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9th Aug '12 7:00:45 AM Lightflame

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18th Nov '11 8:19:41 PM Angeldeb82

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Renamed some tropes.

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5th Nov '11 3:46:35 AM TsundeRay

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Difficulty is not necessarily inversely proportional to fun factor.

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22nd Aug '11 6:10:35 PM OldManHoOh

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''Examples:''

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: AceCombat Series]]
* Several levels from the ''AceCombat'' series, for example, The Liberation of Gracemeria from ''Ace Combat 6'', taking back your capital city, with all your pilot, tank and navy buddies, all while the * BEST* track plays in the background? Heck yes.
** Weapons Of Mass Destruction. The level starts with you and your wingman flying through a valley to avoid radar detection, taking out all the enemy outposts to prevent alerts from being sent out. You get to the enemy convoy, dispose of it, and receive orders to exit the combat area. As you attempt to escape, more and more planes appear from your rear to try and take you out, and you keep trying to outrun them to make it to the zone line... Which abruptly vanishes as a literal fleet of planes materialize in front of you, cutting off your escape. The next few minutes are spent futilely dodging missiles from no less than fifty enemy planes, unable to lock on to any one of them long enough to get a shot off due to the unending missile barrage. Finally, when the situation seems hopeless, ''every damn plane'' you have ever worked with over the entire game shows up in a BigDamnHeroes moment, your ally command bar fills to the max, and the biggest and most epic free for all dogfight ever witnessed in Ace Combat history commences.
*** Made even more awesome when you consider that for the entirety of the game, the battlefield is so immense, it's split into several simultaneous missions, which your allies are capable of completing on their own should you be preoccupied elsewhere. This mission just serves to remind you that while you are still a fantastic ace, you aren't a OneManArmy that can finish the war by yourself, unlike the previous games. Doubles as a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming at the moment your allies show up.
** There's also "Megalith" from ''04'' -- you are the Ace of Aces, to the point that [[spoiler:you have a squadron for the first time in the game, it's named after you, and they ''all'' bear the emblem that the Erusean military and [[DegradedBoss the last incarnation of Yellow Squadron]] fears]].
*** "You're not gonna believe this, Jean-Louis! ALL of them have ribbon insignias!"
*** I distinctly remember being moved to tears at, after a long, wingman-less war, "All Mobius craft, follow Mobius One!"
***** All to [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Megalith - Agnus Dei]].
**** Made all the more sad if you choose to abandon them mid battle and the entire sqadron is decimated.
***** S-ranking this mission requires a points threshold that can only be met by defeating Mobius Squadron's enemies, so it's incentive for the player to help them out.
*** And "Emancipation" was great, too, fighting to liberate a historic city as civilian radio reports on how your efforts are going.
*** "[[TitleDrop Shattered Skies]]" too. It's purely air-to-air, not a ground target to pickle in sight, and a seemingly endless number of Erusean birds in the air. Simply delightful.
**** Before "Weapons of Mass Destruction," it was the biggest of the ''Ace Combat'' "furballs."
** Ace Combat Zero's final level also deserves mention. After playing up the King Arthur motif the whole game (including many battles against other "Knights" of the sky over an area known as the "Round Table"), you have two former comrades fighting the aerial equivalent of a knightly joust over a dam called "Avalon". While epic music plays in the background and the countdown to the end of the world is ticking down. Epic!
*** Zero also has "Mayhem". You've returned from a mission to destroy [[BeamOWar Excalibur]] when a massive air brawl breaks out over the Round Table. Think of it as "Shattered Skies" with even better music.
** Alect Squadron and Operation X for ''X: Skies of Deception''. The former is a massive air-to-air [[TheWarSequence War Sequence]] to bring down the titular ace squadron before they get their mitts on the Fenrir superfighters, while the latter lets you finally go up against the AC-original fighters and kick the asses of a few [[GameBreaker ADF-01F]] [[FrickinLaserBeams Falkens]]. The rockin' BGM helps so much.
* The final three missions, ''Sea of Chaos'', ''Aces'', and ''The Unsung War'' of ''Ace Combat 5''. Convincing half an enemy fleet to defect to your side? Check. Defending your newfound allies against their countrymen and yours in a massive naval battle? Check. Going in for an assault, only to have the first squadrons, from both sides, that come to intercept you decide to join you? Check. Tense aerial battle? Check. One of the longest tunnel sequences in the game? Tricky, but check[[hottip:*:the traditional tunnel sequence method of "SLOOOOOOW...doooown" risks the TheMole catching up enough closing to missile lock range; fortunately this tunnel is more straightforward than most others in the series]]. Escaping the tunnel while TheMole chases after you? Check. Finally getting to take out the evil bastards behind this war in an epic dogfight? Check. Sappy, heartwarming dialogue from your wingmen if you beat the villains fast enough? Check. Destroying a KillSat as it falls, while CrowningMusicOfAwesome plays? Check.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Aladdin]]
* The level in the ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' game for Sega Genesis that took place inside Genie's lamp. Good music, no enemies, and lots of stuff to bounce around on.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Alan Wake]]
* Near the end of "Episode 4" of AlanWake, Alan fights off wave after wave of the [[TheHeartless Taken]] on a heavy metal stage belonging to a pair of BadassGrandpa rockers. The stage area is loaded with ammo and a much-improved version of the flashlight, as well as blasting out a heavy metal song while [[PluckyComicRelief Barry]] works the pyrotechnics.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Another Century's Episode]]
* Mission 15 of ''Another Century's Episode 3''. MacrossPlus has this really nice climactic scene involving the original Macross being hacked by an AI that happens to be a virtual pop idol. Okay, now take that sequence, add Yoko Kanno's incredible song "Information High" from the OVA, have Roy Fokker alive and well leading a strike on the ship he once died to protect, throw in a dash of ACE 3 original story after a pair of BigDamnHeroes moments from the Nadesico C and your main enemies from the game, upgrade the protagonist's original unit to the high-speed model just before the stage, and top it all off with TheReveal of your main rival's formerly masked face, and you get a panultimate example of how crossovers sometimes just ''work''.
** It's made by Banpresto, the dudes responsible for SuperRobotWars, ''of course'' the crossover works.
*** From ''ACE 2'', there is the final stretch (three separate stages played back-to-back in Story Mode), which recreates the final battle of the original ''{{Macross}}''. Countless hordes of Zentraedi mecha and ships attempting to ZergRush you, only for your entire team to fight back, with each of the playable heroes having dialog in the background of the battle. Then you break into Boddole Zer's flagship, perform a Trench Run through its corridors, and blast him as he recoils in terror from your Protocultre. Oh, and "Do You Remember Love?" plays over the entire sequence.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ape Escape]]
* All three of the "boss" levels in ''ApeEscape''. Crumbling Castle: a huge, dilapidated medieval castle with dungeons, enormous vaulted ceilings, secret passages, and a cool boss fight at the end. TV Tower: You get to drive a tank and blow up stuff, and the end boss fight is awesome. And finally, the VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, Monkey Madness, split into two huge areas: A CircusOfFear complete with mine cart roller coaster and a fight against your RivalTurnedEvil in an armored go kart, and the Big Bad's giant floating Space Castle, which manages to be both NintendoHard and ridiculously fun. Even better, Crumbling Castle and the final part of Monkey Madness [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXIbMBdESi4&feature=channel_page come]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eWV6Uvp5HU&feature=channel with]] CrowningMusicOfAwesome.
** Tomoki Tower in ''3''. First, a trek through a futuristic cityscape, then you enter a giant, golden statue of TheDragon which serves as his base of operations. As you climb, you have to figure out puzzles using your gadgets. And at the end, you face off with TheDragon in a MiniMecha battle! (His has a 'fro just like he does!) Did I mention it comes after you get the coolest transformation in the game?
** Also, the kung-fu level (I forget the name), the western level, and my favorite, the level where you run across planes that are floating real close to each other. Then you enter a huge airship and ''ride a TANK'' through it! Best level ever!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Armored Core]]
* ArmoredCore 4 has "Breaking the White Lance" and "Marche au Supplice". The first has you piloting your AC through a vertible hail of missile fire lauched from an entire flottilla of ships to destroy the headquarters of one of the corporations controlling the entire world, made all the more awesome by the sunset in the distance. The second, aptly translating from French as "March to Torment", has you dueling four top flight enemy [=ACs=] in a ruined city solo when you play it on hard mode. It's an adrenaline-pumping high speed mech duel to make any anime fight scene pale in comparison, with absolute failure kept at bay only by your reflexes and intuition. If you somehow don't feel awesome from smoking the four best opponents the game will ever throw at you at once, they hand you a pair of angel wings that double as laser cannons for beating it. If that isn't cool, I don't know what is.
** For Answer's first real boss, the Spirit of Motherwill. that thing is what you think of when someone says "Arms fort".
** "[[VideoGameCrueltyPotential Destroy Cradle 03]]" in For Answer. To describe the mission: You side with a CompleteMonster, and cross the MoralEventHorizon-- and destroy 5 rather helpless flying cities. Unfortunately, this sends you straight to the ScrappyLevel afterwards.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Assassins Creed]]
* The final two levels in ''AssassinsCreed'' are pretty awesome. First you hack your way through the Lionhearts, Saracens, AND the Templars, then [[spoiler:You murder your way through the entire ASSASSIN'S VILLAGE. ALONE.]]
** In ''[[AssassinsCreedII Assassin[='=]s Creed II]]'', the assassination mission "Town Crier" puts you in the Tuscan town of San Gimignano which is filled with towers. Your target is on top of the tallest tower, with archers posted around lower towers. You need to climb up each tower and yank the archers over the edge before dueling your target on a platform basically ten feet square and two hundred feet in the air. Have fun.
*** Or if you're like one guy, sneak up on him and poison the hapless target... or simply grab him and chuck him off of the platform.
** And the final level of the game. [[spoiler:Infiltrate the Vatican, ride a horse along a wall and cut down any guards stupid enough to get in your way, attack the Pope from the sky and proceed to have an epic fight with ''da freakin' pope'' with clones created by the Piece of Eden's illusion while he fights using another piece of Eden -- the Papal Staff -- then HAVE A FUCKING FISTFIGHT WITH THE MOTHERFUCKING POPE.]] This is undoubtedly awesome.
** The mission wherein you use Leonardo da Vinci's Flying Machine.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Atelier series]]
* [[AtelierIrisEternalMana Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana]] has some absolutely gorgeous locations, but by far the most epic is [[spoiler: Iris']] Atelier and library. Some downright nasty enemies, beautiful music, the ability to FINALLY pick up Eital the Light Mana, a bossfight that requires intimate knowledge of your character's abilities to defeat, and some downright heartbreaking character development. In the space of maybe an hour if you take your time gathering mana.
** The Flawless Marvel, a gorgeous pyramid of pure marble containing Aion the Life Mana, some surprisingly tricky puzzles, more of the beautiful music that marks the vast majority of the game... and That One Smegging Boss. Beating said boss is a Crowning Moment all on it's own.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Avernum]]
* The Howling Depths in ''{{Avernum}} V''. After you've completed the quests for the residents of the latest town and depart, they reveal that the BigBad has extorted their cooperation in killing you, an endless stream of bandit {{Mooks}} pours out of the caverns behind you, and you fight an awesome running battle through the entire length of a huge cave. It really captures the overall tone of the game, that you're playing as soldiers deep in hostile territory, and everybody wants to kill you.
** ''G.U.'' has the climatic attack to Moon Tree's headquarters in Vol. 2. It makes you forget that the characters are just playing an MMO, just because of how awesome it is.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Backyard Sports]]
* ''[[BackyardSports Backyard Skateboarding]]''. [[SouvenirLand Shark Belly Shores]]. The Kooky Kraken.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Baldur's Gate]]
* It really is quite impressive how many cool segments BaldursGate has. The assualt on the Vampire Lair, Firkraag's Dungeon, and the most impressive of them all... Watcher's Keep itself. (That dungeon is larger than some games!) The Shadow Dungeon is atmospheric, nasty and contains an awesome optional boss.
** The Elven city was pretty epic too.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Banjo-Kazooie]]
* {{Banjo-Kazooie}} Click Clock Wood. Coming right after the {{Scrappy Level}} from hell that is Rusty Bucket Bay, this tricky but satisfying level that cleverly uses the 4 seasons is made of awesome.
** Witchyworld, Terrydactyland, Hailfire Peaks ''and'' Cloud Cuckooland in Banjo-Tooie.
** Jolly Roger's Lagoon in Tooie as well. Such a beautifully designed level; an above water section with a charming town, with some very funny residents and an underwater level that lets you explore Atlantis! Almost let down by an irritating boss, but a masterclass in doing underwater levels.
*** It also avoids one of the most hated aspects of [[DownTheDrain underwater levels]] by removing the OxygenMeter and letting you swim for as long as you want.
*** And the submarine transformation, which is awesome incarnate.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Baten Kaitos]]
* ''BatenKaitos Origins''' Vega. It starts with the Heart-to-Heart scene, which is a true SugarWiki/CrowningMomentOfAwesome for storytelling; equal parts TearJerker, CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming, PlayerPunch, and WhamEpisode all in one, and ends with you getting your [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity Plus One Finisher]]. The rest of the level is you tearing the enemies to shreds with it, all the way up until the boss of the place, [[spoiler: Shanath]], who's on the BestBossEver page for a reason. And then there's the music. ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz-jFRuvA2o&fmt=18 Le Ali Del Principio]]'' (a.k.a. Motoi Sakuraba's single best work ever, which is saying a LOT) in the Heart-to-Heart scene, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbqSFEtZtDE&fmt=18 this song]] used after said scene, and when you get the finisher...and then there's the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKPxXRbYl6s&fmt=18 boss music]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Batman Arkham Asylum]]
* Every Scarecrow confrontation in ''BatmanArkhamAsylum''. [[spoiler:Especially the last one, when he pulls a masterful FissionMailed gambit on ''you'', the player. "Use the middle stick to dodge Joker's bullet"? Wow.]]
** The return trip to Intensive Treatment, where the gargoyles are rigged to explode when you climb over them. This comes after you've done a few rooms with gargoyles, and by this point using them has become routine, so being forced ''not'' to use them makes for a good challenge.
** For sheer fun, the [[spoiler:welcoming party before the Joker's arena]] is just plain awesome. No KnifeNut inmates, no lunatic patients, no StunGuns, no firearms. Just a truckload of mooks and The Bat. Start kicking ass, and watch your combo counter struggle to keep up with your awesomeness until you are a blur of kevlar and hate, flying across the room like a superball bent on revenge. Then, you leave the room, emotionless as ever. You're badass. You're ''Batman.''
** The Totally Insane DLC Challenge Map. Where You fight a literally endless supply of mooks. The combo multiplier begins to imitate the energizer bunny and keeps on going...and going.... and going.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:beatmania]]
* The [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_guQ3HJ-TGU video]] to the ''{{beatmania}} IIDX'' song "Tranoid" starts off [[{{Retraux}} looking like the attract demo to an old NES game]]. And then, we see the "game" in action: Tran ''running through the [[http://www1.ocn.ne.jp/~hibroad/score/14/tranoid.html?1N500 Normal chart]] for the song.'' Some players, for a lulz-y SelfImposedChallenge, play the song on Normal, and, at the speedup, play the rest of the song by the video.
** The song "Scripted Connection" is divided up into three parts. When it first debuted in the arcade version of ''Happy Sky'', the Normal version of the song was the beginning of it, the Hyper version was the middle, and the Another version was the end; put all three of them together and you have a full five-and-a-half song. The [=PS2=] version of ''Happy Sky'' has a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCEL__H9678 "Long Mix"]] of the song, which is basically IIDX's [[GuitarHero Free Bird]], for an epic single-song experiencce.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Beyond Good and Evil]]
* The roof-running sequence from ''BeyondGoodAndEvil''.
** The entire end of Beyond Good and Evil was absolutely amazing. The sequence of fights leading up to the climactic multi-tired final boss battle contained large amounts of awesome.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:BioShock]]
* ''BioShock'': "An Evening With Sander Cohen".
** ''BioShock 2'', "Bring Your Daughter to Work Day."
** And meeting Andrew Ryan. And bringing an end to [[spoiler: Atlas/Fontaine]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Blood]]
* ''{{Blood}} II'' in most cases isn't as good a game as the original was. However, there's one level in the game that I love more than any other in the series. Why? In the middle of dealing with fanatical employees of a [[ReligionOfEvil cult]]-turned-MegaCorp or {{Eldritch Abomination}}s from AnotherDimension, there's one level where all combat is dropped in lieu of getting to take a boat through a fully-working canal lock.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Braid]]
* The whole of World 4 in ''Braid'', which has you manipulating time by [[spoiler: simply walking forward or backward]], making for some really tricky puzzles.
** Then there's the final level: World 1, Level 1. You and the princess help each other as she tries to escape from a knight, she opening doors and disarming traps for you as you run from a [[AdvancingWallOfDoom giant wall of fire]]. You reach the end. Everything changes. [[TheReveal And]] [[TomatoInTheMirror then...]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Brütal Legend]]
* BrutalLegend has your first encounter with [[BigBad Doviculus.]] First, [[spoiler: he casually kills the RebelLeader.]] Then, while Eddie's all ready for vengence, Doviculus just [[FingerPokeOfDoom snaps his fingers]] and giant coffins containing unstoppable, nightmarish monstrosities fall from the heavens and begin ripping apart the majestic city you just saved. What follows is a driving mission as you try to escape the collapsing city to fight another day, driving and smashing your way through buildings, towers, demons, and a giant statue's crotch. And all of this is set to [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Through The Fire and Flippin' Flames.]] Best FinalBossPreview '''ever!'''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Burnout]]
* [[CarFu Road Rage]] on I-88 in ''{{Burnout}} Paradise''. Insanely fast, it loops (so you don't have to worry about sudden dead ends), intense combat... grab your Aggression car of choice and get out there.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth]]
* The hotel escape level in CallOfCthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth. After a few establishing hours of realistic (no HUD, no medikits, not even any weapons at this point) gameplay, you find yourself delayed in the small town of [[TownWithADarkSecret Innsmouth]] by a broken-down bus. You investigate the town and find the locals distinctly unhelpful and somewhat sinister. With no leads panning out, you retire to a hotel room to wait for the bus to be repaired. You sleep poorly, plagued by disturbing dreams. And in the dead of the night, the townspeople come for you.
** With no way to defend yourself, you have to run away and close every door behind you, lock them, and push tables in front of them if possible. All while your pursuers are running after you, breaking doors down. If you forget to lock a door, they'll break through it faster than you can get into the next room and hack you to pieces.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:CallOfDuty]]
* The ''Death From Above'' level in ''CallOfDuty 4''. Not because it's difficult, but in a game where you are always outnumbered and outgunned, having one level where you get to rain death on hapless bad guys and the difficulty lies in choosing whether to cut them in half with a minigun or blow them into chunky salsa with a howitzer makes a nice break.
** "Alright, you got the guy. That might've been within two feet of him."
** Also, the level ''Heat.'' It opens up with one of the most badass ambushes ever, followed by the SAS gradually falling back in the face a tremendous push by what feels like half the Ultranationalist army, with the Brits alternately using mines, [=RPGs=], a Javelin, and even a salvaged ''[[GatlingGood minigun]]'' to delay the Ultranationalists all the way to the top of the hill....and then they find out their pickup is going to have to land at the ''bottom'' of the hill ''that you[='=]d just conceded to the enemy''. Cue a mad dash supported by United States Marine Corps Harriers dropping cluster bombs left, right, and center while the SAS charge down the hill, fighting off dozens of Ultranationalist rebels coming at them from every direction. ''Pure'' adrenaline.
*** All Ghillied Up; a SniperMission in Chernobyl that manages to portray the atmosphere of the location excellently, and a great feeling of infiltration.
**** What really does it is the sequence where you're crawling in the tall grass in a large field past a regiment of Russians and ''three'' tanks, and you can ''feel'' the ground shake beneath you as they roll past, completely unaware of your presence. Nothing else in the game is anywhere near as intense, and this is all done without firing a single shot.
**** The two Lt. Price levels just scream epic, and this is despite the fact they are not directly related to the plot, just [[WholeEpisodeFlashback flashbacks]] giving the background of the BigBad.
* ''CallOfDuty'': ''World at War'''s final mission with the Russians, where [[spoiler:after fighting through Berlin and into (and through) the Reichstag, heroic music and all, you get to the top and are the man to retrieve the Red flag and plant it. You get shot (for reals), but you've told death to flip off so many times before that it's not enough to stop you from planting the flag after Reznov cuts it down]].
** For that matter, Reznov himself also shines in the same scene, [[spoiler:seizing the Nazi who shot you, brutally goring him with his knife, and throwing him off the roof, leaving you clear to plant the flag]].
* In ''Modern Warfare 2'', the Ranger campaign is definitely a highlight. From "Wolverines!", in which you engage in street-to-street combat while hiding from a tank and defend [[spoiler:the President of the United States (who is unconscious) from invading Russian ultranationalists who are assaulting a ''burger joint'']], to "Of Their Own Accord", in which you see [[spoiler:the devastation of Washington firsthand, assault the Capitol building, protect fleeing civilians from attack, then ''finally'' go on a helicopter ride that sees you taking out ''any and all'' "targets of opportunity"]], to "Second Sun" and, finally, "Whiskey Hotel", in which you [[spoiler:storm the White House grounds with your unit, take out squads and make a mad dash to the roof with 1:30 left to light your flares and stop the military from leveling the city]]. ''[[CrowningMusicOfAwesome All while Hans Zimmer's epic score is blasting in the background]]''. '''Oh hell yes'''.
** In fact, every second level seems to have at least one memorable design element or unique trait. "Loose Ends" has you [[spoiler:fleeing for cover through a Bouncing Betty attack by advancing INTO the ambush, being sieged in Makarov's safehouse (with an arsenal of small arms and claymore mines) as his crew try to stop your computer download attempt, then fleeing through another forest as you're chased by his men firing madly]]. "Just Like Old Times" is you and [[spoiler:Price single-handedly taking on scores of soldiers in an attempt to reach General Shepherd and stop him for good (the rappelling section down the cliff to silently kill the two soldiers is brilliant}]] and "Endgame" is a mad inflatable boat chase down an Afghan river as you take out enemy personnel with your machine pistol and avoid RPG fire and Minigun fire.
** While those levels are all fairly nice, there were two that really stood out. The first is ''The Hornet's Nest'', where you [[spoiler:fall down from the rooftops and have to outrun an angry militia to get to a chopper]]. It's a pretty simple concept, but incredibly tense, especially because of [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome the music]]. The second is the opening to ''The Gulag'', which requires you to snipe high-value targets from a helicopter as you storm a fortress.
*** Note that in the above description, when we speak of [[spoiler:an angry militia]], we're not talking about a few soldiers. We're talking about ''[[spoiler:the entire goddamned militia]]'' trying to kill you, while you have no firearms of your own.
* The final level in ''CallOfDuty'', featuring the Russian attack on the Reichstag. Fighting alongside tank support, sniping machinegun emplacements, with the operatic music and the joyful cries of your comrades pushing you on as you blast through the final Nazi defenses- it's a complete turnaround from the desperation and chaos of the first Russian mission.
** The whole fucking Russian campaign.
** Likewise, the Pegasus Bridge level for the British campaign was incredibly epic. Having to spend the entire level defending the namesake bridge against relentless hordes or German troops with just a small squad of friendlies, and slowly being forced to fall back. Finally, you're running low on ammo, you have nowhere left to retreat to, the Germans keep coming, and then you receive a radio message from your reinforcements that they're almost there. The last few minutes of that mission are just a desperate fight for survival to some of the most epic music the game has to offer.
** For the Americans, it was the mission where you and a few squaddies pile into a tiny French Puegot in an attempt to make contact with friendly forces. In the meantime, literally the entire German army is trying to stop you, and you and your squaddies are desperately firing out the windows and cursing at each other every death defying turn and swerve.
* The Battle of Hill 400 in the second game.
* Pretty much ''every'' level in ''United Offensive''. The American campaign begins with you manning the machine gun on a jeep escaping a ''massive'' German assault in Bastogne, and then defending a valley with a machine gun. Then you run through artillery bombardment to take a town. Then you defend a chateau against an endless wave of German soldiers, including at least six tanks. Then you switch into the POV of a RAF bomber gunner fending off the Luftwaffe on a bombing mission over the Netherlands. Then you are shot down and rescued by the guy that you rescued in the first game, who happens to be leading several Dutch resistance members in blowing up a bridge right when a German train is passing. Said guy recruits you into the [[BadassArmy Special AirService]], and lead you in a commando mission where you sneak into a bunker in Sicily to blow up coastal guns, and then escape with a motorcycle and eventually a German PT boat. And all of this are before the Russian campaign...
* "Vorkuta" in ''[[CallOfDutyBlackOps Black Ops]]''. You start out with only a knife, and join Resnov in leading a prisoner uprising, culminating in you wielding a [[strike:fist of iron]] minigun against the guards. And it's only the ''second level''.
** "SOG" has you on the receiving end of a wonderfully epic NVA human wave assault, the likes of which aren't very often seen throughout the series. You can obliterate them by the dozens with Fougasses mines, but if that's not fun enough for you, [[MoreDakka the game is kind enough to provide you with an M60]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Castlevania series]]
* The intro to ''Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse" opens with a mysterious figure on an altar amidst ruins. Upon shedding his cape, he reveals that he is none other than Trevor Belmont. What follows is a level with possibly the catchiest song in the Castlevania series playing while Trevor navigates the ruins, climbs cathedral steps, and squares off against an evil knight. That's how you make an opening!
* Block 5 from ''Super Castlevania IV''. The thousand-times-larger-than-life feel of the whole thing as you ascend the grassy hills blowing in the wind and traverse the cave that gradually dwindles into the courtyard and finally, finally enter the castle to the unbelievably epic music that changes to the ultra-dramatic riff of the altered between-levels map screen music when you make it just in the nick of time through the door under the tight time limit. It's an indescribable feeling. You just have to play it to understand.
* ''{{Castlevania Portrait of Ruin}}'' 's 13th Street, for one reason: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0ljXRjK9pI Iron Blue Intention]].
** and the Westminster Palace/Abbey inspired backgrounds.
** Or the first stage in Castlevania 3, which has the best NES music ever.
*** 13th Street because it starts with you [[spoiler:STOPPING A TRAIN WITH YOUR BARE HANDS.]]
** Portrait also has Dark Academy, the second version of Forest of Doom, which is this old school style area. Except it is now in a thunderstorm, and the music is dramatic and epic as hell.
* Condemned Tower in Dawn of Sorrow is a peaceful ambient climb up this lost, abandoned and sad feeling tower with not that many enemies, soothing music, and a great atmosphere. Then you fight Gergoth, who completely loses his shit after halfway through the battle and you both fall all the way back down to the bottom.
* In Order of Ecclesia, finally reaching Dracula's Castle in the last half of the game, with Shanoa's {{leitmotif}} playing in the background. This plays in the entrance, and also the library, which is the biggest library you have ever seen, with books all over the shelves, and the entire floors are just covered in paper which is blown away as you walk through it. Then in one area, it links directly to the biggest kitchen ever too, with plenty of mad butchers, hanging meats, and massive stocks of food.
* Clock towers in general are a mix of this and ThatOneLevel. They usually have incredible music, and feature the most challenging platforming in the game, particularly in the {{Metroidvania}} entries.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Cave Story]]
* ''CaveStory'' gives us the [[BonusLevelofHell Sacred Grounds]], a ruined temple area that combines ThatOneLevel, NightmareFuel, CrowningMusicofAwesome and NintendoHard into a hectic jetpack race against the clock. It's memorable even if you never make it to [[spoiler: [[NightmareFuel Ballos]]]]. Though many are partial to the Outer Wall, where your gravity is inexplicably different than everything else's - not to mention the awesome Moonsong music.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Chrono Cross]]
* ''ChronoCross'' : when Lynx is playable, you wander alone through a setting that first looks like an expressionist painting, and then heavily M.C. Escher-inspired illogical landscapes.
** The Dead Sea. Not only do you get to play as the above-mentioned Lynx, but you get to do it in a place frozen in time. You get to see waves standing still, the ruins of a future that was erased from existence, and get a good amount of plot exposition handled in about as straightforward a way as the game will give you. Plus, you top it off by fighting [[ThatOneBoss Miguel]] in a battle set to [[CrowningMusicofAwesome Prisoners of Fate.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Chrono Trigger]]
* Magus's Castle in ''ChronoTrigger'' is the definition of "atmospheric", and culminates in one of the most awesome ClimaxBoss fights in the history of gaming.
** Some would argue that, [[CharacterLevel at that point in the game]], Magus's castle is more satisfying and challenging than the final boss rush!
*** It's also a ShoutOut to Donkey Kong with zigzaggy slopes and Rolling enemies that you have to dodge by climbing on ladders.
** While not at par with Magus' Castle, the [[DiscOneFinalDungeon Undersea Palace]] has all the trappings of a TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon and and culminates with [[spoiler:an OhCrap moment when you suddenly face the BigBad]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:City of Heroes]]
* The Frostfire level in ''CityOfHeroes''. There is a ''half-pipe made of ice''.
** On the same ice note, skiing in the Christmas level. It may be NintendoHard to get the achievements, but you can't deny you slid down that slope for a half an hour once you got there.
** The entire Imperious Task Force in the endgame is one of the most fun, epic and fairly challenging series of missions there is.
** Every mission released since Issue 17 has been ''amazing'', but the best has to be the final stretch of the Warden Story. Heartbreak, humor, and one of the most epic boss fights in the game all rolled into one. And Praetorian Penelope Yin is just adorable.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:CommandAndConquer]]
* ''CommandAndConquer3:'' GDI Campaign Stuttgart: The [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Scrin]] have just royally curbstomped GDI territory; the entire city is falling apart and the GDI presence is decimated. At the start, all you have at your command is [[OneManArmy Lt. Fullerton]], and you're tasked with reorganizing your scattered troops, rebuilding a defense, and kicking some alien ass. 
** Nod Campaign Ayer's Rock: Kane is back, and he's pissed. Starting with four squishy engineers and a [[GiantRobot Fully Upgraded Avatar]], you have to take over a Nod base run by an alleged traitor, then deal with GDI.
* ''RedAlert3:'' Rising Sun Campaign features the levels where you get the giant walker that literally stomps all over the Soviets. Turns every level that features it into a CurbStompBattle. 
* ''RedAlert2: Yuri's Revenge'' expansion features three notable ones for the Soviets, including one where you get to use Tanya and Boris together to beat one of Yuri's bases. 
** Then you get the level on the moon where you get to use jetpack soldiers that carry lasers, and modified tanks on the moon's surface.
** In the final campaign, you face off against mind-controlled Allied and Soviet bases deep in the heart of Trannsylvania, then finish Yuri, who is living in Dracula's Castle.
*** What makes it awesome is that the Dracula's Castle is located on a small cliff with just 2 extits - one guarded by a Soviet, another - by an Allies base. So, it's a 3 vs 1 fight against you with Super-weapons. However, both flanking bases are mind-controlled by a single building, which (be it a programming mistake or not) can be taken out with a single nuke. 2 Nukes later, Yuri is stuck on his tiny cliff with both exits blocked by YOUR bases!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Commander Keen]]
* ''Commander Keen 5''. Blowing up the Armageddon Machine [[spoiler: with the aliens's own mines is tricky, but it feels quite rewarding.]] Plus, the music is Mars, Bringer of War.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Company of Heroes]]
* Company of Heroes has several levels that can be easily considered CMOA. For instance, the FIRST level of the game IS the first 20 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan," right down to "blowing the shit out of the bunkers and killing every last German in the area." Then there is the Mortain two-pack in which you first defend a hill again a seemingly endless wave of German tanks, infantry, and artillery, then take your battered units in the very next level that survived the night and CHARGE the Germans. And then, of course, there is the last level, in which what seems like the entire Wermacht is poised to go through your pitiful little base in a desperate attempt to retreat out of the Falaise pocket. In a game where having just five tanks on a map is enough to pwn anyone and anything in your way, the Germans come at you on this map with endless streams of Tigers, Panthers, Panzer-[=IVs=], and only Hitler knows how many armored cars and halftracks. There is nothing more epic than watching your thin line of American armor and infantry about to get blown over by the grey wave, and then-HOLY SHIT THAT WAS A P-47 WITH ROCKETS.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Condemned]]
* {{Condemned}} 2: Bloodshot has Black Lake Lodge. Overall it's a rather controversial level, as you spend most of it blasting SWAT guys and throwing bombs out of windows in an (extremely creepy) dilapidated hunting lodge. But hardly anyone can deny that the first part of the level is one of (if not the) highlights of the whole game. After an extremely suspensful buildup, you get chased by a huge rabid grizzly bear through a service station. Let me repeat that: ''You get chased by a '''HUGE RABID GRIZZLY BEAR''' through a service station.'' It's terrifying, exhilarating, and awe-inspiring all at once. Hell, it's so cool it almost makes up for the huge increase in goofiness the plot has not too long afterward.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Conker's Bad Fur Day]]
* ''Conker's Bad Fur Day'' features Spooky, a stage where you get turned into a vampire bat and have to hunt down zombies with a shotgun in a faux Dracula's castle, among other things.
** Then there's War! Coming across the Tediz discussing the game over cigarettes, getting a frigging tank and using it to fight a giant mechanical one of the Tediz, who you kill by shooting rockets up his ass, the laserbeams, and even hearding the exploding imps over in the beginning of the level. And of course, Conker, with twin machine guns, and a cigar.
** As soon as you saw the trenchcoats in Heist, you knew this was gonna be fun.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Crimson Skies]]
* The grand finale in ''Crimson Skies''. Basically, you have to stop a weather-control monster Zeppelin from destroying Chicago, by blowing up [[BuffySpeak crackly lightning-orb generator thingies]], while the sky fills up with [[ThoseWackyNazis Die Spinne]] planes. Just grab the controls of your Devastator or Brigand, and get ready to wreak some havoc.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Crysis]]
* Crysis. The harbor infiltration and the large tank battle levels are giganormous, epic and very open in how you accomplish them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Daytona USA]]
* The beginner course in the original version of ''DaytonaUSA 2'' is set in a huge, breathtaking forest dome. Sadly, ''[[UpdatedRerelease Daytona USA 2 Power Edition]]'' substitutes this with a more generic-looking NASCAR-like track.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Deus Ex]]
* The Templar's Chapel Level in DeusEx. The architecture is incredible for a sniper and by this point in time the character's skills, weapons and implants are just badass. Smooth, quiet, and in a weird way, relaxing. Much more enjoyable (although easier) than the levels that followed it.
** Hong Kong from the same game is a sprawling underground with atmospheric loactions, rivaling triads and one of the best merges of storyline and player freedom. [[spoiler:Maggie Chow.]]
** The first mission to Hell's Kitchen, for its sub-quests, sheer amount of {{NPC}}s to talk to, including basement-dwelling {{conspiracy theorist}}s and random bums calling you Masonic passwords, and the feel that there's something ''[[TheConspiracy wrong]]'' with how the things are.
** The [=OceanLab=]. Very haunted house terror.
** The final level in Area 51. For a game that does a fairly good job in giving you enough ammo, health, etc that you are never really deprived but have to play it smart anyway, the idea of an endless mook hoard, especially ones with karkian super-mooks, at the end of a nasty series of levels, is about enough to make you whimper in fear no matter what your playstyle is.
** TheNamelessMod, having a good level design overall, gives us two levels that stand out: The Air Traffic Control Tower (Big level, with a mindblowing number of different ways to complete it, including [[CrazyAwesome crashing a hovercar in the tower to get inside.]] The other is Aunt Betty Industries, an even bigger level that, rarely for a DeusEx-like game, takes place in daylight (With a nice-looking exterior in the valley that surrounds the base), during a war between two different factions, includes some of the most satisfying opportunities to use stealth and and awesome combat setpiece, you really have to use all of your tricks to finish the level.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Devil May Cry]]
* ''[[DevilMayCry Devil May Cry 3]]'' has a short mission ''Hunter and Hunted'', in which the player's health is slowly drained in exchange for unlimited Devil Trigger. The poor {{Mook}}s barely stood a chance before. Each {{mook}} you kill coughs up health restoration.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Diablo]]
* The Hell Levels of ''{{Diablo}}''. The most atmospheric hell ever (if you prefer {{Gorn}} hell over firey hell), and you [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu fight the Devil]] at the end.
** The Bloody Foothills of ''TheLordOfDestruction'' began with a town under siege and its residents hating you. As you progress you rescue Barbarians, repel demon hordes, and destroy catapults as you go, ending it all by destroying the commander of the attack and gaining a socket to place in almost any weapon. No other level throughout the game gave you such a specific goal, or immersed the player so well.
** The Arreat Summit, and, perhaps, the entirety of Act V stands as a crowning level of awesome... even before considering the region's {{crowning music of awesome}}.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Diddy Kong Racing]]
* ''DiddyKongRacing'': Future Fun Land is absolutely made of racing course win, with intricate space-themed courses (often with various things shooting at you) that are also visually impressive (including ShoutOuts to the [[StarWars Death Star trench]] and Disneyworld's Epcot Center) and feature CrowningMusicOfAwesome.
** Also from this game is Boulder Canyon, which turns from a wild hovercraft trip down rapids into a trip through a castle. You enter the castle from a drawbridge, and you can hit a bell at the end which will actually raise the drawbridge, potentially screwing over some of the racers behind you. Mwa ha ha.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dinosaur]]
* The sole River level in the ''{{Dinosaur}}'' GBC game. The last few levels have been gruelling treks through volcanic areas, raptor-infested deserts, and a cave where nearly everything can kill you. The River level, by contrast, is a cheerful level (it is the first time in the game you've found drinking water, after all), with cheerful music (which only plays in one other level). In comparison to the immediately previous levels, it is also refreshingly free of random things coming out of nowhere to kill you, save the very visible mosasaurs.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dinotopia]]
* Now, this might seem a bit less awesome than some of the above, but the Skybax riding level of Dinotopia: The Sunstone Oddessy was pretty darn cool, and easily the best part of the entire game.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Disgaea]]
* The Item World in ''{{Disgaea}}''. Note: creating massive destruction with Geo Symbols is really fun. The fact that you can choose any music to use for the levels is cool, but the music it automatically goes to every 10th level [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome is cooler.]]
** As fun as the Item World is, it has nothing on Chapter 6, the Blair Forest Stages (of which there are 6, making it the first in the game to have more than 4 maps). Here's a list:
*** Stage 1: [[spoiler:You face a massive army of enemies so thick you can only field a couple characters.]]
*** Stage 2: [[spoiler:You face a lone mercenary with an... [[BlatantLies interesting]] VerbalTic.]]
*** Stage 3: [[spoiler:Prinny Baseball. That is all]].
*** Stage 4: [[spoiler:You are attacked by an alternate Overlord. For your first playthrough, it is a hopeless boss fight that your CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass vassals save your rear from when you lose. Is replaced by a single powerful dragon when you play it again.]]
*** Stage 5: [[spoiler:You face some Sentai parodies in a sequence so awesome words don't do it justice (though the fight itself can be quite annoying).]]
*** Stage 6: [[spoiler:Another Midboss fight!]]
*** [[spoiler:I'll take your Prinny Baseball and raise you ''{{Disgaea}}'' 2's Prinny Bowling - tell me there's no satisfaction in tossing 10-Pounder and getting a strike!]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Donkey Kong]]
* "Mine Cart Madness" is one of the best known and most loved levels of ''DonkeyKongCountry''. Of course, ''all'' of DKC's levels are awesome. Especially because of the AwesomeMusic.
* The roller coaster levels in ''DonkeyKongCountry 2''.
** The mine levels are pretty awesome too.
** Any DonkeyKongCountry 2 level with [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Stickerbush Symphony]] as the BGM.
* DonkeyKong64's Hideout Helm qualifies. It's the final dungeon. Your mission is to disarm the superweapon that's been pointing at your island for the entire game. You'll need every single one of your party members (and their special abilities) to do it. [[TimedMission Your main opponent is a timer that ticks down whenever you aren't in the pause menu.]] Disarming it entails completing specific minigames that you can't find anywhere else, including one involving Rambi. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTGvJ8GFzVM And the music is completely appropriate.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Doom]]
* Episode 2 Map 8 of the original ''{{Doom}}'', the infamous first encounter with the Cyberdemon. Enough to scare a newbie's socks off and have them running around in circles like a chicken, and immensely fun to replay time and time again.
** Thanks to the massive amount of [[GameMod content generated by Doom fans]], you can find ''loads'' of amazing levels available for download.
*** ''Deus Vult II'' has been called [[http://www.doomworld.com/15years/best1.php "the best WAD ever made."]] Including levels inspired by ''IndianaJones'' and ''TheMummy'', ''{{Stargate}}'' (sort of), Chuck Norris, Japan, and two levels based on ''LordOfTheRings'' ("Minas Morgul" and "You Shall Not Pass!"), it has some of the most diverse and stunning architecture to be seen in a video game, as well as ludicrously balanced gameplay. The amount of planning and work put into it is truly astonishing; it may truly have ''the'' best level design of any video game.
*** Map 29, "Ticket to Eternity", of the megawad ''Plutonia 2''. A ''huge'' level, with over 500 monsters (at least, on Ultra-Violence) allowing for a few fantastic instances of [[SetAMookToKillAMook monster infighting]], and an utterly nonlinear design allowing you to hunt for the three keys you need to reach the exit individually. Throughout the level, there are also five ''very'' well-hidden alcoves, each containing a hung CommanderKeen, not listed as actual secrets, and neither is [[spoiler:the DevelopersRoom you can reach only after finding all five of them, opening a gate close to the beginning of the level]]. Even exploring the stage with noclip after beating it gives a fantastic feeling, seeing every little nook and cranny that was put in. An absolute CrowningMomentOfAwesome of stage design.
** Also, the Hell levels in ''Doom 3''.
*** The fight against the Maledict in the last level in ''Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil'' was just awesome.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Duke Nukem]]
* DukeNukem 3D's moonbase. In particular, the gigantic domed crater around which you must run like a madman while shooting down the thousand-odd kamikaze drones that swarm out of the ceiling.
** Most of Episode 4 levels too. You get to visit Area 51 and blow up a nuclear powerplant. Every level in the unoffical expansion Duke it out in DC and the Land of Forgotten Toys from Nuclear Winter.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dungeon Siege]]
* The last section of Dungeon Siege III. It takes place in a forest that is on fire [[spoiler: due to Jeyne ressurecting the archons in the form of a meteor shower, and you fight through zombie archons and four-armed Daevas, then throw down with a ''zombie god'']]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dynasty Warriors]]
* ''Dynasty Warriors 6'''s Battle of Hu Lao Gate (Lu Bu's version) for one simple fact: It's [[ThatOneBoss Lu Bu]] (and whoever the player character is if not him) versus almost ''everyone else in the game at once''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Elder Scrolls]]
* {{Oblivion}} has the Dark Brotherhood quest in which you attend a party at which one person is a murderer (you!) To complete it properly, instead of just going mental on everyone you must lure them off one by one to kill them without the others seeing who did it, then slipping seamlessly back into the party to react with shock when told that one of the guests is dead, and swap theories on who the killer might be. For extra awesome points, you can convince one guest that another is the killer, and have them kill each other for your amusement. So much fun.
** Especially when leaving the young, dumb nobleman for last. If you talk to him then he will whimper about how since you and him are the only two left that the killer must be slipping in and out of the manor somehow.
* ''TheElderScrolls3Morrowind''. The moment you step out of the Census and Excise into Seyda Neen and look around. As you explore the little village and realize that pretty much everyone you see has a house within the town or at least to place a sleep. Quests that bring you back to the town from later in the game can be staggering when you realize that no, that little self-contained village is ''not'' self-contained, and those characters have histories that make them part of the larger world.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Empire Earth]]
* ''EmpireEarth'', the first game had many major historical battles to fight, but certainly Waterloo takes the gold. You have to make do with a scant few units, trying to hold back Napoleon's forces from taking your castle or flanking you and heading for the city, while desparately praying that the Prussians manage to reach the battlefield before it's too late. You also get the chance to carry out operation Sea Lion (the planned but never executed German invasion of England), which normally starts out with a Blitz of massive proportions. This time around, however, there's little the RAF can do to stop Buckingham Palace from being reduced to rubble.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fable]]
* ''{{Fable}}'', the arena level, to which the rest of the game pales in comparison for the sheer staggering scale of combat brought to bear.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:FalloutSeries]]
* The last mission of {{Fallout}} 3 has the player [[spoiler:escorting a [[HumongousMecha Giant Robot]], that fires death rays out of its visor and throws Fat-man like tactical nukes the size of friggin cars like footballs while spewing anti-communist propaganda as it blows helicopters out of the sky, to retake the Jefferson memorial. Oh, and did I mention that, as long as you [[KarmaMeter aren't evil]], you'll likely be escorted yourself by a super-mutant armed with a LASER MINIGUN!?!]] HOLY CRAP!
** One of Prime's lines upon encountering your first laser fence sums up why this sequence is awesome. "PROBABILITY OF MISSION HINDRANCE: ''ZERO PERCENT!''"
*** You can muck around with the terminal connected to Liberty Prime earlier in the game - one of the options is [[{{Foreshadowing}} a test of its voice systems.]] "PROBABILITY OF COMMUNIST CHINESE VICTORY... ''ZERO PERCENT.''"
*** In the revamped awesome ending of Broken Steel, [[spoiler: you're in an abandoned air field, with a kick ass Tesla Cannon blowing crap up. If you've been hoarding a lot of ammo throughout your travels, specifically the ammo that powers the Tesla cannon, you can essentially go through this section firing off shot after shot and disintegrating Enclaves soldiers en masse. Sure, no robots helping you out, but at least this time you're effectively leading the assault. But it get better after you scramble inside the Enclave's mobile home base. Lots of Enclave soldiers in here and and if you're high level its pretty much a gore fest. When you get to the mainframe, if you have the Robotics Expert Perk, you can pretty much turn the Enclave Robots on their masters and have them help you take the base. Then, at the end of it all, as long as you're playing good, you can essentially drop the Enclave's own bombs on their base and watch the thing explode with Sarah Lyons from a safe distance. After what they did to Liberty Prime, its a fitting punishment for the bastards and makes one want to say "That was for Prime."]] Of course in the traditional game one can't leave out the cool gun fight you can start up in Paradise Falls against the slavers. Its very visceral and since everybody is armed with some powerful weapons it makes for an exciting fight. There is, of course, an added bonus though if you head into the fight using Lincoln's Repeater to blast them all away. Consider it your very own Emancipation Proclamation.
* The entire Operation: Anchorage simulation. Best quest in the game by far, right in front of "Take it Back!"
* Escape from Raven Rock. Holy shit, Escape from Raven Rock. Explanation: If yer Speech is good enough, you can convince Pres. Eden to self-destruct with a bit of logic. As he does this, he offers robotic companions to aid you in escaping from his base, Raven Rock. So. You're running like hell out of a highly advanced military base, with Sentry Bots firing missiles at Tesla Armored Enclave Soldiers while you're running about with hopefully a very big gun at this point, totally eradicating everything in your path. Awesome.
* Fallout 1's [[StormingTheCastle assaults on either the Cathedral or the Military Base]] if you opt for the guns blazing method are pure awesome.
* The Sacred Bog of Point Lookout. The freaky hallucinations after you start tripping balls off punga seeds are both morbidly hilarious and HighOctaneNightmareFuel.
* Fallout Tactics. Non-canon, and all the bad things that bad people say about it, but there's one mission that stands out - Mardin. You are tasked to deliver a Humvee with food and medicine to the next Brotherhood outpost. Duh. Why you are tasked with such errand? Soldiers before you were ambushed in the Mardin city, you have to assist them. When you arrive...only one soldier is alive. He hands you the car keys and runs away. Why? The WHOLE city is dying because of starvation, then they see a car filled with food - guess what happens? THE WHOLE FRIGGIN' CITY WANTS YOU DEAD. You are not shooting bandits - you're shooting FAMISHED people who are doing it for their survival. Most of them are civilians, who don't know how to use firearms, so most of the time you just run over people rushing to the car with their bare hands. Kids throw rocks and grenades at you. The level is awesomely designed, you have an armored vehicle, and a CITY full of desperate people to kill. You feel awesome...but they just want help. You kill them. Awesome. You got to try if you have the chance, you'll see. Too bad the rest of the game is not so good.
* FalloutNewVegas's final battle. Holy crap. Whoever you're fighting with, it's awesome.
* ''Et Tumor, Brute?'' from FalloutNewVegas. Put simply, you get to display your awesome Medicine skills by operating on Caesar himself's ''freaking'' brain tumour!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:FinalFantasySeries]]
* Many of the boss-party fights in ''FinalFantasyTactics'', especially with that '''[[CrowningMusicOfAwesome kicking]]''' soundtrack. Assuming they weren't ThatOneLevel, ironically.
* The Magitek Research Facility in ''FinalFantasyVI'', featuring one of the best music tracks in the game, several intense boss fights and, finally, a frantic mine cart chase.
** Or, of course, the Opera, perhaps the most perfect blend of story-telling and gameplay in an RPG.
** What about the Phantom Train? The music here is one of the best as well, and culminates with perhaps ''the'' biggest example of CrazyAwesome. Sabin can ''[[{{Badass}} suplex a friggin' train]]!''
* In ''FinalFantasyVII'', the whole [[StormingTheCastle Shinra tower level]]. You get to raid the enemy HQ, fighting through the security floor by floor [[LeeroyJenkins (assuming you chose not to sneak in)]], pick up a crapload of new useful weapons and materia as well as Red XIII, and you get to see Red XIII maul Hojo and then fight one of Hojo's monsters in the first of 4 awesome boss fights. On the way out, you're captured by the Turks and locked up. Everyone talks for a bit then falls asleep. When you wake up, the door is unlocked and you find everyone in the place has been slaughtered. You follow a blood trail to the top floor in one of the creepiest bits of the game. When you reach the top, you find the Shinra president impaled on Sephiroth's sword. Then the president's son shows up and proclaims himself the new boss of Shinra. Your party then splits up for two more bosses: Barret, Aeris and Red XIII take on the awesome but super hard Hundred-Gunner while Cloud goes head to head with Rufus. Then they all meet up again and steal a truck and a bike in an awesome CGI sequence and then comes one of the best mini-games ever: driving at breakneck speed down the freeway with Shinra troops in pursuit and you have to protect the truck as Cloud. On the bike. By slashing Shinra troops off their bikes with the Buster Sword. And this game determines how much health you have going into the next boss fight which starts immediately after against the Motor-Ball. And when you win, you get to leave Midgar and explore the world properly.
** How about when the party returns to Midgar for the last time? The entire section of that game as the party comes back to more or less finish what they started the game doing; destroying Shinra for good. Something about knowing the truth about Shinra and all the atrocities they committed made systematically taking down their hierarchy and eventually killing Hojo, the game's [[CompleteMonster biggest monster]], made the collapse of Shinra so rewarding.
** The summit of Mount Gaia also qualifies (following ThatOneLevel of climbing the damn thing) for the FMV reveal of the Northern Crater and the section's place in the plot. For the whole game so far, you've been chasing Sephiroth around the world, and then you get to the end of the path and find out that [[spoiler:you've been chasing Shinra's failed experiments and that Sephiroth himself has been summoning you from beyond the grave by manipulating your mind and memories]]. Then the game itself has a BSOD and when it comes to everyone has been separated, some of the party are going to be executed in an attempt to appease the public, manifestations of the planet's wrath are walking the earth, and a giant meteor is coming to kill everyone in the world. It's still a letdown.
** The final battle of CrisisCore. Zack Fair against the entire Shinra army. [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome The music]], appropriately titled [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOJ91H4mraU The Price of Freedom]], the endless struggle against the end all players know is coming, the use of the DMW System as a storytelling tool, the final memories of Aerith, unbroken, even when Zack's body refuses to acknowledge its owner. He can't even remember Angeal or Cloud - those two have disappeared along with all the other rolls - but Aerith remains. However, the battle goes from an entire army, fully equipped and ready to fight, to three soldiers and a helicopter. Was it worth it, Shinra? That much blood, that many soldiers lost, an entire army reduced to three? Was it worth it, to kill one single man? Zack lived his life as a complete, unrepentant badass, and he died that way too.
*** The Nibelheim Reactor. C'mon, we were ''all'' waiting for this one.
*** Also the final dungeon of CrisisCore. An eerie cavern with underground lakes, crystals, laboratories (with evidence of human experiments), machinery, etc. all culminating in the final battle with Genesis, who pulls power from the very Lifestream itself. The track has a nice mix of desperation & determination, too.
* Memoria in ''FinalFantasyIX''. The monsters are challenging but not annoying, the music is awesome and the scenery very interesting.
** The alternate world of Terra. Beautiful music, amazing visuals, and great character development.
* Zanarkand Ruins in ''FinalFantasyX''. Monsters are challenging as above, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkAFi88J5Aw the haunting music continues]] throughout the battles and the characters don't do their traditional [[VictoryPose Victory Poses]] afterwards, which would have been too much MoodWhiplash.
** Also, Bevelle. From crashing a wedding in epic fashion to a showdown with the ever-persistant Seymour, this level definitely stands in one's memory.
*** And you get Bahamut. '''AWESOME!!!'''
*** To top it all off, it ends with a combination "behold the power of the Playstation 2" and CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming where Tidus and Yuna share their first kiss in a beautiful, peaceful spring while [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_amE8lSwXG0 this]] is playing.
** The [[BonusDungeon Omega Dungeon.]]
* The defense of Fabul in {{Final Fantasy IV}}. It starts with airships bombing the castle, then you're gradually pushed back further and further inside. What really puts it over the top is that the music plays continuously throughout the whole sequence, making it seem like more than just a series of random fights. Finally you're forced all the way to the crystal room, and the music suddenly cuts out when Kain walks in. He proceeds to kick Cecil's ass, and we then see Golbez for the first time, who effortlessly takes care of everyone else before leaving with the crystal. Perhaps the greatest villain introduction of the franchise.
** Inside the Giant of Babil; you descend form its mouth down to its midsection, refight the Four Fiends, regain a party member, and receive the crucial plot twist for the last part of the game.
** And, while we're here, the battle on the Big Bridge on {{Final Fantasy V}}.
* The final levels on each disc of FinalFantasyVIII (Deling City, Galbadia Garden, Lunatic Pandora, and Ultimecia's Castle) were all excellent and exciting, always ending with battles with the BigBad and/or TheDragon. Galbadia Garden in particular is made of awesome.
** While Deling City is probably the best city design in the game (though most of the game's cities are generally very fun to play through), [[CrystalSpiresAndTogas Esthar City]] is wonderfully quirky, has brilliant music and perhaps above all, [[SceneryPorn is nice to look at]]. [[RedSkyTakeWarning And then...]]
* In ''Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers'', the game opens with a luxury airship getting attacked by Zus. The escort for the cruise, a bearer named Layle, responds by grabbing a gun twice as big as him and jumping from the escort craft, shooting monsters out of the air ''during freefall''.
* I must be the only gamer in the history of ever to enjoy the [[XenSyndrome Pharos]] in ''FinalFantasyXII''. Sure, it was a challenge and went on forever, but I didn't ''want'' the gorgeous throwback to [[VagrantStory Lea Monde]] to stop!
** You are not alone. I know Pharos gets a lot of hate for being the MarathonLevel to end all [[MarathonLevel Marathon Levels]] but it truly is epic. It's ''huge'', winding, [[SceneryPorn gorgeous to look at all over]], and the monsters (at least as far as I can remember) were challenging and fun but not overly difficult. Plus you had ''[[{{Badass}} Reddas]]'' as a GuestStarPartyMember! And the scenes at the top were just gold, and ''then'' you get to beat down Dr. Cid [[OhCrap who reveals that he's managed to]] [[SummonMagic get his hands on an esper...]]BestBossEver indeed.
** Pretty much every area of ''FinalFantasyX'' feels like a setting from ''DungeonsAndDragons''. Even the Great Crystal looks exactly like he always pictured the Astral Plane looking.
* FinalFantasyXIII has lots of these:
** Palumpolum, which contains 2 awesome boss fights and Hope's CrowningMomentofAwesome.
** Nautilus, which is beautiful, has awesome music, one of the best CG in the game and [[spoiler: a surprising cliffhanger.]]
** The Palamecia, where you finally assault the government that's been chasing you all this time, crowning moment upon crowning moment, culminating with [[spoiler: [[BigBad Galenth Dysley]] revealing himself as the fal'Cie Barthandelus, in a kickass boss battle.]]
** Gran Pulse, where you get your first sense of freedom in the game. Not to mention [[spoiler: the second battle with Barthandelus.]]
** Eden, [[spoiler: while still being attacked by Pulse]], is one of the most breathtaking landscapes in-game, it starts off with this awesome [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyxKVlajpX8 cutscene]] (spoilers at your own risk) and contains too many moments of kickass to mention.
** The Vile Peaks sequence where Hope [[spoiler: rides the Dreadnought]]. It is such an awesome sequence that turns an otherwise boring and grinding area into pure glee. This sequence is also immediately followed by the appearance of [[spoiler: Odin]].
* ''Final Fantasy III'', the Forbidden Land of Eureka, simply for the visuals, the music, and the effect the setting has on Geomancer abilities. Just a lovely part to wander around in.
* At the start of Disc 3 in FinalFantasyIX the player is treated to the chance to use a Beatrix, who had been wiping the floor with the entire party for the entire game up until that point, along with a highly cinematic scene and a rock version of her theme that is never heard again in the game. The real [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome CMOA]] is when Steiner, who has basically been beat on for the entire game to that point, [[PowerOfLove confesses his love]] and [[SuperMode goes super saiyan.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:FireEmblem]]
* FireEmblem 7's penultimate stage sends wave after wave of mooks for you to squish. If you play defensively, it's an epic siege map. If you play offensively, it's a FoeTossingCharge to the boss. This leads to...
** The final stage, which mixes this with a BossRush. Besides the awesome music, you have to fight 8 leveled-up bosses. Then you have to kill the BigBad while reinforcements flood the place. THEN you have to fight a dragon he released, while getting bombed with [[StandardStatusEffects status ailments.]]
** You want "wave after wave of mooks"? You want Cog of Destiny. The fact you have advanced units spawning every turn and then [[spoiler:Vaida]] attacking you from the rear makes it insane. What made it even stranger was the realization that having less units made the level easier instead of maxing out the headcount.
** The final stage is actually rather a letdown when you realize it doesn't really get any harder on the harder difficulty levels. If anything, it gets easier, because your characters are higher-levelled. My vote also goes for Cog of Destiny, which on HHM is INSANE - especially if you aren't prepared for a level where almost every enemy is a high-level magic user.
* Fire Emblem 6. Chapter 22. You start out with your team spread out, and you have to send units to two switches. Then a bunch of reinforcements show up when you hit the switches, and you have to gather your troops to take on BigBad Zephiel. Absolutely amazing.
* Fire Emblem 8, Rausten Court. You must defend the center of the castle from enemies coming in from multiple places. Most of the early enemies are kinda weak, but they get stronger as you go. Not to mention the optional boss waiting for you outside the castle, if you so choose to hack through all the enemies to get to him. It's dark (literally), but fun.
* And, of course, while we're on the topic of Fire Emblem games, how about 3-13? It's a ScrappyLevel at times, to be sure, but if you're properly prepared, it can be ''awesome''. And it has [[Memes/FireEmblem the archer]].
** Also, 4-5 and 4-E-3. Seriously, all of those dragon laguz just make it better.
** 2-E. For one thing, you have almost as many ally units as you do normal units, and they're actually ''competent''. One of them even gets '''Bolting''', to complement your own Meteor tome. But perhaps the best thing about it is the fact the extent to which you can play this level your way. Want to play defensively? Take advantage of those perfectly placed chokepoints. Want to play offensively? Go right ahead! Either way, you'll certainly have a lot of fun abusing the fact that you just received what is arguably the single best weapon in the game, free of charge.
*** Add to that, if you play it right, you can get your first third-tier BEFORE the boss. Nephennee impaling Ludvek with a silver greatlance was one of the happiest moments of my life.
* All this talk of {{Foe Tossing Charge}}s and {{Boss Rush}}es and all-around hardness leads inevitably to Seisen no Keifu's (Genealogy of the Holy War, aka: [=FE4=]) "Final Holy War". So, you've fought your way all the way back to Calphy, where it all started, and avenged the game's first main character... but wait, that cute girl has gone missing and said first main character's spirit appeared and told you "It's not over". Cue this chapter: It starts by having to: Not kill your own unit (she's [[BrainwashedAndCrazy possessed]] by [[CompleteMonster Manfroy]]'s evil magic and is key to killing the FinalBoss (note: She tries to kill you for a huge chunk of this mission), killing the Final Boss's [[ThatOneBoss lover]] (who's wielding one of the game's [[InfinityPlusOneSword most powerful weapons]], and has a [[DemonicSpider Bolting]] as well for kicks), killing off 2 {{Complete Monster}}s after that (Including that ChessMaster [[BigBad who plotted the entire ordeal in the first place]], [[KickTheDog and is number 1 in "Let's play: Feed the kids to the Dragon"]]) (Both of which are incredibly powerful bosses), then turning around to get your unit back (possibly only to find that you can't (For certain reasons)) [[BossRush then taking on 12 Max level, near max stats Bosses, AT ONCE]], then the final showdown with the final boss himself, who unless faced by his sister and her [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity Plus 20 Tome]], Naga, will halve your stats when engaged (and he has Vantage/Wrath, [[TurnsRed so once he's below 40HP, he's nearly unstoppable]].) Epic indeed.
* 3-6 in Radiant Dawn. Nothing is better than wiping Gallia's forces with seriously underleveled troops.
** Except 3-E: nothing beats turning around after a ScrappyLevel and beating the ever living hell out of your own units (specifically the ones that you were using in the aforementioned ScrappyLevel) and their RedshirtArmy of {{Mook}}s, in an all out brawl with troops that are going to be seriously powerful.
*** The kill counter. You know, the one that ''pulsates'', counts up whenever ''any'' unit dies (and you have {{NPC}} allies, so the kills probably won't all be enemy units), and causes random chaos at various points until it reaches 80 and the [[spoiler:supposedly, but not really]] dark god is on the verge of escaping from the medallion? Yeah, 3-E is the coolest level ever.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:First Encounter Assault Recon]]
* [[FirstEncounterAssaultRecon F.E.A.R 2]] has the Wade Elementary School, with some of the best scares in the game including the locker room, [[ParanoiaFuel Alma messing with entrances and exits]], and the [[OminousMusicBoxTune piano playing]] [[PeoplePuppets Remnant]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Flower]]
* Flower is a composite of best levels ever, but the one that really stands out has to be the city level. Flying through at breakneck speed, smashing black metal and laving flowers and trees in your path, restoring beauty to what was a ragged hellscape.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Freelancer]]
* The PC game ''{{Freelancer}}'', once [[spoiler:you've acquired an artifact, the Liberty government framed you and Juni for murder and]] the Liberty send the whole damn navy after your tail. You have about 20 ships chasing you at full speed, firing, bent on destroying you. Your objective basically is to get to a warp gate approximately 3 - 4 minutes away at full speed. (It even says so right in your quest log - "Mission: Escape to the wormhole. Reward: Your life.") This mad rush runaway is a blast dodging fire going all around you. And, actually, is the first hard part of the game.
** Another moment is just before [[spoiler: you attack Tekagi's Arch. After meeting with a group of Blood Dragon fighters, you are instructed to head to a waypoint, and your reinforcements enter formation with you. It is here when you realize just how large this battle is going to be.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Freespace]]
* ''{{Freespace}} 2'' has a number of these, but 'Into The Lion's Den' is truly world-class: you get the best fighter in the game (an enemy one at that), three (competent) wingmen, a horde of enemies and the objective of just causing as much mayhem as possible in 15 minutes. Oh, and of course the intro:
--> [[spoiler:[[AC:Commander Snipes]]: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrchciHCI8A DIVE! DIVE! DIVE! Hit your burners Pilot!]].]]
** 'Bearbaiting' showcases the other area where ''Freespace'' excels: dwarfing you with an enormous super-ship, then telling your handful of bombers to run the gauntlet of the defences to hit it where it hurts. Repeatedly.
** The user-made campaigns have plenty more. Where to begin? "The Number of the Beast" in ''Derelict'', where you must attempt to keep the peace in the middle of a ''riot?'' The Battle of Jotunheim from ''[[SilentThreatReborn Silent Threat: Reborn]]''? The defense of a Karnak-class installation from the same campaign, complete with flying inside it to defend the main reactor? The final two missions of ''Blue Planet'', which contain some of the most epic music ever put into Freespace, and one of which has a [[spoiler:pair of ''quasi-dieties'' battling it out]] in the background?
** Special mention also goes to "Delenda Est" from ''BluePlanet''. Although [[spoiler:it has one of the biggest {{Downer Ending}}s ever]], there is the gorgeous backdrop of Saturn for the battle, which mostly consists of your fleet smashing one obstacle after another and generally demonstrating why they're called the "Wargods". And the ''[[CrowningMusicOfAwesome music]]''... let's just say the [[HolyShitQuotient HSQ]] was at a perpetual high.
** Much earlier in the main game, you're fighting the fascist Neo-Terran Front, and frankly they're a pain in the ass. Some of the missions are cake-walks, some of them are struggles against the futility of the entire universe. You're finally pulling up to what your told is the decisive battle; and it ''sucks''. Oh it's not unfair, it's just a slug-fest to end all slug-fests. The whole time you're being told that reinforcements are on the way. You're finally starting to wish you had never put on a flight suit, and suddenly, "GTVA [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Colossus]] is on station!" This WMD of a ship is multiple times larger than the apocalyptic flagship of the Shivan fleet in the first game, and has so much firepower it chews up and spits out the juggernaut of a capital ship that you've been nibbling at for the last who knows how long over ''multiple'' missions. And dear god is it glorious to see that bastard go up in a series of titanic explosions.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:F-Zero]]
* F-Zero GX has the Trident course, which has many very narrow roads without guardrails. In a game where falling off forces you start the whole race over (and lose a life), this could easily be a ScrappyLevel, but once you get used to it, it's possible to send over half of the grid (of 30) to their demise before the race is over, for great fun and profit.
** Fire Field: Cylinder Knot. CrowningMusicOfAwesome + driving upside-down + ''lava everywhere'' = epic win.
** GX's Dragon Slope - a course which includes three consecutive long-ass drops, which, if you time it just right, can be taken in one single, epic flight and a top speed of ''over 3000 kph''.
** Green Hill: Spiral. A [[MarathonLevel long]] course with a crapload of twists and turns. It's made even better if you're playing on an ''F-Zero AX'' cab with a moving seat.
** Ordeal, a brief but exhilarating ride through a Mute City crafted out of pure SceneryPorn and touched with a CrowningMusicOfAwesome.
* Original F-Zero had Red Canyon II. While the course itself wasn't THAT awesome, it featured the best jump in the game, which required you to hit one jump plate at high speed then aim for another arrow shaped plate on the terrain to get back on the track. It was the only such jump in the game and was a real blast. Also, the level wasn't so hard, so it was a nice breather before Fire Field.
* F-Zero X has the [[RandomlyGeneratedLevels X Cup]]. The courses that are generated can range anywhere from simple short runs to courses with killer jumps that half the field won't survive to ridiculous half-pipe courses that make White Land 2 look easy. It's always entertaining to see what course the game will throw at you next.
