on the PlayStation is infamous for its difficulty despite looking like a kid-friendly platformer. The final area of the game is a gorgeous locale full of sweets and cakes, and the saddest part is that barely anyone makes it this far because they run out of lives.
Many levels in Rayman could make this list, but one section in Candy Château literally breaks the rules.
Mister Dark creates a Rayman doppelgänger that chases you and copies your every move. It doesn’t sound like a huge threat, but you’re forced to backtrack into its path multiple times.
The platforming would be demanding on its own, but if you touch the doppelgänger even once, you instantly die. It’s a devious curveball you’ll never see coming, and if you somehow escape, you’re subjected to more shenanigans in the following area, including reversed controls.
7 Celeste
Farewell
Celeste is a beloved platformer thanks to its precise controls and creative-level design. If you’re ready to stretch those jumping skills to the limit, let me introduce Chapter 9.
Farewell is easily the most taxing area in the base game, and it relentlessly tests everything you’ve learned thus far. Most jump puzzles require perfect timing and execution, and it’s common to rack up hundreds of deaths while you learn the ropes.
The Chapter is also pretty long, and it can feel like a neverending task when every room demands your undivided attention.
On a positive note, if you can beat Farewell, you can do anything in Celeste and are absolutely ready for the B-side levels and anything in between.
6 Jump King
Underburg
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Key Information |
Details |
|---|---|
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Developer |
Nexile |
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Platform |
All |
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Release Date |
May 2019 |
I could make a case for almost any section of Jump King to make it onto this list. For the uninitiated, Jump King is a brutal vertical platformer where you scale a gauntlet of devious areas to reach the “Smoking Hot Babe” at the end.
The issue is that you can’t walk and are forced to jump everywhere. The longer you hold the jump key, the further you go, but one mistake will usually send you back a long way.
Underburg is part of the New Game Plus mode and is particularly challenging because the wind adds a timing element to the mix. There is wind in the base game, but it’s child’s play compared to this NG+ variant.
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.
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5 Jazz Jackrabbit
Orbitus
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Key Information |
Details |
|---|---|
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Developer |
Epic Mega Games |
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Platform |
Windows/DOS |
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Release Date |
August 1994 |
We’re going back in time for this entry to look at a game Epic made long before they created Fortnite.
Jazz Jackrabbit is a fast-paced 2D platformer where you play as a green rabbit with a gun. It’s ridiculous, but the soundtrack slaps, and the stage designs still hold up.
This retro classic makes the list because there’s a jump in the Orbitus stage, which is “almost” impossible. The area is made of bouncy walls, and there’s a tiny shelf you must land on to progress. Unfortunately, the trajectory to hit the platform requires a pixel-perfect jump, which is so precise that it’s absolutely unreasonable.
Most players only beat this level by cheating to enable a Hoverboard or slowing the game down. As proven by this video by vault012, it is possible to complete it legitimately, but this is old-school difficulty at its finest.
4 Battletoads
Wind Tunnel
- Released
- June 1, 1991
- Developer
- Publisher
- Tradewest, Masaya, Sega, Mindscape
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
- Engine
- Unity
- ESRB
- e
- How Long To Beat
The Wind Tunnel area in Battletoads is legendary in the NES library, and that’s no mean feat considering how many demanding titles it contends with.
Battletoads is an obnoxiously tricky 2D platformer with a Hoverbike section that airs on the brink of insanity. You’re constantly hurtling to the right and must navigate multiple hazards with a fraction of a second to react.
As you may expect, you can lose a ton of progress from a simple mistake, and your speed constantly changes, forcing micro-timing adjustments.
If you want to beat this section, you must have the reflexes of an F1 racer or memorize the hazards.
3 Spelunky 2
Cosmic Ocean
I feel a bit cheeky talking about Spelunky 2, as it’s a Roguelike with procedurally generated levels. That said, the Cosmic Ocean is in a league of its own, and most players will never reach it, let alone beat it!
For starters, the Cosmic Ocean is locked behind an alternative route through the game with multiple obscure objectives and bosses. If you somehow manage to reach the area, you must beat 99 levels of twisted tilesets resembling previous stages.
Each level in the Cosmic Ocean holds several orbs, which you must find to open the exit. The moment you grab the last one, you’re chased by a space jellyfish that will kill you in a single hit.
It’s a tough area, and surviving 99 levels here is an endurance marathon. There are no checkpoints, and it’s do or die. Spelunky 2 has a reputation to keep, after all!
2 Mega Man
Wily Stage 1
The Wily stages in Mega Man games are a massive knowledge check, as you’re forced to use multiple abilities you could ignore until now.
Wily Stage 1 is a lengthy level full of tough enemies and deadly spike pits.
You require mastery of Mega Man’s entire arsenal, and cheeky strategies like manipulating item spawns feel mandatory.
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’re strong enough to beat the platforming section of Wily 1, you can tackle the Yellow Devil boss, one of the most dangerous and iconic in the entire series.
1 Ninja Gaiden
6-2
- Released
- 1989-03-00
- Engine
- DOAX2
- ESRB
- m
Ninja Gaiden on the NES is an undisputed classic hack-and-slash with legendary difficulty.
You could shove most Ninja Gaiden stages here, but I’m going with 6-2. Level 6-2 throws a relentless barrage of enemies your way, which never subsides.
Many enemies throw projectiles, and you’re forced to take hits unless you know what’s coming. Ryu can take a few hits, but it hardly matters, thanks to the knockback effect.
The issue is that Ryu flinches when he gets hit, which usually results in him falling into the abyss. Enemies also respawn off-screen, so you can’t slowly stroll and take your time.
Oh, and there’s a two-stage boss battle to worry about if you somehow reach the end of the level. 6-2 may not have a catchy name, but it’s a culmination of the most formidable challenges Ninja Gaiden has to offer.
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