** As far as regular courses go, the first Silence course is golden, particularly the first half which has multiple dash arrows that can be hit consecutively.
** There's also [[NostalgiaLevel Rainbow]] [[ShoutOut Road]]. Yes, ''[[VideoGame/MarioKart that]]'' Rainbow Road.
*** Too bad the North American version doesn't get the ExpansionPack, which has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXqJEEAA-sw&feature=player_embedded THIS]] BGM.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gears of War]]
* ''GearsOfWar 2'' can best be described as an entire ''game'' of Awesome Video Game Levels. Some of the best parts:
** The entirety of the Desperation act. A massed armored assault with Delta on the back of building sized assault rigs, fighting off boarders and shooting down Reavers and Locust mortars, with delta having to leap off mid-transit to protect Dizzy as he repairs "Betty" while Locust swarm at you from every direction.
** ''All'' of Nexus. Particularly the Queen's Palace.
** "Intestinal Fortitude." Bet you never thought a WombLevel would be quite so impossibly ''awesome.''
*** Bet you never thought that ''drowning in blood'' would be something that could actually present a real danger to you.
** The final level, which has Marcus and Dom blasting their way through an entire Locust army ''on top of a freaking [[{{HSQ}} BRUMAK.]]'' There's even a part where you fight a friggin' ''Corpser'' in hand-to-hand combat with the Brumak! And it is ''every bit'' as awesome as you'd expect it to be.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:God of War]]
* The Battle of Rhodes in ''GodOfWar II''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:GoldenEye]]
* ''Game/{{GoldenEye}}''. St. Petersburg + ''TANK'' = Squishy WIN. Ah, memories...
** Unacceptable Nonmilitary Casualties.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Golden Sun]]
* Venus Lighthouse in GoldenSun. Visited in both games too, so you can hear that awesome music.
** And the beginning of ''The Lost Age'', in which the player gets to beat the crap out of adult men with a 17-year-old girl accompanied by the best battle music ever.
** Let us not forget the final level of ''The Lost Age'', Mars Lighthouse. Epic music plays in the background as you wander through the ice-filled structure and go head to head with some difficult--but not too difficult--and well conceived puzzles; after fighting the [[BigBadDuumvirate main villains]] ''[[InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons who have been transformed into dragons]]'', the lighthouse rejuvenates and, at the peak, amidst a blizzard, you have an ''epic'' confrontation in one of the few examples of a GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere [[TropesAreNotBad that actually works!]] In addition, we've also got Crossbone Isle, the BonusLevel from the first game. It has a very spooky atmosphere, not helped by the fact that there are no random encounters, though you do find a (usually challenging) miniboss guarding the door to each level. It also features the hardest puzzles in the game, many of which are throwbacks to puzzles you solved previously in the main story, [[UpToEleven except this time the kid gloves are off.]] As you reach the bottom of the cavern, you find a scary abandoned ship, where you go head to head with [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Deadbeard]], one of the most awesome and challenging [[BonusBoss Bonus Bosses]] ever.
** "Dark Dawn" has it's share of awesome levels as well, namely the Brelinsk Ruins and Apollo Sanctum. To elaborate... Going into the Brelinsk Ruins, you know that there's an ancient machine down in there that's bad news, the key to activate it is in the hands of someone who may or may not be reliable, and the baddies definately will be going there. In fact, when winding your way to the heart of the dungeon, you see the baddies in front of you - in fact, they're apparently powerful enough to brute-force their way through puzzles, even chucking statues at the wall so hard they actually get embedded in it. Finally near the end, after many excellent puzzles, you get the implication that this ancient machine has something to do with an eclipse. Then, upon reaching the core of the ruins, the resident Malnipulative Bastard makes you fight Those Two Bad Guys, and activates the machine while you're occupied, before the villians flee as a tower rises from the lake, trembling and shaking ominously... and nothing happens. You go the castle, rescue the people that you came to rescue... and then dawn breaks. Surprise surprise, there's a total solar eclipse. That doesn't go away. And evil shadow monsters spawn out of nowhere, everywhere, in a massive patch of darkness covering half the world. You wind up fleeing the town in a ship, while your two new party members swear revenge on the baddies that just killed their brother/father, respectively.
** But as epic as that is, the magnificent final level may surpass it. After gathering a monumental number of McGuffins, you approach Apollo Sanctum by first magically scaling a massive tower to the top of a giant wall that traverses the peaks of the local mountain range. At the top of the tower, you open a gate with three of your McGuffins, and exit onto the world map while epic music plays and you look down at the shadow-stricken land below. After hiking over on top of the wall to the base of the tallest mountain around, you begin to climb cliffs strewn with ruined statues. Finally, after completing a ritual on the mountaintop, the gates to the sanctum open... revealing that you still need to pass through 4 puzzles to open a bigger door, each of which takes place of the side of a massive white marble wall and culminate in an Indiana Jones-style outrunning of giant marble wheels with stylized elemental symbols. And after all of that, you finally get to the inner sanctum, where the plot reaches it's conclusion...
*** After you finish the previous part, you solve a quite easy puzzle, and then have a pause ''right'' before the final boss[[supersecretspoiler:es]] where you fight groups mooks that have only moderate HP and can easily level up using the [[http://goldensun.wikia.com/wiki/Random_Number_Generator Random Number Generator]] trick. The great thing? They're weak to EVERY SINGLE ELEMENT, so you can just unleash Djinni after Djinni until they all die, and you'll get tons of experience every battle.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gradius]]
* ''{{Gradius}} Gaiden'' takes ''Gradius'' level design to new heights. Stage 2 is a junkyard of past ''Gradius'' bosses; can you name them all? Stage 3 is set in a crystal corridor where laser shots--yours and enemies'--will refract through the crystals. Then there's Stage 7, which starts off as an innocent-looking volcano stage...that gets ''gradually sucked into a black hole behind you'', as well as enemies, bullets, and even your own missiles. Your ship is not affected by it, though, since it's [[HandWave capable of cruising at five times the speed of light]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Graffiti Kingdom]]
* Damn near ''every'' level in GraffitiKingdom counts, but the Chess Tower stands out.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:GrandTheftAuto]]
* ''GrandTheftAutoIV'', bucking the trend set by previous games in the series by having their toughest missions serve as the game's ScrappyLevel (see "The Driver" in ''Vice City'' and "Supply Lines" in ''San Andreas''), actually has some really fun missions among its toughest, including "The Snow Storm" and "Three Leaf Clover" (an EscortMission where the people you're supposed to protect actually help you by taking out the cops and drawing their fire). You'll probably die several times in the course of these missions, but you'll enjoy playing through them again.
** Another great ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' mission is "Hostile Negotiation", which has Niko charging into a warehouse trying to save his kidnapped cousin Roman. There's something really exhilarating about wielding an AK-47 while screaming "NOBODY FUCKS WITH MY FAMILY!" at the top of your lungs while about twenty guys are shooting at you.
*** Niko's yelling gets tiresome, if you fight conservatively. It doesn't help that there's only three or four phrases, and they're shouted quite frequently.
** Lost and Damned has its final mission: You break INTO the Alderney State Correctional Facility by shooting the front gate with an RPG, then fight your way through it with Clay and Terry. Immensely fun, totally badass, and a perfect way to end. Because who but Johnny would break into a prison to avoid being sent there?
** ''GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' features the ''OceansEleven''-inspired "Breaking The Bank At Caligula's", which involves a daring casino heist that finishes with a parachute jump off the roof and a mad dash to a waiting helicopter.
** How about the mission where you parachute onto the roof of the mansion, and systematically fight your way through? Slightly dampened by the chase sequence at the end in the crappy car, but still. Awesome
*** And a mission where you have to chase a firetruck for ''5 minutes''... And a mission where you have to chase down a plane in a motorbike, drive up the ramp before it lifts off while secret agents are shooting at you, kill everybody inside with any kind of a melee weapon, steal one of the guys' parachute, plant an explosive because the plane is full of dynamite, jump out, and watch the cutscene.
*** ... Heh, and then there's always the motocycle mission in the aftermath of the bad deal with the Russian Mafia. [[spoiler:When the car carrier [[ShoutOut '''leaps''' off the bridge]] [[TerminatorTwo at you]] ...]] Terribly fun to play over again too.
*** And the one where you fly behind a plane, [[BeyondTheImpossible JUMP OUT, AND FREEFALL ONTO SAID PLANE AND CLIMB IN]].
*** The one where you break into the military base (the one where going near will earn a 5-badge wanted rating) and steal a jetpack.
**** Especially since you dont know what you are going to steal. [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Imagine running down that long stairwell and then staring at that thing floating in midair in front of you, grabbing it, then realizing its a JETPACK!]]
*** I found most of the railgun shooting missions of the game to be pretty fun. Mostly because all you need to do is concentrate on shooting without worrying about crashing.
** ''Vice City'' had lots of missions like that. There is a mission where you have to protect a yacht from homicidal FBI agents and an Apache lookalike. There are RC missions that always involve bombs. And there's the last mission - the one that is ''just'' like the ending of ''Main/{{Scarface}}''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gunstar Heroes]]
* The fifth episode of ''GunstarHeroes'', after the four selectable stages, is one long uninterrupted run of mass destruction, allowing you to shoot, kick and throw your way through an endless horde of enemies in your own style.
** Although some of those previous stages are no doubt counted by other games, such as Black's (silly) Dice Maze.
** Or Green's, complete with exploding trains and transforming 7-force boss. All while riding a gravity-flipping minecart.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Half-Life]]
* Ravenholm in ''HalfLife2'' gives you ''throwing buzzsaw blades'' to hurl at zombies, effectively cutting them in half. Throwing buzzsaw blades. The only way it could top that would be by giving you a gun that shoots [[ThisIsADrill drills]] [[IncendiaryExponent on fire]]. [[BavarianFireDrill From Bavaria]].
** The following level allows you to use a crane to drop ''shipping containers'' on your enemies.
*** Don't bother with that, just kill them ''with the crane itself.'' WHACK! THWACK! Oh, the antlions will eat well of your broken bodies tonight!
** The two Citadel chapters are even better; nothin' like grabbing your enemies to ragdoll them, and then tossing them at more enemies, or better yet: into areas which would incinerate them!
*** Did we mention you can vaporize enemies? Because you can ''vaporize enemies.'' Quite possibly the funnest part of the game--you go from this moment of horror when [[spoiler:all your weapons are vaporized]] to childlike glee as you discover what you can now do.
** It wasn't the buzzsaws that made that level cool, IMO, it was the atmos. Up to that point in the game, you've just been in the new cities and hardly see any headcrabs etc. Then you stumble on to a plagued, derelict town. Oh, and the end is really cool.
** "Follow Freeman".
*** Owning the Striders? "If you see Dr. Breen, tell him I said *** you!" ? I'm honestly stumped... or was it D0g throwing cars?
** Few levels are more awesome than leading an unlimited supply of Antlions to attack Nova Prospekt.
** Closer to the beginning of the game, the air boat sequence, where in you navigate the channels of city 17 at high speeds with a combine chopper chasing after you. Half way through the level your air boat is augmented with a cannon and you finally get to blow that bugger out of the sky.
*** In that level, when the Combine demolish a giant chimney to block your path. The [[HolyShitQuotient HSQ]] jumped right there.
** Highway 17 has the aforementioned crane dropping and it has the goddamn bridge, the most wonderfully atmospheric part of the game. The surrounding overcast driving alongside the ocean is quite awesome too.
*** Oh, that ''bridge.'' That is one of the most stunning things I've ever seen in a video game. It's a beautiful bridge!
* Then there's the level in ''Episode One'' which is ''almost entirely pitch black''. And you've only got a TenSecondFlashlight. And there's zombies. Which spawn whenever the flashlight runs out.
* Also, Antlion Defense in ''Episode Two''. Especially after vortigaunt intervention.
** Defending the rebel base against the striders at the end of Episode Two is perhaps the most awesome part of the series.
* Surface Tension in HalfLife; while there are plenty of other great chapters, Surface Tension seems to be where everything comes together perfectly and creates a non-stop ride of awesome.
** To elaborate, this is around the time Gordon Freeman TookALevelInBadass. His feats have been impressive up until this point, evading and destroying United States Marines, all manner of alien horrors, and maneuvering through more traps and puzzles than you can shake a stick at, but here, he goes head to head with the Marines' best-taking on multiple attack helicopters, armored personnel carriers, and ''main battle tanks''. In particular, getting the rocket launcher and ''finally'' taking down the Apache that's been attacking you throughout the level might count as a CrowningMomentOfAwesome. Assuming you didn't just blow it out of the sky the first time you saw it with that gauss cannon you picked up in the last chapter...
*** Most people up until that point had heard the Valve theme fairly often (every time they started up the game) but as you emerge from the pipe into the canyon and it expands into a full theme as you fight all kinds of marines and finally the helicopter...sheer perfection.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Halo]]
* The Ark in {{Halo}} 3. Opens with a sniper battle, then a fight against hunters. Then it's a long, fast-moving vehicle section in Prowlers...then you get the tank. It's approximately fifteen minutes of just ''blowing shit up''. Your vehicle kills for the level total 2 prowlers, 8 or 9 wraiths, 2 anti-air wraiths, one scarab, at least two dozen ghosts and choppers, and at least one phantom.
** The level is best summed up by the following quote:
---> '''UNSC Pilot (Alan Tudyk)''': Tank beats Ghost! Tank beats Hunter! Tank beats ''everything''! Man, I could do this all day!
* Though it was essentially the same as the last mission ''Halo'' gameplay-wise, the final mission of ''Halo 3'' was just simply ''amazing''. Driving like crazy on an incomplete Halo and its exploding around you, sending debris everywhere while making crazy jumps and trying to avoid the exploding parts of the track.
** Try doing it in a Mongoose. Not only do you go that crucial bit slower, but you can't afford to collide with anything, and you have to find a completely different route through some sections, or you plunge into a horrible fiery death. Still one of the most satisfying moments of that game though.
*** Even better than that... Try doing it with all the requirements for the Annual achievement. 4-Player Legendary difficulty with the Iron skull on (Which resets the game to a previous checkpoint if even 1 player dies) and every player riding Ghosts. Best night of gaming. Ever.
* The Halo 3 level Covenant. Not too far into the level you storm a Covenant tower by air in your Hornet (amazingly fun by the way), all while one of the most amazing tracks in Halo history plays in the background (this particular piece also played during the tram ride on Delta Halo in Halo 2, but here it's much more epic). And if that wasn't enough, near the end you get a choice between another Hornet, a Warthog and a Scorpion to use against two Scarabs. TWO. SCARABS. Jesus.
* Old school Halo 1 level Assault on the Control Room. Basically traversing most of the level in a tank, near the end, you climb a pyramid while killing pretty much every single Covenant species many many times.
** The Library, it's a MarathonLevel, but it was a blast to play in co-op mode on Legandary.
** Unless you managed to grab a Banshee on the bridge and skip that entire last part...
*** Grab the Banshee, fly up, hit the doors to make it start playing "Covenant Dance", grab the Banshee and fly down to the bottom, fight your way up from the bottom on foot with the music playing to emphasize how incredibly awesome you are.
** Then you got to fly around the pyramid in a Banshee, raining DeathFromAbove on hordes of Covenant. Win-win!
* The final level of the first game, ''The Maw''. Warthog run through the [[spoiler: Pillar of Autumn that is about to explode, taking Alpha Halo with it]], all set to a song entitled Rock Anthem For Saving The World. It's exactly what you expect.
** While playing that level with a friend, we discovered the only soundtrack that could possibly [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome top the existing one]]. There's a point where Cortana says "Final Countdown initiated", to which any red blooded male can only respond "Duh duh duuuh duuh... dah dah dahdahdaah..." The best part is the length of the song fits almost perfectly. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl_MuFD1oiI And oh god yes someone's done it on Youtube!]] I love the Internet...
* "The Great Journey", the last level of Halo 2. Hunters as your allies? Check. Scarab? Check. Scarab as your ally? Check. Scarab being driven by ''[[LargeHam Sergeant]] [[{{Badass}} Johnson]]''? Check. Escorting Sgt.-Johnson-driven-scarab through a canyon in a Banshee while dogfighting other Banshees? Check. It's go time.
** Dear lord, you just made me realize how awesome that level truly was. How in the world could I have gotten rid of that game?
* The Halo 2 Level "Quarantine Zone". Fight endless waves of flood controlled vehicles and giant sentinels with any vehicle you can get your hands on, including, at several points, a Wraith and a Scorpion for a few minutes of mindlessly blowing stuff up. Then get out for a while, and continue to fight endless waves of sentinels and flood with any weapons you can find, most likely an energy sword, shotgun, rocket launcher, and/or sentinel beam, or the epically cool-looking blue sentinel beam that does slightly more damage.
* Halo 3 ODST's level "Kikowani Station". The ODST squad hijacks a phantom, and the player hijacks a banshee. It's just these 4 guys versus a huge Covenant Army. [[ThisIsSparta BRING. IT. ON.]]
* While I know the Flood levels tend to be {{Scrappy Level}}s for some, I really enjoyed ''Floodgate'' and ''Cortana'' in ''3''. On Floodgate, things were awesome, but a little intimidating. And then you hear the Shipmaster...
-->"Hail humans and take heed! This is the carrier ''Shadow of Intent''. Clear this sector while we deal with the Flood!"
* And for ''Cortana'', the segment where you escape after saving Cortana while Gravemind roars and ''High Charity'' explodes is excellent.
* ONI: Sword Base, Tip of the Spear, The Package, and ''especially'' Long Night Of Solace and [[spoiler: The Pillar Of Autumn]] from ''HaloReach''. [[spoiler: Lone Wolf]] counts too, but not so much in terms of gameplay as [[TearJerker sheer]] [[BittersweetEnding emotional]] [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome impact]].
** ''Long Night Of Solace'' deserves a particular mention, as it's the first time you get to see what 4 fully-fledged Spartans going all out can do. On lower difficulties it's particularly satisfying as you just breeze through a shitload of Covenant, including about 6 high-level Elites, as if they're made of toilet paper.
** Forge world.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:HAWX]]
* Tom Clancy's HAWX. Your PMC [[spoiler: takes an offer from some foreign powers and attacks America. What do you do? Take your 3 man squad and SAVE WASHINGTON D.C. The next level is your squad SAVING AIR FORCE ONE. The final level is an extended dogfight against some of the best planes in the game, and ends with you destroying a nuke that was about to blow up LA. And, the campaign to reclaim the eastern US starts with you flying stealth bombing runs over enemy installations while having to dodge missiles and fly in a narrow "don't get shot" pipe.]]
** The Rio level. You're flying along, and it seems like you'll get there and nothing will happen, then your AWACS controller says that there's a massive invasion force of planes, tanks, and landing craft headed towards the city. Cue what might be the largest battle in the entire game, culminating in a battle with you and your squadron mates against a quartet of Aces (the only pilots in the game that are actually challenging even with ERS) flying Su-47s. AWE. SOME.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:{{Hitman}}]]
* The ''{{Hitman}}'' series has a few:
** Plutonium Runs Loose from ''Codename 47'': Running around a humongous map setting up bits and pieces of a XanatosGambit and systematically making most every guard in the area disappear, before finally culminating in storming a ship, having to avoid or massacre the multitude of gun-toting crewmen while making your way to the engine room in a race against time to ''disarm a nuke''.
** The second proper level of ''Silent Assassin'', St. Petersburg Stakeout. Smuggling a sniper rifle out of a subway station and into the sewers, infiltrating an apartment building, then finding out the general you're supposed to kill is in a meeting with four others, and the target's description is gradually given to you by your contact as the meeting progresses.
** Shogun Showdown, again from Silent Assassin. The previous two levels are usually [[ScrappyLevel not very well regarded]], but this more than makes up for it- after painstakingly trekking through a snowy mountain and sabotaging all outer defenses, 47 infiltrates a Japanese crime lord's private ''castle'' in search of a missile guidance system. Among possible strategies, the player can choose to climb all the way up to the top chamber and face the katana-wielding Hayamoto hands-on before escaping in a helicopter.
** Terminal Hospitality, a third from Silent Assassin. Getting into the basement of a secret Indian palace to find a cult leader who's about to undergo surgery, before cutting the lights and "finishing the job" yourself.
** The last two levels of Silent Assassin (it's just that big a crowner):
*** St. Petersburg Revisited: virtually the same setup as in St. Petersburg Stakeout, until you notice the cardboard cutout you're shooting at doesn't budge, and neither does the sniper that ends up killing you almost instantly. After wising up and choosing to investigate up close, you find out it was a surviving Ort-meyer clone, sent by the main villain himself, which leads up to...
*** Redemption at Gontranno: "Here's every weapon you've encountered over the course of the game, and bucketloads of ammo. Here's an army of bodyguards for you to plow through. Enjoy!"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Homeworld]]
* The final level of Homeworld. You're the last people from your planet left. You've just wiped out multiple enemy fleets coming from multiple directions, more are still coming and you're running out of ships. It zooms out to a cutscene and seriously depressing classical music starts playing, as[[spoiler: a huge fleet starts to hyperspace in right on top of you. You're left thinking "Well, shit, this is it". Then they finish appearing and turn out to be some allies from earlier in the game. And you go on to spread ion cannony death to your foes.]]
** What about [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZQBv0WRJBI the last level]] of Homeworld 2? The Vaygr are about to overrun the last of Hiigara's defenses. Then [[spoiler:Sajuuk arrives. If not for the Planet Killers showing up in the middle of the battle, it would be over '''very''' quickly since Sajuuk can one-shot-kill nearly everything and is nigh indestructible]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hydro Thunder]]
* The final course in the arcade version of ''Hydro Thunder'', Nile Adventure, is an amusement ride-like take on the Nile River, with many amazing features such as multi-colored lightning, a dome with a spinning starfield,, and a huge chamber containing a huge cyclopic monster in the water that shoots lasers (though they don't hurt you). It's also one of the longest courses in the game, taking nearly four minutes to complete.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hype: The Time Quest]]
* In ''Hype: The Time Quest'', the thieves' village (not exactly a level, but an area nonetheless) is definitely befitting of this trope. Amazing music, golden light, [[LegendOfZelda people in green tights]], and fully explorable REALLY thick tree branches!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Iji]]
* '' {{Iji}}'', Sector 5. After four levels of introductory skirmishing with the Tasen, ''this'' is where you finally discover what the game is really about. You suddenly find yourself in the role of a mere spectator as two alien races duke it out, and it's up to you whether to respond by trying to slip past them while they're occupied with each other... or just blow them both to pieces. It helps that it's also one of the largest levels and has what's widely regarded as the game's best non-boss music track. Keep in mind that basically ''every'' song in ''Iji'' is CrowningMusicOfAwesome.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Infamous]]
* Alden's Tower in Infamous. A colossal structure that dominates the landscape, with Cole and Zeke fighting their way to the top whilst you climb to dangerous jumps. And then there's a battle at the top with the big cheeses of Empire City fighting for the Ray Sphere...good times.
** The second game has the mission "Death Toll", where you have unlimited energy by '''directly draining electricity from the thunder storm'''. The game pits you against the [[AnIcePerson Ice]] [[EliteMooks Gang]] and gives you the ability for a [[CurbStompBattle untold amount of asskicking]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jade Empire]]
* Everything after the point where [[spoiler:you die]] in ''JadeEmpire'' just kicks ''so much arse'' (although the part where you fight hundreds of little cannibal monsters is pretty damned awesome too).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:JakAndDaxter]]
* The third ''JakAndDaxter'' game features a level containing absurd quantities of win and awesome, which ''isn't even the end battle''. It's the one in which you are basically given a gunship (''[[TookALevelInBadass VASTLY]]'' [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap improved from its appearances in the previous game]]) with unlimited ammunition and a regenerating supply of smart missiles, and set loose on a flying war factory. By yourself. Waftching a smart bomb explosion significantly bigger than your own ship while spamming ammunition at tanks, defensive structures, and flying KG drones, ''solo''? Sign me up.
** The Dark Maker assault on Spargas City. Unlike the Metal Head/KG Bot attacks in Haven City, ''everyone'' in the Wasteland is armed, and they're [[FightingForSurvival fighting back]]. The Dark Makers have shields, and even ''they're'' not helping much.
** Also, the mission where you have to run from location to location killing KG bots and Metal Heads with the Blaster, while picking up weapons. It may rip off your ammo something shocking, but killing hundreds of {{Mooks}} almost single-handed, with a sudden tidal wave of Freedom League {{Red Shirt}}s turning up at the end to help you out against a Blast Bot. Or the time you take over a Blast Bot and march it through the city by remote control. Or doing the same with a Dark Maker version of the Atlas mech. Or Daxter riding a missile. Or...y'know what, half the game.
** The Tomb of Mar level in ''Jak II''. It is a defining moment in the game and a pure example of excellent good ol' fashion platforming.
** How about the final sequence where you're chasing the Dark Maker walker? The music, the ongoing storm, bringing down that hulking machine with your machine-gun armed dune buggy...just an ''awesome'' chase sequence to get you pumped for the final boss.
* Snowy Mountain in Jak 1. It is a big,beatiful area with a lot to explore. Running up a hill while avoiding huge snowballs? Exploring icy caves? Jumping and flying through canyons? Discover the fort and jump your way around it? A breathtaking view from above? Snowy Mountain has it all.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jet Set Willy]]
* One for oldbies; "We Must Perform A Quirkafleeg" in ''VideoGame/JetSetWilly''.
** And for the sequel, The Cartography Room.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Katamari Damacy]]
* The final level in most ''KatamariDamacy'' games, that has you rolling up the islands of Japan, rainbows, the clouds, volcanoes, and [[{{Expy}} expies]] of Godzilla, other Kaiju, and {{Ultraman}}. If you're good enough, you can even roll up the KingOfAllCosmos.
** The "final" level of ''We ? Katamari'' has to be mentioned. You're tasked with rolling up the whole freaking solar system... using the ''Earth'' as your katamari! All to a surprisingly understated, kind of eerie song in the background. Equally awesome is the penalty for failure (which you must see at least once to progress in the game): Your rolled-up planets hit the sun and burst into flames.
** ''Beautiful Katamari'' one-ups that. You start with a katamari about a meter in diameter, and roll until you're rolling up buildings, then islands, then ''continents'', and ''then'' you go into space and start rolling up planets and stars and other celestial bodies, all in the efforts of making a katamari big enough to block up a black hole.
*** Never mind the fact that you can ROLL UP THE BLACK HOLE.
** The final level from the first game still trumps them, if only because [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Katamari on the Rocks, the Main Theme]] starts blasting and keeps you going. And you know it did.
** The third-to-last level of ''Katamari Forever'' is kind of a refinement of all of the above. You get to roll up everything you'd made in every mode up to that point...possibly including [[CrowningMomentOfFunny Corrupt Data Peanut Planet]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:KingdomHearts]]
* [[TheWarSequence The 1000 Heartless fight]] in ''Main/KingdomHearts II''.
** Before that, there's the separate fights with heartless where you're paired up with various Final Fantasy characters, and before ''that'' there's the battle with Demyx, and before ''that'' there's the space paranoids/freaking tron.
*** Although the awesomeness of fighting Demyx is somewhat dampened by him being ThatOneBoss (One of Those Bosses?) Anyway, the War Sequence was epic. They're some of the weakest Heartless in the game, admittedly, but taking on that ''many'' still makes you feel like a total badass.
*** Goofy was just taken down before Sora pairs up with the Final Fantasy characters, so unless your heart's a dried up prune, Sora, and by extension the player, is brimming with grief-turned-fury-turned-COME GET SOME!
** That whole Heartless Invasion was cool. So was The World That Never Was. Despite them being [[ThatOneBoss extreme bastards]], tell me you don't have separate files for Xigbar, Luxord, Saix, and Xemnas.
*** Beast's Castle, chiefly because all of the bosses you face there are freaking epic, especially ThatOneBoss Xaldin.
* The first KingdomHearts features Hollow Bastion, which is a huge epic castle with great world music and plot-important, dramatic boss fights. Also, it lets you go from packing a near-worthless toy sword made of driftwood all the way up to the awesomely badass-looking Oblivion, the second-strongest Keyblade in the game.
** Hollow Bastion ought to be the official name of Crowning Game Levels. The scenery is breathtaking, right from the self-explanatory(?) Rising Falls that usher in the level down to the labyrinthine inner sanctum; the boss fights are some of the most intense, emotionally-charged battles in the game; the gamut of challenges is more complete than you even thought possible, even forcing you to go back to the basest of basic weapons as mentioned above, and later including a ''gummy ship'' segment, just to make sure you've mastered every art the game offers; the plot takes a breakneck-speed dive into the most epic of territory with dark possession, evil sorcery, gratuitous amounts of {{Power of Friendship}}, and even the transformation of the main character into a Heartless; and to bring everything to a height of awesome that only the word "crowning" can describe, there's that ''haunting'' organ that ushers in the ultimate boss of the world. You face the rival the hero never managed to top, you meet the Man Behind the Man, fight The Dragon ([[ScaledUp literally]],) and then fight the rival ''again'' with his own ''evil version of the Keyblade''. And when he's beaten you free the princesses, and then the hero dies and is revived as the party flees and escapes. Seriously, was this originally where the game ended? The End of the World, despite being suitably epic and large-scale, seems like an afterthought compared to Hollow Bastion.
** Neverland. By the end of the level, ''you can fly!'' Which leads right in to a boss fight with Captain Hook, where you get to use your new ability to dogfight his minions before swooping down on the old codfish. You get the Glide ability after that, but it just pales in comparison to the full flying ability that you have in Neverland.
* In 358/2 Days, considering its his claim to fame, pretty much every player who played the game kept waiting the mission where Roxas finally cracked out the dual-wielded Oathkeeper and Oblivion and started kicking ass like he did in KH2. He finally does it during final mission, so of course it was a lot of fun since you waited the entire game for it. The only problem is that the mission was really short, but hey, we got the dual-wielding at least.
** Mission 91 is also awesome. Roxas basically goes, "Screw this, I'm outta here!" and you run through the castle fighting nobodies. And then you fight [[spoiler: Saix.]] And THEN you get one of those awesome FMV cutscenes.
** Day 357 (Tears)? True, it's a major TearJerker, but it brings to a close an unknown chapter in Roxas' life, and by the end of it, you should be ready to storm the Organization XIII headquarters. [[spoiler:Xion's final words to Roxas]], perfectly set the mood for the aforementioned final chapter. And the boss fight itself is awesome, too.
* Coded has quite possibly the best level in the series with its version of Hollow Bastion. Let's see here: Four different gameplay styles and three genres(shooter platformer, action RPG), a two stage fight with [[spoiler: pete]], two battles(one three parts with[[spoiler: Riku]], then a whirlwind tour of the other worlds in the game. After that we get a fight with [[spoiler: Dragon Maleficient]] which is easy but oh so cool. Following this we have the shooter segment and then a four stage fight. The first stage uses Destiny's force and the other three use Guardando Nel Buio. Following this we get a big damn heroes moment courtesy of Mickey and.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kirby]]
* The entirety of the ''Revenge of Meta-Knight'' mode in ''{{Kirby}} Super Star''. The running dialogue from the enemies makes Kirby seem like an unstoppable force of destruction!
** And at the height of it all during the final assault on the airship, all of it is set to CrowningMusicOfAwesome.
** Kirbopher (the creator of TTA) made reference to this in his collaborative flash $00pah [=NiN10Doh=]!. Kirby infiltrates the Halberd with a machine gun, and one of the Waddle Dees working for Meta Knight says the line "He's like totally owning everything without even TRYING!"
** Similarly, there's also a stage called "The Revenge" in ''Kirby Super Star Ultra''[='=]s ''Revenge of the King'', with similar running dialogue and a [[Awesome/VideoGameBosses Crowning Boss Fight of Awesome]].
*** Also in ''Kirby Super Star Ultra'', there's the game mode where you play through all of the original levels, ''as Meta Knight''.
* ''KirbysEpicYarn'', Melody Town. The fact that all of the platforms in the level are musical instruments that respond to your landing on them creates some sort of indescribable audiovisual joy. 
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Klonoa]]
* ''Klonoa: Door to Phantomile'' has the Wind Ruins. It's really the first level in the game where the difficulty gets kicked up to interesting, has great background music, and the best boss in the game.
** Mts. of Mira-Mira in ''Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil''. An extremely fun boarding level with some awesome background music in the form of Stepping Wind (Wahoo Stomp in translated versions).
*** Kingdom of Sorrow. It really, really is.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:La-Mulana]]
* LaMulana has the Dimensional Corridor. It's basicaly one long string of miniboss fights, and if Lemeza is at full power, you can basically curbstomp ''all'' of them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:L.A. Noire]]
* The Black Caesar, the first Vice case in [[LANoire L.A. Noire]]. First off, Cole and his new partner, Roy Earle, have great chemistry, even if they dislike each other. The dialogue is great, with Cole and Earle both positing their differing views on law enforcement. The case itself is really intriguing, drawing Cole into the dark underworld of organised crime and the morphine trade, where you can't quite be sure who is or isn't involved, including the LAPD themselves. You've also got some great crime scenes to investigate, and a memorable shootout in the finale. And the title of the case is a RedDeadRedemption MythologyGag. 
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Legacy of Kain]]
* Avernus Cathedral in ''LegacyOfKain: Defiance''. Finally meeting vampire Turel, the one brother that escaped you in Raziels first game. Finally getting Raziels TK upgraded to Kains level. Encountering Mortanius, who hasn't been seen since the first game. And then, [[Series/DoctorWho aaaaaaaand then]] Raziel and Kain finally battle it out to the death ''and'' you control one then the other and finally [[spoiler: Raziel rips Kains heart out of his chest and flings him into hell]]. And there's ''still'' a good two hours of game left.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Legend of Zelda]]
* The Palace Of The Winds from ''LegendOfZelda: Minish Cap''. Also from the same game, the final dungeon [[spoiler: Dark Hyrule Castle]].
* The City in the Sky in ''LegendOfZelda: Twilight Princess'', and the Hidden Village shootout.
** From said game, mine would be Goron Mines. The boss is awesome and scary looking! [[spoiler:Well, he's easy, being in temple number 2, but still.]]
** Gerudo Desert and the Arbiter's Grounds are the best levels in the game. First you get to be a ninja in the night in the desert and the Bulblin encampment, then you fight your way through the most ancient, elaborate, haunting, Nightmare-Fueled dungeon ever.
** Gerudo Desert, alternitavely, ''not'' going ninja and going AxeCrazy on the Bulbins instead. To clarify not sniping the Bulbins on the towers gives you ''NEVER ENDING'' enemys.
** There's a reason it's considered by many fans to be the best dungeon ''in the franchise''. Seriously. You don't even mind much if you screw up some bits eighty times, because they're just so cool! (Primarily things involving the spinner. That spinner is pure [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning twirling]] awesome.
** And the fact that the boss is also considered one of, if not the, absolute best in Zelda history certainly doesn't hurt.
* Stone Tower Temple from ''LegendOfZelda: Majora's Mask''.
* The Water Temple in ''LegendOfZelda: Ocarina of Time''. Makes up for its [[ScrappyLevel scrappyness]] by having some clever puzzles and two fun bosses.
* The Spirit Temple, also from ''Ocarina of Time''. You get to go through it in both child AND adult forms, and the various puzzles are fun. Plus, you get to fight THREE Iron Knuckles. I mean, come now, what more could you possibly ask for?
** [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Some of the best dungeon music in the entire series, that's what.]] The Spirit Temple is a ''masterpiece.''
* Explorer's Crypt manages to be both this and a ScrappyLevel for me.
* The Forest Temple in Ocarina of Time. The music, the atmosphere, the Stalfos fights, hunting the Poes, the outdoors bits, getting the bow, the level design, the twisting corridors, the Wallmasters... bloody hell it's epic. And to top it all off, the boss is [[spoiler:a Phantom version of Ganon. GANON.]]
** This is also the first dungeon you go through as Adult Link. After turning from a fairy kid to the chosen one with a magic sword, you're ready for some adventure.
* Either the Colour Dungeon or Eagle's Tower from ''Link's Awakening''.
** Or Turtle Rock.
* From the ''Oracle'' games, ''Oracle of Seasons'' has the run up to the horribly [[ScrappyLevel scrappy]] Ancient Ruins (aka ''Tarm Ruins'', lots of fun playing with the seasons), while ''Oracle of Ages'' has the Skull Dungeon. Worth investing in both games purely to experience both of those levels.
** ''OracleOfSeasons'' may possess the distinction of being the only game in the Zelda series where the segment which is almost universally regarded as the most enjoyable and memorable part of the game is ''not'' a dungeon. Tarm Ruins and the Lost Wood segment which takes place in the middle of the ruins--you ''will'' remember the Lost Woods from these games, if only for the screen where Like Likes rain from the sky--is a friggin' masterpiece. With [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JJEaVI3JRs amazing]] [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome music.]]
* The Savage Labyrinth (''Wind Waker'') and the Cave of Ordeals (''Twilight Princess'') are massive {{Multi Mook Melee}}s that are consistently considered a greater challenge than the FinalBoss fights. Both end with fights against ''three'' of the game's resident BossInMookClothing, Darknuts/Iron Knuckles, which will challenge your application of your special moves and items. (Heaven help you if you didn't spend the time to learn the [[SingleStrokeBattle Mortal Draw]].)
** And, when you finally do win, you feel like a ''BadAss''.
* Snowpeak Ruins, by virtue that you never expect a ruined mansion to be a dungeon, let alone have one of the most awesome, if not creepiest, boss fights in the game. The fact that it also gives you ''infite'' supplies of a ''free'' healing item doesn't hurt, either. Nor does it hurt that you get the [[EpicFlail Ball and Chain]]. Well, it doesn't hurt ''you,'' anyway.
** Ocarina of Time's Forest Temple pulled the ruined mansion schtick before that, so it wasn't entirely unexpected. Still very awesome.
* Twilight Princess' Temple of Time. Cool puzzles, cool music, Darknut. GIANT SPIDERS. That is all.
** And to top it all off, just when you think you've beaten the biggest of those spiders, it gets back up. Epic Rematch? Well, no, but would you settle for a CrowningMomentOfFunny instead?
* Wind Temple from ''The Wind Waker'', Mutoh's Temple from ''Phantom Hourglass'' and Sand Temple from ''Spirit Tracks''; nothing better than three Indiana Jones-esque levels to conclude the day. Each with unique puzzles and very creative boss battles.
* Death Mountain in the original. You finally enter, and this [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYgzcclKBy4 creepy new music]] starts playing, as you proceed into by far the least linear level in the game, with all the most powerful enemies in huge numbers.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events]]
* The Game of the Movie, A Series of Unfortunate Events (the console version, not the PC version) has one minigame that involves playing a specific song on a piano. Not only is the song depressingly catchy, but it requires three tries to get to the end, each time getting faster. After you get into the pattern, it becomes surprisingly easy for this game.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:LittleBigPlanet]]
* In ''LittleBigPlanet'', Skulldozer takes the cake. You're running away from a giant bicycle-wheeled, bull skull-headed mechanical beast surrounded in red fog, piloted by [[spoiler: [[WomanScorned an insane zombie bride who thinks she's been jilted]]]]. Blazing guitar plays in the background, and it's downright ''[[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome awesome.]]''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Lost Vikings]]
* From ''TheLostVikings 2'', the level 4RGH. Coming between ThatOneLevel [=H3LL=] and the BossBattle against [[BigBad Tomator]], it has very few enemies but plenty of timed switches and thought provoking puzzles.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mafia]]
* MafiaTheCityOfLostHeaven might be NintendoHard in so many ways, but some parts are just great. But the most epic is ''The Whore'' where you need to storm Hotel Corleone and kill a whore. Going through the hotel is filled to the end with supsense and you're the edge of your seat. After reaching the top, what do you do? You plant a bomb, run through a corridor and jump out a roof. After being chased by the police through the roofs you enter a church. Inside follows an epic shoot-out during the funeral of an old enemy. How do you top it off? You escape in a freaking ''hearse''.
* ''Left 4 Dead 2''s Concert finale. You set up a rock concert, then fight zombies. also, the Tank has remixes of its theme to match the two songs that play. AWESOMEST ZOMBIE FIGHT EVER.
** "So we got to set up to rock, and then fight zombies? ''This is the greatest day of my life!''"
** The Midnight Riders have the greatest fireworks and light show in history, hands down. Now imagine yourself on the up there, killing zombies who are bumrushing the stage, through fireworks powerful enough ''to set people on fire.'' It is the greatest moment of the game, and one of the greatest in video game history.
** Speaking of Left4Dead, how about some of ''{{Left 4 Dead}}'''s community-made levels? Personally, there is nothing more awesome than the Helm's Deep level for ''{{Left 4 Dead}} 1''. Re-enact the holdout of Helm's Deep for Lord of the Rings with zombies? Breathtaking level-making? Using the CrowningMusicOfAwesome straight from the movie? Hell. Yes.
** Hard Rain. Fightning zombies in the middle of a hurricane.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mickey Mania]]
* ''Mickey Mania'' has a level exclusive to the [[SegaGenesis Sega CD]] and {{Playstation}} versions that comes right before the final battle. Pete stands on top of a stack of three crates, and he laughs off any marbles you throw at him. Fortunately, he doesn't actually harm you, not even when you run into him. However, you have to run back and forth collecting pencils to call the other Mickeys as Pete summons [[MultiMookMelee more weasel guards]] to take care of you. The first of the Mickeys, Mad Doctor Mickey, lights a cannon that destroys the top crate. Next, Mickey and the Beanstalk Mickey takes a saw and saws down the second crate. Lonesome Ghost Mickey then runs in, bumps into the last crate a few times, and finally pushes it away. But the level is still not over. The next pencil summons Moose Hunter Mickey, who blows his horn and leaves, followed by a moose running in and trampling Pete. Then the Prince and Pauper Mickey (or is it [[PrinceAndPauper Pauper Mickey dressed as the Prince and vice versa?]]) each swing in on a chain, the latter swinging a sword and exposing Pete's GoofyPrintUnderwear. The last pencil brings in Steamboat Willie, who blows a whistle and summons a crane that carries Pete away, ending the level. It's BetterThanItSounds.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:MarioKart]]
* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioKart'''s Rainbow Road. All its level design is aimed towards making Rainbow Road the epic final stage. It features devilishly thin stretches without guardrails and partrolled by invincible Thwomps, whom you can't even touch safely. These obstacles, plus the aggressive computer racers, make this Rainbow Road the most intense race in all of Mario Kart.
** Especially if you're able to complete the course without ever falling off. And considering even the [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard AI]] has trouble, that's quite something to accomplish.
* ''VideoGame/MarioKart64'' has Bowser's Castle with that badass UrbanLegendofZelda and goosebump inducing CherubicChoir, and that awesome courtyard.But the best track ever invented that then got bastardized in Wii was Dk's Jungle Parkway with it's frickin' cool river jump and those coconuts that the natives threw, and best of all the river is beautiful.
** Also MK 64 has Royal Raceway with its VideoGame/SuperMario64 homage with the castle
** That awesome maze level where you had to figure out which way to go
** And finally the Rainbow Road had a CrowningMusicOfAwesome theme with beautiful neon lights in the background, chain chomps everywhere and the biggest shortcut ever made!
* ''VideoGame/MarioKart: Double Dash!'' - Rainbow Road was thoroughly epic. Of course, that had a lot to do with [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome the music it played]].
** Especially if you're the only person you know who can complete the level without falling off '''once'''. '''''And''''' hit every boost pad.
*** MKDD's Rainbow Road music is particularly awesome though. Even Nintendo think so, as they included it in ''[[SuperSmashBros Brawl]]'' as an unlockable track.
** ''Double Dash'' also has Mushroom City, probably the best traffic-based course in the series.
* On the note of recurring course themes, there's also Bowser's Castle. These courses tend to have the toughest gimmicks in the game, but they never fail to be a blast to play through. Special mention goes to the ones from 64 (which got to be in the final course of Mario Kart Wii's Retro Cups), DD, and Wii (it has ''Mecha Bowser'').
* ''Mario Kart DS'': Waluigi Pinball. The fact that the sound effects change to sound a little bit more [[BuffySpeak arcade-y]] also helps.
** From the same game, there's also Airship Fortress, a big reference to ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' and an awesome course, and Tick Tock Clock, a great tribute to the ''Super Mario 64'' level.
* ''Mario Kart Wii'' has Toad's Factory, a great way to finish the Mushroom Cup, Coconut Mall, an overall fun course, and pretty much the entire Star Cup (especially Koopa Cape), sans [[ThatOneLevel Grumble Volcano]].
** It also shows [[spoiler: where item boxes come from.]]
** ''[=MKWii=]'' also boasts what is likely the best Rainbow Road track in the series, with [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome amazing music]] to match.
*** And the [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy Mario Galaxy references!]]
** [[FungusHumongous Mushroom Gorge]], due to the bouncing off of mushrooms and the music.
** How about Grumble Volcano? It's not often you experience a mad dash for first place through a volcano AS IT'S ERUPTING.
* A lot of ''Mario Kart Wii'' tracks qualify as this when you're not getting raped by item storms. Any Rainbow Road course is fun to play through if you're good enough not to screw up at every left turn. But DK Mountain and Summit from Double Dash and Wii in particular. Mainly, it's blasting out of the cannons, then making a mad drive down the side of the mountains trying to do it again.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Marvel: Ultimate Alliance]]
* Arcade's World in ''[[MarvelUltimateAlliance Marvel: Ultimate Alliance]]''. It starts up with you (and the characters) duped into thinking it's Dr. Doom's castle, but smash the stone pillars and you reveal brightly coloured spirals, as well as carnival music some other oddities. When the rug is pulled about halfway in, the players pursue Arcade through a funfair called ''Murderworld'', fight Shocker and Rhino, participate in life-size games of Space Invaders and Pitfall, and run over infinitely spawning clowns in a bumper car. Then they fight Arcade in a giant robot. All of this in a stage with brilliant fairground music and visuals. ...And then you beat him, and he promptly ends the fun by revealing that whilst he led you on, [[spoiler: Nightcrawler has been captured and imprisoned in Mephisto's realm.]]
** Additionally, ''Ultimate Alliance'' had the balls to [[spoiler: force the player to choose who out of Jean Grey and Nightcrawler got to live, before casually killing off the other character for the rest of the game.]]
*** Well, [[spoiler: unless you got Magneto on DLC and had him in your party.]]
-->[[spoiler: '''Magneto''': Calm yourself, X-Men. These cages may come from another dimension, but they are still made of metal.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:MassEffect]]
* The final level of MassEffect. [[spoiler:It ''starts'' with you and your squad being flung halfway across the galaxy and flying out of a mass relay gate in your APC, right onto the heads of several MechaMooks. From there, you proceed to run up the central tower of the Citadel, tearing your way through hundreds of enemies, while half the military forces of the ''entire galaxy'' are battling a robotic EldritchAbomination (no, that is not an oxymoron) in the background. It culminates in either one or two extremely well-done boss battles, depending on how many points are in your persuasion skill.]] Oh, and there's CrowningMusicOfAwesome, just for kicks.
** Becomes even more awesome (and, I must admit, a bit of a cakewalk) if you bring [[spoiler:biotics along, preferably Kaidan and Liara while playing as an Adept. Get ready for a biotic-powered CurbStompBattle of epic proportions. Saren can't shoot you if he's floating helplessly in the air, now can he?]]
** How can you bring up ''Mass Effect'' without mentioning ''Virmire''? Starts off with pretty much nothing but nonstop destruction in the Mako, followed by launching a three-person assault on the most heavily-defended geth base this side of the Terminus Systems, and that is while you can hear the raging battle in the background as Captain Kirrahae's salarians [[HoldTheLine hold the line]]. Not to mention the confrontation with Sovereign, the fight against Saren, and most heart-wrenchingly of all [[spoiler: having to choose between Ashley and Kaidan.]]
*** [[spoiler:(And no, picking the one you want Shepard to get it on with doesn't make it any less heart-wrenching.)]]
** Let's face it, MassEffect is a Crowning Video Game of Awesome.
* The infamous and much-touted "suicide mission" of the sequel. Considering it is essentially what the ''entire game'' is building up to, it ''better'' be worth it, and by god is it ''intense''. From the first swoop into the [[spoiler:Collector base]] to the run through the base itself, with all the firefights and interesting gimmicks being thrown at you, having you on the edge of your seat the entire time because you are on pins and needles about whether ''all your decisions'' throughout the game were enough to have your team make it through -- and make no mistake, if you didn't do enough, they ''will'' die. And then the final boss comes. [[spoiler:It's a monstrous (thankfully not even closed to being finished) construct that turns out to be a ''human Reaper'', built out of, and feeding off of, all the human colonies that were abducted. Shepard then proceeds to [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu Punch Out Cthulhu for the second time in his/her career]].]] And even ''after'' all of that, [[spoiler:if you didn't do things right, Shepard ''him/herself'' will die]]! It's rare for a game to spend its entirety building up to one intense mission, but it all paid off in the end. Unless, you know, you lost your favorite party members.
** Let's just think about the amount of work that went into programming ''this one level''. It is possible to lose party members ''during the approach'', meaning there are several scenarios programmed before you even start the mission proper. Then you can lose party members at pretty much any point during scripted events, even if they're [[spoiler:not the person you chose specifically -- it's possible, for instance, for one of your squadmates to die during the biotic barrier segment]]. Then you find [[spoiler:the Normandy's crew, which may or may not still be alive depending on how quickly you went through the Omega-4 relay after they were captured]]. Then you can send someone back [[spoiler:to escort the crew back to the ship]], who may or may not make it; then, before the final battle, party members can die [[HoldTheLine holding the line]]. And then, after the final boss, you might still lose party members [[spoiler:or even Shepard him/herself]]. Think about this for a minute: it is possible for eleven squadmates to die at any of six or seven points during the mission. ''How much work must have gone INTO that?!'' There's a reason this mission is so talked up on all the promotional material for this game: Bioware is very proud of it, and with all the work they've done on it, they ''should'' be.
*** Not to mention that there has never been a level quite like it. I mean there are levels where people can be killed depending on your choices but when you go into thinking about the transfer that will take place in ME3, where everyone killed here will not be in it, it's unparalleled.
** One of the things that ''really'' makes the suicide mission interesting is the fact that, when looked at on paper, it sounds like a ScrappyLevel. First, you need to pick two people to do certain jobs, temporarily eliminating them from your squad. Then, you need to fight your way through a timed, pseudo-escort mission. Screw the jobs up, and squadmembers die ''permanently''. Next, you need to pick two people to do jobs ''again''. you need to stay within a small bubble for the next segment; going outside means you start getting damaged. Screw the jobs up again, and squadmembers die again. Then you finally get to the final boss, but he constantly calls in mooks. Even after you beat him, ''Shepard him/herself can die''. From the start of the entire mission to the end, you're facing DemonicSpiders and GoddamnedBats, as well as a ''respawning'' miniboss. It sounds terrible... and yet it's ''awesome''.
* The ''Lair of the Shadow Broker'' DLC is noteworthy in how impressively deep and cinematic it is, as well as having some incredibly awesome levels. When you're [[spoiler: fighting across the hull of a super-advanced airship in the middle of the mother of all lightning storms with one of your old squadmates to track down and assassinate one of the most powerful individuals in the galaxy]], you ''know'' you've got an awesome level.
** Hell, even before reaching the Broker's base, you've got a running fight across Illium that includes a chase in flying cars.
*** We'll say it again folks: you participate in a ''[[SoCoolItsAwesome flying car chase]]''.
* Kasumi's loyalty mission is really cool. Infiltrating a bad guy's party, sneaking around to find a way into his vault without attracting any attention, and then fighting your way out when you get caught - just a really good level, and very, very different from anything else in either game. Not to ''mention'' the way Kasumi takes out the gunship's shields, which is almost worth the price of admission on its own...
* Legion's loyalty mission is utterly brilliant. It's not very often a moral dilemma in a game is so deliciously murky, but the superb writing makes this one of the best examples of a [[GreyAndGreyMorality grey and grey choice]] ever.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Maw]]
* Looferland in ''The Maw''. After Maw eats the Loofer at the start of the stage, he turns into an unstoppable laser-spewing platform of destruction, which Frank rides as his mighty steed, pumping his arms triumphantly as all that stand in their way are destroyed with lasers. It's too bad it comes two levels before the end, as they can ''only'' be disappointing by comparison.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mech Warrior]]
* In ''MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries'', one campaign for the Draconis Combine has you up against a mercenary company that went rogue. On approach for the final battle, you receive the following message:
-->"Attention, Mercenary: This is the dread legion. Whatever the Combine's paying you, we'll double it. Just turn around, go back to your DropShip, and we'll do the rest."
** In the same vein, a much later final mission has you piloting a captured 100-ton uber-mech for your employers - and your briefing is interrupted partway through by your operator, asking you if you still want to try to steal it for yourself. You do have the option. It is difficult. But behind the wheel of the most ridiculously over-armed mech you'll ever have, it's going to be fun the whole way through.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Medal of Honor]]
* ''Medal Of Honor: Allied Assault'' has a level where you hijack a tank called a "[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast King Tiger]]" from ThoseWackyNazis and barrel your way through an occupied town full of enemy tanks and Nazis with rocket launchers. 99% of the buildings in town are MadeOfExplodium, Germans go flying in graceful arcs when they take a tank shell to the face, and your tank ''owns'' '''everything'''. The fact that the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMiH1PEQRAg soundtrack]] is by [[CrowningMusicOfAwesomeVideoGames Michael Giacchino]] is just icing on the cake at this point.
** Battle Mountain, the final level of the final expansion pack. You're completely outnumbered, forced to perform a messy retreat the entire level in an attempt to reach a castle the allies have holed up in. Everyone is using the most powerful weapons in the game, SWARMS of axis forces mob you from every direction, many of the kills you make are too far away to grab the health pickups they drop, ammo dropped by enemies can't be picked up (at least when [[EricDVH I]] played it,) and absolutely nowhere is safe. When you finally make it to the castle, it's being overrun, so the decision is made to radio for bombardment of the castle, except a generator has failed. You then have to defend a tower from an all-out assault with a sniper rifle while it's repaired, and then retreat from the castle as it's blown to smithereens. In summary, it's an FPS level where you fight as hard as you can possibly fight, vie against impossible odds, and LOSE, and it's awesome.
** Arnhem Knights from ''Frontline'' qualifies. For much of the game, it's just been Patterson by himself on covert operations. You come along in the middle of a battle through the ruins of the town between Germans and the British. Some neat level design that keeps you on your toes and your allies actually being somewhat helpful make it one of the most memorable levels of the game. But what really sets it apart is the [[{{TearJerker}} tear inducingly]] beautiful background [[{{CrowningMusicOfAwesome}} music]] that plays throughout.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mega Man]]
* ''Game/MegaMan 9'' deserves this with quite a few stages, but a mention must be made for the Endless Stage, which is a single level that has you travel through 42 randomly chosen rooms. And did we mention that you [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin traverse these rooms repeatedly on a single life]] and the game records how many screens you traverse through each run? And just so were're clear... '''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kxkSMHGol4 FORTY]]-[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFSXRbppXsU TWO]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMHUhnuuSbo ROOMS]].'''
** ''2.'' Dr. Wily's Castle. [[CrowningMusicofAwesome That is all.]]
** ''MegaManX'', armored Armadillo, last mine cart ride. I love it.
*** The whole stage is awesome. It starts with a single minecart ride that lets you avoid all the bats on the top and mows through a couple of ostriches before abruptly ending. Right after that you take a leap down and are either chased by or chasing a bulldozer mechaniloid that clears out a straight path through the chaotic terrain and can kill you in one hit, before it falls into a pit of spikes, but it is 'very' satisfying to kill it before then. A little ahead of that and we have another mine cart ride , another drop with another bull dozer enemy and the final minecart ride, which mows through a dozen of enemies and trails a bunch of bird enemies that start smoking, flying lower and crashing when killed, especially with a full powered shot clearing through all of them. At the end of the tunne, the minecart ride bursts out in the open, finally outside of those dingy mines and flying above [[SceneryPorn a waterfall leading into a lake surrounded by forests.]] You jump off and land on a wall or cliff as the birds fly past and enjoy the view some more before heading in for the boss.
**** Sometimes while on the last minecart, the game slows down because of all the stuff that's going on. It looks more the game goes into an uber-dramatic slo motion sequence that adds to the awesomeness.
** The opening level of MegaManZero2. After a year of fighting, Zero walks through a desert, wrapped in a damaged cloak. Suddenly, a never ending wave of Neo Arcadian 'bots shows up. Cue cloak throw. Cue [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Departure]]. Cue "Let's go...". Cue a weakened, damaged Zero tearing through hundreds of enemies and destroying a huge scorpion mech. Cue Zero ''not giving up'', even though he ''knows'' he can't continue. Best level in the game!
* Romhacks of the NES Megaman series try to do this deliberately. Some standout examples:
** Rockman No Constancy, one of the first major ASM hacks of Megaman 2, with a minor {{Touhou}} influence.
** Quickman's stage, a pulsing crystal cavern with tiles ripped from the 16-bit ''X2'' and an NES mix of ''the opening theme to NamcoXCapcom'' as the BGM.
** Heatman's stage, a desert level that makes good use of palette switching to go from afternoon to evening, with an 8-bit arrangement of MegaManZero 2's opening stage "Departure" playing in the background.
** Rockman 2 Dash, an interesting mix of [=MM1=]'s tileset on [=MM2=]'s ROM. The combination is what the first game would have been like if the devs had more time to work on it.
** Pretty much the entirety of Rockman Gray Zone.
*** Heatman's stage, a sparkling nighttime cityscape with an NES version of ''VideoGame/MarioKart64'''s Rainbow Road for BGM and an extensive underwater section.
*** One of Wily's Fort levels is an underground waterway that makes extensive use of Item-2, has almost no enemies to speak of, and has Jet Stingray's stage theme (from the Playstation MegaManX 4) downmixed.
*** The last level is a sunken city with an up-tempo, 8-bit mix of {{Chrono Trigger}}'s "Corridors of Time" playing in the background.
** Rockman 5 Air Sliding, a high-quality [=MM5=] hack that gives you a fun gimmick and has worthy, [[NintendoHard challenging]] levels taking advantage of it. Topped off by a soundtrack consisting of music from the {{Kirby}} series.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Metal Gear]]
* The "Sidecar" sequence in ''MetalGear Solid 3''. It's a marathon slog of escalating awesomeness with adrenaline-raising music.
** Or just the jeep escape in the original. The Metal Gear theme kicks in, in all it's awesomeness.
** Or storming the Guts of Arsenal in 2. Right after the [[WarringWithoutWeapons naked section]], you get all of your equipment back, ''plus a sword,'' and you get to slice and dice your way through an army of ninjas with Snake at your side. Oh, and FissionMailed.
* There are a lot of MetalGearSolid4 areas, but my personal favorite has to be the motorcycle sequence. Going through the streets of Eastern Europe with that AWESOME soundtrack going.
* Head to the Control Tower from PeaceWalker. 
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Metal Slug]]
* The final level of ''{{Metal Slug}} 3'' - [[spoiler:You storm the martian mothership, fighting clones of your previously kidnapped teammate, eventually being joined by Morden's troops which you've fought in the first half of the game - including [[{{Badass}} Allen O'Neil]] - and after your teammate is rescued the machine that was creating the clones stats pumping out the [[{{ZombieApocalypse}} harder zombified versions of that character]]; all this eventually culminates in destroying the mothership, but then you still have to fight a giant ship as it's falling to Earth]].
** [[spoiler: Not to mention the fact that it's longer than every other level in the game combined. Jesus CHRIST.]]
*** ''{{Metal Slug}} 4'' The final level involves an enemy base infiltration complete with rappelling down and killing enemies along the way, you even get the tank and wreak havoc, Scientists that shoot bullets that revert your character into a monkey which gives you INFINITE Machine gun ammo, and a face off with Allen O'Neil near the end [[spoiler: Which by the way is a robot]]. All while playing [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGsuEY5XVhs this]] music.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Metroid]]
* ''{{Metroid}} Prime 3'' has the mission where you team up with the Galactic Federation and ''storm into the mines on the Space Pirates' home planet in order to gain access to the seed.'' This is the one time in the series where Federation soldiers have assisted Samus, and it's freaking awesome!
** And yet this level (if I remember correctly) is an EscortMission. But it's all made up for when [[spoiler: An enemy that served as the first boss back at the start and later a mid-boss since you upgraded in power can now be [[CrowningMomentofAwesome destroyed in one well-aimed hit!]] ]]
*** It's an escort level by formal definition, but not colloquial because while escort missions have become known as situations where you're dragging useless liabilities along with you, here you're pretty much participating in an attack that just happens to progress at your pace.
*** Not only that, but the troopers you fight alongside are actually USEFUL. They do a respectable job at combating the dozens of Space Pirates that you encounter along the way.
*** I think I speak for everyone when I quote the Metroid Awesome Moment page: "This is how an escort mission ''should'' be."
** Speaking of ''MetroidPrime'', Sanctuary Fortress/Ing Hive (Prime 2) and Phendrana Drifts (Prime) get props for the incredible atmosphere they exude.
*** Sanctuary Fortress is so awesome it completely makes up for [[ScrappyLevel Torvus]] [[DownTheDrain Bog]].
** The first Metroid Prime itself deserves mention for Crowning Level Design of Awesome. It is entirely possible to get through most of the game without walking the exact same path twice, in a franchise that's normally filled with backtracking. Practically every time you return to a room, you've got new abilities that open up new secrets and new doors that can be accessed. Many return-visits feature rooms that have changed (such as new enemies present or platforms that have changed), keeping the experience fresh. Major props.
** While we're at it, the final segment of Metroid: Zero Mission is worth mentioning. A little earlier in the game, Samus was been shot down, and lost her power suit (and the area is swarming with Space Pirates that can kill her in only one or two hits.) However, after sneaking through the Space Pirates' ship... she gets it back. Better than before. Cue dramatic music, as the unstoppable Samus Aran goes on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge through the Space Pirate mothership.
* Brinstar in Super Metroid. Helped largely in part by the good visuals and incredible music - quite catchy but still tense and foreboding for the green jungle part, and really sad and ambient for the lower red part.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Might and Magic]]
* The Tomb of Varn in MightAndMagic VI. Not only is it one of the most massive dungeons in any game of the series, it also has some of the coolest enemies, genies and jackals.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mirror's Edge]]
* MirrorsEdge has the Jacknife level. You start off fleeing through a drainage ditch, before moving through ''vast'' storm drains, leaping between broken service railings and dodging snipers. Then you have to climb back ''out'' of the storm drains, do battle with a group of shotgun-wielding guards, and then engage the titular Jacknife in a daring, high-speed chase across the rooftops.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mushihime-sama]]
* The final stage of ''{{Mushihime-sama}} Futari'' has you weaving through and raiding an [[{{Wutai}} Eastern-style village]] while taking out waves of dragons that are ''as wide as the screen.'' And then you fly into a palace and take on Queen Larsa, the infamous FinalBoss.
** Stage 2, particularly on [[HarderThanHard God Mode]] where you can take advantage of the many bullet-cancelling opportunities to cancel the [[BulletHell huge swarms of bullets]] into gold gems that can raise your score by as much as ''25 million points in 5 seconds.''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Myst]]
* The Amateria age in ''{{Myst}}: Exile''. A series of seemingly nonsensical disconnected puzzles whose only common feature is that they all involve rolling glass balls. Then at the end, you discover that you've been constructing the greatest roller-coaster ''ever'', complete with a cutscene of you going through it at the end.
** There's something incredibly satisfying about the final age, Narayan, where you meet Saavedro face-to-face, and with the flick of a single switch, reduce him to a crying mess begging you to have mercy.
*** He deserves it! After all, if you do what he says and [[spoiler: you drop the outer shield to his home]], he just [[spoiler: throws away the book anyway!]] Bastard!
* Myst IV: Revelation - The Spire Age. The {{AFGNCAAP}} gets to build a primitive Maglev vehicle, reconnect an dangerous circuit board, blow the crap out of rocks for fun, and then create tones through an entire mountain as if it were a giant pipe organ.
** The whole game is massive SceneryPorn, but nothing matches when you pull a simple lever in the organist's chair and discover [[spoiler: what you thought were mountain peaks rising above a cloud cover are actually huge, disconnected planetary fragments ''orbiting'' a magnetic core, and you are now dangling between the two like an insignificant speck with a panoramic view.]]
** Along the way, you read from Sirrus' journals, and learn how he not only emotionally manipulated his father into giving him some GreenRocks, he gained his sister's trust and hatched a plan to use the AppliedPhlebotinum of a different world ''he had never visited.'' Atrus may have had two evil sons, but only one was a MagnificentBastard.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:My Sims]]
* The Mountains and the Jungle Temple in ''MySimsAgents'' certainly count.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:NightsIntoDreams]]
* [[NightsIntoDreams NiGHTS: into dreams]]: Twin Seeds, the game's final 'Dream'. Brilliant throughout, but the [[spoiler:very beginning features a moment where the player's character is thrown away from the Ideya Palace by Wiseman, leaving them stranded on a small island at the levels edge, floating thousands of feet above the city and completely cut off from NiGHTS, with whom the characters join in order to fly. The player is given no more clues as to what they're supposed to do. What's required? The player must, of their own realisation, make a leap of faith from the island's edge. At that point, the character will fall, and disappear out of sight, the music dies, and for all intents and purposes the game appears to be about to go Night Over. .. And then with a sudden, violent revival of a far brighter bgm, the character comes swooping back up into the air, flying under their own power, having finally gathered the confidence and faith to fly alone. And ''then'', at level's end, the second character meets the player's, unexpectedly joining together two apparently disconnected plotlines as Eliot and Claris work in unison to free NiGHTS and go on to fight Wiseman.]] This happens entirely in gameplay, without a word of dialogue or hint of a cut-scene, effectively dragging the player straight in alongside their character.
** Bellbridge from the sequel. Best results come from playing Helen's story first. While the beginning of the stage isn't nearly as dramatic as Twin Seeds, there is just before the third course of the level... [[spoiler:The lights go out... Helen screams... Her red ideya is taken from her, and she falls... Only to be saved by Will as the city lights up again, and the two of them fly the last course together as the musical embodiment of The Power Of Love plays.]] But if you play Will's story first, it's less breathtaking and more odd and out of nowhere.
** NiGHTS is actually Sega's interpretation of the psyche. Each level representing a corner of the mind. TwinSeeds (the Growth) is the character realising they no longer need the Renegade Nightmaren Jester to hold their hand and dualize anymore. I think the "jumping to your doom" part is either belief that one ''can'' do it on their own, or just remorseful suicide. It's also here that Claris and Elliot first properly meet each other, despite Visitors (dreaming humans) are supposed to be isolated.
** Christmas NiGHTS also had Sonic the Hedgehog's first 3D Debut (''Sonic: into Dreams''), with Sonic performing the goals with running. The boss? ''Eggman'' imitating the Puffy boss.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Nintendo Wars series]]
* ''[[NintendoWars Battalion Wars 2]]'' has Operation Nautilus. The first part is a navy war where you must sink a Dreadnaught, a few Frigates, and several Submarines and Battleships, with a limited number of your own vessels. The second part is a simple battle through infantry, static turrets, and helicopters. All this while good music plays in the background.
** In Advance Wars 2, the Great Sea Battle. The battle will typically be extremely long (will usually go for hours), and it could have easily been the scrappy level with all the Black Cannons and the game breaker factory on the enemy side. However, the way the three allied armies work together and the intense satisfaction that comes when the level is finally defeated, makes it the Crowning Level of Awesome.
** ''BattalionWars'' has Call Sign Eagle where you play as Air Cover and you get to pwn everything flying with a Strato Destroyer
** Also the Tundran Bonus Level with the Heavy Tanks and the badass Missile Vet with Sputnik on his back
[[/folder]]

[[folder:No More Heroes]]
* In NoMoreHeroes, Bad Girl may be ThatOneBoss for some, but the level leading up to her is pure fun. Not only do you get to take your motorcycle over sweet jumps, but the whole mission takes an absurd comic tone when you drive your bike onto the baseball field and mow down mooks for five minutes straight while getting rah-rah music and a chorus chanting "SPORTS!... SPORTS!... SPORTS!"
** The stage before the Rank 4 fight with Margaret in the sequel, when you're in the Supermarket parking lot. Some people get bored with fighting countless foes. More enemies mean a better chance to turn into a tiger, though.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Novastorm]]
* ''Novastorm'', in which the first level of the last act had all its action perfectly timed to a techno beat that was made of Awesome. Closing bay doors, waves of enemies, high-speed flybys of space architecture, and it just keeps getting better right up to the end.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Osu! Takatae! Ouendan/Elite Beat Agents]]
* Would be a CrowningMusicofAwesome were they original tracks: ''Ready Steady Go'' from {{Ouendan}} and ''Without a Fight/Jumping Jack Flash'' from EliteBeatAgents take the cake for world-shaking drama (when you finally beat them...) but it's hard to beat ''Over the Distance'' and ''You're the Inspiration'' for touching, life-affirming heroics.
[[/folder]]
%%% You're free to split this if you know which tracks are from which game.

[[folder:Painkiller]]
* ''Main/{{Painkiller}}'', the spiritual successor of ''Doom'', was praised for its levels. In particular the levels "City on the water", which was a remake of Venice, "The Haunted Monastery" the last level before the best level in the game: Hell. Hell was composed out of pieces of the game up to that point. Which made it the celebration of all the good leveldesign.
** And the final boss battle took place inside an atomic explosion!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:PangYa]]
* Silvia Cannon in ''{{PangYa}}'', a golf course set on a ''freaking battleship fleet.''
** The Ice courses. Icy slopes = huge Overdrive bonuses + Super Pang multiplier = massive Pang.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Panzer Dragoon]]
* ''PanzerDragoon Orta'': "Eternal Glacies". That beautiful snowfallen landscape accompanied by some gorgeous brass instrumentation; the moment before the boss fight where Orta's dragon regenerates his wings; and a reprise of "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MyqsYV3FFk Ancient Weapon 1]]", one of the best boss songs Sega has ever composed.
** Compared to the "Gigantic Fleet" immediately preceding? Hah! Single-handedly destroying swathes of imperial battleships in full 3D air-combat, taking down largescale attack-platforms AND the enormous mothership, all to the sound of grandiose war-music. And all capped off by an epic second boss battle against the Dragonmare squadron.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Phantasy Star]]
* [[PhantasyStar Phantasy Star 4]] has several outright awesome 'levels' that manage to look outright gorgeous despite their outdated graphics,including...
** Garuberk Tower, a [[WombLevel Womb Level]] that manages to be surprisingly off-putting even by the standards of that trope.
** Kuran Station, where you can see the stars outside the windows, pick up some awesome weapons, and have your first glorious fight with [[spoiler: Dark Force]].
** Rykros, a planet that can't be seen without an artefact fans of the series will have met before, where everything is made from crystal and home to some of the hardest enemies and nicest equipment in the game, along with the Best Optional Boss Ever.
** The Abyss where the final boss lurks, a howling vortex of bright colours, deep darkness, and the random chance to run into a feckin' evil foe who is actually HARDER than every boss barring the [[spoiler: Profound Darkness herself]].
** Even Birth Valley has it's moments, being the moment the game goes from 'fairly standard if entertaining fantasy' to 'epic science-fantasy that will send you across the entire system and end with a seriously awesome final boss who can and will kick your ass'.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:PhoenixWright AceAttorney]]
* Not only is ''PhoenixWright AceAttorney: Trials and Tribulations'''s first case long and very well written, it's also connected to the fourth and fifth cases of the same game, which are also awesome in their own right.
** The fifth case that was the Crowning Level of Awesome: where we get to [[spoiler: play as Edgeworth]].
*** There are multiple reasons that can be listed for why the last case of the trilogy is awesome but but twigging the identity of the murderer was a real "oh snap" moment.
*** Not to mention the truth of what was going on with Iris. The HSQ was high with this case.
* The fourth case of the first game. Taking down [[spoiler: Manfred von Karma]] was more satisfying than any other villain. Especially as he has been [[spoiler: standing on the other side of the courtroom, throwing objections at you for the last three days.]]
* The fourth case of ''Justice For All''. Nail-biting suspense, far more so than almost any other case.
* The fifth case of ''Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney'' is the best in the series. It featured [[IceQueen two Ice Queens]], tied in a brutal serial killer, and [[spoiler: you get to deconstruct about half the cast, including Police Chief Gant, from jovial joker to asshole of the highest calibur.]] The various tragedies throughout the case make the victory and resolution all the better.
* The fourth case of ''Investigations'' is in the running for the canon fans, since [[spoiler: it's a flashback to before Edgeworth even began prosecuting]] and features the world's most unexpected cameo from [[spoiler: Manfred von Karma.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pokémon]]
* The Distortion World from ''{{Pokemon}} Platinum.'' The laws of physics do not apply here, fool.
** Heck, Mt. Coronet in any of the Gen. IV games is worthy in its own right. Climbing up a snowy mountain with great atmospheric music, taking down Galactic Grunts, and when you get to the top, a double battle fighting alongside your rival.
*** Maybe this is just me, but in Platinum, they introduced wild Absol to this area. So while the plot is rushing towards its climax, you can take some time out to grab youself one of the best-looking Gen. 3 Pokemon as well.
** The Elite Four.
* Silph Co. from the original Red/Blue/Yellow. Awesome music, set-up, and tons of battles, including against your rival and Giovanni.
* The Sevii Islands from Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen, particularly the ones after the Elite Four. Seeing all of those gen II Pokemon for the first time alone makes these islands amazing, but they're also [[SceneryPorn absolutely beautiful]].
* Pokémon Gold and Silver's second half - so, you beat the eight Gym Leaders, you trounce the Elite Four, and are thinking "Okay, so what now?". You go back to Kanto three years after the first generation, get all the badges, and fight Red, the main character from the first generation. If ''that'' isn't a Crowning Level of Awesome...nay, a Crowning WORLD of Awesome, I don't know what is.
** That's great and all until you realize you can't go to the Safari Zone, Silph Co, or Seafoam Islands. Not to mention there's no story to follow in GS Kanto, no Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, or Mewtwo, and the Gym Leaders are all underleveled and uninteresting.
*** Should probably mention that the idea of the underleveled Gym Leaders is possibly to help train your new Pokémon you caught in Kanto that are currently underleveled themselves, so you can them up to the rest of your squad. Of course, if you tackle the Gym Leaders with your already uber squad, it's going to be overkill.
** Enter [[VideogameRemake HeartGold and SoulSilver]], where many first generation areas have been re-added, the Gen. I legendaries can be caught, the Gym Leaders can be re-fought at higher levels, and a new Safari Zone has been added. '''Awesome'''.
* From Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia, we have the CargoShip. First of all, until this mission everything has been small scale for you, mainly beating on some Dim Sun punks who're messing around with the Pokémon in Pueltown or digging in the cliffs for no readily apparent reason. Now, you're boarding the cargo ship that they've been using to kidnap Pokémon - and your leader, Barlow! - from. You get on, [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome awesome music begins to play]], and then you work your way around the ship, freeing captured Pokémon, defeating goons, and rescuing your leader, who [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome smashes down a door for you]] and joins you for the rest of the mission. You finally get to the deck, and learn that the captain of this ship is none other than a teacher from the Ranger School, Mr. Kincaid! He sends a wave of minions at you and Barlow, which you both fend off. He then calls in a second wave, but Barlow decides to go after Kincaid himself, who summons a [[ScaryScorpions Drapion]] to attack. After you beat the second wave, you find that Barlow has lost, and get to take on the Drapion yourself, which is a [[{{Awesome/VideoGameBosses}} Crowning Boss Of Awesome]] with CrowningMusicOfAwesome as well as the first boss major enough to get a mugshot+[[BossSubtitles title]]. But it doesn't stop there! Kincaid responds to his loss by ordering the ship sunk; he escapes by summoning a Gliscor which he flies away on, leaving you and Barlow on the ship with [[BusFullOfInnocents many captured Pokémon]] and [[TimedMission only a few minutes before it sinks]]. While you do your best to stop the water flow, Barlow steers the ship and eventually runs it into the pier near the school, saving everyone. While you (and the rest of your team, who arrived at the crash site) ponder whether Barlow survived or not, Barlow himself answers that question by climbing up on the highest point of the wrecked ship triumphantly, stiking a VictoryPose and telling you "Mission Clear!"
* From the third [[PokemonRanger Ranger]] game, we get Blue Eyes' submarine. After an intense ChaseScene to even reach it, you slowly work your way towards the sub's control room, where [[spoiler:Blue Eyes sends a Feraligatr to fight you]]. Shortly afterwards, [[spoiler:you learn that there's a [[TheManBehindTheMan third Pokemon Pincher leader]]]]. Then the grunts decide to activate [[SelfDestructMechanism Plan Z]]. Cue an escape level from a quickly-sinking submarine that's taking on water, and fast.
** The submarine is a reference to the Cargo Ship above.
* And in the latest games, PokemonBlackAndWhite, the final segment after getting the eighth badge is unbelievabley epic. First, you travel through Route 10, which combines SceneryPorn with CrowningMusicOfAwesome. Then, you arrive at the badge check gates, where you can [[spoiler: walk on air]] among other things. Finally, you arrive at Victory Road, which takes the form of a large mountain, with cliff faces you can [[BeyondTheImpossible slide down]]. Next, you reach the Elite Four Castle, which actually lets you [[spoiler: choose the order you fight the elite four!]] Then, you have an epic walk up to a ''temple'' where Alder resides, only to find [[spoiler: Alder defeated by N! Suddenly, a huge castle emerges from the ground! You climb to the castle]], and [[MoralEventHorizon learn the darker side]] of [[AnimalWrongsGroup Team Plasma]], then climb to the final floor, followed by an epic BossRush where you fight [[spoiler: your version legendary, N, and Ghetsis]], before an epic ending. Truly one of the best Pokemon conclusions ever.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:pop'n Music]]
* ''PopNMusic 14'' and ''15'', arcade versions: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTiyBbE0kOE&fmt=18 Super Mario Bros. BGM Medley]].
** Listen to the click of the buttons, it sounds like someone's tap dancing to the same tune!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Portal]]
* "The Weighted CompanionCube will accompany you throughout the test chamber."
** Testchamber 19 is pretty swell as well. While the game has been slowly stripping away its clean, lab experiment facade, 19 rips it right open. You go through the observation chambers, cube-dispensing vents, offices, and a massive turret ambush until you reach [=GLaDOS=], who is a very fun boss that dispenses some of her best monologue (that's saying something) in the game.
**** Really, this is all after Testchamber 19 proper. It's really the entire second half of the game.
** The best part of Chamber 19 (aside from the boss battle, of course) is the big turret ambush room. Of everything in the game, I honestly think that shows the most useful aspects of the portal gun as you use it to ambush the turrets who were supposed to ambush you by portaling in behind them and gleefully tipping them over the edge. And once you're done with that, you get to fling yourself happily about in the single largest space in the game. Whee!
** Portal 2 has several Levels of Awesome as well, of course. The first part of the second act (the [[spoiler:old levels, up to the point where you open the first giant door]]) has beautifully done atmosphere, both boss battles (especially that last one... sheer ''lunacy.''), and any and every level involving repulsion and propulsion gels.
** There's also experiment room 16 with the most sighted-turrets of any other, allowing for ridiculous levels of inginuity about how to knock them down.
*** Once, that level was viewed as a ScrappyLevel. But if you figure out the shortcut and the trick to aiming it becomes loads of fun for the trials you can avoid.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Prince of Persia]]
* The Tower of Dawn, the final level of ''PrinceOfPersia: The Sands of Time'', is everything great about the game in one dizzying climb - fast pacing, fun puzzles, fights that are fun without bogging the game down (thanks to your brand-new OneHitKill weapon), extra challenge from not being able to rewind time, and CrowningMusicOfAwesome.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professor Layton]]
* Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, Puzzle #138. where you [[spoiler: finally open the Elysian Box as it is meant to.]] It's not a difficult puzzle at all, but, I know this [[ItMakesSenseInContext sounds weird]], but it is a [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming beautiful puzzle.]] [[spoiler:''"The sun rises when you and I meet, and when the wind blows, you will know my heart."]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Psychonauts]]
* The best was probably the Meat Circus, how ever thought of that one is a genius, or the Milkman Conspiracy, which is also full of [[CrowningMomentofFunny crowning moments of funny]]
*** Boyd: "I am the milkman, my milk is delicious."
*** ''Definitely'' the Meat Circus. What's better than the [[CrowningMomentofAwesome Crowning Moments of Awesome]] we get from the boss fights ''in'' the [[CrowningMomentofFunny Crowning Game of Funny]] topped with a TearJerker ("Is that ''really'' how I look in your mind?) and a CrowningMomentofHeartwarming? Not counting a [[SequelHook sequel]], that is-- but we all know how unlikely ''that's'' been looking for the past five years.
* Also, the level immediately preceding Mikman Conspiracy, an extended ''{{kaiju}}'' parody: "Lungfishopolis." Seriously, those two levels back-to-back are the funniest part of the game.
* Entering Edgar's mind is enough to cause a [[SceneryPorn sensory]] [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome overload]] of the best kind. It's creative and suitably... artsy, the backstory manages to be both a bit sad and a bit dorky, and much as the alleys are hated, you get the hang of them, and the dialogue, especially surrounding the miniboss and boss fights, definitely makes up for it ("Um, I always... loved you more?").
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ratchet and Clank]]
* [[{{Prehistoria}} Planet Sargasso]] in "RatchetAndClank Future: Tools of Destruction". Huge level with lots of places to explore, cool enemy designs, access to the second most powerful weapon in the game...and to top it all off, you can use Ratchet's hypnotizing disco ball weapon to force the giant T-Rex style enemies to dance. Complete with waves of their little T-Rex arms.
** The Robo-Wings alone make Sargasso and Kortog classic levels.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rayman]]
* The {{Rayman}} 2 level The Precepice. You ran along these thin boardwalks attached to the edge of a cliff face over a huge drop as they fall away behind you...and then the gunship arrives and starts shooting at you and you must work your way around and down the cliff face while staying one step ahead of the cannons and the falling walkway while the games best track plays full blast making you feel really heroic.
** And then of course the part where you run inside a giant cave followed by a huge fall, with the music changing to a more mysterious track. All this before going back to the chase.
** Examples from other games could be Allegro Presto in the first (you know sliding is fun!) and the Land of the Livid Dead in the third (a level which includes a magic tower of light and an underwater battle against a giant mechanic tripod).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Repton]]
* ''{{Repton}} 3'', originally released for the BBCMicro and now converted for the PC, has a few levels that despite their difficulty are highly regarded amongst fans for their skilful design. These include Oceans H, Africa G, Baby G and Work H. Amongst the PC-only levels, Medieval Level 7 also qualifies.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Resistance]]
* The final level in Resistance 2 has got to qualify, after taking out a giant, floating, PSYCHIC, evil octopus/alien thing you ditch your gun in favour of your new psycic power, namely being able to explode enemy's by gesturing in their general direction. Did i mention this takes place on an enemy hovership that is currently plummeting towards the ground?
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Revelations: The Demon Slayer]]
* Revelations: The Demon Slayer. The raid on the Zord Headquarters. Back to Back Boss Battles. No Space fleas in sight. You're welcome.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rez]]
* Area 5 in ''Rez'' takes you through the entire history of life from the simplest of single cell organisms, through evolution, extinction, resurgence, and eventually into space, with gradual and appropriate changes in the complexity and themes of the [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome accompanying music]], a remix of breakbeat DJ Adam Freeland's ''Mind Killer''. The effect is nothing short of astounding.
** And it only gets better if you're playing in Direct Assault mode-- which is ''the entire game, in sequence, non-stop''. Even though going from the first mooks of Area 1 clear through to [[spoiler:the BossRush and PuzzleBoss final battles]] takes only about an hour, it's arguably a Crowning Hour of Awesome.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rocket Robot on Wheels]]
* RocketRobotOnWheels: Arabian Flights. Once you get enough Tokens to unlock the [=ShagFlyer=], you pretty much have unlimited VideoGameFlight. Pretty impressive for a 5th generation game.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Saints Row]]
* Trojan Horse (and the cutscene half way through) from SaintsRow. Driving a Carnales truck you stole earlier into one of their factories, and leaping out with about 10 other men to conquer it. Surprise, motherfuckers!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Scarface: The World is Yours]]
* The first level of [[{{Scarface}} Scarface: The World is Yours]], a recreation of the famous final shootout of the original movie. Turning around and blasting the shotgun-wielding thug sneaking up behind Tony ([[spoiler:the one that killed him in the finale of the movie]])... Few moments are quite as vindicating as that. And then you march through Tony's mansion, gunning down anyone and everyone who '''dares''' stand in your way, shooting head, kneecaps, and even balls off the invaders.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Scott Pilgrim vs. The World]]
* The third stage of the downloadable ''ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'' game probably qualifies as the ScrappyLevel the first time you do it, since it's nothing but wave after wave of {{Mooks}} and EliteMooks, has only one poorly-stocked shop, and ends with a triple boss battle. But once you've levelled up and unlocked more moves, it's the best stage to revisit and just pound bad guys to a pulp, as well as grind for money and experience.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Serious Sam]]
* Great Pyramid from ''Main/SeriousSam: The First Encounter'' and the Grand Cathedral from ''Main/SeriousSam: The Second Encounter'' are Crowning Levels Of Awesome just for [[TheWarSequence the sheer weight of enemies]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:ShinMegamiTenseiSeries]]
* ''ShinMegamiTenseiNocturne'' features Kabukicho Prison. It used to be some sort of warehouse or apartment complex in the previous world, whereas now it is being used as a prison which traps its occupants in a "mirage". The trick is that the mirage is the exact same building, only ''upside down'', and has to be navigated backwards and forwards in and out of the mirage in order to advance. One of the requirements for escape even involves talking a prisoner into digging a hole in the ceiling (which then becomes the floor) toward the boss' chamber, and attempting to speak to people outside the mirage while you are inside results in their bewilderment at seeing someone stuck to the ceiling, if they notice you at all.
** The Third Kalpa of the Labyrinth of Amala, specifically the Dante Chase Event. If this doesn't get your adrenaline going, ''nothing'' will.
* ''Persona 4'', another from the Shin Megami Tensei line, brings us the Void Quest dungeon: a 3D representation of 2D dungeons from 8-bit games, complete with retro-sounding music, awesome door-opening animation, and a fitting boss (who is unfortunately also ThatOneBoss as well).
** The fight against [[spoiler: Adachi]] and Ameno-Sagiri. After going through what looks like a twisted version of Inaba's streets your party is finally escorted to an AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield, only to have it slowly sink in that you are fighting for the sake of your hometown in the skies above it.
** [[spoiler:Naoto]]'s dungeon, the Research Lab. The dungeon gives you the impression of infiltrating a secret hideout, with a P.A. system periodically warning of an "intruder alert".
** [[spoiler: Nanako]]'s dungeon, Heaven. Not only was the design for the area well done, but it's the only dungeon with a theme song that has lyrics.
* DigitalDevilSaga has the Airport, an awesome dungeon with [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome an amazing track by Shoji Meguro]] playing and a Labyrinth structure that isn't too confusing, but still fun to explore. Well done Atlus.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Shinobi]]
* In ''Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master'', the surfing ninja level.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Silent Hill]]
* The SilentHill series, well known for having truly terifying levels, doesn't mean that they can't also be a blast to play for a NightmareFetishist.
** The Hilltop center in SilentHill3 is when the scare factor really starts getting ramped up, as the mall level was mostly designed to ease players in, featuring Numb Body enemies, and going relatively easy on the disturbing imagery. The Hilltop Center has some truly haunting music, claustrophobia inducing enemies, horrifying imagery, and the HighOctaneNightmareFuel inducing watcher at the end of the level. One of the best moments is when Heather finds the magic words to defeat the monster... in a room absolutely soaked in blood.
** In SilentHill2, the Hotel level. Full of great spooky ambiance, and some of the biggest plot revelations in gaming history, this level is as terrifying as it is heartbreaking.
*** The Prison and Catacombs together display the series' ability to drown you in despair and oppression without strictly resorting to overt blood and rust imagery. The two levels, back to back, are a sterling example of mindfuck physics and incessant terror brought on almost entirely by the environment itself. 
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Simpsons Game]]
* The final level of ''TheSimpsonsGame'' ''has'' to qualify, although most of them are also awesome. After Lisa builds a Stairway to Heaven, you reach the pearly gates, where you have to fight William Shakespeare. You fight every type of Mook from earlier in the game, Bart fires Halos as weapons, and you build a Starbucks for benjamin Franklin. Then, for the final boss, you challenge ''God'' to [[DanceDanceRevolution DDR]]. AND WIN.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sly Cooper]]
* The free-roaming pirate ship segment in Bloodbath Bay, from ''[[SlyCooper Sly 3]]''. It has a special one-off control scheme that allows you to run around the ship firing the cannons, shoring up damage, and also steer the ship at the same time, and it ''really works''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:SonicTheHedgehog]]
* Emerald Coast for ''Sonic Adventure''. Breathtaking by its day's standards-- and beautiful even today. Beautiful (although glitchy) platforming in a 3rd-person view made it seem as though ''Sonic'' works most thrillingly when you could see a horizon (read: rushing toward a beautiful skyline). Too bad we turned out to be wrong (well, as long as SEGA continues to not understand how to do 3D gaming properly with ''Sonic''). The whale chase was epic. But the halfway point took us into a cove; the music changes, and now we have this upbeat, heart-warming, spine-tingling, incredibly inspirational tune... Few moments in gaming make me feel this on-top-of-the-world. It's one of Jun Senoue's best masterpieces in music, and it belongs to one of the most awesome levels of all time in the ''Sonic'' series.
* The Casino/Pinball levels in most ''SonicTheHedgehog'' games.
** Except in Sonic Heroes, due to the pinball level, like every level aside from [[BigBoosHaunt Mystic Mansion]], being choked to death by bottomless pits.
** Though these kinds of levels go from happy to [[ScrappyLevel scrappy]] should you get three Robotniks on one of the slot machines.
*** And the boss of Casino Night Zone of Sonic 2 is awful, specially with Knuckles.
**** It's easy with Knuckles - just cling to one wall so you're level with the boss's hull and glide from one side to the other. You go right through him, hitting him on the way. Takes about 30 seconds to finish him off. You're welcome.
** Yeah, Casino Night is ''definitely'' the best level, and the boss is a lot of fun if you don't bounce around excessively on the paddles and rely on chance alone.
* Speaking of Sonic Heroes, the last two levels with Team Sonic qualify. In these two levels, you get a sense of what the game could've been if all effort had been focused on Team Sonic, instead of making three other pretty much identical teams. In the first there's speed, killing things, flying... makes you like the [[TeamworkPuzzleGame concept of the game]] more. The last stage isn't as much of that, sure, but the music is cool and it [[AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield looks awesome.]]
* Despite the second part of Chemical Plant in ''SonicTheHedgehog 2'' being a ScrappyLevel, the first part is amazing, mostly because it's easily possible to go fast enough [[GoodBadBugs that the camera can't keep up]].
* Star Light Zone in ''Sonic 1''.
** Speed Highway as Sonic in ''Sonic Adventure''. Not only is it 95%, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin speed]], but you also get to run down the side of a building. This was big back in the day and reused in some of the other 3D entries.
*** While Speed Highway does a great job highlighting the "run really fast" aspect of the Sonic concept, Sky Deck really makes you feel as though you're foiling Robotnik's plans as you tear apart the Egg Carrier. Good times.
* Stardust Speedway in ''Sonic CD'', especially with the [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome English version's music.]]
** And Collision Chaos. So trippy.
** Any Good Future level. So stunningly beautiful. Especially with the US version music.
* Green Forest in ''Sonic Adventure 2''. Probably the level that best shows off Sonic's mad skillz (both speed and grinding), really cool music (I often will hum it when I myself am in need of a speed boost), and ''bungee-jumping with a vine''.
** Its Shadow counterpart, White Jungle, is at least as gorgeous and has likely the best music in the entire game. You only get the full experience if playing the GC version though.
** Also from ''Sonic Adventure 2'', Cosmic Wall. This level alone justifies the inclusion of Eggman as a playable character. This level shows how to do low-gravity right. It's not just a few sections that have low gravity. ''It's the whole level''. It's just about impossible to die from a fall here. The difficulty comes from the enemies' sheer numbers, many of which are the game's main DemonicSpiders...on any other level. Here, there's a lot of room to avoid everything they throw at you. It's ''so much fun'' killing them all and getting utterly insane amounts of points for it. An A-rank on most levels is around 15,000 points, but here, getting '''five times that''' is common, and six not unheard of. And all this right after [[ThatOneLevel Mad Space]]!
** "Radical Highway", which is a lot like "Speed Highway" only better, as it has some of the best music in the whole game and you can grind down freaking suspension cables, SOOOOO much fun!
** Final Rush. Rail grinding at it's best in the series, a bajillion alternate routes, some of which are epic shortcuts which give nice bonus points, good usage of the jump dash for platforming with the rails, a lot of speed, and of course, great music.
** [[spoiler:Green Hill Zone]], the reward for 100% completion.
** City Escape is the first level for Sonic, and it's a good one. It begins with a landboarding section down San Francisco style streets. After that, it's mostly platforming and high speed down hills and a fast pace. At the end of the level, a giant truck chases you. This level is set to return in SonicGenerations, and the truck has BUZZSAWS on it this time round.
* Any level that plays around with the gravity. This includes Sonic 3's "Carnival Night Zone" (Barrel of Doom be damned), Sonic & Knuckles' "Death Egg Zone" (not to be confused with the Sonic 2 level of the same name), Sonic Adventure 2's "Crazy Gadget", and Sonic Advance 3's [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Cyber Track Zone]].
** Dead Line: Sonic Rush. Not only does the level mess with gravity, instead of keeping with the honored tradition of "doomsday" music, this level substitutes in CrowningMusicOfAwesome. Said music is so awesome, in fact, that you'll find that the menu screen uses a remix of it.
* Sonic's Casinopolis level in ''Sonic Adventure''. NiGHTS Pinball set to [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Message From Nightopia]]? Heck yeah!
* City Escape. [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Rollin' around at the speed of sound...]]
* Despite being critically reviled, SonicTheHedgehog2006 has some pretty awesome levels itself
** Wave Ocean with it's peaceful music and the homage to the whale chase from Sonic Adventure, which takes it one step further with the whale HURLING you with it's tail.
** Crisis City with it's gorgeous post-apocalyptic SceneryPorn and the final section where you outrun a tornado that hurls everything including the kitchen sink at you.
** Flame Core, best descrbed as Red Mountain's distant cousin with KILLER music and insane corkscrews.
** Aquatic Base, a refreshing change of pace in that it's a final level that's actually fairly easy compared to some others, so it manages to provide JUST the right amount of challenge without being too hard or too easy, plus it has the best music in the game.
* Most Daytime levels in ''SonicUnleashed''. Breaking mach barriers on will has not yet been seen in ANY ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' game . Want an example? You have [[strike:two]] three.
** '''Spagonia - Rooftop Run, Act 1:''' Running along a rampart with three laser-toting robots keeping pace, just keep hammering down the Ring Boost and fling other bipedal robots at them. Dodging spiked wine kegs, catapulting up and running around Spagonia's giant clock, only to ''grind back down again at speed.''
** '''Holoska - Cool Edge, Act 1:''' Where a good few minutes of the course are devoted to being in a bobsled and mowing down enemies (and hopping to blow up the airbound badniks). Just when you see a lake, a damn [[spoiler: whale]] surfaces so you can slide along it's back. Wanna dismount the bobsled? Crash it into a ledge and [[MadeOfExplodium it'll explode]], despite being composed of carbon fiber and metal.
** '''Chun-Nan - Dragon Road, Act 1:''' Where everything great about this game comes together in one neat little package. Great music, quick reflexes, a ''beautiful'' background, and a whole bunch of fast-paced fun along the way. You know you're in something awesome the moment you fly into the head of a dragon-statue, only to grind all the way down it's back.
** '''[[EternalEngine Eggmanland]]''' is made of equal quantities Crowning Level of Awesome and ScrappyLevel. Both versions. No exceptions.
* Sonic Advanced 2 had awesome levels, Especially Sky Canyon Zone which was the first time the physics defying mid-air boosts had to be used. All the levels become this if you go fast enough.
** Sonic Rush Adventure's levels are similar, but with much more level specific gimmicks and quirky themes. Riding dolphins in Pirates Island as giant anchors try to crush you? The minecarts and stunning visuals of Coral Cave? Being shot out of a cannon and then chased by another pirate ship in Haunted Ship? The giant mushrooms and a massive t-rex robot for the FIRST BOSS in Plant Kingdom? Or the steampunk Machine Labyrinth? And then you have Blizzard Peaks with the snowboarding as is standard in ice levels but done really well, and Sky Babylon with you rushing up 60 degree hills as the platforms crumble very quickly behind you, before you spiral up another road. Awesome.
* Ice Cap Zone from SonicTheHedgehog3. The music alone makes it a worthy reward for finally getting past the [[ThatOneLevel Carnival Night Zone]].
** Hydrocity, also from Sonic 3. It's an underwater ruins level, so if you've played the previous games, you're expecting a hard, long slog, right? You'd be wrong. It's a blitzingly fast wild water ride with Sonic blasing across the surface of the water, bouncing everywhere with the bubble shield, rolling down hills at ludicrous speed, getting caught in currents that fling you miles into the air, and AMAZING music.
* Sweet Mountain in SonicColors. Rockets filled with jelly beans come crashing down on you, drilling through cake and in one act, you can see the entire area as you're grinding.
*** If you think the jelly bean rockets alone are awesome, just try [[spoiler: turning into Super Sonic]] and ''' ''BLASTING THROUGH ONE OF THEM HEADFIRST!!!'' '''
** If not Sweet Mountain, then the awesome beauty and platforming of Planet Wisp, or even Aquarium Park's underwater vastness, where you can drill to your heart's content, and better still, the music gets muffled underwater, making it surprisingly engaging.
*** Remember how we were just talking about the "running down the side of a building" mechanic? Well, [[spoiler:Terminal Velocity]] takes it UpToEleven. Basically, [[spoiler:Eggman's amusement park is EXPLODING thanks to your heroic efforts]] and Sonic and Tails are making a mad dash [[spoiler:down a SpaceElevator shaft to get back on the planet.]]When Sonic and Tails get to the last availible SpaceElevator, Eggman tries to intercept our heroes in his new [[spoiler:Egg Nega Wisp Armor]]. Sonic gets a [=CMoA=] for himself [[spoiler:by getting Tails into the elevator and sending him to safety]] while he confronts Eggman. Sonic then proceeds to open up a can of [[{{GoshDangItToHeck}} whoop-butt]] on Eggman, freeing the Wisps he's using for a power supply in the process. Once they're all free, they [[spoiler:[[{{AllYourColorsCombined}} combine their power]] so Sonic can perform the FINAL COLOR BLASTER! On the mech, destroying it.]] The final level features Sonic [[spoiler:trying to outrun a black hole made of hyper go-on energy and getting rescued by the Wisps and reunited with Tails.]]'''HECK YES'''!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Space Invaders]]
* ''SpaceInvaders Extreme 2''[='=]s Stage 5-D: ''Space Invaders ''(''Extreme'') meets {{Moe}}. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr3CFQyq9p0&fmt=18 Let's play!]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Spyro the Dragon]]
* Because sometimes, it helps to be reminded that the world really is worth saving: The Valley of Avalar from ''TheLegendOfSpyro: Dawn of the Dragon.'' In addition to just being plain old ''[[SceneryPorn gorgeous]],'' it's soothing and fun to just fly around and find all the nooks and crannies hiding goodies. Jumping and climbing your way to the top of the ''big'' waterfall and looking out over the valley just makes you feel ''good'' inside.
* The original ''SpyroTheDragon'' has Tree Tops; it's ThatOneLevel to many people but once you figure out ''how'' to complete it, it becomes extremely fun to play through.
** Spyro 3 has Fireworks Factory. Brilliant level-design, [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome great music]], epic side-quests (though Agent 9's section is arguably [[ThatOneLevel one of the most annoying parts of the game]]) and [[EverythingsBetterWithNinjas ninjas]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder: StarCraft series]]
* The first StarCraft (notably Brood War) had "Patriot's Blood" as its mission. It's as if Blizzard drew its inspiration for Tychus Findlay from the UED marines' personalities.
* In StarCraft 2, the mission "Breakout". You essentially do a pseudo-DotA mission with a perma-stealthed KnightInSourArmor who busts open a planet made specifically to hold political prisoners. Raynor's remark that no one has busted out of New Folsom in the 50 years of its life and they "broke it in an afternoon" is especially something worth crowning. 
[[/folder]]

[[folder:StarFox]]
* Fortuna in ''StarFox 64'': "Can't let you do that, Star Fox!"
** Area 6 as well, gives a whole new meaning to 'target rich enviroment'.
*** Not as rich as Venom I. Gotta love that feel of Andross deploying every ship he has left, trying to keep you away.
**** The craziest is Venom I on ''Expert'' Mode. 
*** But neither of these tops the epic feel of [=MacBeth=] - getting the opportunity to take out bits of the train throughout the entire level, and then seeing it careen to its death is just fantastic.
*** The train crash in MacBeth is THE reason the rumble pack was invented. So awesome.
**** "NO! Hit the brakes!" *slam, slam, slam, slam* "...I can't stop it!!!" *CRASH*. Cue ChainReactionDestruction.
*** How about the massive dog fight on Katina? Followed by an IndependenceDay sized UFO. Also; whether you win or lose, you're still treated to an EarthShatteringKaboom.
*** Bolse was pretty awesome, also, although going there means missing out on Area 6 and the better version of Venom. For starters, everything starts out with impenetrable shields, and you have to blast away the shield generators. Then the bogeys start streaming out. Then, the core appears, and right around the same time (unless you beat them on Fortuna earlier in the game), the Star Wolf team appears. Then once you start shooting at the core, ''it starts shooting back''. Dealing with all of those lasers flying around (from the busted panels of the core and from the Star Wolf team), it's quite exhilirating. Finally, once you bust all of the panels of the core, the entire planet-sized satellite blows up. There are a lot of large explosions in this game--the Saucerer on Katina, the Katina base if you ''don't'' take down the Saucerer, the weapons factory on Macbeth, the bosses of Solar and Area 6, Great Fox getting smacked with a Copperhead missile in Sector Z--but none of them are quite as big as the ''entire Bolse satellite''. Almost makes missing the better ending worthwhile.
* The second course Venom 2 in the original ''StarFox'', blasting your way through a space highway right into Andross' back door.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Star Trek: Klingon Academy]]
* Star Trek: Klingon Academy. Play skirmish and take your pick: fighting in the debris ring of a planet? Inside the atmostphere of a gas giant? The corona of a star? Hell yes! Most awesome is the fight set at the edge of a Black Hole accretion disk, turned up to eleven when you decide to create a battle somewhat closer to the event horizon of that same black hole. Possibly the scariest as well, once your engines are dead you will fall faster and faster into the black hole...
[[/folder]]

[[folder:StarWars]]
* "Star Wars: Battlefront II" has a level where you get to play as Anakin Skywalker and fight a bunch of Jedi alongside Clone Troopers. Fuck. Yes. Granted, it's less fun if Anakin dies, as the chance to play your Hero doesn't come back up in Story Mode, but the thrill of an epic lightsaber battle will be enough to have you SAVE A SEPARATE GAME JUST FOR THAT LEVEL.
* ''StarWars: ShadowsOfTheEmpire'' for the Nintendo 64 was the first ''Star Wars'' game to feature a fully 3D playable version of the Battle of Hoth, both in a snowspeeder and on foot. According to the Gametrailers [[http://www.gametrailers.com/player/37296.html Star Wars Retrospective]], many gamers never played past the first level, simply replaying the Hoth battle over and over again. This is probably the reason there have been Hoth levels in every ''Star Wars'' game since that could fit one in, and the inspiration for the ''RogueSquadron'' games.
** The Asteroid Field mission was pretty fun, too. And so was Gall, where you got to play with a ''jetpack''...
** Though it was [[ExecutiveMeddling added in at the last minute]] and rather unconnected to the main story, the [[EternalEngine Battle of Endor]] in X-Wing Alliance is quite exhilarating. Up until you look across the cockpit of the ''Millennium Frikkin' Falcon'' and see your robot buddy in the copilot seat...
* The Bespin level in ''Rogue Squadron II'' deserves a mention, if only for the gorgeous scenery. ''And'' their version of Endor [[{{Understatement}} isn't too shabby]], either...
** Mmm, fighting two Star Destroyers.
** The final level, ''Strike at the Core'', deserves a mention. Trying to get a gold medal in this level on Ace Mode, while piloting the Millennium Falcon... it might also qualify at That One Level, but you seldom get such an adrenalin rush in any Star Wars game.
* Speaking of StarWars, the level where Admiral Harkov turns on you in TIEFighter is made of awesome. You're sent out there in an unshielded TIE Interceptor and have to survive until reinforcements come to pick you up... Hard, but awesome.
* ''StarWars: TheForceUnleashed'' pretty much all the way through, especially against the larger enemies (AT-[=STs=] and their bastard brethren AT-[=KT=]s in particular), and the whole "pull a goddamn cruiser out of space" bit.
** The best level is obviously the First, where you play as DARTH FREAKING VADER and then proceed to tear the ever-living shit out of everything in your path. The rest of the game almost seems like a bit of a let-down in comparison.
* Korriban in KnightsOfTheOldRepublic, especially on a light side runthrough as you play every Sith on the planet like a fiddle.
** For that matter, the Battle of the Star Forge. Its like ReturnOfTheJedi when you have to storm the Empire's very engine of Mass Destruction/Construction to [[StuffBlowingUp blow it up]]. Except you have to kill [[BigBad Darth Malak]] first and either kill or redeem [[DethroningTheIceQueen Bastila]] first. Along the way though? You fight [[EliteMook elite mooks]], [[MiniBoss several minibosses]], whole armies of Dark Side Acolytes, Adepts, and Sith Masters, whole armies of the best 'normal' troops, a mecha army, and at times ''[[BeyondTheImpossible ALL AT ONCE]]''. If you go Dark Sided, you conquer the entire galaxy at the end (only to lose it in the sequel), if you go Light Side (which can arguably be better than Dark Side), you redeem Bastila, defeat the Sith, and become the Prodigal Knight of the Republic. Either ending is satisfying, and it is really fun to bring Malak down. What is it with {{Bioware}} and awesome final levels?
** Malachor 5 in ''KOTOR II'' is [[WhamEpisode pretty damned impressive]], even without a lot of the content. 
*** The return to Onderon; the whole damn thing, from the Tomb to the palace Throne Room.
** For that matter, Korriban in [[DarkForcesSaga Jedi Academy]].
* ''[[LegoStarWars Lego Star Wars II]]'': The last two ''[[TheEmpireStrikesBack Empire]]'' levels(the showdown with Darth Vader, and the escape from Bespin), and the last three ''[[ReturnOfTheJedi Jedi]]'' levels(all three story-lines in the climax; breaking into the shield generator, the fight against [[BigBad Palpatine]], and, of course, the battle over Endor and inside the Death Star).
* The more intuitive missions in JediAcademy qualify (with the exception of [[ScrappyLevel Belenjeel]]). But the best is probably the one with the speeder bikes.
* ''Star Wars: Empire at War'': First Rebel mission. A bunch of CR 90 Correllian Corvettes (think ''Tantive IV'') plus the ''Sundered Heart'' (a heavily modified CR 60, CR 60's being the predecessor's to CR 90's) destroying 5 space docks, countless TIE's, a couple ''Tartan''-class corvettes, and crippling a MOTHER F-ING IMPERIAL ''STAR DESTROYER''. With no losses.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Streets of Rage]]
* The amusement park level in ''StreetsOfRage 2'' with the arcade, pirates attraction, alien house and overall CrowningMusicOfAwesome.
** ''StreetsOfRage 3'' has BottomlessPits that are lethal to enemies, [[NonLethalBottomlessPits but not you]]. Cue throwing in enemies with multiple lifebars to instantly kill them.
** The original ''StreetsOfRage'' has an awesome upward elevator ride in Stage 7. It's a nice breather between [[ScrappyLevel Stage 6]] [[CaptainObvious and]] [[BossRush Stage 8]], complete with Yuzo Koshiro's stylin' beats and a lot of freedom in how to handle the waves of mooks. Do you simply challenge them all fairly? Take the chance to ''shoulder-throw mooks off of a goddamn elevator''? Leap onto the guard rail and then use the leverage to drop a flying kick through four guys at once? Or do you take advantage of a glitch that lets you [[GoodBadBugs German-suplex the mooks through the floor in the corner of the elevator]]? It becomes a bit of a ScrappyLevel if you're playing co-op with [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential a clumsy jerk that keeps throwing you off the elevator on "accident"]], but the same could be said of Stage 4's rampant bottomless pits.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:SuperMarioSeries]]
* Level 5-3 of ''SuperMarioBros. 3'': Kuribo's Shoe.
** Then there's that level in World 6 with the hundreds of coins frozen in ice blocks. You defrost them with your fireballs.
*** There are also Munchers frozen in some of the ice blocks. Normally a bad thing, but there are a cluster of Munchers over top of a pipe, and recall that hitting a P-Switch turns Munchers temporarily into coins. When you eliminate the Munchers and enter the pipe, there's a Hammer Brother suit inside, and that Hammer Brother suit is one thousand times more satisfying to wear than any other in the game.
** The quicksand stage in World 2
*** An angry sun that you can ''kill'' with a shell! Take that, Sun!
*** Let's just say that again folks, ''you can kill the Sun''.
** And the whole of Big World.
** You don't get them often, but every once in a while, you'll suddenly come across a Doom Ship filled with nothing but coins. It's like winning the lottery every time it appears.
*** It's not random. They spawn according to a specific formula that's a bit too involved to discuss here, but involves your score, coin tally, and time left on the clock. It's entirely possible to trigger the ships every single time if you know the method, but it only works on certain worlds. The easiest level to test it on is 1-3, because there's convenient bricks and coins right (and a pipe to reset them) at the end of the level in case you screw up.
* Any level with the Metal Cap in it in ''Super Mario 64''
** Bob-Omb Battlefield was a beautiful first impression with that cool mountain, the Chain Chomps place. This should've been the Throwback Galaxy. That and [[IncrediblyLamePun Snowman's Land]]
** Any level with the Wing Cap in it.
*** Except maybe for the goddamn ''[[ScrappyLevel Over The Rainbow]]'' star.
*** The best one is the final one, outside the castle. You shoot yourself out of the cannon into the floating "?" box... and you just ''fly''. And it's ''[[SceneryPorn gorgeous]]''.
** The "Bowser in the..." stages. The default (and pretty much only sane) camera angle and heavy emphasis on platforming made it a fun throwback to the classic Mario games, and it has arguably the best musical piece in the game.
** Tick Tock Clock, and any level with a slide. Fun.
** Hazy Maze Cave.
** Chief Chilly Challenge from the DS remake. It has the slides, the platforming and the whole place is focused around Luigi!
** ShiftingSandLand. Especially when [[spoiler: [[NotSoFastBucko top of the fricking pyramid comes off!]]]]
* Any of the "Secret of..." levels in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine''. Pure 3D platforming bliss. The music alone justifies putting these levels here.
** The CrowningMusicofAwesome level that is Noki Bay, complete with gorgeous cliff sides and awesome boss battles.
* One star in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' has you traversing a floating lava area on a rolling ball while a meteor shower is falling and a ''hell remix'' of the ball theme is playing in the background.
** The entirety of Melty Molten Galaxy applies.
** The "Freeze" portions of Freezeflame Galaxy. There's just something about ice skating and [[AnIcePerson Ice Mario]].
*** For that matter, the whole Lava Core Planet is beautiful and the Mission "Freezeflame's Blistering Core" feels like a great, classic adventure.
** Also, pretty much every ScrappyLevel is incedibly fun once you're good enough to beat it.[[hottip:* :Except for Dreadnought Galaxy. That place is just evil.]] [[hottip:* :The music pumps you up enough to beat it without a problem, though]]
** Pretty much every level in SMG.
* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'' gives us Cosmic Cove Galaxy. It has [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome a beautiful theme]] and the level "Exploring the Cosmic Cavern" is a 2D water level, complete with flying water. The galaxy also features some cool skating. Also, Honeybloom Galaxy, completely 2D and pure Bee Mario Bliss.
** Fluffy Bluff Galaxy. [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Amazing music]], [[SceneryPorn beautiful scenery]], and just downright fun to play. In the same vein, Cloudy Court Galaxy.
** "To the Top of Topman's [[hottip:*:Not [[Game/MegaMan that Topman]], as cool as that might have been]] Tower" in Space Storm Galaxy. A souped up version of Buoy Base, complete with ''time-slowing'' effects? Hell yes!
** Wild Glide Galaxy. The gorgeous scenery, which features Mario gliding through a mountain pass with lush foliage and pouring waterfalls, combined with the awesome music, it's easy not to notice how difficult the level can be.
** [[DownTheDrain Slimy Spring Galaxy]]. The ambience is amazing, it can be fun but challenging[[hottip:*:Keep going, or you might run out of air]], and the sunset seen at the end of the level is just SceneryPorn incarnate. [[spoiler:Toad Captain nonwithstanding.]]
** Say what you will about [[ThatOneLevel the second mission]], but the ''first'' mission in [[LethalLavaLand Melty Monster Galaxy]] is oh-so very deserving of the title "The Magnificent Magma Sea". The level is absolutely ''epic''. We're talking ''cascading walls of lava'', people!
** [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/SuperMario64 Throwback]] [[NostalgiaLevel Galaxy]]. An [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome epic remix of the stage music]] from Mario 64, and the Whomp King even says his lines from 64 word-for-word!]]
** The [[spoiler:VideoGame/MarioKart inspired Rolling Coaster Galaxy.]] Difficult, yes... but at the same time, it gives the player a real adrenaline rush to [[spoiler:go rolling down a rainbow slide then shooting through the air on their momentum.]]
** Flip-Swap Galaxy. It's amazing, the series is in its third decade now and they're ''still'' finding clever new approaches to platforming.
** Beat Block Galaxy. The panels appear and disappear alternately according to the beat of the music. Purely Amazing.
** How's this for a bold choice... [[spoiler:Grandmaster Galaxy]]. Sure, it's extremely challenging (and that's not even mentioning the daredevil run), but not in a way that ever feels unfair. The adrenaline rush that kicks in while you play it is amazing, and if you actually ''beat'' it... your [[strike:day]] [[strike:week]] ''year'' is made!
* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand'''s Submarine and Airplane Stages. UnexpectedGameplayChange to a shoot-em-up? Yes. However, this is surprisingly done well to the point that they become the two most enjoyable levels in the game, and the peppy music helps too.
** Also, both are immediately after {{Scrappy Level}}s.
* There are two such levels in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld''. The first is the Pirate Ghost Ship, where you (as Mario) revisit the Flying Fortress from ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', and culminates into a massive drop through a long tunnel where you can rack up extra lives and points (completing the level opens up the gateway to the Valley of Bowser, and cuts out the music for the only time in the game). The second level is the final course in the Special Star World, "Funky". After making your way through the level, eating berries with Yoshi to increase the time limit, you pass a massive yellow pipe going into the air. After this point, the enemies disappear, and you continue heading to the right, only to find the message YOU ARE A SUPER PLAYER!!. ''Written entirely with coins''. '''Pure awesome'''.
** All of Special World counts. The whole World is a NintendoHard ROMHack of itself, forsaking all logic in favor of the RuleOfCool. As if it could get better than that, after you beat it, the whole Game becomes a HalloweenEpisode.
** Much of the whole game counts! A level where you ride a skull coaster on lava while dodging a googly-eyed lava monster (who is apparently named "Blaargh")? A level where you literally have to build a staircase out of coins and a P-Block? Even the Scrappiest of ScrappyLevels, known as "Tubular" has you fly through an entire level as a living balloon, which, once you learn how to navigate the darn level, is actually pretty fun.
* ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'' has the hidden level 8-7. It's a nonstop thrill ride over lava atop a series of skeletal dragon roller coasters that [[MostWonderfulSound screech at just the right times]]. Reflexes and instincts are all you need to get through this level; even the Star Coins are not hidden. Finally, going through this level lets you bypass [[DownTheDrain 8]]-[[BlackoutBasement 4]].
** While a lot of people say 8-1 is a ScrappyLevel with all of its obstacles, it can be a huge adrenaline rush to charge headlong into the fray without stopping to beat the level and collect all of the Star Coins on the first try. Not only that but the level itself is very reminiscent of the many similar levels found in the Genesis platformer, ''Kid Chameleon,'' complete with AdvancingWallOfDoom.
* Tree Zone 2 in ''Super Mario Land 2'', where you swim through gravity-defying jello.
* ''[[VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels The Lost Levels]]'', of all games, has World 7-3. 7-1 had the Bros. faced with numerous pipes filled with Red Piranha Plants, as well as several [[EliteMook Hammer Bros.]] 7-2 not only had Lakitus, but also ''fire bars'' (which in the first game only appeared in castles). This level? Flying over much of it using strong winds and green trampolines.
* I believe it was World 2-3 in the original Super Mario Bros. It was the one right after the first water level, where the best choice (for me, anyway) was to run like hell across the bridges and avoid the Cheep-Cheeps that jumped at you.
* Glitzville in [[VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor Paper Mario: TTYD]] was definitely one of the highlights of the game.
** Also the Excess Express.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Super Robot Wars]]
* SuperRobotWars D, level 16, Jupiter route. The pure exhilaration of re-enacting [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome the only sequence in Getter Robo more awesome than the Stoner Sunshine sequence]] knows no bounds. With Shin Getter Robo, Getter Shin Dragon, Judau and the [[GundamZZ ZZ Gundam]], and Ru and the [[ZetaGundam Gundam Mk. III]] facing down a horde of {{Eldritch Abomination}}s, Shin Dragon effectively evens the odds single-handedly with a horde of GameBreaker powers. Even the game notes this, and makes sure that it requires extensive upgrades for the next chunk of the game.
** Episode 30 of OG2 also counts. Sure it's a [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome top moment]] for Sanger Zonvolt, and you get two of the most awesome mechs in the game as well. But after the episode name and number splashes across the screen you have the boss break the 4th wall with a "Episode 30? What the hell does that mean?!"
** SuperRobotWarsZ, stage 36: [[GundamSEEDDestiny Operation Angel Down.]] Only instead of just pitting Shinn against Kira, it's hero vs. hero for the ''entire cast''. Mazinger Z vs. Getter Robo? Aquarion vs. God Gravion? Xabungle and Walker Gallia fighting Gundams? Yes, yes and yes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Supreme Commander]]
* The final UEF mission in ''SupremeCommander'', Operation Stone Wall. The Aeon and Cybrans are within spitting distance of taking out Black Sun, the UEF's final hope of winning the Infinite War, which isn't even ''finished'' yet. You are in the center of the map. There are off-screen enemies absolutely surrounding you. You're given a bit of a breather at the beginning, which you will need, because once the mission gets rolling, the Cybrans and Aeon will be throwing absolutely ''everything'' in their arsenal at you - stealthed transports to capture the Black Sun control center, nuclear missiles aimed everywhere, fleets arriving regularly with monstrous battleships at the head, massed raids by strategic bombers and air superiority fighters, ''waves'' of [[HumongousMecha Monkeylords]]...
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Syphon Filter]]
* The first ''Syphon Filter'' opens during a massive simultaneous terrorist attack on Washington D.C., and the main character is literally sprinting from hot spot to hot spot to try and get things under control. When you finally get a lead on the leaders, you chase one of them on foor through active Metro tunnels, dodging subway trains and exchanging shots the whole way.
** The Pharcom Warehouses level, with a MeleeATrois between you, the Pharcom Elite Guards, and Rhoemer's troops, and possibly [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome the best music in the game]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:System Shock]]
* SystemShock2 and the coolant tunnels. You've made it through Med-Sci, and now it's onto the next - Aggh! Alarms! Maze! Zombies! Radiation! [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Intense techno]]! Crazy woman shouting at me! And right before you can get used to a shift from moody, narrative horror to fast paced survival horror, it just stops.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tales series]]
* ''[[EvilTowerOfOminousness The Tower Of Salvation]]'' in ''TalesOfSymphonia'' fits perfectly. You go to this gigantic tower a total of 3 times throughout the game, each being different in their own brand of epicness. The first time, you're treated on one of the most memorable scenes in gaming,and a fairly challenging BossRush. The second? One of the best puzzles, EVER. The third? A true TearJerker. All three trips are also accented by their music- the "Derris-Kharlan" tracks ([[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqWU2fcJA4c ~Appear~]] (For the first couple rooms); [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF8ckDnUifM ~Fear~]] (for the second trip dungeon, Welgaia) and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AEX_hB91Pk ~Shrine~]](The third trip's dungeon's music...)) Oh, and as a later cutscene proves- the entire place? It's MadeOfExplodium.
** The Seyfert Trials in ''TalesOfEternia''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]
* ''TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles 4'''s penultimate level is a highway in [[{{Zeerust}} the year 2020]], to what appears to be Las Vegas, and you (and your enemies) are on hoverboards.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tetris: The Grand Master]]
* ''Tetris: The Grand Master 2 PLUS''[='=]s "T.A. Death" mode. To get into the second half, you need to beat the first half in under 3 minutes and 25 seconds. Doing so successfully gives you the rank of M (while playing the "game cleared" music while we're at it), causes the music to change to something fast-paced and [[NightmareFuel terrifying]], and now you are left with but one goal: survive all the way to the end of the game. Which is much, much harder than it sounds, for a number of reasons: you're going at instant-drop speed (which you have been since you started the mode). You have 0.067 seconds between a piece locking and the next piece spawning. You have a quarter of a second between a piece hitting the stack and locking, unless you move it down. The nightmarish music plays for the rest of the game, even thorugh the credits. The backgrounds become more menacing, ranging from pistons to drills to power generators. If you succeed in surviving this entire half of the game (which takes about three minutes) under these conditions, you get the Grand Master rank.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Thief]]
* {{Thief}} 3 has the Cradle, which makes what could almost be considered an UnexpectedGameplayChange in terms of the overall atmosphere (although it fits in with situations in the earlier games), and executes it perfectly.
** {{Thief}} 2 had a wonderful early level which was devoted to just...going around stealing things. It worked beautifully.
*** 'Shipping and Receiving', IIRC. Level 2. Based in a warehouse. Just stealing because you need the money. Great level.
** Thief 2's unofficial expansion ''Shadows of the Metal Age'' had a level in which a XanatosGambit (''yours,'' in fact) finally comes together, and two factions get engaged in a brutal melee with each other. Your goal? Slaughter anyone and everyone in your path, and make sure the faction who killed your brother is ground into the dust. In a game where you've had to stay out of view and skulk about for a long, long time, there's something satisfying about a level of nothing but brutal vengeance.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Thunder Force]]
* ''Thunder Force V'' has an entire level where your ship, the Gauntlet, docks into a massive armor called the Brigandine and uses a rail gun and a laser to obliterate battleships. Even though the Brigandine has a shield and is a massive target to everything, it's possible to beat the whole damn level with it, but you don't get to keep it for the next stage.
** In its predecessor ''Thunder Force IV'' there is a level called Air Raid that consists mostly of you dodging giant battleships' lock-on cannons while also blowing shit up.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:TombRaider]]
* TombRaider: The Lost Valley: Along with the iconic T-Rex encounter, it is also filled with other memorable set-pieces, like the waterfall (and subsequent draining of it), and the design of the Valley itself.
** City of Vilacamba: Nice puzzles,beautiful pools,and those swinging axes,plus a great GreenHillsZone
** St Francis' Folly: Full of puzzles, as well as having an interesting vertical structure.
** Palace Midas: A great layout that interlinks in really cool ways, along with some good puzzles as well.
*** And the Midas hands, which will [[HaveANiceDeath turn Lara into a gold statue]].
** TheCistern however was a great DownTheDrain level
* TombRaider 2: Barkhang Monastery: A massive level with tons of non-linearity, that is filled with puzzles, challenges and exploration.
** Temple of Xian: Another huge level that covers almost aspect of Tomb Raider at some point, including some unique sequences like the [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel Spider cave]].
* TombRaider 3: Aldwych: A massive and complex level, but the atmosphere is what really makes it; it manages to be more atmospheric than many of the "tomb" locations in the series, and shows how a modern level can work perfectly in TR with the right concept.
** Lost City of Tinnos: The finale level before the boss, and a great finale it is, with an interesting theme and some nice use of the elemental puzzles concept.
* TombRaider 4: The Lost Library: Another big level, and one that keeps linking in interesting ways and constantly brings on new tasks and puzzles.
* TombRaider: Angel of Darkness: Hall of Seasons: The controls make a couple of the trap sequences very frustrating (along with ThatOneBoss), but as a whole it has several puzzles and some very atmospheric areas that make it arguably the last echoes of the original designers former glory.
* TombRaider Legend: Ghana: Starts with a very impressive waterfall sequence and continues with an interesting layout, large scale puzzles and less combat than most of the other levels.
** England: Beyond ThatOneBoss it's a great level with quite possibly the best atmosphere in the game and several nice puzzles and platforming sequences.
** Nepal: Exploring through ice caves with ruins frozen from the past, leading all the way to a giant temple that seems to be built around a believable BottomlessPit, the entire level(For the most part) makes you feel like you are alone and exploring a place that was once magnificent, the music in the level helps too.
*** The Quick Time Event in the crashed plane actually managed to be quite entertaining. The level also contained only a single, brief shootout sequence with enemy mooks: just long enough to change up the pace, but not so much that the simplistic combat outstayed its welcome.
* TombRaider Anniversary: St Francis' Folly takes every puzzle and the overall layout of the original level and expands on it all in several ways (such that the cuts that were made are balanced by more content elsewhere). Unfortunely this clashes with the levels that were remade less competently.
** All of Egypt: A couple of the trap sequences are frustrating, but beyond that it's another segment that, instead of strange changes, takes everything good about the original segment and makes it better.
* TombRaider Underworld: Mexico: There's quite a lot of exploration and a nice atmosphere. It also has some good puzzles in the Xibalba section.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tony Hawk series]]
* New Orleans in [[TonyHawksUnderground Tony Hawk's Underground 2]]. On top of feeling like a genuine large city, it had an entire network of half pipes, ramps and parks on the roofs of all its buildings, and it actually managed to feel southern without passing in to stereotypical territory, something games usually don't handle well. On top of that, grinding the tombs (The dead are "buried" above-ground in NO) in the local graveyard will transform the entire city into a voodoo hellhole, with a portal to hell in the center and hordes of zombies.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Total Annihilation]]
* Total Annihliation features two. The final Mission of the ARM campaign, which starts you at the bottom of a series of terrace's on which are overlayed the entire CORE force, including everything except ships. You must fight your way up each terrace, until you can destroy the CORE commander. The second is in the CORE campaign and is called Surrounded and Pounded, where you must defend a plateau from ARM forces, and don't have much room to build.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Total Overdose]]
* TotalOverdose early missions Smash The Stash and Steal The Wheels. First blow up four silos of chemicals that fertilize their ganga to the angry grinding metal of ''Apocalypshit'', then bust into a villa and steal a CoolCar with ''Molotov Cocktail Party'' playing. The center is a nice maze-like garden of weed with gun-toting mooks jumping from all directions, encircled with dirt tracks filled with trucks, tractors, and explosives. The whole layout gives you the most opportunities for car-leaping kills and wall-bounces. The villa raid ends with a gun-duel with a crusty, revolver-packing miniboss then busting out of the garage with the fastest car in the game, leaping ramps of burning barrels, and getting it safely back to your boss...just so you can watch him blast it away with an Uzi.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Touhou]]
* The Extra and Phantasm stages of {{Touhou}} 7: Perfect Cherry Blossom certainly qualify. Half of each level is an epic boss battle complete with [[CrowningMusicOfAwesomeVideoGames Crowning Music Of Awesome]], and the stages themselves are quite well-designed to be NintendoHard without relying on FakeDifficulty.
** As well as the final stage of the same game. The sheer beauty of the gorgeous attacks with butterflies and cherry blossoms, the unreal music at the last fight, and the awe-inspiring end-boss, [[spoiler: Yuyuko Saigyouji,]] all come together to form a package so stunning and wonderful, many a member of the fanbase has been moved to tears, and not from the [[NintendoHard also-insane difficulty]] that comes with it on the higher levels.
** How about stage four from Subterranean Animism? Two awesome songs, a gorgeous background, and Satori cranking up the nostalgia meter by copying old cards, some of which hail from the fighting games. "Now, lie down with this terror that will leave you sleepless!"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Transformers: War for Cybertron]]
* TransformersWarForCybertron has an absolutely amazing level as the fourth mission of the Decepticon campaign. Megatron, along with Soundwave, and Breakdown are attacked by [[spoiler:Omega FREAKING Supreme]], and are cut off from the rest of the Decepticon forces. What follows is the three of them racing through the underbelly of a ruined Autobot city while being chased by a gigantic warship, with lots of 'Oh crap!' moments where you have to avoid being killed by it. Not to mention the hordes of Autobot mooks that stand between you and a safe escape. Oh, and then there's the fact that [[TheStarscream Starscream]] takes advantage of Megatron's disappearance to do what Starscreams do best and declare HIMSELF leader of the Decepticons...of course, you're playing as (or with) Megatron, so his reaction to all of this is pretty much 'BRING IT ON!'
** And conversely the 4th level for the Autobots is equally amazing, as a team lead by Silverbolt chases Trypticon as the latter is in the process of ColonyDrop ping onto Cybertron. So you follow it into the Gravity Well all the while trying to blow him up.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Treasure of the Rudra]]
* Surlent's first time entering the Underworld in TreasureOfTheRudra. You're suddenly [[spoiler: dead]], there's an entire new overworld to explore, there's the crowningest CrowningMusicOfAwesome in the ''entire game'', and the level ends with a thoroughly disturbing NightmareFuel ContinuityNod as you figure out how to get back to the surface.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Twisted Metal]]
* The Paris level in ''TwistedMetal 2'' had a large portion of Paris that could be driven around in. It had the Louvre and The Eiffel Tower at opposite ends of the level which had teleporters that could be used to reach their roofs. But the best part was that the Eiffel Tower could be blown up and the wreckage could be used to drive across the roofs. Everyone who played that level collected remote explosives so they could plant them in the Eiffel Tower, and then drove as fast as possible to the Louvre roof so they could set them off and watch the tower explode. It was so cool.
** Early on in the game, when you play the New York level (in the campaign mode, not multiplayer), there's a section of the level where you can drive at top speeds across rooftops, getting ridiculous heights off the angled roofs, before you ''smash into the third floor of an apartment building and ventilate a man swimming in the hotel pool''. ''Before taking the elevator down''. ''With your car''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Vampire: The Masquerade]]
* The Oceanside Hotel in ''VampireTheMasquerade: Bloodlines''. It pulls out every haunted house trick in the books, and the resulting effect is creepy as hell.
** The Hotel and the werewolf chase.
*** Just to elaborate a bit on what the chase is: there you are, having kicked ass for for than three quarters of the game, and you are armed to the teeth with all sorts of weapons, and your supernatural powers' ranges in strength from turning the tide to your favour to mopping the floor with the enemies. Right, this was just the background - you are given the task to go and talk with one of the local badasses - Nines Rodrigez, who in a nearby park. Very soon after going there you both notice a forest fire and Nines starts freaking out because he knows that the werewolves don't take kindly neither to fires nor to vampires. Just then a werewolf jumps at him from nowhere snatches him and leaves you with another werewolf who is hellbent on trying to rip you to pieces and chew you. Oh, and all those powers and weapons are useless - the only option left is to scream like a little girl, run, and try to survive until you manage to get away.
**** 2nd option left: crush the offending shapechanger between the closing halves of the telescope ceiling.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Vexx]]
* Tempest Peak Manor from ''{{Vexx}}.'' You get to roam around inside [[MacroZone a giant's house,]] which is neat enough, but it also has things like getting ''flung'' up into the rafters and sneaking around, flinging gelatin to get an extra life, playing a mini-game on a GIANT TV by ''standing'' on the joystick, and a ridiculous [[ShaggyDogStory Shaggy Dog]] EasterEgg. Oh: And the music? It's ''[[CrowningMusicOfAwesome awesome.]]''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:VVVVVV]]
* The final level of {{VVVVVV}}, in which you destabilize an alternate dimension and have to escape before it falls apart. The levels start [[AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield flashing different colors]], and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk6cLB9hWd0 action music]] starts playing, as you play through some of the [[NintendoHard hardest]] (but most fun) levels in the game.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Warcraft]]
* The final level of ''{{Warcraft}} III: Reign of Chaos'' (i.e. the original game, not the expansion): "Twilight of the Gods." A 45-minute HoldTheLine mission against TheLegionsOfHell. Your side starts with three bases and covers most of the map. You ''will'' lose almost everything before it's all over. The general panic of throwing everything you have at the endless waves of demons and undead is nothing short of awesome.
** The level was so badass that Blizzard put it in WorldofWarcraft: The Burning Crusade as a raid instance [[ExcusePlot JUST FOR]] {{Fanservice}}!
** Not to be outdone, the Frozen Throne Night Elf campaign ends with "The Brothers Stormrage", featuring Malfurion and Illidan cooperating for possibly the first time ever to save Tyrande. Not only do you get to use the Naga for the first time, but the simple fact that these two are working together is something special. Also nice is that you've ''finally'' gotten rid of Maiev.
** Really, the final level of any Blizzard RTS qualifies. In the case of {{Starcraft}}, the final level of any individual race's campaign qualifies as well. "The Hammer Fall" is undoubtedly the most epic Terran vs. Terran battle in the entire game, including the ones leading to [[spoiler:Mengsk's]] defeat in Brood War.
* ''(Cough!)'' 75% or more of all raids. ''(Cough)!''
** As far as raids go, Blackwing Lair, [=AQ40=], Naxx, All of TBC especially Hyjal (the example above) Zul'Aman, and Black Temple, and Ulduar and Icecrown Citadel in WOTLK all are considered amazing by those who have done them.
* There are quite a lot of ScrappyLevel examples for WorldOfWarcraft, but some zones are just excellent: for example, The Storm Peaks. It has plenty of fun quests (including The Drakkensryd, mentioned in the [=CMoA=] page for Warcraft), the scenery is to die for, the [[http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=xH1ERCemdZ4 background music]] is hauntingly beautiful and epic, and there's enough of a storyline there to satisfy at least ''some'' of the people who complain about [=WoW=]'s lack of one.
** At least among the cities of WoW, Dalaran is one of the best places to be. The epic music helps quite a bit.
** The entire Wrath of the Lich King expansion had a lot of Crowning Moments of Awesome. One example being [[spoiler:In the quest Finality after going through a huge quest chain involving a number of siege engines and decimated undead armies to kill a powerful lich who comes out a portal to hell with a group of elite soldiers at the bottom of an ancient crypt, you engage the lich and in terrifying moment of awesome, he freezes you and your soldier team in place to await death. When all hope seems lost who swoops in but Highlord Bolvar Fordragon himself who then helps you to handily defeat the undead commander.]]
*** Battle. For. The. Undercity. The absolutely epic finale of arguably the best damned quest line in the expansion. It's amazing as either faction, but the Horde version is by far the most satisfying. Not only do you get to see Thrall showing off his bad ass shamanic powers, you get to ''fight alongside him and Dark Lady Sylvanas'', all to reclaim one of the major home cities of the Horde, and [[spoiler: finally beat the snot out of Varimathras, who's been plotting this coup since the original game]].
**** And when we say "fight alongside them," we don't mean "sit back and let them handle everything," we mean you get a buff that boosts your damage to INSANE levels and a never ending Heal Over Time that basically ensures that YOU WILL NOT DIE as you ''fight right next to them dishing out just as much pain to the elite demons who turned your pants brown so many times as the two of them are.'' Honestly, the expansion is well worth the cost just for this one quest chain.
***** Too bad it was taken out as of Cataclysm.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Willow]]
* The [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaEh6p6B_I8&feature=related second level]] of the {{Willow}} arcade game, particularly the wagon ride. Its counterpart in the movie was nowhere near as intense.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Wolfenstein 3D]]
* [=E3M10=] of ''Wolfenstein3D''. Seems freaky when you first enter it ("why the hell is a ''PacMan'' ghost bearing down on me?!") - right up to the moment you realise it's a [[{{Homage}} near-perfect recreation]] of ''PacMan'' (the only things missing are the looparounds - replaced with level exits - and the power pills are switched to extra lives. The ghosts themselves are indestructible).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Yoshi's Story]]
* The Tall Tower from ''[=~Yoshi's Story~=]'' is boing-a-riffic fun! In addition to having a lovely backdrop and ''pretty'' music, you get to rocket around on ''springs'' everywhere! Wheee!
[[/folder]]
 
[[folder:Zone of the Enders]]
* Air Fight in ''ZoneOfTheEnders 2''. You versus six flying battleships with MoreDakka, {{Roboteching}} BeamSpam and naturally, {{Wave Motion Gun}}s. All accompanied by [[CrowningMusic/VideoGames Crowning Music of Awesome]]. And when you manage to destroy one with your own WaveMotionGun, you can see it falling for miles and breaking up in the air. {{Troperrific}}.
** And while we're at it, the [[TheWarSequence Mars Melee]]. You, the [[{{Gradius}} Vic Viper]], and 20 or so [[RedShirtArmy LEVs]] against ''hundreds'' if not a thousand or more enemy {{Mecha Mook}}s. From the opening salvo of attacks, to the scramble to save your troops, to the inevitable OhCrap you feel when the on-screen radar shows a ''wave'' of enemies coming down at you, the whole thing is an intense, frantic, and ''awesome'' battle that really shows off what the game's about, and how much power Jehuty really has.
[[/folder]]

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22nd Aug '11 6:02:54 PM OldManHoOh

Send OldManHoOh a PM notification explaining the badness of natter: natter-fy

Trying to alphabetise before splitting and removing stupid Two Words wank. Removing unnecessary Your Mileage May Vary. So it's on this page AND That One Level. Do we really care? Removing examples of Awesome.Video Game Bosses. Removing a couple of This Tropers. Narm does not belong on the white pages. Removing stupid "Don't forget" or "You forgot" crap. No emoticons, please. PLEASE. How do you forget the Gauss cannon in HL 2? Doesn't the game stop so they install it? Removing stupid "You have no heart" crap.

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[[folder:CallOfDuty]]
* The ''Death From Above'' level in ''CallOfDuty 4''. Not because it's difficult, but in a game where you are always outnumbered and outgunned, having one level where you get to rain death on hapless bad guys and the difficulty lies in choosing whether to cut them in half with a minigun or blow them into chunky salsa with a howitzer makes a nice break.
** "Alright, you got the guy. That might've been within two feet of him."
** Also, the level ''Heat.'' It opens up with one of the most badass ambushes ever, followed by the SAS gradually falling back in the face a tremendous push by what feels like half the Ultranationalist army, with the Brits alternately using mines, [=RPGs=], a Javelin, and even a salvaged ''[[GatlingGood minigun]]'' to delay the Ultranationalists all the way to the top of the hill....and then they find out their pickup is going to have to land at the ''bottom'' of the hill ''that you[='=]d just conceded to the enemy''. Cue a mad dash supported by United States Marine Corps Harriers dropping cluster bombs left, right, and center while the SAS charge down the hill, fighting off dozens of Ultranationalist rebels coming at them from every direction. ''Pure'' adrenaline.
*** This troper couldn't hear Captain Price's orders over the roar of the [[GatlingGood minigun]]. After mowing down scores of enemies, the gun finally overheated and I regained my senses enough to comprehend that the rest of the squad had all retreated, and Price was desperately screaming at me to follow suit. Best level ever.
*** YourMileageMayVary after the halfway point; depending on how you play and the difficulty level you're on, that level can quickly go from "Best Level Ever!" to a ThatOneLevel keyboard/controller-snapping frustration when you're trying to get back down the hill.
** "Lie down, and don't move."
*** All Ghillied Up; a SniperMission in Chernobyl that manages to portray the atmosphere of the location excellently, and a great feeling of infiltration.
**** What really does it for [[{{@/Theenglishman}} this troper]] is the sequence where you're crawling in the tall grass in a large field past a regiment of Russians and ''three'' tanks, and you can ''feel'' the ground shake beneath you as they roll past, completely unaware of your presence. Nothing else in the game is anywhere near as intense, and this is all done without firing a single shot.
**** The two Lt. Price levels just scream epic, and this is despite the fact they are not directly related to the plot, just [[WholeEpisodeFlashback flashbacks]] giving the background of the BigBad.
* ''CallOfDuty'': ''World at War'''s final mission with the Russians, where [[spoiler:after fighting through Berlin and into (and through) the Reichstag, heroic music and all, you get to the top and are the man to retrieve the Red flag and plant it. You get shot (for reals), but you've told death to flip off so many times before that it's not enough to stop you from planting the flag after Reznov cuts it down]].
** For that matter, Reznov himself also shines in the same scene, [[spoiler:seizing the Nazi who shot you, brutally goring him with his knife, and throwing him off the roof, leaving you clear to plant the flag]].
* In ''Modern Warfare 2'', the Ranger campaign is definitely a highlight. From "Wolverines!", in which you engage in street-to-street combat while hiding from a tank and defend [[spoiler:the President of the United States (who is unconscious) from invading Russian ultranationalists who are assaulting a ''burger joint'']], to "Of Their Own Accord", in which you see [[spoiler:the devastation of Washington firsthand, assault the Capitol building, protect fleeing civilians from attack, then ''finally'' go on a helicopter ride that sees you taking out ''any and all'' "targets of opportunity"]], to "Second Sun" and, finally, "Whiskey Hotel", in which you [[spoiler:storm the White House grounds with your unit, take out squads and make a mad dash to the roof with 1:30 left to light your flares and stop the military from leveling the city]]. ''[[CrowningMusicOfAwesome All while Hans Zimmer's epic score is blasting in the background]]''. '''Oh hell yes'''.
** In fact, every second level seems to have at least one memorable design element or unique trait. "Loose Ends" has you [[spoiler:fleeing for cover through a Bouncing Betty attack by advancing INTO the ambush, being sieged in Makarov's safehouse (with an arsenal of small arms and claymore mines) as his crew try to stop your computer download attempt, then fleeing through another forest as you're chased by his men firing madly]]. "Just Like Old Times" is you and [[spoiler:Price single-handedly taking on scores of soldiers in an attempt to reach General Shepherd and stop him for good (the rappelling section down the cliff to silently kill the two soldiers is brilliant}]] and "Endgame" is a mad inflatable boat chase down an Afghan river as you take out enemy personnel with your machine pistol and avoid RPG fire and Minigun fire.
** While those levels are all fairly nice, there were two that really stood out for this tropers. The first is ''The Hornet's Nest'', where you [[spoiler:fall down from the rooftops and have to outrun an angry militia to get to a chopper]]. It's a pretty simple concept, but incredibly tense, especially because of [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome the music]]. The second is the opening to ''The Gulag'', which requires you to snipe high-value targets from a helicopter as you storm a fortress.
*** Note that in the above description, when we speak of [[spoiler:an angry militia]], we're not talking about a few soldiers. We're talking about ''[[spoiler:the entire goddamned militia]]'' trying to kill you, while you have no firearms of your own.
* The final level in ''CallOfDuty'', featuring the Russian attack on the Reichstag. Fighting alongside tank support, sniping machinegun emplacements, with the operatic music and the joyful cries of your comrades pushing you on as you blast through the final Nazi defenses- it's a complete turnaround from the desperation and chaos of the first Russian mission.
** The whole fucking Russian campaign.
** Likewise, the Pegasus Bridge level for the British campaign was incredibly epic. Having to spend the entire level defending the namesake bridge against relentless hordes or German troops with just a small squad of friendlies, and slowly being forced to fall back. Finally, you're running low on ammo, you have nowhere left to retreat to, the Germans keep coming, and then you receive a radio message from your reinforcements that they're almost there. The last few minutes of that mission are just a desperate fight for survival to some of the most epic music the game has to offer.
** For the Americans, it was the mission where you and a few squaddies pile into a tiny French Puegot in an attempt to make contact with friendly forces. In the meantime, literally the entire German army is trying to stop you, and you and your squaddies are desperately firing out the windows and cursing at each other every death defying turn and swerve.
* The Battle of Hill 400 in the second game.
* Pretty much ''every'' level in ''United Offensive''. The American campaign begins with you manning the machine gun on a jeep escaping a ''massive'' German assault in Bastogne, and then defending a valley with a machine gun. Then you run through artillery bombardment to take a town. Then you defend a chateau against an endless wave of German soldiers, including at least six tanks. Then you switch into the POV of a RAF bomber gunner fending off the Luftwaffe on a bombing mission over the Netherlands. Then you are shot down and rescued by the guy that you rescued in the first game, who happens to be leading several Dutch resistance members in blowing up a bridge right when a German train is passing. Said guy recruits you into the [[BadassArmy Special AirService]], and lead you in a commando mission where you sneak into a bunker in Sicily to blow up coastal guns, and then escape with a motorcycle and eventually a German PT boat. And all of this are before the Russian campaign...
* "Vorkuta" in ''[[CallOfDutyBlackOps Black Ops]]''. You start out with only a knife, and join Resnov in leading a prisoner uprising, culminating in you wielding a [[strike:fist of iron]] minigun against the guards. And it's only the ''second level''.
** "SOG" has you on the receiving end of a wonderfully epic NVA human wave assault, the likes of which aren't very often seen throughout the series. You can obliterate them by the dozens with Fougasses mines, but if that's not fun enough for you, [[MoreDakka the game is kind enough to provide you with an M60]].

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[[folder:Castlevania series]]
* The intro to ''Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse" opens with a mysterious figure on an altar amidst ruins. Upon shedding his cape, he reveals that he is none other than Trevor Belmont. What follows is a level with possibly the catchiest song in the Castlevania series playing while Trevor navigates the ruins, climbs cathedral steps, and squares off against an evil knight. That's how you make an opening!
* Block 5 from ''Super Castlevania IV''. The thousand-times-larger-than-life feel of the whole thing as you ascend the grassy hills blowing in the wind and traverse the cave that gradually dwindles into the courtyard and finally, finally enter the castle to the unbelievably epic music that changes to the ultra-dramatic riff of the altered between-levels map screen music when you make it just in the nick of time through the door under the tight time limit. It's an indescribable feeling. You just have to play it to understand.
* ''{{Castlevania Portrait of Ruin}}'' 's 13th Street, for one reason: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0ljXRjK9pI Iron Blue Intention]].
** and the Westminster Palace/Abbey inspired backgrounds.
** Or the first stage in Castlevania 3, which has the best NES music ever.
*** While that's a pretty good reason, this other troper got a kick out of 13th Street because it starts with you [[spoiler:STOPPING A TRAIN WITH YOUR BARE HANDS.]]
** Portrait also has Dark Academy, the second version of Forest of Doom, which is this old school style area. Except it is now in a thunderstorm, and the music is dramatic and epic as hell.
* Condemned Tower in Dawn of Sorrow is a peaceful ambient climb up this lost, abandoned and sad feeling tower with not that many enemies, soothing music, and a great atmosphere. Then you fight Gergoth, who completely loses his shit after halfway through the battle and you both fall all the way back down to the bottom.
* In Order of Ecclesia, finally reaching Dracula's Castle in the last half of the game, with Shanoa's {{leitmotif}} playing in the background. This plays in the entrance, and also the library, which is the biggest library you have ever seen, with books all over the shelves, and the entire floors are just covered in paper which is blown away as you walk through it. Then in one area, it links directly to the biggest kitchen ever too, with plenty of mad butchers, hanging meats, and massive stocks of food.
* Clock towers in general are a mix of this and ThatOneLevel. They usually have incredible music, and feature the most challenging platforming in the game, particularly in the {{Metroidvania}} entries.

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[[folder:Donkey Kong]]
* "Mine Cart Madness" is one of the best known and most loved levels of ''DonkeyKongCountry''. Of course, ''all'' of DKC's levels are awesome. Especially because of the AwesomeMusic.
* The roller coaster levels in ''DonkeyKongCountry 2''.
** The mine levels are pretty awesome too.
** Any DonkeyKongCountry 2 level with [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Stickerbush Symphony]] as the BGM.
*** YourMileageMayVary on that one - many people consider the bramble levels themselves to be {{ThatOneLevel}}/{{ScrappyLevel}}s in terms of gameplay, despite the excellent music.
* DonkeyKong64's Hideout Helm qualifies. It's the final dungeon. Your mission is to disarm the superweapon that's been pointing at your island for the entire game. You'll need every single one of your party members (and their special abilities) to do it. [[TimedMission Your main opponent is a timer that ticks down whenever you aren't in the pause menu.]] Disarming it entails completing specific minigames that you can't find anywhere else, including one involving Rambi. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTGvJ8GFzVM And the music is completely appropriate.]]

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[[folder:Assassins Creed]]
* The final two levels in ''AssassinsCreed'' are pretty awesome. First you hack your way through the Lionhearts, Saracens, AND the Templars, then [[spoiler:You murder your way through the entire ASSASSIN'S VILLAGE. ALONE.]]
** In ''[[AssassinsCreedII Assassin[='=]s Creed II]]'', the assassination mission "Town Crier" puts you in the Tuscan town of San Gimignano which is filled with towers. Your target is on top of the tallest tower, with archers posted around lower towers. You need to climb up each tower and yank the archers over the edge before dueling your target on a platform basically ten feet square and two hundred feet in the air. Have fun.
*** Or if you're like one guy, sneak up on him and poison the hapless target... or simply grab him and chuck him off of the platform.
** And  the final level of the game. [[spoiler:Infiltrate the Vatican, ride a horse along a wall and cut down any guards stupid enough to get in your way, attack the Pope from the sky and proceed to have an epic fight with ''da freakin' pope'' with clones created by the Piece of Eden's illusion while he fights using another piece of Eden -- the Papal Staff -- then HAVE A FUCKING FISTFIGHT WITH THE MOTHERFUCKING POPE.]] This is undoubtedly awesome.
** The mission wherein you use Leonardo da Vinci's Flying Machine.

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[[folder:FalloutSeries]]
* The last mission of {{Fallout}} 3 has the player [[spoiler:escorting a [[HumongousMecha Giant Robot]], that fires death rays out of its visor and throws Fat-man like tactical nukes the size of friggin cars like footballs while spewing anti-communist propaganda as it blows helicopters out of the sky, to retake the Jefferson memorial. Oh, and did I mention that, as long as you [[KarmaMeter aren't evil]], you'll likely be escorted yourself by a super-mutant armed with a LASER MINIGUN!?!]] HOLY CRAP!
** One of Prime's lines upon encountering your first laser fence sums up why this sequence is awesome. "PROBABILITY OF MISSION HINDRANCE: ''ZERO PERCENT!''"
*** You can muck around with the terminal connected to Liberty Prime earlier in the game - one of the options is [[{{Foreshadowing}} a test of its voice systems.]] "PROBABILITY OF COMMUNIST CHINESE VICTORY... ''ZERO PERCENT.''"
*** In the revamped awesome ending of Broken Steel, [[spoiler: you're in an abandoned air field, with a kick ass Tesla Cannon blowing crap up. If you've been hoarding a lot of ammo throughout your travels, specifically the ammo that powers the Tesla cannon, you can essentially go through this section firing off shot after shot and disintegrating Enclaves soldiers en masse. Sure, no robots helping you out, but at least this time you're effectively leading the assault. But it get better after you scramble inside the Enclave's mobile home base. Lots of Enclave soldiers in here and and if you're high level its pretty much a gore fest. When you get to the mainframe, if you have the Robotics Expert Perk, you can pretty much turn the Enclave Robots on their masters and have them help you take the base. Then, at the end of it all, as long as you're playing good, you can essentially drop the Enclave's own bombs on their base and watch the thing explode with Sarah Lyons from a safe distance. After what they did to Liberty Prime, its a fitting punishment for the bastards and makes one want to say "That was for Prime."]] Of course in the traditional game one can't leave out the cool gun fight you can start up in Paradise Falls against the slavers. Its very visceral and since everybody is armed with some powerful weapons it makes for an exciting fight. There is, of course, an added bonus though if you head into the fight using Lincoln's Repeater to blast them all away. Consider it your very own Emancipation Proclamation.
* This troper counts the entire Operation: Anchorage simulation as one. Best quest in the game by far, right in front of "Take it Back!"
* Escape from Raven Rock. Holy shit, Escape from Raven Rock. Explanation: If yer Speech is good enough, you can convince Pres. Eden to self-destruct with a bit of logic. As he does this, he offers robotic companions to aid you in escaping from his base, Raven Rock. So. You're running like hell out of a highly advanced military base, with Sentry Bots firing missiles at Tesla Armored Enclave Soldiers while you're running about with hopefully a very big gun at this point, totally eradicating everything in your path. Awesome.
* Fallout 1's [[StormingTheCastle assaults on either the Cathedral or the Military Base]] if you opt for the guns blazing method are pure awesome.
* The Sacred Bog of Point Lookout. The freaky hallucinations after you start tripping balls off punga seeds are both morbidly hilarious and HighOctaneNightmareFuel.
* Fallout Tactics. Non-canon, and all the bad things that bad people say about it, but there's one mission that stands out - Mardin. You are tasked to deliver a Humvee with food and medicine to the next Brotherhood outpost. Duh. Why you are tasked with such errand? Soldiers before you were ambushed in the Mardin city, you have to assist them. When you arrive...only one soldier is alive. He hands you the car keys and runs away. Why? The WHOLE city is dying because of starvation, then they see a car filled with food - guess what happens? THE WHOLE FRIGGIN' CITY WANTS YOU DEAD. You are not shooting bandits - you're shooting FAMISHED people who are doing it for their survival. Most of them are civilians, who don't know how to use firearms, so most of the time you just run over people rushing to the car with their bare hands. Kids throw rocks and grenades at you. The level is awesomely designed, you have an armored vehicle, and a CITY full of desperate people to kill. You feel awesome...but they just want help. You kill them. Awesome. You got to try if you have the chance, you'll see. Too bad the rest of the game is not so good...YMMV, of course.
* FalloutNewVegas's final battle. Holy crap. Whoever you're fighting with, it's awesome.
* ''Et Tumor, Brute?'' from FalloutNewVegas. Put simply, you get to display your awesome Medicine skills by operating on Caesar himself's ''freaking'' brain tumour!

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[[folder:FinalFantasySeries]]
* Many of the boss-party fights in ''FinalFantasyTactics'', especially with that '''[[CrowningMusicOfAwesome kicking]]''' soundtrack. Assuming they weren't ThatOneLevel, ironically.
* The Magitek Research Facility in ''FinalFantasyVI'', featuring one of the best music tracks in the game, several intense boss fights and, finally, a frantic mine cart chase.
** Or, of course, the Opera, perhaps the most perfect blend of story-telling and gameplay in an RPG.
** What about the Phantom Train? The music here is one of the best as well, and culminates with perhaps ''the'' biggest example of CrazyAwesome. Sabin can ''[[{{Badass}} suplex a friggin' train]]!''
* In ''FinalFantasyVII'', the whole [[StormingTheCastle Shinra tower level]]. You get to raid the enemy HQ, fighting through the security floor by floor [[LeeroyJenkins (assuming you chose not to sneak in)]], pick up a crapload of new useful weapons and materia as well as Red XIII, and you get to see Red XIII maul Hojo and then fight one of Hojo's monsters in the first of 4 awesome boss fights. On the way out, you're captured by the Turks and locked up. Everyone talks for a bit then falls asleep. When you wake up, the door is unlocked and you find everyone in the place has been slaughtered. You follow a blood trail to the top floor in one of the creepiest bits of the game. When you reach the top, you find the Shinra president impaled on Sephiroth's sword. Then the president's son shows up and proclaims himself the new boss of Shinra. Your party then splits up for two more bosses: Barret, Aeris and Red XIII take on the awesome but super hard Hundred-Gunner while Cloud goes head to head with Rufus. Then they all meet up again and steal a truck and a bike in an awesome CGI sequence and then comes one of the best mini-games ever: driving at breakneck speed down the freeway with Shinra troops in pursuit and you have to protect the truck as Cloud. On the bike. By slashing Shinra troops off their bikes with the Buster Sword. And this game determines how much health you have going into the next boss fight which starts immediately after against the Motor-Ball. And when you win, you get to leave Midgar and explore the world properly.
** How about when the party returns to Midgar for the last time? The entire section of that game sent waves of goosebumps up this Troper's arms and neck as the party comes back to more or less finish what they started the game doing; destroying Shinra for good. Something about knowing the truth about Shinra and all the atrocities they committed made systematically taking down their hierarchy and eventually killing Hojo, the game's [[CompleteMonster biggest monster]], made the collapse of Shinra so rewarding.
** The summit of Mount Gaia also qualifies (following ThatOneLevel of climbing the damn thing) for the FMV reveal of the Northern Crater and the section's place in the plot. For the whole game so far, you've been chasing Sephiroth around the world, and then you get to the end of the path and find out that [[spoiler:you've been chasing Shinra's failed experiments and that Sephiroth himself has been summoning you from beyond the grave by manipulating your mind and memories]]. Then the game itself has a BSOD and when it comes to everyone has been separated, some of the party are going to be executed in an attempt to appease the public, manifestations of the planet's wrath are walking the earth, and a giant meteor is coming to kill everyone in the world. It's still a letdown.
** The final battle of CrisisCore. Zack Fair against the entire Shinra army. [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome The music]], appropriately titled [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOJ91H4mraU The Price of Freedom]], the endless struggle against the end all players know is coming, the use of the DMW System as a storytelling tool, the final memories of Aerith, unbroken, even when Zack's body refuses to acknowledge its owner. He can't even remember Angeal or Cloud - those two have disappeared along with all the other rolls - but Aerith remains. However, the battle goes from an entire army, fully equipped and ready to fight, to three soldiers and a helicopter. Was it worth it, Shinra? That much blood, that many soldiers lost, an entire army reduced to three? Was it worth it, to kill one single man? Zack lived his life as a complete, unrepentant badass, and he died that way too.
*** The Nibelheim Reactor. C'mon, we were ''all'' waiting for this one.
*** Also the final dungeon of CrisisCore. An eerie cavern with underground lakes, crystals, laboratories (with evidence of human experiments), machinery, etc. all culminating in the final battle with Genesis, who pulls power from the very Lifestream itself. The track has a nice mix of desperation & determination, too.
* Memoria in ''FinalFantasyIX''. The monsters are challenging but not annoying, the music is awesome and the scenery very interesting.
** The alternate world of Terra. Beautiful music, amazing visuals, and great character development.
* Zanarkand Ruins in ''FinalFantasyX''. Monsters are challenging as above, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkAFi88J5Aw the haunting music continues]] throughout the battles and the characters don't do their traditional [[VictoryPose Victory Poses]] afterwards, which would have been too much MoodWhiplash.
** Also, Bevelle. From crashing a wedding in epic fashion to a showdown with the ever-persistant Seymour, this level definitely stands in one's memory.
*** And you get Bahamut. '''AWESOME!!!'''
*** To top it all off, it ends with a combination "behold the power of the Playstation 2" and CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming where Tidus and Yuna share their first kiss in a beautiful, peaceful spring while [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_amE8lSwXG0 this]] is playing.
** The [[BonusDungeon Omega Dungeon.]]
* The defense of Fabul in {{Final Fantasy IV}}. It starts with airships bombing the castle, then you're gradually pushed back further and further inside. What really puts it over the top is that the music plays continuously throughout the whole sequence, making it seem like more than just a series of random fights. Finally you're forced all the way to the crystal room, and the music suddenly cuts out when Kain walks in. He proceeds to kick Cecil's ass, and we then see Golbez for the first time, who effortlessly takes care of everyone else before leaving with the crystal. Perhaps the greatest villain introduction of the franchise.
** Inside the Giant of Babil; you descend form its mouth down to its midsection, refight the Four Fiends, regain a party member, and receive the crucial plot twist for the last part of the game.
** And, while we're here, the battle on the Big Bridge on {{Final Fantasy V}}.
* The final levels on each disc of FinalFantasyVIII (Deling City, Galbadia Garden, Lunatic Pandora, and Ultimecia's Castle) were all excellent and exciting, always ending with battles with the BigBad and/or TheDragon. Galbadia Garden in particular is made of awesome.
** While Deling City is probably the best city design in the game (though most of the game's cities are generally very fun to play through), [[CrystalSpiresAndTogas Esthar City]] is wonderfully quirky, has brilliant music and perhaps above all, [[SceneryPorn is nice to look at]]. [[RedSkyTakeWarning And then...]]
* In ''Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers'', the game opens with a luxury airship getting attacked by Zus. The escort for the cruise, a bearer named Layle, responds by grabbing a gun twice as big as him and jumping from the escort craft, shooting monsters out of the air ''during freefall''.
* I must be the only gamer in the history of ever to enjoy the [[XenSyndrome Pharos]] in ''FinalFantasyXII''. Sure, it was a challenge and went on forever, but I didn't ''want'' the gorgeous throwback to [[VagrantStory Lea Monde]] to stop!
** You are not alone. I know Pharos gets a lot of hate for being the MarathonLevel to end all [[MarathonLevel Marathon Levels]] but it truly is epic. It's ''huge'', winding, [[SceneryPorn gorgeous to look at all over]], and the monsters (at least as far as I can remember) were challenging and fun but not overly difficult. Plus you had ''[[{{Badass}} Reddas]]'' as a GuestStarPartyMember! And the scenes at the top were just gold, and ''then'' you get to beat down Dr. Cid [[OhCrap who reveals that he's managed to]] [[SummonMagic get his hands on an esper...]]BestBossEver indeed.
** [[Tropers/{{Cuchulainn}} This troper]] is a big fan of old-school dungeon crawling, which was sadly lacking in ''FinalFantasyX'', but pretty much every area of this game feels like a setting from ''DungeonsAndDragons''. Even the Great Crystal looks exactly like he always pictured the Astral Plane looking.
* FinalFantasyXIII has lots of these, which I will now list:
** Palumpolum, which contains 2 awesome boss fights and Hope's CrowningMomentofAwesome.
** Nautilus, which is beautiful, has awesome music, one of the best CG in the game and [[spoiler: a surprising cliffhanger.]]
** The Palamecia, where you finally assault the government that's been chasing you all this time, crowning moment upon crowning moment, culminating with [[spoiler: [[BigBad Galenth Dysley]] revealing himself as the fal'Cie Barthandelus, in a kickass boss battle.]]
** Gran Pulse, where you get your first sense of freedom in the game. Not to mention [[spoiler: the second battle with Barthandelus.]]
** Eden, [[spoiler: while still being attacked by Pulse]], is one of the most breathtaking landscapes in-game, it starts off with this awesome [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyxKVlajpX8 cutscene]] (spoilers at your own risk) and contains too many moments of kickass to mention.
** Don't forget the Vile Peaks sequence where Hope [[spoiler: rides the Dreadnought]]. It is such an awesome sequence that turns an otherwise boring and grinding area into pure glee. This sequence is also immediately followed by the appearance of [[spoiler: Odin]].
* ''Final Fantasy III'', the Forbidden Land of Eureka. This troper can go back to it time and again having finished the game simply for the visuals, the music, and the effect the setting has on Geomancer abilities. Just a lovely part to wander around in.
* At the start of Disc 3 in FinalFantasyIX the player is treated to the chance to use a Beatrix, who had been wiping the floor with the entire party for the entire game up until that point, along with a highly cinematic scene and a rock version of her theme that is never heard again in the game. The real [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome CMOA]] is when Steiner, who has basically been beat on for the entire game to that point, [[PowerOfLove confesses his love]] and [[SuperMode goes super saiyan.]]

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[[folder:FireEmblem]]
* FireEmblem 7's penultimate stage sends wave after wave of mooks for you to squish. If you play defensively, it's an epic siege map. If you play offensively, it's a FoeTossingCharge to the boss. This leads to...
** The final stage, which mixes this with a BossRush. Besides the awesome music, you have to fight 8 leveled-up bosses. Then you have to kill the BigBad while reinforcements flood the place. THEN you have to fight a dragon he released, while getting bombed with [[StandardStatusEffects status ailments.]]
** You want "wave after wave of mooks"? You want Cog of Destiny. The fact you have advanced units spawning every turn and then [[spoiler:Vaida]] attacking you from the rear makes it insane. What made it even stranger was the realization that having less units made the level easier instead of maxing out the headcount.
** The final stage is actually rather a letdown when you realize it doesn't really get any harder on the harder difficulty levels. If anything, it gets easier, because your characters are higher-levelled. My vote also goes for Cog of Destiny, which on HHM is INSANE - especially if you aren't prepared for a level where almost every enemy is a high-level magic user.
* Fire Emblem 6. Chapter 22. You start out with your team spread out, and you have to send units to two switches. Then a bunch of reinforcements show up when you hit the switches, and you have to gather your troops to take on BigBad Zephiel. Absolutely amazing.
* Fire Emblem 8, Rausten Court. You must defend the center of the castle from enemies coming in from multiple places. Most of the early enemies are kinda weak, but they get stronger as you go. Not to mention the optional boss waiting for you outside the castle, if you so choose to hack through all the enemies to get to him. It's dark (literally), but fun.
* And, of course, while we're on the topic of Fire Emblem games, how about 3-13? It's a ScrappyLevel at times, to be sure, but if you're properly prepared, it can be ''awesome''. And it has [[Memes/FireEmblem the archer]].
** Also, 4-5 and 4-E-3. Seriously, all of those dragon laguz just make it better.
** 2-E. Just...2-E. For one thing, you have almost as many ally units as you do normal units, and they're actually ''competent''. One of them even gets '''Bolting''', to complement your own Meteor tome. But perhaps the best thing about it is the fact the extent to which you can play this level your way. Want to play defensively? Take advantage of those perfectly placed chokepoints. Want to play offensively? Go right ahead! Either way, you'll certainly have a lot of fun abusing the fact that you just received what is arguably the single best weapon in the game, free of charge.
*** Add to that, if you play it right, you can get your first third-tier BEFORE the boss. Nephennee impaling Ludvek with a silver greatlance was one of the happiest moments of my life.
* All this talk of {{Foe Tossing Charge}}s and {{Boss Rush}}es and all-around hardness leads inevitably to Seisen no Keifu's (Genealogy of the Holy War, aka: [=FE4=]) "Final Holy War". So, you've fought your way all the way back to Calphy, where it all started, and avenged the game's first main character... but wait, that cute girl has gone missing and said first main character's spirit appeared and told you "It's not over". Cue this chapter: It starts by having to: Not kill your own unit (she's [[BrainwashedAndCrazy possessed]] by [[CompleteMonster Manfroy]]'s evil magic and is key to killing the FinalBoss (note: She tries to kill you for a huge chunk of this mission), killing the Final Boss's [[ThatOneBoss lover]] (who's wielding one of the game's [[InfinityPlusOneSword most powerful weapons]], and has a [[DemonicSpider Bolting]] as well for kicks), killing off 2 {{Complete Monster}}s after that (Including that ChessMaster [[BigBad who plotted the entire ordeal in the first place]], [[KickTheDog and is number 1 in "Let's play: Feed the kids to the Dragon"]]) (Both of which are incredibly powerful bosses), then turning around to get your unit back (possibly only to find that you can't (For certain reasons)) [[BossRush then taking on 12 Max level, near max stats Bosses, AT ONCE]], then the final showdown with the final boss himself, who unless faced by his sister and her [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity Plus 20 Tome]], Naga, will halve your stats when engaged (and he has Vantage/Wrath, [[TurnsRed so once he's below 40HP, he's nearly unstoppable]].) Epic indeed.
* 3-6 in Radiant Dawn. Nothing is better than wiping Gallia's forces with seriously underleveled troops.
** Except 3-E: nothing beats turning around after a ScrappyLevel and beating the ever living hell out of your own units (specifically the ones that you were using in the aforementioned ScrappyLevel) and their RedshirtArmy of {{Mook}}s, in an all out brawl with troops that are going to be seriously powerful.
*** Don't forget the kill counter. You know, the one that ''pulsates'', counts up whenever ''any'' unit dies (and you have {{NPC}} allies, so the kills probably won't all be enemy units), and causes random chaos at various points until it reaches 80 and the [[spoiler:supposedly, but not really]] dark god is on the verge of escaping from the medallion? Yeah, 3-E is the coolest level ever.

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[[folder:GrandTheftAuto]]
* ''GrandTheftAutoIV'', bucking the trend set by previous games in the series by having their toughest missions serve as the game's ScrappyLevel (see "The Driver" in ''Vice City'' and "Supply Lines" in ''San Andreas''), actually has some really fun missions among its toughest, including "The Snow Storm" and "Three Leaf Clover" (an EscortMission where the people you're supposed to protect actually help you by taking out the cops and drawing their fire). You'll probably die several times in the course of these missions, but you'll enjoy playing through them again.
** Another great ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' mission is "Hostile Negotiation", which has Niko charging into a warehouse trying to save his kidnapped cousin Roman. There's something really exhilarating about wielding an AK-47 while screaming "NOBODY FUCKS WITH MY FAMILY!" at the top of your lungs while about twenty guys are shooting at you.
*** Niko's yelling gets tiresome, if you fight conservatively. It doesn't help that there's only three or four phrases, and they're shouted quite frequently.
** Lost and Damned has its final mission: You break INTO the Alderney State Correctional Facility by shooting the front gate with an RPG, then fight your way through it with Clay and Terry. Immensely fun, totally badass, and a perfect way to end. Because who but Johnny would break into a prison to avoid being sent there?
** ''GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' features the ''OceansEleven''-inspired "Breaking The Bank At Caligula's", which involves a daring casino heist that finishes with a parachute jump off the roof and a mad dash to a waiting helicopter.
** How about the mission where you parachute onto the roof of the mansion, and systematically fight your way through? Slightly dampened by the chase sequence at the end in the crappy car, but still. Awesome
*** And a mission where you have to chase a firetruck for ''5 minutes''... And a mission where you have to chase down a plane in a motorbike, drive up the ramp before it lifts off while secret agents are shooting at you, kill everybody inside with any kind of a melee weapon, steal one of the guys' parachute, plant an explosive because the plane is full of dynamite, jump out, and watch the cutscene.
*** ... Heh, and then there's always the motocycle mission in the aftermath of the bad deal with the Russian Mafia. [[spoiler:When the car carrier [[ShoutOut '''leaps''' off the bridge]] [[TerminatorTwo at you]] ...]] Terribly fun to play over again too.
*** And the one where you fly behind a plane, [[BeyondTheImpossible JUMP OUT, AND FREEFALL ONTO SAID PLANE AND CLIMB IN]]. Kept failing because I was laughing so hard.
**** '''''[[FlatWhat WHAT.]]'''''
*** The one where you break into the military base (the one where going near will earn a 5-badge wanted rating) and steal a jetpack.
**** Especially since you dont know what you are going to steal. [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Imagine running down that long stairwell and then staring at that thing floating in midair in front of you, grabbing it, then realizing its a JETPACK!]]
*** I found most of the railgun shooting missions of the game to be pretty fun. Mostly because all you need to do is concentrate on shooting without worrying about crashing.
** ''Vice City'' had lots of missions like that. There is a mission where you have to protect a yacht from homicidal FBI agents and an Apache lookalike. There are RC missions that always involve bombs. And there's the last mission - the one that is ''just'' like the ending of ''Main/{{Scarface}}''.

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[[folder:HalfLife]]
* Ravenholm in ''HalfLife2'' gives you ''throwing buzzsaw blades'' to hurl at zombies, effectively cutting them in half. Throwing buzzsaw blades. The only way it could top that would be by giving you a gun that shoots [[ThisIsADrill drills]] [[IncendiaryExponent on fire]]. [[BavarianFireDrill From Bavaria]].
*** YMMV on the fun (i.e. having a good time) factor. While the level is still extremely well-designed, if you're bad at SurvivalHorror like [[{{Tropers/Theenglishman}} this troper]] is, it can quickly turn into an ammo-hoarding, nightmarish experience of cowering from the endless waves of zombies. That being said, it's still a Best Level Ever from an atmospheric perspective.
** The following level allows you to use a crane to drop ''shipping containers'' on your enemies.
*** Don't bother with that, just kill them ''with the crane itself.'' WHACK! THWACK! Oh, the antlions will eat well of your broken bodies tonight!
** The two Citadel chapters are even better; nothin' like grabbing your enemies to ragdoll them, and then tossing them at more enemies, or better yet: into areas which would incinerate them!
*** Did we mention you can vaporize enemies? Because you can ''vaporize enemies.'' Quite possibly the funnest part of the game--you go from this moment of horror when [[spoiler:all your weapons are vaporized]] to childlike glee as you discover what you can now do.
** It wasn't the buzzsaws that made that level cool, IMO, it was the atmos. Up to that point in the game, you've just been in the new cities and hardly see any headcrabs etc. Then you stumble on to a plagued, derelict town. Oh, and the end is really cool.
** "Follow Freeman".
*** Owning the Striders? "If you see Dr. Breen, tell him I said *** you!" ? I'm honestly stumped... or was it D0g throwing cars?
** And this editor sees few levels more awesome than leading an unlimited supply of Antlions to attack Nova Prospekt.
** Closer to the beginning of the game, the air boat sequence, where in you navigate the channels of city 17 at high speeds with a combine chopper chasing after you. Half way through the level your air boat is augmented with a cannon and you finally get to blow that bugger out of the sky.
*** In that level, when the Combine demolish a giant chimney to block your path. The [[HolyShitQuotient HSQ]] jumped right there for this troper.
** Highway 17 has the aforementioned crane dropping and it has the goddamn bridge, the most wonderfully atmospheric part of the game. The surrounding overcast driving alongside the ocean is quite awesome too.
*** Oh, that ''bridge.'' That is one of the most stunning things I've ever seen in a video game. It's a beautiful bridge!
* Then there's the level in ''Episode One'' which is ''almost entirely pitch black''. And you've only got a TenSecondFlashlight. And there's zombies. Which spawn whenever the flashlight runs out.
** [[YourMileageMayVary Really?]] [[ScrappyLevel Huh.]]
** This one's kind of like Ravenholm (only with fewer buzzsaws, unfortunately). Even if you disagree with it being the most ''fun'' level ever, you can't deny the atmosphere is perfectly orchestrated. So perfectly orchestrated that after "enjoying" it once, I skip it every other time. I'd be fine if it weren't for that elevator... which again, has the perfect atmosphere--that atmosphere just happens to be ''completely terrifying.''
* Also, Antlion Defense in ''Episode Two''. Especially after vortigaunt intervention.
** Defending the rebel base against the striders at the end of Episode Two is perhaps the most awesome part of the series.
* Surface Tension in HalfLife; while there are plenty of other great chapters, Surface Tension seems to be where everything comes together perfectly and creates a non-stop ride of awesome.
** To elaborate, this is around the time Gordon Freeman TookALevelInBadass. His feats have been impressive up until this point, evading and destroying United States Marines, all manner of alien horrors, and maneuvering through more traps and puzzles than you can shake a stick at, but here, he goes head to head with the Marines' best-taking on multiple attack helicopters, armored personnel carriers, and ''main battle tanks''. In particular, getting the rocket launcher and ''finally'' taking down the Apache that's been attacking you throughout the level might count as a CrowningMomentOfAwesome. Assuming you didn't just blow it out of the sky the first time you saw it with that gauss cannon you picked up in the last chapter...
*** Most people up until that point had heard the Valve theme fairly often (every time they started up the game) but as you emerge from the pipe into the canyon and it expands into a full theme as you fight all kinds of marines and finally the helicopter...sheer perfection.
** [[YourMilageMayVary On the downside]], this is where the difficulty begins topping off, and if you missed the Gauss Cannon (which is very much possible) that helicopter will prove EXTREMELY frustrating.

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[[folder:Halo]]
* The Ark in {{Halo}} 3. Opens with a sniper battle, then a fight against hunters. Then it's a long, fast-moving vehicle section in Prowlers...then you get the tank. It's approximately fifteen minutes of just ''blowing shit up''. Your vehicle kills for the level total 2 prowlers, 8 or 9 wraiths, 2 anti-air wraiths, one scarab, at least two dozen ghosts and choppers, and at least one phantom.
** The level is best summed up by the following quote:
---> '''UNSC Pilot (Alan Tudyk)''': Tank beats Ghost! Tank beats Hunter! Tank beats ''everything''! Man, I could do this all day!
* Though it was essentially the same as the last mission ''Halo'' gameplay-wise, the final mission of ''Halo 3'' was just simply ''amazing''. Driving like crazy on an incomplete Halo and its exploding around you, sending debris everywhere while making crazy jumps and trying to avoid the exploding parts of the track.
** Try doing it in a Mongoose. Not only do you go that crucial bit slower, but you can't afford to collide with anything, and you have to find a completely different route through some sections, or you plunge into a horrible fiery death. Still one of the most satisfying moments of that game though.
*** Even better than that... Try doing it with all the requirements for the Annual achievement. 4-Player Legendary difficulty with the Iron skull on (Which resets the game to a previous checkpoint if even 1 player dies) and every player riding Ghosts. Best night of gaming. Ever.
* The Halo 3 level Covenant. Not too far into the level you storm a Covenant tower by air in your Hornet (amazingly fun by the way), all while one of the most amazing tracks in Halo history plays in the background (this particular piece also played during the tram ride on Delta Halo in Halo 2, but here it's much more epic). And if that wasn't enough, near the end you get a choice between another Hornet, a Warthog and a Scorpion to use against two Scarabs. TWO. SCARABS. Jesus.
* Old school Halo 1 level Assault on the Control Room. Basically traversing most of the level in a tank, near the end, you climb a pyramid while killing pretty much every single Covenant species many many times.
** Don't forget The Library, I know it's a MarathonLevel, but it was a blast to play in co-op mode on Legandary.
** Unless you managed to grab a Banshee on the bridge and skip that entire last part...
*** Grab the Banshee, fly up, hit the doors to make it start playing "Covenant Dance", grab the Banshee and fly down to the bottom, fight your way up from the bottom on foot with the music playing to emphasize how incredibly awesome you are.
** Then you got to fly around the pyramid in a Banshee, raining DeathFromAbove on hordes of Covenant. Win-win!
* Don't forget the final level of the first game, ''The Maw''. Warthog run through the [[spoiler: Pillar of Autumn that is about to explode, taking Alpha Halo with it]], all set to a song entitled Rock Anthem For Saving The World. It's exactly what you expect.
** While playing that level with a friend, we discovered the only soundtrack that could possibly [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome top the existing one]]. There's a point where Cortana says "Final Countdown initiated", to which any red blooded male can only respond "Duh duh duuuh duuh... dah dah dahdahdaah..." The best part is the length of the song fits almost perfectly. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl_MuFD1oiI And oh god yes someone's done it on Youtube!]] I love the Internet...
* "The Great Journey", the last level of Halo 2. Hunters as your allies? Check. Scarab? Check. Scarab as your ally? Check. Scarab being driven by ''[[LargeHam Sergeant]] [[{{Badass}} Johnson]]''? Check. Escorting Sgt.-Johnson-driven-scarab through a canyon in a Banshee while dogfighting other Banshees? Check. It's go time.
** Dear lord, you just made me realize how awesome that level truly was. How in the world could I have gotten rid of that game?
* The Halo 2 Level "Quarantine Zone". Fight endless waves of flood controlled vehicles and giant sentinels with any vehicle you can get your hands on, including, at several points, a Wraith and a Scorpion for a few minutes of mindlessly blowing stuff up. Then get out for a while, and continue to fight endless waves of sentinels and flood with any weapons you can find, most likely an energy sword, shotgun, rocket launcher, and/or sentinel beam, or the epically cool-looking blue sentinel beam that does slightly more damage.
* Halo 3 ODST's level "Kikowani Station". The ODST squad hijacks a phantom, and the player hijacks a banshee. It's just these 4 guys versus a huge Covenant Army. [[ThisIsSparta BRING. IT. ON.]]
* While I know the Flood levels tend to be {{Scrappy Level}}s for some, I really enjoyed ''Floodgate'' and ''Cortana'' in ''3''. On Floodgate, things were awesome, but a little intimidating. And then you hear the Shipmaster...
-->"Hail humans and take heed! This is the carrier ''Shadow of Intent''. Clear this sector while we deal with the Flood!"
* And for ''Cortana'', the segment where you escape after saving Cortana while Gravemind roars and ''High Charity'' explodes is excellent.
** I hated that level the first time through. The mid-level cutscene was probably '''the''' most tender and warm in the whole trilogy, though. Then I replayed the level and realized just what you're talking about -- that escape sequence is awesome. And now I actually kinda like the level.
* Nothing from HaloReach? Really, we should all be ashamed. ONI: Sword Base, Tip of the Spear, The Package, and ''especially'' Long Night Of Solace and [[spoiler: The Pillar Of Autumn]]. [[spoiler: Lone Wolf]] counts too, but not so much in terms of gameplay as [[TearJerker sheer]] [[BittersweetEnding emotional]] [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome impact]].
** ''Long Night Of Solace'' deserves a particular mention, as it's the first time you get to see what 4 fully-fledged Spartans going all out can do. On lower difficulties it's particularly satisfying as you just breeze through a shitload of Covenant, including about 6 high-level Elites, as if they're made of toilet paper.
** Forge world. That is all.

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[[folder:JakAndDaxter]]
* The third ''JakAndDaxter'' game features a level containing absurd quantities of win and awesome, which ''isn't even the end battle''. It's the one in which you are basically given a gunship (''[[TookALevelInBadass VASTLY]]'' [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap improved from its appearances in the previous game]]) with unlimited ammunition and a regenerating supply of smart missiles, and set loose on a flying war factory. By yourself. Waftching a smart bomb explosion significantly bigger than your own ship while spamming ammunition at tanks, defensive structures, and flying KG drones, ''solo''? Sign me up.
** The Dark Maker assault on Spargas City. Unlike the Metal Head/KG Bot attacks in Haven City, ''everyone'' in the Wasteland is armed, and they're [[FightingForSurvival fighting back]]. The Dark Makers have shields, and even ''they're'' not helping much.
** Also, the mission where you have to run from location to location killing KG bots and Metal Heads with the Blaster, while picking up weapons. It may rip off your ammo something shocking, but killing hundreds of {{Mooks}} almost single-handed, with a sudden tidal wave of Freedom League {{Red Shirt}}s turning up at the end to help you out against a Blast Bot. Or the time you take over a Blast Bot and march it through the city by remote control. Or doing the same with a Dark Maker version of the Atlas mech. Or Daxter riding a missile. Or...y'know what, half the game.
** For me, I will never, ever tire of the Tomb of Mar level in ''Jak II''. It is a defining moment in the game and a pure example of excellent good ol' fashion platforming.
** How about the final sequence where you're chasing the Dark Maker walker? The music, the ongoing storm, bringing down that hulking machine with your machine-gun armed dune buggy...just an ''awesome'' chase sequence to get you pumped for the final boss.
* Snowy Mountain in Jak 1.It is a big,beatiful area with a lot to explore.Running up a hill while avoiding huge snowballs?Exploring icy caves?Jumping and flying through canyons?Discover the fort and jump your way around it?A breathtaking view from above?Snowy Mountain has it all.

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[[folder:KingdomHearts]]
* [[TheWarSequence The 1000 Heartless fight]] in ''Main/KingdomHearts II''.
** Don't forget that before that, there's the separate fights with heartless where you're paired up with various Final Fantasy characters, and before ''that'' there's the battle with Demyx, and before ''that'' there's the space paranoids/freaking tron.
*** Although the awesomeness of fighting Demyx is somewhat dampened by him being ThatOneBoss (One of Those Bosses?) Anyway, the War Sequence was epic. They're some of the weakest Heartless in the game, admittedly, but taking on that ''many'' still makes you feel like a total badass.
*** Don't forget that Goofy was just taken down before Sora pairs up with the Final Fantasy characters, so unless your heart's a dried up prune, Sora, and by extension the player, is brimming with grief-turned-fury-turned-COME GET SOME!
*** This troper is GenreSavvy and knew Goofy would be okay (or replaced by a completely identical copy), and he was still pissed.
** That whole Heartless Invasion was cool. So was The World That Never Was. Despite them being [[ThatOneBoss extreme bastards]], tell me you don't have separate files for Xigbar, Luxord, Saix, and Xemnas.
*** Beast's Castle, chiefly because all of the bosses you face there are freaking epic, especially ThatOneBoss Xaldin.
* The first KingdomHearts features Hollow Bastion, which is a huge epic castle with great world music and plot-important, dramatic boss fights. Also, it lets you go from packing a near-worthless toy sword made of driftwood all the way up to the awesomely badass-looking Oblivion, the second-strongest Keyblade in the game.
** Hollow Bastion ought to be the official name of Crowning Game Levels. The scenery is breathtaking, right from the self-explanatory(?) Rising Falls that usher in the level down to the labyrinthine inner sanctum; the boss fights are some of the most intense, emotionally-charged battles in the game; the gamut of challenges is more complete than you even thought possible, even forcing you to go back to the basest of basic weapons as mentioned above, and later including a ''gummy ship'' segment, just to make sure you've mastered every art the game offers; the plot takes a breakneck-speed dive into the most epic of territory with dark possession, evil sorcery, gratuitous amounts of {{Power of Friendship}}, and even the transformation of the main character into a Heartless; and to bring everything to a height of awesome that only the word "crowning" can describe, there's that ''haunting'' organ that ushers in the ultimate boss of the world. You face the rival the hero never managed to top, you meet the Man Behind the Man, fight The Dragon ([[ScaledUp literally]],) and then fight the rival ''again'' with his own ''evil version of the Keyblade''. And when he's beaten you free the princesses, and then the hero dies and is revived as the party flees and escapes. Seriously, was this originally where the game ended? The End of the World, despite being suitably epic and large-scale, seems like an afterthought compared to Hollow Bastion.
** While Hollow Bastion overshadows it by a lot, one mustn't forget Neverland. By the end of the level, ''you can fly!'' Which leads right in to a boss fight with Captain Hook, where you get to use your new ability to dogfight his minions before swooping down on the old codfish. You get the Glide ability after that, but it just pales in comparison to the full flying ability that you have in Neverland.
* In 358/2 Days, considering its his claim to fame, pretty much every player who played the game kept waiting the mission where Roxas finally cracked out the dual-wielded Oathkeeper and Oblivion and started kicking ass like he did in KH2. He finally does it during final mission, so of course it was a lot of fun since you waited the entire game for it. The only problem is that the mission was really short, but hey, we got the dual-wielding at least.
** Mission 91 is also awesome. Roxas basically goes, "Screw this, I'm outta here!" and you run through the castle fighting nobodies. And then you fight [[spoiler: Saix.]] And THEN you get one of those awesome FMV cutscenes.
** Are you guys forgetting Day 357 (Tears)? True, it's a major TearJerker, but it brings to a close an unknown chapter in Roxas' life, and by the end of it, if you aren't ready to storm the Organization XIII headquarters and free Kingdom Hearts, you have no heart (see what I did there? :P). [[spoiler:Xion's being [[strike:absorbed by Roxas]] [[strike:death]] whatever, and her final words to Roxas]], perfectly set the mood for the aforementioned final chapter. And the boss fight itself is awesome, too.
* I don't care what people say about Coded, it has quite possibly the best level in the series with its version of Hollow Bastion. Let's see here: Four different gameplay styles and three genres(shooter platformer, action RPG), a two stage fight with [[spoiler: pete]], two battles(one three parts with[[spoiler: Riku]], then a whirlwind tour of the other worlds in the game. After that we get a fight with [[spoiler: Dragon Maleficient]] which is easy but oh so cool. Following this we have the shooter segment and then a four stage fight. The first stage uses Destiny's force and the other three use Guardando Nel Buio. Following this we get a big damn heroes moment courtesy of Mickey and...oh who am I kidding. It just has to be played to be believed.

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[[folder:LegendOfZelda]]
* The Palace Of The Winds from ''LegendOfZelda: Minish Cap''. Also from the same game, the final dungeon [[spoiler: Dark Hyrule Castle]].
* The City in the Sky in ''LegendOfZelda: Twilight Princess'', and the Hidden Village shootout.
** From said game, mine would be Goron Mines. The boss is awesome and scary looking! [[spoiler:Well, he's easy, being in temple number 2, but still.]]
** Gerudo Desert and the Arbiter's Grounds are the best levels in the game. First you get to be a ninja in the night in the desert and the Bulblin encampment, then you fight your way through the most ancient, elaborate, haunting, Nightmare-Fueled dungeon this troper's ever played.
** Gerudo Desert, alternitavely, ''not'' going ninja and going AxeCrazy on the Bulbins instead. To clarify not sniping the Bulbins on the towers gives you ''NEVER ENDING'' enemys.
** There's a reason it's considered by many fans to be the best dungeon ''in the franchise''. Seriously. You don't even mind much if you screw up some bits eighty times, because they're just so cool! (Primarily things involving the spinner. That spinner is pure [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning twirling]] awesome.
** And the fact that the boss is also considered one of, if not the, absolute best in Zelda history certainly doesn't hurt.
* Stone Tower Temple from ''LegendOfZelda: Majora's Mask''.
* The Water Temple in ''LegendOfZelda: Ocarina of Time''. Makes up for its [[ScrappyLevel scrappyness]] by having some clever puzzles and two fun bosses.
* The Spirit Temple, also from ''Ocarina of Time''. You get to go through it in both child AND adult forms, and the various puzzles are fun. Plus, you get to fight THREE Iron Knuckles. I mean, come now, what more could you possibly ask for?
** [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Some of the best dungeon music in the entire series, that's what.]] The Spirit Temple is a ''masterpiece.''
** IIRC, the Master Quest version actually increases their number by one or two. [[YourMileageMayVary I guess that makes up for the puzzles that require a ''very'' good attention to detail]] That and [[ThatOneLevel that one room]] where you have to play the Song of Time in a specific order and location.
* Explorer's Crypt manages to be both this and a ScrappyLevel for me.
* The Forest Temple in Ocarina of Time. The music, the atmosphere, the Stalfos fights, hunting the Poes, the outdoors bits, getting the bow, the level design, the twisting corridors, the Wallmasters... bloody hell it's epic. And to top it all off, the boss is [[spoiler:a Phantom version of Ganon. GANON.]]
** Don't forget that this is also the first dungeon you go through as Adult Link. After turning from a fairy kid to the chosen one with a magic sword, you're ready for some adventure.
* Either the Colour Dungeon or Eagle's Tower from ''Link's Awakening''.
** Or Turtle Rock.
* From the ''Oracle'' games, ''Oracle of Seasons'' has the run up to the horribly [[ScrappyLevel scrappy]] Ancient Ruins (aka ''Tarm Ruins'', lots of fun playing with the seasons), while ''Oracle of Ages'' has the Skull Dungeon. Worth investing in both games purely to experience both of those levels.
** ''OracleOfSeasons'' may possess the distinction of being the only game in the Zelda series where the segment which is almost universally regarded as the most enjoyable and memorable part of the game is ''not'' a dungeon. Tarm Ruins and the Lost Wood segment which takes place in the middle of the ruins--you ''will'' remember the Lost Woods from these games, if only for the screen where Like Likes rain from the sky--is a friggin' masterpiece. With [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JJEaVI3JRs amazing]] [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome music.]]
* The Savage Labyrinth (''Wind Waker'') and the Cave of Ordeals (''Twilight Princess'') are massive {{Multi Mook Melee}}s that are consistently considered a greater challenge than the FinalBoss fights. Both end with fights against ''three'' of the game's resident BossInMookClothing, Darknuts/Iron Knuckles, which will challenge your application of your special moves and items. (Heaven help you if you didn't spend the time to learn the [[SingleStrokeBattle Mortal Draw]].)
** And, when you finally do win, you feel like a ''BadAss''.
* Snowpeak Ruins, by virtue that you never expect a ruined mansion to be a dungeon, let alone have one of the most awesome, if not creepiest, boss fights in the game. The fact that it also gives you ''infite'' supplies of a ''free'' healing item doesn't hurt, either. Nor does it hurt that you get the [[EpicFlail Ball and Chain]]. Well, it doesn't hurt ''you,'' anyway.
** Ocarina of Time's Forest Temple pulled the ruined mansion schtick before that, so it wasn't entirely unexpected. Still very awesome.
* Twilight Princess' Temple of Time. Cool puzzles, cool music, Darknut. GIANT SPIDERS. That is all.
** And to top it all off, just when you think you've beaten the biggest of those spiders, it gets back up. Epic Rematch? Well, no, but would you settle for a CrowningMomentOfFunny instead?
* Wind Temple from ''The Wind Waker'', Mutoh's Temple from ''Phantom Hourglass'' and Sand Temple from ''Spirit Tracks''; nothing better than three Indiana Jones-esque levels to conclude the day. Each with unique puzzles and very creative boss battles.
* Death Mountain in the original. You finally enter, and this [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYgzcclKBy4 creepy new music]] starts playing, as you proceed into by far the least linear level in the game, with all the most powerful enemies in huge numbers.

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[[folder:MarioKart]]
* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioKart'''s Rainbow Road. All its level design is aimed towards making Rainbow Road the epic final stage. It features devilishly thin stretches without guardrails and partrolled by invincible Thwomps, whom you can't even touch safely. These obstacles, plus the aggressive computer racers, make this Rainbow Road the most intense race in all of Mario Kart.
** Especially if you're able to complete the course without ever falling off. And considering even the [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard AI]] has trouble, that's quite something to accomplish.
* ''VideoGame/MarioKart64'' has Bowser's Castle with that badass UrbanLegendofZelda and goosebump inducing CherubicChoir, and that awesome courtyard.But the best track ever invented that then got bastardized in Wii was Dk's Jungle Parkway with it's frickin' cool river jump and those coconuts that the natives threw, and best of all the river is beautiful.
** Also MK 64 has Royal Raceway with its VideoGame/SuperMario64 homage with the castle
** And who can forget that awesome maze level where you had to figure out which way to go
** And finally the Rainbow Road had a CrowningMusicOfAwesome theme with beautiful neon lights in the background, chain chomps everywhere and the biggest shortcut ever made!
* ''VideoGame/MarioKart: Double Dash!'' - YourMileageMayVary, but Rainbow Road was thoroughly epic. Of course, that had a lot to do with [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome the music it played]].
** Especially if you're the only person you know who can complete the level without falling off '''once'''. '''''And''''' hit every boost pad. XD Nobody ever races [[{{Tropers/Gizbit99}} me]] on that level anymore.
** [[Tropers/ROFLightning I]] would. =) And the bit about the music applies to all Rainbow Roads, really. Now if only they'd make a Rainbow Cup for the next game...
*** MKDD's Rainbow Road music is particularly awesome though. Even Nintendo think so, as they included it in ''[[SuperSmashBros Brawl]]'' as an unlockable track.
** ''Double Dash'' also has Mushroom City, probably the best traffic-based course in the series.
* On the note of recurring course themes, there's also Bowser's Castle. These courses tend to have the toughest gimmicks in the game, but they never fail to be a blast to play through. Special mention goes to the ones from 64 (which got to be in the final course of Mario Kart Wii's Retro Cups), DD, and Wii (it has ''Mecha Bowser'').
* ''Mario Kart DS'': Waluigi Pinball. The fact that the sound effects change to sound a little bit more [[BuffySpeak arcade-y]] also helps.
** From the same game, there's also Airship Fortress, a big reference to ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' and an awesome course, and Tick Tock Clock, a great tribute to the ''Super Mario 64'' level.
* ''Mario Kart Wii'' has Toad's Factory, a great way to finish the Mushroom Cup, Coconut Mall, an overall fun course, and pretty much the entire Star Cup (especially Koopa Cape), sans [[ThatOneLevel Grumble Volcano]].
** It also shows [[spoiler: where item boxes come from.]]
** ''[=MKWii=]'' also boasts what is likely the best Rainbow Road track in the series, with [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome amazing music]] to match.
*** Don't forget the [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy Mario Galaxy references!]]
** [[Tropers/AnonymousUser I]] particularly enjoy [[FungusHumongous Mushroom Gorge]], due to the bouncing off of mushrooms and the music.
** How about Grumble Volcano? It's not often you experience a mad dash for first place through a volcano AS IT'S ERUPTING.
* A lot of ''Mario Kart Wii'' tracks qualify as this when you're not getting raped by item storms. Any Rainbow Road course is fun to play through if you're good enough not to screw up at every left turn. But [[Tropers/DeathToSquishies this troper]] particularly enjoys DK Mountain and Summit from Double Dash and Wii, respectively. Mainly, it's blasting out of the cannons, then making a mad drive down the side of the mountains trying to do it again.

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[[folder:NightsIntoDreams]]
* [[NightsIntoDreams NiGHTS: into dreams]]: Twin Seeds, the game's final 'Dream'. Brilliant throughout, but the [[spoiler:very beginning features a moment where the player's character is thrown away from the Ideya Palace by Wiseman, leaving them stranded on a small island at the levels edge, floating thousands of feet above the city and completely cut off from NiGHTS, with whom the characters join in order to fly. The player is given no more clues as to what they're supposed to do. What's required? The player must, of their own realisation, make a leap of faith from the island's edge. At that point, the character will fall, and disappear out of sight, the music dies, and for all intents and purposes the game appears to be about to go Night Over. .. And then with a sudden, violent revival of a far brighter bgm, the character comes swooping back up into the air, flying under their own power, having finally gathered the confidence and faith to fly alone. And ''then'', at level's end, the second character meets the player's, unexpectedly joining together two apparently disconnected plotlines as Eliot and Claris work in unison to free NiGHTS and go on to fight Wiseman.]] This happens entirely in gameplay, without a word of dialogue or hint of a cut-scene, effectively dragging the player straight in alongside their character.
** Don't forget Bellbridge from the sequel. Best results come from playing Helen's story first. While the beginning of the stage isn't nearly as dramatic as Twin Seeds, there is just before the third course of the level... [[spoiler:The lights go out... Helen screams... Her red ideya is taken from her, and she falls... Only to be saved by Will as the city lights up again, and the two of them fly the last course together as the musical embodiment of The Power Of Love plays.]] But if you play Will's story first, it's less breathtaking and more odd and out of nowhere.
** NiGHTS is actually Sega's interpretation of the psyche. Each level representing a corner of the mind. TwinSeeds (the Growth) is the character realising they no longer need the Renegade Nightmaren Jester to hold their hand and dualize anymore. I think the "jumping to your doom" part is either belief that one ''can'' do it on their own, or just remorseful suicide. It's also here that Claris and Elliot first properly meet each other, despite Visitors (dreaming humans) are supposed to be isolated.
** Christmas NiGHTS also had Sonic the Hedgehog's first 3D Debut (''Sonic: into Dreams''), with Sonic performing the goals with running. The boss? ''Eggman'' imitating the Puffy boss.

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[[folder:PhoenixWright AceAttorney]]
* Not only is ''PhoenixWright AceAttorney: Trials and Tribulations'''s first case long and very well written, it's also connected to the fourth and fifth cases of the same game, which are also awesome in their own right. When this troper played the fourth case a second time, the ending hit him so hard that one more ounce of sadness would have driven him into a [[TearJerker stream of tears]].
** For this troper, it was the fifth case that was the Crowning Level of Awesome: not only did we get to [[spoiler: play as Edgeworth]], but it was one of those few cases where she actually figured out who did it at the exact same time as Phoenix did, which made what remained of the case extremely satisfying compared to the many where Phoenix seems always to be either ahead or behind the player, usually by a large margin. Main/YourMileageMayVary.
*** There are multiple reasons that can be listed for why the last case of the trilogy is awesome but but twigging the identity of the murderer was a real "oh snap" moment.
*** Not to mention the truth of what was going on with Iris. The HSQ was high with this case.
* The fourth case of the first game. Taking down [[spoiler: Manfred von Karma]] was more satisfying than any other villain. Especially as he has been [[spoiler: standing on the other side of the courtroom, throwing objections at you for the last three days.]]
* The fourth case of ''Justice For All''. Nail-biting suspense, far more so than almost any other case.
* Am I the only one who found the (DS-only) fifth case of ''Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney'' the best in the series? It featured [[IceQueen two Ice Queens]], tied in a brutal serial killer, and [[spoiler: you get to deconstruct about half the cast, including Police Chief Gant, from jovial joker to asshole of the highest calibur.]] The various tragedies throughout the case make the victory and resolution all the better.
* The fourth case of ''Investigations'' is in the running for the canon fans, since [[spoiler: it's a flashback to before Edgeworth even began prosecuting]] and features the world's most unexpected cameo from [[spoiler: Manfred von Karma.]]

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[[folder:Psychonauts]]
* The best was probably the Meat Circus, how ever thought of that one is a genius, or the Milkman Conspiracy, which is also full of [[CrowningMomentofFunny crowning moments of funny]]
*** Boyd: "I am the milkman, my milk is delicious."
*** ''Definitely'' the Meat Circus. What's better than the [[CrowningMomentofAwesome Crowning Moments of Awesome]] we get from the boss fights ''in'' the [[CrowningMomentofFunny Crowning Game of Funny]] topped with a TearJerker ("Is that ''really'' how I look in your mind?) and a CrowningMomentofHeartwarming? Not counting a [[SequelHook sequel]], that is-- but we all know how unlikely ''that's'' been looking for the past five years.
* Also, the level immediately preceding Mikman Conspiracy, an extended ''{{kaiju}}'' parody: "Lungfishopolis." Seriously, those two levels back-to-back are the funniest part of the game.
* Edgar would've probably been this troper's favorite character even without Black Velvetopia, but just entering his mind is enough to cause a [[SceneryPorn sensory]] [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome overload]] of the best kind. It's creative and suitably... artsy, the backstory manages to be both a bit sad and a bit dorky, and much as the alleys are hated, you get the hang of them, and the dialogue, especially surrounding the miniboss and boss fights, definitely makes up for it ("Um, I always... loved you more?"). This troper keeps saves all throughout the game so she can backtrack to any part of it she likes, and Black Velvetopia is always considered as a source when she needs some SweetDreamsFuel.

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[[folder:SonicTheHedgehog]]
* Emerald Coast for ''Sonic Adventure''. Breathtaking by its day's standards-- and beautiful even today. Beautiful (although glitchy) platforming in a 3rd-person view made it seem as though ''Sonic'' works most thrillingly when you could see a horizon (read: rushing toward a beautiful skyline). Too bad we turned out to be wrong (well, as long as SEGA continues to not understand how to do 3D gaming properly with ''Sonic''). The whale chase was epic. But the halfway point took us into a cove; the music changes, and now we have this upbeat, heart-warming, spine-tingling, incredibly inspirational tune... Few moments in gaming make me feel this on-top-of-the-world. It's one of Jun Senoue's best masterpieces in music, and it belongs to one of the most awesome levels of all time in the ''Sonic'' series.
* The Casino/Pinball levels in most ''SonicTheHedgehog'' games.
** Except in Sonic Heroes, due to the pinball level, like every level aside from [[BigBoosHaunt Mystic Mansion]], being choked to death by bottomless pits.
** Though these kinds of levels go from happy to [[ScrappyLevel scrappy]] should you get three Robotniks on one of the slot machines.
*** And the boss of Casino Night Zone of Sonic 2 is awful, specially with Knuckles.
**** It's easy with Knuckles - just cling to one wall so you're level with the boss's hull and glide from one side to the other. You go right through him, hitting him on the way. Takes about 30 seconds to finish him off. You're welcome.
** Yeah, Casino Night is ''definitely'' the best level, and the boss is a lot of fun if you don't bounce around excessively on the paddles and rely on chance alone.
** Interestingly averted with ''SonicSpinball''. You'd think an entire ''game'' devoted to these kinds of levels would be the funnest thing ever, but instead, well, YourMileageMayVary.
* Speaking of Sonic Heroes, the last two levels with Team Sonic qualify. In these two levels, you get a sense of what the game could've been if all effort had been focused on Team Sonic, instead of making three other pretty much identical teams. In the first there's speed, killing things, flying... makes you like the [[TeamworkPuzzleGame concept of the game]] more. The last stage isn't as much of that, sure, but the music is cool and it [[AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield looks awesome.]]
* Despite the second part of Chemical Plant in ''SonicTheHedgehog 2'' being a ScrappyLevel, the first part is amazing, mostly because it's easily possible to go fast enough [[GoodBadBugs that the camera can't keep up]].
* Star Light Zone in ''Sonic 1''.
** Speed Highway as Sonic in ''Sonic Adventure''. Not only is it 95%, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin speed]], but you also get to run down the side of a building. This was big back in the day and reused in some of the other 3D entries.
*** While Speed Highway does a great job highlighting the "run really fast" aspect of the Sonic concept, Sky Deck really makes you feel as though you're foiling Robotnik's plans as you tear apart the Egg Carrier. Good times.
* Stardust Speedway in ''Sonic CD'', especially with the [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome English version's music.]]
** This troper disagrees - the Japanese music makes it even more awesome.
** And Collision Chaos. So trippy.
** Any Good Future level. So stunningly beautiful. Especially with the US version music.
* Green Forest in ''Sonic Adventure 2''. Probably the level that best shows off Sonic's mad skillz (both speed and grinding), really cool music (I often will hum it when I myself am in need of a speed boost), and ''bungee-jumping with a vine''.
** Its Shadow counterpart, White Jungle, is at least as gorgeous and has likely the best music in the entire game. You only get the full experience if playing the GC version though.
** Also from ''Sonic Adventure 2'', Cosmic Wall. This level alone justifies the inclusion of Eggman as a playable character. This level shows how to do low-gravity right. It's not just a few sections that have low gravity. ''It's the whole level''. It's just about impossible to die from a fall here. The difficulty comes from the enemies' sheer numbers, many of which are the game's main DemonicSpiders...on any other level. Here, there's a lot of room to avoid everything they throw at you. It's ''so much fun'' killing them all and getting utterly insane amounts of points for it. An A-rank on most levels is around 15,000 points, but here, getting '''five times that''' is common, and six not unheard of. And all this right after [[ThatOneLevel Mad Space]]!
** "Radical Highway", which is a lot like "Speed Highway" only better, as it has some of the best music in the whole game and you can grind down freaking suspension cables, SOOOOO much fun!
** Final Rush. Rail grinding at it's best in the series, a bajillion alternate routes, some of which are epic shortcuts which give nice bonus points, good usage of the jump dash for platforming with the rails, a lot of speed, and of course, great music.
** [[spoiler:Green Hill Zone]], the reward for 100% completion.
** City Escape is the first level for Sonic, and it's a good one. It begins with a landboarding section down San Francisco style streets. After that, it's mostly platforming and high speed down hills and a fast pace. At the end of the level, a giant truck chases you. This level is set to return in SonicGenerations, and the truck has BUZZSAWS on it this time round.
* Any level that plays around with the gravity. This includes Sonic 3's "Carnival Night Zone" (Barrel of Doom be damned), Sonic & Knuckles' "Death Egg Zone" (not to be confused with the Sonic 2 level of the same name), Sonic Adventure 2's "Crazy Gadget", and Sonic Advance 3's [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Cyber Track Zone]].
** [[TwoWordsObviousTrope Two words]]. Dead Line: Sonic Rush. Not only does the level mess with gravity, instead of keeping with the honored tradition of "doomsday" music, this level substitutes in CrowningMusicOfAwesome. Said music is so awesome, in fact, that you'll find that the menu screen uses a remix of it.
* Sonic's Casinopolis level in ''Sonic Adventure''. NiGHTS Pinball set to [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Message From Nightopia]]? Heck yeah!
* Two Words: City Escape. [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Rollin' around at the speed of sound...]]
* Despite being critically reviled, SonicTheHedgehog2006 has some pretty awesome levels itself
** Wave Ocean with it's peaceful music and the homage to the whale chase from Sonic Adventure, which takes it one step further with the whale HURLING you with it's tail.
** Crisis City with it's gorgeous post-apocalyptic SceneryPorn and the final section where you outrun a tornado that hurls everything including the kitchen sink at you.
** Flame Core, best descrbed as Red Mountain's distant cousin with KILLER music and insane corkscrews.
** Aquatic Base, a refreshing change of pace in that it's a final level that's actually fairly easy compared to some others, so it manages to provide JUST the right amount of challenge without being too hard or too easy, plus it has the best music in the game.
* Most Daytime levels in ''SonicUnleashed''. Breaking mach barriers on will has not yet been seen in ANY ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' game . Want an example? You have [[strike:two]] three.
** '''Spagonia - Rooftop Run, Act 1:''' Running along a rampart with three laser-toting robots keeping pace, just keep hammering down the Ring Boost and fling other bipedal robots at them. Dodging spiked wine kegs, catapulting up and running around Spagonia's giant clock, only to ''grind back down again at speed.''
** '''Holoska - Cool Edge, Act 1:''' Where a good few minutes of the course are devoted to being in a bobsled and mowing down enemies (and hopping to blow up the airbound badniks). Just when you see a lake, a damn [[spoiler: whale]] surfaces so you can slide along it's back. Wanna dismount the bobsled? Crash it into a ledge and [[MadeOfExplodium it'll explode]], despite being composed of carbon fiber and metal.
** '''Chun-Nan - Dragon Road, Act 1:''' Where everything great about this game comes together in one neat little package. Great music, quick reflexes, a ''beautiful'' background, and a whole bunch of fast-paced fun along the way. You know you're in something awesome the moment you fly into the head of a dragon-statue, only to grind all the way down it's back.
** '''[[EternalEngine Eggmanland]]''' is made of equal quantities Crowning Level of Awesome and ScrappyLevel. Both versions. No exceptions.
* Sonic Advanced 2 had awesome levels, Especially Sky Canyon Zone which was the first time the physics defying mid-air boosts had to be used. All the levels become this if you go fast enough.
** Sonic Rush Adventure's levels are similar, but with much more level specific gimmicks and quirky themes. Riding dolphins in Pirates Island as giant anchors try to crush you? The minecarts and stunning visuals of Coral Cave? Being shot out of a cannon and then chased by another pirate ship in Haunted Ship? The giant mushrooms and a massive t-rex robot for the FIRST BOSS in Plant Kingdom? Or the steampunk Machine Labyrinth? And then you have Blizzard Peaks with the snowboarding as is standard in ice levels but done really well, and Sky Babylon with you rushing up 60 degree hills as the platforms crumble very quickly behind you, before you spiral up another road. Awesome.
* Ice Cap Zone from SonicTheHedgehog3. The music alone makes it a worthy reward for finally getting past the [[ThatOneLevel Carnival Night Zone]].
** Hydrocity, also from Sonic 3. It's an underwater ruins level, so if you've played the previous games, you're expecting a hard, long slog, right? You'd be wrong. It's a blitzingly fast wild water ride with Sonic blasing across the surface of the water, bouncing everywhere with the bubble shield, rolling down hills at ludicrous speed, getting caught in currents that fling you miles into the air, and AMAZING music.
* Sweet Mountain in SonicColors. Rockets filled with jelly beans come crashing down on you, drilling through cake and in one act, you can see the entire area as you're grinding.
*** If you think the jelly bean rockets alone are awesome, just try [[spoiler: turning into Super Sonic]] and ''' ''BLASTING THROUGH ONE OF THEM HEADFIRST!!!'' '''
** If not Sweet Mountain, then the awesome beauty and platforming of Planet Wisp, or even Aquarium Park's underwater vastness, where you can drill to your heart's content, and better still, the music gets muffled underwater, making it surprisingly engaging.
*** Remember how we were just talking about the "running down the side of a building" mechanic? Well, [[spoiler:Terminal Velocity]] takes it UpToEleven. Basically, [[spoiler:Eggman's amusement park is EXPLODING thanks to your heroic efforts]] and Sonic and Tails are making a mad dash [[spoiler:down a SpaceElevator shaft to get back on the planet.]]When Sonic and Tails get to the last availible SpaceElevator, Eggman tries to intercept our heroes in his new [[spoiler:Egg Nega Wisp Armor]]. Sonic gets a [=CMoA=] for himself [[spoiler:by getting Tails into the elevator and sending him to safety]] while he confronts Eggman. Sonic then proceeds to open up a can of [[{{GoshDangItToHeck}} whoop-butt]] on Eggman, freeing the Wisps he's using for a power supply in the process. Once they're all free, they [[spoiler:[[{{AllYourColorsCombined}} combine their power]] so Sonic can perform the FINAL COLOR BLASTER! On the mech, destroying it.]] The final level features Sonic [[spoiler:trying to outrun a black hole made of hyper go-on energy and getting rescued by the Wisps and reunited with Tails.]]'''HECK YES'''!

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[[folder:StarWars]]
* "Star Wars: Battlefront II" has a level where you get to play as Anakin Skywalker and fight a bunch of Jedi alongside Clone Troopers. Fuck. Yes. Granted, it's less fun if Anakin dies, as the chance to play your Hero doesn't come back up in Story Mode, but the thrill of an epic lightsaber battle will be enough to have you SAVE A SEPARATE GAME JUST FOR THAT LEVEL.
* ''StarWars: ShadowsOfTheEmpire'' for the Nintendo 64 was the first ''Star Wars'' game to feature a fully 3D playable version of the Battle of Hoth, both in a snowspeeder and on foot. According to the Gametrailers [[http://www.gametrailers.com/player/37296.html Star Wars Retrospective]], many gamers never played past the first level, simply replaying the Hoth battle over and over again. This is probably the reason there have been Hoth levels in every ''Star Wars'' game since that could fit one in, and the inspiration for the ''RogueSquadron'' games.
** The Asteroid Field mission was pretty fun, too. And so was Gall, where you got to play with a ''jetpack''...
** Though it was [[ExecutiveMeddling added in at the last minute]] and rather unconnected to the main story, the [[EternalEngine Battle of Endor]] in X-Wing Alliance is quite exhilarating. Up until you look across the cockpit of the ''Millennium Frikkin' Falcon'' and see your robot buddy in the copilot seat...
* The Bespin level in ''Rogue Squadron II'' deserves a mention, if only for the gorgeous scenery. ''And'' their version of Endor [[{{Understatement}} isn't too shabby]], either...
** Mmm, fighting two Star Destroyers.
** The final level, ''Strike at the Core'', deserves a mention. Trying to get a gold medal in this level on Ace Mode, while piloting the Millennium Falcon... it might also qualify at That One Level, but you seldom get such an adrenalin rush in any Star Wars game.
* Speaking of StarWars, the level where Admiral Harkov turns on you in TIEFighter is made of awesome. You're sent out there in an unshielded TIE Interceptor and have to survive until reinforcements come to pick you up... Hard, but awesome.
* ''StarWars: TheForceUnleashed'' pretty much all the way through, especially against the larger enemies (AT-[=STs=] and their bastard brethren AT-[=KT=]s in particular), and the whole "pull a goddamn cruiser out of space" bit.
** The best level is obviously the First, where you play as DARTH FREAKING VADER and then proceed to tear the ever-living shit out of everything in your path. The rest of the game almost seems like a bit of a let-down in comparison.
* Korriban in KnightsOfTheOldRepublic, especially on a light side runthrough as you play every Sith on the planet like a fiddle.
** For that matter, the Battle of the Star Forge. Its like ReturnOfTheJedi when you have to storm the Empire's very engine of Mass Destruction/Construction to [[StuffBlowingUp blow it up]]. Except you have to kill [[BigBad Darth Malak]] first and either kill or redeem [[DethroningTheIceQueen Bastila]] first. Along the way though? You fight [[EliteMook elite mooks]], [[MiniBoss several minibosses]], whole armies of Dark Side Acolytes, Adepts, and Sith Masters, whole armies of the best 'normal' troops, a mecha army, and at times ''[[BeyondTheImpossible ALL AT ONCE]]''. If you go Dark Sided, you conquer the entire galaxy at the end (only to lose it in the sequel), if you go Light Side (which can arguably be better than Dark Side but [[YourMileageMayVary YMMV]]), you redeem Bastila, defeat the Sith, and become the Prodigal Knight of the Republic. Either ending is satisfying, and it is really fun to bring Malak down. What is it with {{Bioware}} and awesome final levels?
** [[YourMileageMayVary This]] '''[[YourMileageMayVary will]]''' [[YourMileageMayVary be disputed]], but Malachor 5 in ''KOTOR II'' is [[WhamEpisode pretty damned impressive]], even without a lot of the content. 
*** The return to Onderon; the whole damn thing, from the Tomb to the palace Throne Room.
** For that matter, Korriban in [[DarkForcesSaga Jedi Academy]].
* ''[[LegoStarWars Lego Star Wars II]]'': The last two ''[[TheEmpireStrikesBack Empire]]'' levels(the showdown with Darth Vader, and the escape from Bespin), and the last three ''[[ReturnOfTheJedi Jedi]]'' levels(all three story-lines in the climax; breaking into the shield generator, the fight against [[BigBad Palpatine]], and, of course, the battle over Endor and inside the Death Star).
* The more intuitive missions in JediAcademy qualify (with the exception of [[ScrappyLevel Belenjeel]]). But the best is probably the one with the speeder bikes.
* ''Star Wars: Empire at War'': First Rebel mission. A bunch of CR 90 Correllian Corvettes (think ''Tantive IV'') plus the ''Sundered Heart'' (a heavily modified CR 60, CR 60's being the predecessor's to CR 90's) destroying 5 space docks, countless TIE's, a couple ''Tartan''-class corvettes, and crippling a MOTHER F-ING IMPERIAL ''STAR DESTROYER''. With no losses.

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[[folder:SuperMarioSeries]]
* Level 5-3 of ''SuperMarioBros. 3'': Kuribo's Shoe.
** Then there's that level in World 6 with the hundreds of coins frozen in ice blocks. You defrost them with your fireballs.
*** There are also Munchers frozen in some of the ice blocks. Normally a bad thing, but there are a cluster of Munchers over top of a pipe, and recall that hitting a P-Switch turns Munchers temporarily into coins. When you eliminate the Munchers and enter the pipe, there's a Hammer Brother suit inside, and that Hammer Brother suit is one thousand times more satisfying to wear than any other in the game.
** Don't forget the quicksand stage in World 2. Angry Sun, anyone?
*** That you can ''kill'' with a shell! Take that, Sun!
*** Let's just say that again folks, ''you can kill the Sun''.
** And the whole of Big World.
** You don't get them often, but every once in a while, you'll suddenly come across a Doom Ship filled with nothing but coins. It's like winning the lottery every time it appears.
*** It's not random. They spawn according to a specific formula that's a bit too involved to discuss here, but involves your score, coin tally, and time left on the clock. It's entirely possible to trigger the ships every single time if you know the method, but it only works on certain worlds. The easiest level to test it on is 1-3, because there's convenient bricks and coins right (and a pipe to reset them) at the end of the level in case you screw up. This Troper triggers it every game without fail.
* Any level with the Metal Cap in it in ''Super Mario 64''
** Bob-Omb Battlefield was a beautiful first impression with that cool mountain, the Chain Chomps place. This should've been the Throwback Galaxy. That and [[IncrediblyLamePun Snowman's Land]]
** Any level with the Wing Cap in it.
*** Except maybe for the goddamn ''[[ScrappyLevel Over The Rainbow]]'' star.
*** The best one is the final one, outside the castle. You shoot yourself out of the cannon into the floating "?" box... and you just ''fly''. And it's ''[[SceneryPorn gorgeous]]''.
** The "Bowser in the..." stages. The default (and pretty much only sane) camera angle and heavy emphasis on platforming made it a fun throwback to the classic Mario games, and it has arguably the best musical piece in the game.
** Tick Tock Clock, and any level with a slide. Fun.
** Hazy Maze Cave.
** Chief Chilly Challenge from the DS remake. It has the slides, the platforming and the whole place is focused around Luigi!
** ShiftingSandLand. Especially when [[spoiler: [[NotSoFastBucko top of the fricking pyramid comes off!]]]]
* Any of the "Secret of..." levels in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine''. Pure 3D platforming bliss. The music alone justifies putting these levels here.
** YourMileageMayVary. Oh so very much. You either think that it's "3D platforming bliss", or you start sobbing and curl up into the fetal position every time you hear the music for those stages.
*** To clarify, they're levels designed for your hover ability WITHOUT your hover ability. The high speed precision jumps you have to make while the stage is moving or disappearing can make all of them ThatOneLevel for less-experienced gamers. And when you go back to play them with your hover ability... Red Coins.
** The CrowningMusicofAwesome level that is Noki Bay, complete with gorgeous cliff sides and awesome boss battles.
* One star in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' has you traversing a floating lava area on a rolling ball while a meteor shower is falling and a ''hell remix'' of the ball theme is playing in the background.
** The entirety of Melty Molten Galaxy applies.
** The "Freeze" portions of Freezeflame Galaxy. There's just something about ice skating and [[AnIcePerson Ice Mario]].
*** For that matter, the whole Lava Core Planet is beautiful and the Mission "Freezeflame's Blistering Core" feels like a great, classic adventure.
** Also, pretty much every ScrappyLevel is incedibly fun once you're good enough to beat it.[[hottip:* :Except for Dreadnought Galaxy. That place is just evil.]] [[hottip:* :The music pumps you up enough to beat it without a problem, though]]
** Pretty much every level in SMG.
* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'' gives us Cosmic Cove Galaxy. It has [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome a beautiful theme]] and the level "Exploring the Cosmic Cavern" is a 2D water level, complete with flying water. The galaxy also features some cool skating. Also, Honeybloom Galaxy, completely 2D and pure Bee Mario Bliss.
** Fluffy Bluff Galaxy. [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Amazing music]], [[SceneryPorn beautiful scenery]], and just downright fun to play. In the same vein, Cloudy Court Galaxy.
** "To the Top of Topman's [[hottip:*:Not [[Game/MegaMan that Topman]], as cool as that might have been]] Tower" in Space Storm Galaxy. A souped up version of Buoy Base, complete with ''time-slowing'' effects? Hell yes!
** Wild Glide Galaxy. The gorgeous scenery, which features Mario gliding through a mountain pass with lush foliage and pouring waterfalls, combined with the awesome music, it's easy not to notice how difficult the level can be.
** [[DownTheDrain Slimy Spring Galaxy]]. The ambience is amazing, it can be fun but challenging[[hottip:*:Keep going, or you might run out of air]], and the sunset seen at the end of the level is just SceneryPorn incarnate. [[spoiler:Toad Captain nonwithstanding.]]
** Say what you will about [[ThatOneLevel the second mission]], but the ''first'' mission in [[LethalLavaLand Melty Monster Galaxy]] is oh-so very deserving of the title "The Magnificent Magma Sea". The level is absolutely ''epic''. We're talking ''cascading walls of lava'', people!
** [[TwoWordsObviousTrope Two Words:]] [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/SuperMario64 Throwback]] [[NostalgiaLevel Galaxy]]. An [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome epic remix of the stage music]] from Mario 64, and the Whomp King even says his lines from 64 word-for-word!]]
** The [[spoiler:VideoGame/MarioKart inspired Rolling Coaster Galaxy.]] Difficult, yes... but at the same time, it gives the player a real adrenaline rush to [[spoiler:go rolling down a rainbow slide then shooting through the air on their momentum.]]
** Flip-Swap Galaxy. It's amazing, the series is in its third decade now and they're ''still'' finding clever new approaches to platforming.
** Beat Block Galaxy. The panels appear and disappear alternately according to the beat of the music. Purely Amazing.
** How's this for a bold choice... [[spoiler:Grandmaster Galaxy]]. Sure, it's extremely challenging (and that's not even mentioning the daredevil run), but not in a way that ever feels unfair. The adrenaline rush that kicks in while you play it is amazing, and if you actually ''beat'' it... your [[strike:day]] [[strike:week]] ''year'' is made!
* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand'''s Submarine and Airplane Stages. UnexpectedGameplayChange to a shoot-em-up? Yes. However, this is surprisingly done well to the point that they become the two most enjoyable levels in the game, and the peppy music helps too.
** Also, both are immediately after {{Scrappy Level}}s.
* There are two such levels in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld''. The first is the Pirate Ghost Ship, where you (as Mario) revisit the Flying Fortress from ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', and culminates into a massive drop through a long tunnel where you can rack up extra lives and points (completing the level opens up the gateway to the Valley of Bowser, and cuts out the music for the only time in the game). The second level is the final course in the Special Star World, "Funky". After making your way through the level, eating berries with Yoshi to increase the time limit, you pass a massive yellow pipe going into the air. After this point, the enemies disappear, and you continue heading to the right, only to find the message YOU ARE A SUPER PLAYER!!. ''Written entirely with coins''. '''Pure awesome'''.
** All of Special World counts. The whole World is a NintendoHard ROMHack of itself, forsaking all logic in favor of the RuleOfCool. As if it could get better than that, after you beat it, the whole Game becomes a HalloweenEpisode.
** Much of the whole game counts! A level where you ride a skull coaster on lava while dodging a googly-eyed lava monster (who is apparently named "Blaargh")? A level where you literally have to build a staircase out of coins and a P-Block? Even the Scrappiest of ScrappyLevels, known as "Tubular" has you fly through an entire level as a living balloon, which, once you learn how to navigate the darn level, is actually pretty fun.
* ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'' has the hidden level 8-7. It's a nonstop thrill ride over lava atop a series of skeletal dragon roller coasters that [[MostWonderfulSound screech at just the right times]]. Reflexes and instincts are all you need to get through this level; even the Star Coins are not hidden. Finally, going through this level lets you bypass [[DownTheDrain 8]]-[[BlackoutBasement 4]].
** While a lot of people say 8-1 is a ScrappyLevel with all of its obstacles, it can be a huge adrenaline rush to charge headlong into the fray without stopping to beat the level and collect all of the Star Coins on the first try. Not only that but the level itself is very reminiscent of the many similar levels found in the Genesis platformer, ''Kid Chameleon,'' complete with AdvancingWallOfDoom.
* Tree Zone 2 in ''Super Mario Land 2'', where you swim through gravity-defying jello.
* ''[[VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels The Lost Levels]]'', of all games, has World 7-3. 7-1 had the Bros. faced with numerous pipes filled with Red Piranha Plants, as well as several [[EliteMook Hammer Bros.]] 7-2 not only had Lakitus, but also ''fire bars'' (which in the first game only appeared in castles). This level? Flying over much of it using strong winds and green trampolines.
* I believe it was World 2-3 in the original Super Mario Bros. It was the one right after the first water level, where the best choice (for me, anyway) was to run like hell across the bridges and avoid the Cheep-Cheeps that jumped at you.
* Glitzville in [[VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor Paper Mario: TTYD]] was definitely one of the highlights of the game.
** Also the Excess Express.

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[[folder:TombRaider]]
* TombRaider: The Lost Valley: Along with the iconic T-Rex encounter, it is also filled with other memorable set-pieces, like the waterfall (and subsequent draining of it), and the design of the Valley itself.
** City of Vilacamba: Nice puzzles,beautiful pools,and those swinging axes,plus a great GreenHillsZone
** St Francis' Folly: Full of puzzles, as well as having an interesting vertical structure.
** Palace Midas: A great layout that interlinks in really cool ways, along with some good puzzles as well.
*** And the Midas hands, which will [[HaveANiceDeath turn Lara into a gold statue]].
*** That was a ScrappyLevel if you forgot the order of the switches or did one thing wrong
** TheCistern however was a great DownTheDrain level
* TombRaider 2: Barkhang Monastery: A massive level with tons of non-linearity, that is filled with puzzles, challenges and exploration.
** Temple of Xian: Another huge level that covers almost aspect of Tomb Raider at some point, including some unique sequences like the [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel Spider cave]].
* TombRaider 3: Aldwych: A massive and complex level, but the atmosphere is what really makes it; it manages to be more atmospheric than many of the "tomb" locations in the series, and shows how a modern level can work perfectly in TR with the right concept.
** Lost City of Tinnos: The finale level before the boss, and a great finale it is, with an interesting theme and some nice use of the elemental puzzles concept.
* TombRaider 4: The Lost Library: Another big level, and one that keeps linking in interesting ways and constantly brings on new tasks and puzzles.
* TombRaider: Angel of Darkness: Hall of Seasons: The controls make a couple of the trap sequences very frustrating (along with ThatOneBoss), but as a whole it has several puzzles and some very atmospheric areas that make it arguably the last echoes of the original designers former glory.
* TombRaider Legend: Ghana: Starts with a very impressive waterfall sequence and continues with an interesting layout, large scale puzzles and less combat than most of the other levels.
** England: Beyond ThatOneBoss it's a great level with quite possibly the best atmosphere in the game and several nice puzzles and platforming sequences.
** Nepal: Exploring through ice caves with ruins frozen from the past, leading all the way to a giant temple that seems to be built around a believable BottomlessPit, the entire level(For the most part) makes you feel like you are alone and exploring a place that was once magnificent, the music in the level helps too.
*** The Quick Time Event in the crashed plane actually managed to be quite entertaining. The level also contained only a single, brief shootout sequence with enemy mooks: just long enough to change up the pace, but not so much that the simplistic combat outstayed its welcome.
* TombRaider Anniversary: St Francis' Folly takes every puzzle and the overall layout of the original level and expands on it all in several ways (such that the cuts that were made are balanced by more content elsewhere). Unfortunely this clashes with the levels that were remade less competently.
** All of Egypt: A couple of the trap sequences are frustrating, but beyond that it's another segment that, instead of strange changes, takes everything good about the original segment and makes it better.
* TombRaider Underworld: Mexico: There's quite a lot of exploration and a nice atmosphere. It also has some good puzzles in the Xibalba section.

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* All three of the "boss" levels in ''ApeEscape''. Crumbling Castle: a huge, dilapidated medieval castle with dungeons, enormous vaulted ceilings, secret passages, and a cool boss fight at the end. TV Tower: You get to drive a tank and blow up stuff, and the end boss fight is awesome. And finally, the VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, Monkey Madness, split into two huge areas: A CircusOfFear complete with mine cart roller coaster and a fight against your RivalTurnedEvil in an armored go kart, and the Big Bad's giant floating Space Castle, which manages to be both NintendoHard and ridiculously fun. Even better, Crumbling Castle and the final part of Monkey Madness [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXIbMBdESi4&feature=channel_page come]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eWV6Uvp5HU&feature=channel with]] CrowningMusicOfAwesome.
** Tomoki Tower in ''3''. First, a trek through a futuristic cityscape, then you enter a giant, golden statue of TheDragon which serves as his base of operations. As you climb, you have to figure out puzzles using your gadgets. And at the end, you face off with TheDragon in a MiniMecha battle! (His has a 'fro just like he does!) Did I mention it comes after you get the coolest transformation in the game?
** Also, the kung-fu level (I forget the name), the western level, and my favorite, the level where you run across planes that are floating real close to each other. Then you enter a huge airship and ''ride a TANK'' through it! Best level ever!
* The Frostfire level in ''CityOfHeroes''. There is a ''half-pipe made of ice''.
** On the same ice note, skiing in the Christmas level. It may be NintendoHard to get the achievements, but you can't deny you slid down that slope for a half an hour once you got there.
** The entire Imperious Task Force in the endgame is one of the most fun, epic and fairly challenging series of missions there is.
** Every mission released since Issue 17 has been ''amazing'', but this Troper's personal favorite has to be the final stretch of the Warden Story. Heartbreak, humor, and one of the most epic boss fights in the game all rolled into one. And Praetorian Penelope Yin is just adorable.
* Damn near ''every'' level in the cult classic GraffitiKingdom counts, but the Chess Tower stands out.
* New Orleans in [[TonyHawksProSkater Tony Hawk's Underground 2]]. On top of feeling like a genuine large city, it had an entire network of half pipes, ramps and parks on the roofs of all its buildings, and it actually managed to feel southern without passing in to stereotypical territory, something games usually don't handle well. On top of that, grinding the tombs (The dead are "buried" above-ground in NO) in the local graveyard will transform the entire city into a voodoo hellhole, with a portal to hell in the center and hordes of zombies.
* The fifth episode of ''GunstarHeroes'', after the four selectable stages, is one long uninterrupted run of mass destruction, allowing you to shoot, kick and throw your way through an endless horde of enemies in your own style.
** Although some of those previous stages are no doubt counted by other games, such as Black's (silly) Dice Maze.
** Or Green's, complete with exploding trains and transforming 7-force boss. All while riding a gravity-flipping minecart.
* Flower is a composite of best levels ever, but the one that really stands out has to be the city level. Flying through at breakneck speed, smashing black metal and laving flowers and trees in your path, restoring beauty to what was a ragged hellscape.
* The Battle of Rhodes in ''GodOfWar II''.
* The final level in most ''KatamariDamacy'' games, that has you rolling up the islands of Japan, rainbows, the clouds, volcanoes, and [[{{Expy}} expies]] of Godzilla, other Kaiju, and {{Ultraman}}. If you're good enough, you can even roll up the KingOfAllCosmos.
** The "final" level of ''We ? Katamari'' has to be mentioned. You're tasked with rolling up the whole freaking solar system... using the ''Earth'' as your katamari! All to a surprisingly understated, kind of eerie song in the background. Equally awesome is the penalty for failure (which you must see at least once to progress in the game): Your rolled-up planets hit the sun and burst into flames.
** ''Beautiful Katamari'' one-ups that. You start with a katamari about a meter in diameter, and roll until you're rolling up buildings, then islands, then ''continents'', and ''then'' you go into space and start rolling up planets and stars and other celestial bodies, all in the efforts of making a katamari big enough to block up a black hole.
*** Never mind the fact that you can ROLL UP THE BLACK HOLE.
** The final level from the first game still trumps them, if only because [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Katamari on the Rocks, the Main Theme]] starts blasting and keeps you going. And you know it did.
** The third-to-last level of ''Katamari Forever'' is kind of a refinement of all of the above. You get to roll up everything you'd made in every mode up to that point...possibly including [[CrowningMomentOfFunny Corrupt Data Peanut Planet]].
* ''Main/{{Painkiller}}'', the spiritual successor of ''Doom'', was praised for its levels. In particular the levels "City on the water", which was a remake of Venice, "The Haunted Monastery" the last level before the best level in the game: Hell. Hell was composed out of pieces of the game up to that point. Which made it the celebration of all the good leveldesign.
** And the final boss battle took place inside an atomic explosion!
* The Oceanside Hotel in ''VampireTheMasquerade: Bloodlines''. It pulls out every haunted house trick in the books, and the resulting effect is creepy as hell.
** The Hotel and the werewolf chase.
*** Just to elaborate a bit on what the chase is: there you are, having kicked ass for for than three quarters of the game, and you are armed to the teeth with all sorts of weapons, and your supernatural powers' ranges in strength from turning the tide to your favour to mopping the floor with the enemies. Right, this was just the background - you are given the task to go and talk with one of the local badasses - Nines Rodrigez, who in a nearby park. Very soon after going there you both notice a forest fire and Nines starts freaking out because he knows that the werewolves don't take kindly neither to fires nor to vampires. Just then a werewolf jumps at him from nowhere snatches him and leaves you with another werewolf who is hellbent on trying to rip you to pieces and chew you. Oh, and all those powers and weapons are useless - the only option left is to scream like a little girl, run, and try to survive until you manage to get away.
**** 2nd option left: crush the offending shapechanger between the closing halves of the telescope ceiling.

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* "The Weighted CompanionCube will accompany you throughout the [[{{Portal}} test chamber.]]"
** Also a Best Character Ever.
*** Testchamber 19 is pretty swell as well. While the game has been slowly stripping away its clean, lab experiment facade, 19 rips it right open. You go through the observation chambers, cube-dispensing vents, offices, and a massive turret ambush until you reach [=GLaDOS=], who is a very fun boss that dispenses some of her best monologue (that's saying something) in the game.
**** Really, this is all after Testchamber 19 proper. It's really the entire second half of the game.
** The best part of Chamber 19 (aside from the boss battle, of course) is the big turret ambush room. Of everything in the game, I honestly think that shows the most useful aspects of the portal gun as you use it to ambush the turrets who were supposed to ambush you by portaling in behind them and gleefully tipping them over the edge. And once you're done with that, you get to fling yourself happily about in the single largest space in the game. Whee!
** Portal 2 has several Levels of Awesome as well, of course. The first part of the second act (the [[spoiler:old levels, up to the point where you open the first giant door]]) has beautifully done atmosphere, both boss battles (especially that last one... sheer ''lunacy.''), and any and every level involving repulsion and propulsion gels.
** There's also experiment room 16 with the most sighted-turrets of any other, allowing for ridiculous levels of inginuity about how to knock them down.
*** Once, that level was viewed as a ScrappyLevel. But if you figure out the shortcut and the trick to aiming it becomes loads of fun for the trials you can avoid.
* The PC game ''{{Freelancer}}'', once [[spoiler:you've acquired an artifact, the Liberty government framed you and Juni for murder and]] the Liberty send the whole damn navy after your tail. You have about 20 ships chasing you at full speed, firing, bent on destroying you. Your objective basically is to get to a warp gate approximately 3 - 4 minutes away at full speed. (It even says so right in your quest log - "Mission: Escape to the wormhole. Reward: Your life.") This mad rush runaway is a blast dodging fire going all around you. And, actually, is the first hard part of the game.
** Another moment is just before [[spoiler: you attack Tekagi's Arch. After meeting with a group of Blood Dragon fighters, you are instructed to head to a waypoint, and your reinforcements enter formation with you. It is here when you realize just how large this battle is going to be.]]
* {{Thief}} 3 has the Cradle, which makes what could almost be considered an UnexpectedGameplayChange in terms of the overall atmosphere (although it fits in with situations in the earlier games), and executes it perfectly.
** {{Thief}} 2 had a wonderful early level which was devoted to just...going around stealing things. It worked beautifully.
*** 'Shipping and Receiving', IIRC. Level 2. Based in a warehouse. Just stealing because you need the money. Great level.
** Thief 2's unofficial expansion ''Shadows of the Metal Age'' had a level in which a XanatosGambit (''yours,'' in fact) finally comes together, and two factions get engaged in a brutal melee with each other. Your goal? Slaughter anyone and everyone in your path, and make sure the faction who killed your brother is ground into the dust. In a game where you've had to stay out of view and skulk about for a long, long time, there's something satisfying about a level of nothing but brutal vengeance.
* The free-roaming pirate ship segment in Bloodbath Bay, from ''[[SlyCooper Sly 3]]''. It has a special one-off control scheme that allows you to run around the ship firing the cannons, shoring up damage, and also steer the ship at the same time, and it ''really works''.
* SuperRobotWars D, level 16, Jupiter route. The pure exhilaration of re-enacting [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome the only sequence in Getter Robo more awesome than the Stoner Sunshine sequence]] knows no bounds. With Shin Getter Robo, Getter Shin Dragon, Judau and the [[GundamZZ ZZ Gundam]], and Ru and the [[ZetaGundam Gundam Mk. III]] facing down a horde of {{Eldritch Abomination}}s, Shin Dragon effectively evens the odds single-handedly with a horde of GameBreaker powers. Even the game notes this, and makes sure that it requires extensive upgrades for the next chunk of the game.
** Episode 30 of OG2 also counts. Sure it's a [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome top moment]] for Sanger Zonvolt, and you get two of the most awesome mechs in the game as well. But after the episode name and number splashes across the screen you have the boss break the 4th wall with a "Episode 30? What the hell does that mean?!"
** SuperRobotWarsZ, stage 36: [[GundamSEEDDestiny Operation Angel Down.]] Only instead of just pitting Shinn against Kira, it's hero vs. hero for the ''entire cast''. Mazinger Z vs. Getter Robo? Aquarion vs. God Gravion? Xabungle and Walker Gallia fighting Gundams? Yes, yes and yes.
* Magus's Castle in ''ChronoTrigger'' is the definition of "atmospheric", and culminates in one of the most awesome ClimaxBoss fights in the history of gaming.
** Some would argue that, [[CharacterLevel at that point in the game]], Magus's castle is more satisfying and challenging than the final boss rush!
*** It's also a ShoutOut to Donkey Kong with zigzaggy slopes and Rolling enemies that you have to dodge by climbing on ladders.
** While not at par with Magus' Castle, the [[DiscOneFinalDungeon Undersea Palace]] has all the trappings of a TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon and and culminates with [[spoiler:an OhCrap moment when you suddenly face the BigBad]].
* ''{{Gradius}} Gaiden'' takes ''Gradius'' level design to new heights. Stage 2 is a junkyard of past ''Gradius'' bosses; can you name them all? Stage 3 is set in a crystal corridor where laser shots--yours and enemies'--will refract through the crystals. Then there's Stage 7, which starts off as an innocent-looking volcano stage...that gets ''gradually sucked into a black hole behind you'', as well as enemies, bullets, and even your own missiles. Your ship is not affected by it, though, since it's [[HandWave capable of cruising at five times the speed of light]].
* In [[BattleTech Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries]], one campaign for the Draconis Combine has you up against a mercenary company that went rogue. On approach for the final battle, you receive the following message:
-->"Attention, Mercenary: This is the dread legion. Whatever the Combine's paying you, we'll double it. Just turn around, go back to your DropShip, and we'll do the rest."
** In the same vein, a much later final mission has you piloting a captured 100-ton uber-mech for your employers - and your briefing is interrupted partway through by your operator, asking you if you still want to try to steal it for yourself. You do have the option. It is difficult. But behind the wheel of the most ridiculously over-armed mech you'll ever have, it's going to be fun the whole way through.
* ''[[GoldenEye GoldenEye]]''. St. Petersburg + ''TANK'' = Squishy WIN. Ah, memories...
** Three Words: Unacceptable Nonmilitary Casualties.
* ''BioShock'': Five Words: "An Evening With Sander Cohen".
** ''BioShock 2'', Six Words: "Bring Your Daughter to Work Day."
** And meeting Andrew Ryan. And bringing an end to [[spoiler: Atlas/Fontaine]].
* A very obscure ShootEmUp-on-rails Psygnosis game, ''Novastorm'', in which the first level of the last act had all its action perfectly timed to a techno beat that was made of Awesome. Closing bay doors, waves of enemies, high-speed flybys of space architecture, and it just keeps getting better right up to the end.
* ''{{Freespace}} 2'' has a number of these, but 'Into The Lion's Den' is truly world-class: you get the best fighter in the game (an enemy one at that), three (competent) wingmen, a horde of enemies and the objective of just causing as much mayhem as possible in 15 minutes. Oh, and of course the intro:
--> [[spoiler:[[AC:Commander Snipes]]: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrchciHCI8A DIVE! DIVE! DIVE! Hit your burners Pilot!]].]]
** 'Bearbaiting' showcases the other area where ''Freespace'' excels: dwarfing you with an enormous super-ship, then telling your handful of bombers to run the gauntlet of the defences to hit it where it hurts. Repeatedly.
** The user-made campaigns have plenty more. Where to begin? "The Number of the Beast" in ''Derelict'', where you must attempt to keep the peace in the middle of a ''riot?'' The Battle of Jotunheim from ''[[SilentThreatReborn Silent Threat: Reborn]]''? The defense of a Karnak-class installation from the same campaign, complete with flying inside it to defend the main reactor? The final two missions of ''Blue Planet'', which contain some of the most epic music ever put into Freespace, and one of which has a [[spoiler:pair of ''quasi-dieties'' battling it out]] in the background? This editor could go on...
** Special mention also goes to "Delenda Est" from ''BluePlanet''. Although [[spoiler:it has one of the biggest {{Downer Ending}}s ever]], there is the gorgeous backdrop of Saturn for the battle, which mostly consists of your fleet smashing one obstacle after another and generally demonstrating why they're called the "Wargods". And the ''[[CrowningMusicOfAwesome music]]''... let's just say the [[HolyShitQuotient HSQ]] was at a perpetual high.
** Forget all that: much earlier in the main game, you're fighting the fascist Neo-Terran Front, and frankly they're a pain in the ass. Some of the missions are cake-walks, some of them are struggles against the futility of the entire universe. You're finally pulling up to what your told is the decisive battle; and it ''sucks''. Oh it's not unfair, it's just a slug-fest to end all slug-fests. The whole time you're being told that reinforcements are on the way. You're finally starting to wish you had never put on a flight suit, and suddenly, "GTVA [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Colossus]] is on station!" This WMD of a ship is multiple times larger than the apocalyptic flagship of the Shivan fleet in the first game, and has so much firepower it chews up and spits out the juggernaut of a capital ship that you've been nibbling at for the last who knows how long over ''multiple'' missions. And dear god is it glorious to see that bastard go up in a series of titanic explosions.

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* As an example of the subjectivity of this trope, some consider the Great Pyramid from ''Main/SeriousSam: The First Encounter'' and the Grand Cathedral from ''Main/SeriousSam: The Second Encounter'' to be [[Awesome/VideoGameLevels Crowning Levels Of Awesome]], while others consider them to be [[Main/ScrappyLevel Scrappy Levels]], for the exact same reason - sheer weight of enemies. Sure, the games have been consistently stringing BeyondTheImpossible along Main/{{The War Sequence}}s, but this many? Very good... or very bad? Main/YourMileageMayVary.
* Trojan Horse (and the cutscene half way through) from SaintsRow. Driving a Carnales truck you stole earlier into one of their factories, and leaping out with about 10 other men to conquer it. Surprise, motherfuckers!
* The beginner course in the original version of ''DaytonaUSA 2'' is set in a huge, breathtaking forest dome. [[FridgeLogic (I'm guessing they have some sort of uber-powerful ventilation system to counteract the buildup of smog and carbon monoxide.)]] Sadly, ''[[UpdatedRerelease Daytona USA 2 Power Edition]]'' substitutes this with a more generic-looking NASCAR-like track.
** Actually, they do have a ventilation system that eats carbon monoxide, it called PHOTOSYNTHESIS.
*** Photosynthesis is carbon DIOXIDE, not carbon monoxide.
* The final course in the arcade version of ''Hydro Thunder'', Nile Adventure, is an amusement ride-like take on the Nile River, with many amazing features such as multi-colored lightning, a dome with a spinning starfield,, and a huge chamber containing a huge cyclopic monster in the water that shoots lasers (though they don't hurt you). It's also one of the longest courses in the game, taking nearly four minutes to complete.
* Area 5 in ''Rez'' takes you through the entire history of life from the simplest of single cell organisms, through evolution, extinction, resurgence, and eventually into space, with gradual and appropriate changes in the complexity and themes of the [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome accompanying music]], a remix of breakbeat DJ Adam Freeland's ''Mind Killer''. The effect is nothing short of astounding.
** And it only gets better if you're playing in Direct Assault mode-- which is ''the entire game, in sequence, non-stop''. Even though going from the first mooks of Area 1 clear through to [[spoiler:the BossRush and PuzzleBoss final battles]] takes only about an hour, it's arguably a Crowning Hour of Awesome.
** Although level 5 of ''Rez'' is the best level ever runner up (at least for this one particular game) goes to the fourth boss, a firewall that you chase down an endless corridor while it runs and jumps all around you.
* ''ConkersBadFurDay'' has the ''Sloprano'' chapter, which is simultaneously a phenomenally awesome boss fight and a CrowningMusicOfAwesome. It's not like you get to fight a giant pile of excrement who sings about throwing chunks of himself at you in just any game, hm?
** The game also features Spooky, a stage where you get turned into a vampire bat and have to hunt down zombies with a shotgun in a faux Dracula's castle, among other things.
** Then there's War! Coming across the Tediz discussing the game over cigarettes, getting a frigging tank and using it to fight a giant mechanical one of the Tediz, who you kill by shooting rockets up his ass, the laserbeams, and even hearding the exploding imps over in the beginning of the level. And of course, Conker, with twin machine guns, and a cigar.
** As soon as you saw the trenchcoats in Heist, you knew this was gonna be fun.

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* [=E3M10=] of ''Wolfenstein3D''. Seems freaky when you first enter it ("why the hell is a ''PacMan'' ghost bearing down on me?!") - right up to the moment you realise it's a [[{{Homage}} near-perfect recreation]] of ''PacMan'' (the only things missing are the looparounds - replaced with level exits - and the power pills are switched to extra lives. The ghosts themselves are indestructible).
* One for oldbies; "We Must Perform A Quirkafleeg" in ''VideoGame/JetSetWilly''.
** And for the sequel, The Cartography Room.
* Everything after the point where [[spoiler:you die]] in ''JadeEmpire'' just kicks ''so much arse'' (although the part where you fight hundreds of little cannibal monsters is pretty damned awesome too).
* Mission 15 of ''Another Century's Episode 3''. MacrossPlus has this really nice climactic scene involving the original Macross being hacked by an AI that happens to be a virtual pop idol. Okay, now take that sequence, add Yoko Kanno's incredible song "Information High" from the OVA, have Roy Fokker alive and well leading a strike on the ship he once died to protect, throw in a dash of ACE 3 original story after a pair of BigDamnHeroes moments from the Nadesico C and your main enemies from the game, upgrade the protagonist's original unit to the high-speed model just before the stage, and top it all off with TheReveal of your main rival's formerly masked face, and you get a panultimate example of how crossovers sometimes just ''work''.
** It's made by Banpresto, the dudes responsible for SuperRobotWars, ''of course'' the crossover works.
*** From ''ACE 2'', there is the final stretch (three separate stages played back-to-back in Story Mode), which recreates the final battle of the original ''{{Macross}}''. Countless hordes of Zentraedi mecha and ships attempting to ZergRush you, only for your entire team to fight back, with each of the playable heroes having dialog in the background of the battle. Then you break into Boddole Zer's flagship, perform a Trench Run through its corridors, and blast him as he recoils in terror from your Protocultre. Oh, and "Do You Remember Love?" plays over the entire sequence.
* ArmoredCore 4 has "Breaking the White Lance" and "Marche au Supplice". The first has you piloting your AC through a vertible hail of missile fire lauched from an entire flottilla of ships to destroy the headquarters of one of the corporations controlling the entire world, made all the more awesome by the sunset in the distance. The second, aptly translating from French as "March to Torment", has you dueling four top flight enemy [=ACs=] in a ruined city solo when you play it on hard mode. It's an adrenaline-pumping high speed mech duel to make any anime fight scene pale in comparison, with absolute failure kept at bay only by your reflexes and intuition. If you somehow don't feel awesome from smoking the four best opponents the game will ever throw at you at once, they hand you a pair of angel wings that double as laser cannons for beating it. If that isn't cool, I don't know what is.
** For Answer's first real boss, the Spirit of Motherwill. that thing is what you think of when someone says "Arms fort".
** "[[VideoGameCrueltyPotential Destroy Cradle 03]]" in For Answer. To describe the mission: You side with a CompleteMonster, and cross the MoralEventHorizon-- and destroy 5 rather helpless flying cities. Unfortunately, this sends you straight to the ScrappyLevel afterwards.
* ''Medal Of Honor: Allied Assault'' has a level where you hijack a tank called a "[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast King Tiger]]" from ThoseWackyNazis and barrel your way through an occupied town full of enemy tanks and Nazis with rocket launchers. 99% of the buildings in town are MadeOfExplodium, Germans go flying in graceful arcs when they take a tank shell to the face, and your tank ''owns'' '''everything'''. The fact that the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMiH1PEQRAg soundtrack]] is by [[CrowningMusicOfAwesomeVideoGames Michael Giacchino]] is just icing on the cake at this point.
** You had me at "tank".
** A Königs-Tiger? They TRANSLATED "Königs-Tiger"!?
*** Yes. Yes they did. Who are we to argue with an equally awesome sounding name?
** Battle Mountain, the final level of the final expansion pack. You're completely outnumbered, forced to perform a messy retreat the entire level in an attempt to reach a castle the allies have holed up in. Everyone is using the most powerful weapons in the game, SWARMS of axis forces mob you from every direction, many of the kills you make are too far away to grab the health pickups they drop, ammo dropped by enemies can't be picked up (at least when [[EricDVH I]] played it,) and absolutely nowhere is safe. When you finally make it to the castle, it's being overrun, so the decision is made to radio for bombardment of the castle, except a generator has failed. You then have to defend a tower from an all-out assault with a sniper rifle while it's repaired, and then retreat from the castle as it's blown to smithereens. In summary, it's an FPS level where you fight as hard as you can possibly fight, vie against impossible odds, and LOSE, and it's awesome.
** Arnhem Knights from ''Frontline'' qualifies. For much of the game, it's just been Patterson by himself on covert operations. You come along in the middle of a battle through the ruins of the town between Germans and the British. Some neat level design that keeps you on your toes and your allies actually being somewhat helpful make it one of the most memorable levels of the game. But what really sets it apart is the [[{{TearJerker}} tear inducingly]] beautiful background [[{{CrowningMusicOfAwesome}} music]] that plays throughout.
* {{Condemned}} 2: Bloodshot has Black Lake Lodge. Overall it's a rather controversial level, as you spend most of it blasting SWAT guys and throwing bombs out of windows in an (extremely creepy) dilapidated hunting lodge. But hardly anyone can deny that the first part of the level is one of (if not the) highlights of the whole game. After an extremely suspensful buildup, you get chased by a huge rabid grizzly bear through a service station. Let me repeat that: ''You get chased by a '''HUGE RABID GRIZZLY BEAR''' through a service station.'' It's terrifying, exhilarating, and awe-inspiring all at once. Hell, it's so cool it almost makes up for the huge increase in goofiness the plot has not too long afterward.
* there's a video on youtube called "Holy Crap! It's a bear!!" Hysterical. I fell off the bed i was laughing so hard.
* ''Game/MegaMan 9'' deserves this with quite a few stages, but a mention must be made for the Endless Stage, which is a single level that has you travel through 42 randomly chosen rooms. And did we mention that you [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin traverse these rooms repeatedly on a single life]] and the game records how many screens you traverse through each run? And just so were're clear... '''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kxkSMHGol4 FORTY]]-[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFSXRbppXsU TWO]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMHUhnuuSbo ROOMS]].'''
** ''2.'' Dr. Wily's Castle. [[CrowningMusicofAwesome That is all.]]
** ''MegaManX'', armored Armadillo, last mine cart ride. I love it.
*** The whole stage is awesome. It starts with a single minecart ride that lets you avoid all the bats on the top and mows through a couple of ostriches before abruptly ending. Right after that you take a leap down and are either chased by or chasing a bulldozer mechaniloid that clears out a straight path through the chaotic terrain and can kill you in one hit, before it falls into a pit of spikes, but it is 'very' satisfying to kill it before then. A little ahead of that and we have another mine cart ride , another drop with another bull dozer enemy and the final minecart ride, which mows through a dozen of enemies and trails a bunch of bird enemies that start smoking, flying lower and crashing when killed, especially with a full powered shot clearing through all of them. At the end of the tunne, the minecart ride bursts out in the open, finally outside of those dingy mines and flying above [[SceneryPorn a waterfall leading into a lake surrounded by forests.]] You jump off and land on a wall or cliff as the birds fly past and enjoy the view some more before heading in for the boss.
**** Sometimes when this troper rides the last minecart, the game slows down because of all the stuff that's going on. It looks more the game goes into an uber-dramatic slo motion sequence that adds to the awesomeness.
** I will never not love the opening level of MegaManZero2. After a year of fighting, Zero walks through a desert, wrapped in a damaged cloak. Suddenly, a never ending wave of Neo Arcadian 'bots shows up. Cue cloak throw. Cue [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Departure]]. Cue "Let's go...". Cue a weakened, damaged Zero tearing through hundreds of enemies and destroying a huge scorpion mech. Cue Zero ''not giving up'', even though he ''knows'' he can't continue. Best level in the game!
* ''GearsOfWar 2'' can best be described as an entire ''game'' of Best Levels Ever. Some of the best parts:
** The entirety of the Desperation act. A massed armored assault with Delta on the back of building sized assault rigs, fighting off boarders and shooting down Reavers and Locust mortars, with delta having to leap off mid-transit to protect Dizzy as he repairs "Betty" while Locust swarm at you from every direction.
** ''All'' of Nexus. Particularly the Queen's Palace.
** "Intestinal Fortitude." Bet you never thought a WombLevel would be quite so impossibly ''awesome.''
*** Bet you never thought that ''drowning in blood'' would be something that could actually present a real danger to you.
** The final level, which has Marcus and Dom blasting their way through an entire Locust army ''on top of a freaking [[{{HSQ}} BRUMAK.]]'' There's even a part where you fight a friggin' ''Corpser'' in hand-to-hand combat with the Brumak! And it is ''every bit'' as awesome as you'd expect it to be.
* The roof-running sequence from ''BeyondGoodAndEvil''.
** The entire end of Beyond Good and Evil was absolutely amazing. The sequence of fights leading up to the climactic multi-tired final boss battle contained large amounts of awesome.
*** The beginning was pretty much all ThisTroper needed to know the game was worth buying. The second the music changed and the opening battle went into slow motion, I was hooked.
* In ''Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master'', the surfing ninja level.
* The final level of ''{{Metal Slug}} 3'' - [[spoiler:You storm the martian mothership, fighting clones of your previously kidnapped teammate, eventually being joined by Morden's troops which you've fought in the first half of the game - including [[{{Badass}} Allen O'Neil]] - and after your teammate is rescued the machine that was creating the clones stats pumping out the [[{{ZombieApocalypse}} harder zombified versions of that character]]; all this eventually culminates in destroying the mothership, but then you still have to fight a giant ship as it's falling to Earth]].
** [[spoiler: Not to mention the fact that it's longer than every other level in the game combined. Jesus CHRIST.]]
*** ''{{Metal Slug}} 4'' The final level involves an enemy base infiltration complete with rappelling down and killing enemies along the way, you even get the tank and wreak havoc, Scientists that shoot bullets that revert your character into a monkey which gives you INFINITE Machine gun ammo, and a face off with Allen O'Neil near the end [[spoiler: Which by the way is a robot]]. All while playing [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGsuEY5XVhs this]] music.
* The [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_guQ3HJ-TGU video]] to the ''{{beatmania}} IIDX'' song "Tranoid" starts off [[{{Retraux}} looking like the attract demo to an old NES game]]. And then, we see the "game" in action: Tran ''running through the [[http://www1.ocn.ne.jp/~hibroad/score/14/tranoid.html?1N500 Normal chart]] for the song.'' Some players, for a lulz-y SelfImposedChallenge, play the song on Normal, and, at the speedup, play the rest of the song by the video.
** The song "Scripted Connection" is divided up into three parts. When it first debuted in the arcade version of ''Happy Sky'', the Normal version of the song was the beginning of it, the Hyper version was the middle, and the Another version was the end; put all three of them together and you have a full five-and-a-half song. The [=PS2=] version of ''Happy Sky'' has a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCEL__H9678 "Long Mix"]] of the song, which is basically IIDX's [[GuitarHero Free Bird]], for an epic single-song experiencce.
* The Templar's Chapel Level in DeusEx. The architecture is incredible for a sniper and by this point in time the character's skills, weapons and implants are just badass. Smooth, quiet, and in a weird way, relaxing. Much more enjoyable (although easier) than the levels that followed it.
** Hong Kong from the same game is a sprawling underground with atmospheric loactions, rivaling triads and one of the best merges of storyline and player freedom. [[spoiler:Maggie Chow.]]
** The first mission to Hell's Kitchen, for its sub-quests, sheer amount of {{NPC}}s to talk to, including basement-dwelling {{conspiracy theorist}}s and random bums calling you Masonic passwords, and the feel that there's something ''[[TheConspiracy wrong]]'' with how the things are.
** The [=OceanLab=]. Very haunted house terror. I played with god cheats and it still scared the crap out of me.
** The final level in Area 51. For a game that does a fairly good job in giving you enough ammo, health, etc that you are never really deprived but have to play it smart anyway, the idea of an endless mook hoard, especially ones with karkian super-mooks, at the end of a nasty series of levels, is about enough to make you whimper in fear no matter what your playstyle is.
** TheNamelessMod, having a good level design overall, gives us two levels that stand out: The Air Traffic Control Tower (Big level, with a mindblowing number of different ways to complete it, including [[CrazyAwesome crashing a hovercar in the tower to get inside.]] The other is Aunt Betty Industries, an even bigger level that, rarely for a DeusEx-like game, takes place in daylight (With a nice-looking exterior in the valley that surrounds the base), during a war between two different factions, includes some of the most satisfying opportunities to use stealth and and awesome combat setpiece, you really have to use all of your tricks to finish the level.
* The final two levels in ''AssassinsCreed'' are pretty awesome. First you hack your way through the Lionhearts, Saracens, AND the Templars, then [[spoiler:You murder your way through the entire ASSASSIN'S VILLAGE. ALONE.]]
** YourMileageMayVary, considering that the rest of the game allows you to be stealthy. Not so here. However, you can recreate the intro cutscene assassination with Majd Addin and then escape the huge swarm of guards along Jerusalem's rooftops.
** In ''[[AssassinsCreedII Assassin[='=]s Creed II]]'', the assassination mission "Town Crier" puts you in the Tuscan town of San Gimignano which is filled with towers. Your target is on top of the tallest tower, with archers posted around lower towers. You need to climb up each tower and yank the archers over the edge before dueling your target on a platform basically ten feet square and two hundred feet in the air. Have fun. Don't worry, ''I will''.
*** Or if you're like one guy, sneak up on him and poison the hapless target... or simply grab him and chuck him off of the platform.
** And don't forget the final level of the game. [[spoiler:Infiltrate the Vatican, ride a horse along a wall and cut down any guards stupid enough to get in your way, attack the Pope from the sky and proceed to have an epic fight with ''da freakin' pope'' with clones created by the Piece of Eden's illusion while he fights using another piece of Eden -- the Papal Staff -- then HAVE A FUCKING FISTFIGHT WITH THE MOTHERFUCKING POPE.]] This is undoubtedly awesome.
** YourMileageMayVary, but I loved the mission wherein you use Leonardo da Vinci's Flying Machine, even if we could only use it the one time.
*** It's possible to repeatedly use the flying machine if you buy the Battle of Forli DLC.
* DukeNukem 3D's moonbase. In particular, the gigantic domed crater around which you must run like a madman while shooting down the thousand-odd kamikaze drones that swarm out of the ceiling.
** Most of Episode 4 levels too. You get to visit Area 51 and blow up a nuclear powerplant. Every level in the unoffical expansion Duke it out in DC and the Land of Forgotten Toys from Nuclear Winter.
* ''DiddyKongRacing'': Future Fun Land is absolutely made of racing course win, with intricate space-themed courses (often with various things shooting at you) that are also visually impressive (including ShoutOuts to the [[StarWars Death Star trench]] and Disneyworld's Epcot Center) and feature CrowningMusicOfAwesome.
** Also from this game is Boulder Canyon, which turns from a wild hovercraft trip down rapids into a trip through a castle. You enter the castle from a drawbridge, and you can hit a bell at the end which will actually raise the drawbridge, potentially screwing over some of the racers behind you. Mwa ha ha.
* ''Klonoa: Door to Phantomile'' has the Wind Ruins. It's really the first level in the game where the difficulty gets kicked up to interesting, has great background music, and the best boss in the game.
** Mts. of Mira-Mira in ''Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil''. An extremely fun boarding level with some awesome background music in the form of Stepping Wind (Wahoo Stomp in translated versions).
*** Kingdom of Sorrow. It really, really is. I can generally make it through half the level without starting to cry.
* ''[[DevilMayCry Devil May Cry 3]]'' has a short mission ''Hunter and Hunted'', in which the player's health is slowly drained in exchange for unlimited Devil Trigger. The poor {{Mook}}s barely stood a chance before. Each {{mook}} you kill coughs up health restoration.
* [[{{Prehistoria}} Planet Sargasso]] in "RatchetAndClank Future: Tools of Destruction". Huge level with lots of places to explore, cool enemy designs, access to the second most powerful weapon in the game...and to top it all off, you can use Ratchet's hypnotizing disco ball weapon to force the giant T-Rex style enemies to dance. Complete with waves of their little T-Rex arms.
** The Robo-Wings alone make Sargasso and Kortog classic levels.
* ''[[EvilTowerOfOminousness The Tower Of Salvation]]'' in ''TalesOfSymphonia'' fits perfectly. You go to this gigantic tower a total of 3 times throughout the game, each being different in their own brand of epicness. The first time, you're treated on one of the most memorable scenes in gaming,and a fairly challenging BossRush. The second? One of the best puzzles, EVER. The third? A true TearJerker. All three trips are also accented by their music- the "Derris-Kharlan" tracks ([[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqWU2fcJA4c ~Appear~]] (For the first couple rooms); [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF8ckDnUifM ~Fear~]] (for the second trip dungeon, Welgaia) and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AEX_hB91Pk ~Shrine~]](The third trip's dungeon's music...)) Oh, and as a later cutscene proves- the entire place? It's MadeOfExplodium.
** The Seyfert Trials in ''TalesOfEternia''.
* The entirety of the ''Revenge of Meta-Knight'' mode in ''{{Kirby}} Super Star''. The running dialogue from the enemies makes Kirby seem like an unstoppable force of destruction!
** And at the height of it all during the final assault on the airship, all of it is set to CrowningMusicOfAwesome.
** Kirbopher (the creator of TTA) made reference to this in his collaborative flash $00pah [=NiN10Doh=]!. Kirby infiltrates the Halberd with a machine gun, and one of the Waddle Dees working for Meta Knight says the line "He's like totally owning everything without even TRYING!"
** Similarly, there's also a stage called "The Revenge" in ''Kirby Super Star Ultra''[='=]s ''Revenge of the King'', with similar running dialogue and a [[Awesome/VideoGameBosses Crowning Boss Fight of Awesome]].
*** Also in ''Kirby Super Star Ultra'', there's the game mode where you play through all of the original levels, ''as Meta Knight''.
**** Unfortunately, while playing as Meta-Knight, you do not get to fight Kirby during the ''Revenge of Meta-Knight'' sequence. Which would have cemented its status as a Crowning Level/Mode of Awesome.
* The first ''Syphon Filter'' opens during a massive simultaneous terrorist attack on Washington D.C., and the main character is literally sprinting from hot spot to hot spot to try and get things under control. When you finally get a lead on the leaders, you chase one of them on foor through active Metro tunnels, dodging subway trains and exchanging shots the whole way.
** The Pharcom Warehouses level, with a MeleeATrois between you, the Pharcom Elite Guards, and Rhoemer's troops, and possibly [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome the best music in the game]].
* Revelations: The Demon Slayer. The raid on the Zord Headquarters. Back to Back Boss Battles. No Space fleas in sight. You're welcome.
* The Extra and Phantasm stages of {{Touhou}} 7: Perfect Cherry Blossom certainly qualify. Half of each level is an epic boss battle complete with [[CrowningMusicOfAwesomeVideoGames Crowning Music Of Awesome]], and the stages themselves are quite well-designed to be NintendoHard without relying on FakeDifficulty.
** As well as the final stage of the same game. The sheer beauty of the gorgeous attacks with butterflies and cherry blossoms, the unreal music at the last fight, and the awe-inspiring end-boss, [[spoiler: Yuyuko Saigyouji,]] all come together to form a package so stunning and wonderful, many a member of the fanbase has been moved to tears, and not from the [[NintendoHard also-insane difficulty]] that comes with it on the higher levels.
** How about stage four from Subterranean Animism? Two awesome songs, a gorgeous background, and Satori cranking up the nostalgia meter by copying old cards, some of which hail from the fighting games. "Now, lie down with this terror that will leave you sleepless!"
* ''Thunder Force V'' has an entire level where your ship, the Gauntlet, docks into a massive armor called the Brigandine and uses a rail gun and a laser to obliterate battleships. Even though the Brigandine has a shield and is a massive target to everything, it's possible to beat the whole damn level with it, but you don't get to keep it for the next stage.
** In its predecessor ''Thunder Force IV'' there is a level called Air Raid that consists mostly of you dodging giant battleships' lock-on cannons while also blowing shit up.
* ''Mickey Mania'' has a level exclusive to the [[SegaGenesis Sega CD]] and {{Playstation}} versions that comes right before the final battle. Pete stands on top of a stack of three crates, and he laughs off any marbles you throw at him. Fortunately, he doesn't actually harm you, not even when you run into him. However, you have to run back and forth collecting pencils to call the other Mickeys as Pete summons [[MultiMookMelee more weasel guards]] to take care of you. The first of the Mickeys, Mad Doctor Mickey, lights a cannon that destroys the top crate. Next, Mickey and the Beanstalk Mickey takes a saw and saws down the second crate. Lonesome Ghost Mickey then runs in, bumps into the last crate a few times, and finally pushes it away. But the level is still not over. The next pencil summons Moose Hunter Mickey, who blows his horn and leaves, followed by a moose running in and trampling Pete. Then the Prince and Pauper Mickey (or is it [[PrinceAndPauper Pauper Mickey dressed as the Prince and vice versa?]]) each swing in on a chain, the latter swinging a sword and exposing Pete's GoofyPrintUnderwear. The last pencil brings in Steamboat Willie, who blows a whistle and summons a crane that carries Pete away, ending the level. It's BetterThanItSounds.
* Venus Lighthouse in GoldenSun. Visited in both games too, so you can hear that awesome music.
** And the beginning of ''The Lost Age'', in which the player gets to beat the crap out of adult men with a 17-year-old girl accompanied by the best battle music ever.
** Let us not forget the final level of ''The Lost Age'', Mars Lighthouse. Epic music plays in the background as you wander through the ice-filled structure and go head to head with some difficult--but not too difficult--and well conceived puzzles; after fighting the [[BigBadDuumvirate main villains]] ''[[InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons who have been transformed into dragons]]'', the lighthouse rejuvenates and, at the peak, amidst a blizzard, you have an ''epic'' confrontation in one of the few examples of a GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere [[TropesAreNotBad that actually works!]] In addition, we've also got Crossbone Isle, the BonusLevel from the first game. It has a very spooky atmosphere, not helped by the fact that there are no random encounters, though you do find a (usually challenging) miniboss guarding the door to each level. It also features the hardest puzzles in the game, many of which are throwbacks to puzzles you solved previously in the main story, [[UpToEleven except this time the kid gloves are off.]] As you reach the bottom of the cavern, you find a scary abandoned ship, where you go head to head with [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Deadbeard]], one of the most awesome and challenging [[BonusBoss Bonus Bosses]] ever.
** "Dark Dawn" has it's share of awesome levels as well, namely the Brelinsk Ruins and Apollo Sanctum. To elaborate... Going into the Brelinsk Ruins, you know that there's an ancient machine down in there that's bad news, the key to activate it is in the hands of someone who may or may not be reliable, and the baddies definately will be going there. In fact, when winding your way to the heart of the dungeon, you see the baddies in front of you - in fact, they're apparently powerful enough to brute-force their way through puzzles, even chucking statues at the wall so hard they actually get embedded in it. Finally near the end, after many excellent puzzles, you get the implication that this ancient machine has something to do with an eclipse. Then, upon reaching the core of the ruins, the resident Malnipulative Bastard makes you fight Those Two Bad Guys, and activates the machine while you're occupied, before the villians flee as a tower rises from the lake, trembling and shaking ominously... and nothing happens. You go the castle, rescue the people that you came to rescue... and then dawn breaks. Surprise surprise, there's a total solar eclipse. That doesn't go away. And evil shadow monsters spawn out of nowhere, everywhere, in a massive patch of darkness covering half the world. You wind up fleeing the town in a ship, while your two new party members swear revenge on the baddies that just killed their brother/father, respectively.
** But as epic as that is, the magnificent final level may surpass it. After gathering a monumental number of McGuffins, you approach Apollo Sanctum by first magically scaling a massive tower to the top of a giant wall that traverses the peaks of the local mountain range. At the top of the tower, you open a gate with three of your McGuffins, and exit onto the world map while epic music plays and you look down at the shadow-stricken land below. After hiking over on top of the wall to the base of the tallest mountain around, you begin to climb cliffs strewn with ruined statues. Finally, after completing a ritual on the mountaintop, the gates to the sanctum open... revealing that you still need to pass through 4 puzzles to open a bigger door, each of which takes place of the side of a massive white marble wall and culminate in an Indiana Jones-style outrunning of giant marble wheels with stylized elemental symbols. And after all of that, you finally get to the inner sanctum, where the plot reaches it's conclusion...
*** Another vote for Apollo Sanctum, because after you finish the previous part, you solve a quite easy puzzle, and then have a pause ''right'' before the final boss[[supersecretspoiler:es]] where you fight groups mooks that have only moderate HP and can easily level up using the [[http://goldensun.wikia.com/wiki/Random_Number_Generator Random Number Generator]] trick. The great thing? They're weak to EVERY SINGLE ELEMENT, so you can just unleash Djinni after Djinni until they all die, and you'll get tons of experience every battle.
* The Hell Levels of ''{{Diablo}}''. The most atmospheric hell ever (if you prefer {{Gorn}} hell over firey hell), and you [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu fight the Devil]] at the end.
** The Bloody Foothills of ''TheLordOfDestruction'' began with a town under siege and its residents hating you. As you progress you rescue Barbarians, repel demon hordes, and destroy catapults as you go, ending it all by destroying the commander of the attack and gaining a socket to place in almost any weapon. No other level throughout the game gave you such a specific goal, or immersed the player so well.
** The Arreat Summit, and, perhaps, the entirety of Act V stands as a crowning level of awesome... even before considering the region's {{crowning music of awesome}}.

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* Would be a CrowningMusicofAwesome were they original tracks: ''Ready Steady Go'' from {{Ouendan}} and ''Without a Fight/Jumping Jack Flash'' from EliteBeatAgents take the cake for world-shaking drama (when you finally beat them...) but it's hard to beat ''Over the Distance'' and ''You're the Inspiration'' for touching, life-affirming heroics.
* Looferland in ''The Maw''. After Maw eats the Loofer at the start of the stage, he turns into an unstoppable laser-spewing platform of destruction, which Frank rides as his mighty steed, pumping his arms triumphantly as all that stand in their way are destroyed with lasers. It's too bad it comes two levels before the end, as they can ''only'' be disappointing by comparison.
* Now, this might seem a bit less awesome than some of the above, but the Skybax riding level of Dinotopia: The Sunstone Oddessy was pretty darn cool, and easily the best part of the entire game.
* {{Banjo Kazooie}} Click Clock Wood. Coming right after the {{Scrappy Level}} from hell that is Rusty Bucket Bay, this tricky but satisfying level that cleverly uses the 4 seasons is made of awesome.
** Witchyworld, Terrydactyland, Hailfire Peaks ''and'' Cloud Cuckooland in Banjo-Tooie.
** Ahem, you forget Jolly Roger's Lagoon in Tooie as well. Such a beautifully designed level; an above water section with a charming town, with some very funny residents and an underwater level that lets you explore Atlantis! Almost let down by an irritating boss, but a masterclass in doing underwater levels.
*** It also avoids one of the most hated aspects of [[DownTheDrain underwater levels]] by removing the OxygenMeter and letting you swim for as long as you want.
*** And the submarine transformation, which is awesome incarnate.
* The Howling Depths in ''{{Avernum}} V''. After you've completed the quests for the residents of the latest town and depart, they reveal that the BigBad has extorted their cooperation in killing you, an endless stream of bandit {{Mooks}} pours out of the caverns behind you, and you fight an awesome running battle through the entire length of a huge cave. It really captures the overall tone of the game, that you're playing as soldiers deep in hostile territory, and everybody wants to kill you.
** ''G.U.'' has the climatic attack to Moon Tree's headquarters in Vol. 2. It makes you forget that the characters are just playing an MMO, just because of how awesome it is.
* TotalOverdose early missions Smash The Stash and Steal The Wheels. First blow up four silos of chemicals that fertilize their ganga to the angry grinding metal of ''Apocalypshit'', then bust into a villa and steal a CoolCar with ''Molotov Cocktail Party'' playing. The center is a nice maze-like garden of weed with gun-toting mooks jumping from all directions, encircled with dirt tracks filled with trucks, tractors, and explosives. The whole layout gives you the most opportunities for car-leaping kills and wall-bounces. The villa raid ends with a gun-duel with a crusty, revolver-packing miniboss then busting out of the garage with the fastest car in the game, leaping ramps of burning barrels, and getting it safely back to your boss...just so you can watch him blast it away with an Uzi.
* ''[[NintendoWars Battalion Wars 2]]'' has Operation Nautilus. The first part is a navy war where you must sink a Dreadnaught, a few Frigates, and several Submarines and Battleships, with a limited number of your own vessels. The second part is a simple battle through infantry, static turrets, and helicopters. All this while good music plays in the background.
** In Advance Wars 2, the Great Sea Battle. The battle will typically be extremely long (will usually go for hours), and it could have easily been the scrappy level with all the Black Cannons and the game breaker factory on the enemy side. However, the way the three allied armies work together and the intense satisfaction that comes when the level is finally defeated, makes it the Crowning Level of Awesome.
* The Amateria age in ''{{Myst}}: Exile''. A series of seemingly nonsensical disconnected puzzles whose only common feature is that they all involve rolling glass balls. Then at the end, you discover that you've been constructing the greatest roller-coaster ''ever'', complete with a cutscene of you going through it at the end.
** There's something incredibly satisfying about the final age, Narayan, where you meet Saavedro face-to-face, and with the flick of a single switch, reduce him to a crying mess begging you to have mercy.
*** He deserves it! After all, if you do what he says and [[spoiler: you drop the outer shield to his home]], he just [[spoiler: throws away the book anyway!]] Bastard!
* Myst IV: Revelation - The Spire Age. The {{AFGNCAAP}} gets to build a primitive Maglev vehicle, reconnect an dangerous circuit board, blow the crap out of rocks for fun, and then create tones through an entire mountain as if it were a giant pipe organ.
** The whole game is massive SceneryPorn, but nothing matches when you pull a simple lever in the organist's chair and discover [[spoiler: what you thought were mountain peaks rising above a cloud cover are actually huge, disconnected planetary fragments ''orbiting'' a magnetic core, and you are now dangling between the two like an insignificant speck with a panoramic view.]]
** Along the way, you read from Sirrus' journals, and learn how he not only emotionally manipulated his father into giving him some GreenRocks, he gained his sister's trust and hatched a plan to use the AppliedPhlebotinum of a different world ''he had never visited.'' Atrus may have had two evil sons, but only one was a MagnificentBastard.
* In NoMoreHeroes, Bad Girl may be ThatOneBoss for some, but the level leading up to her is pure fun. Not only do you get to take your motorcycle over sweet jumps, but the whole mission takes an absurd comic tone when you drive your bike onto the baseball field and mow down mooks for five minutes straight while getting rah-rah music and a chorus chanting "SPORTS!... SPORTS!... SPORTS!"
** Yeah, that was a fun one. I like the stage before the Rank 4 fight with Margaret in the sequel, when you're in the Supermarket parking lot. Some, people get bored with fighting countless foes. More enemies mean a better chance to turn into a tiger, though.
* Surlent's first time entering the Underworld in TreasureOfTheRudra. You're suddenly [[spoiler: dead]], there's an entire new overworld to explore, there's the crowningest CrowningMusicOfAwesome in the ''entire game'', and the level ends with a thoroughly disturbing NightmareFuel ContinuityNod as you figure out how to get back to the surface.
* ''CaveStory'' gives us the [[BonusLevelofHell Sacred Grounds]], a ruined temple area that combines ThatOneLevel, NightmareFuel, CrowningMusicofAwesome and NintendoHard into a hectic jetpack race against the clock. It's memorable even if you never make it to [[spoiler: [[NightmareFuel Ballos]]]]. Though many are partial to the Outer Wall, where your gravity is inexplicably different than everything else's - not to mention the awesome Moonsong music.
* It really is quite impressive how many cool segments BaldursGate has. The assualt on the Vampire Lair, Firkraag's Dungeon, and the most impressive of them all... Watcher's Keep itself. (That dungeon is larger than some games!) The Shadow Dungeon is atmospheric, nasty and contains an awesome optional boss.
** The Elven city was pretty epic too.
* The grand finale in ''Crimson Skies''. Basically, you have to stop a weather-control monster Zeppelin from destroying Chicago, by blowing up [[BuffySpeak crackly lightning-orb generator thingies]], while the sky fills up with [[ThoseWackyNazis Die Spinne]] planes. Just grab the controls of your Devastator or Brigand, and get ready to wreak some havoc.
* The amusement park level in ''StreetsOfRage 2'' with the arcade, pirates attraction, alien house and overall CrowningMusicOfAwesome.
** ''StreetsOfRage 3'' has BottomlessPits that are lethal to enemies, [[NonLethalBottomlessPits but not you]]. Cue throwing in enemies with multiple lifebars to instantly kill them.
** The original ''StreetsOfRage'' has an awesome upward elevator ride in Stage 7. It's a nice breather between [[ScrappyLevel Stage 6]] [[CaptainObvious and]] [[BossRush Stage 8]], complete with Yuzo Koshiro's stylin' beats and a lot of freedom in how to handle the waves of mooks. Do you simply challenge them all fairly? Take the chance to ''shoulder-throw mooks off of a goddamn elevator''? Leap onto the guard rail and then use the leverage to drop a flying kick through four guys at once? Or do you take advantage of a glitch that lets you [[GoodBadBugs German-suplex the mooks through the floor in the corner of the elevator]]? It becomes a bit of a ScrappyLevel if you're playing co-op with [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential a clumsy jerk that keeps throwing you off the elevator on "accident"]], but the same could be said of Stage 4's rampant bottomless pits.
* SystemShock2 and the coolant tunnels. You've made it through Med-Sci, and now it's onto the next - Aggh! Alarms! Maze! Zombies! Radiation! [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Intense techno]]! Crazy woman shouting at me! And right before you can get used to a shift from moody, narrative horror to fast paced survival horror, it just stops.
* ''Tetris: The Grand Master 2 PLUS''[='=]s "T.A. Death" mode. To get into the second half, you need to beat the first half in under 3 minutes and 25 seconds. Doing so successfully gives you the rank of M (while playing the "game cleared" music while we're at it), causes the music to change to something fast-paced and [[NightmareFuel terrifying]], and now you are left with but one goal: survive all the way to the end of the game. Which is much, much harder than it sounds, for a number of reasons: you're going at instant-drop speed (which you have been since you started the mode). You have 0.067 seconds between a piece locking and the next piece spawning. You have a quarter of a second between a piece hitting the stack and locking, unless you move it down. The nightmarish music plays for the rest of the game, even thorugh the credits. The backgrounds become more menacing, ranging from pistons to drills to power generators. If you succeed in surviving this entire half of the game (which takes about three minutes) under these conditions, you get the Grand Master rank.
* The Paris level in ''TwistedMetal 2'' had a large portion of Paris that could be driven around in. It had the Louvre and The Eiffel Tower at opposite ends of the level which had teleporters that could be used to reach their roofs. But the best part was that the Eiffel Tower could be blown up and the wreckage could be used to drive across the roofs. Everyone who played that level collected remote explosives so they could plant them in the Eiffel Tower, and then drove as fast as possible to the Louvre roof so they could set them off and watch the tower explode. It was so cool.
** Early on in the game, when you play the New York level (in the campaign mode, not multiplayer), there's a section of the level where you can drive at top speeds across rooftops, getting ridiculous heights off the angled roofs, before you ''smash into the third floor of an apartment building and ventilate a man swimming in the hotel pool''. ''Before taking the elevator down''. ''With your car''.
* The first level of [[{{Scarface}} Scarface: The World is Yours]], a recreation of the famous final shootout of the original movie. Turning around and blasting the shotgun-wielding thug sneaking up behind Tony ([[spoiler:the one that killed him in the finale of the movie]])... Few moments are quite as vindicating as that. And then you march through Tony's mansion, gunning down anyone and everyone who '''dares''' stand in your way, shooting head, kneecaps, and even balls off the invaders.
* The final level of TheSimpsons Game ''has'' to qualify, although most of them are also awesome. After Lisa builds a Stairway to Heaven, you reach the pearly gates, where you have to fight William Shakespeare. You fight every type of Mook from earlier in the game, Bart fires Halos as weapons, and you build a Starbucks for benjamin Franklin. Then, for the final boss, you challenge ''God'' to [[DanceDanceRevolution DDR]]. AND WIN.
* ''ChronoCross'' : when Lynx is playable, you wander alone through a setting that first looks like an expressionist painting, and then heavily M.C. Escher-inspired illogical landscapes.
** The Dead Sea. Not only do you get to play as the above-mentioned Lynx, but you get to do it in a place frozen in time. You get to see waves standing still, the ruins of a future that was erased from existence, and get a good amount of plot exposition handled in about as straightforward a way as the game will give you. Plus, you top it off by fighting [[ThatOneBoss Miguel]] in a battle set to [[CrowningMusicofAwesome Prisoners of Fate.]]
* Alden's Tower in Infamous. A colossal structure that dominates the landscape, with Cole and Zeke fighting their way to the top whilst you climb to dangerous jumps. And then there's a battle at the top with the big cheeses of Empire City fighting for the Ray Sphere...good times.
** The second game has the mission "Death Toll", where you have unlimited energy by '''directly draining electricity from the thunder storm'''. The game pits you against the [[AnIcePerson Ice]] [[EliteMooks Gang]] and gives you the ability for a [[CurbStompBattle untold amount of asskicking]].
* The whole of World 4 in ''Braid'', which has you manipulating time by [[spoiler: simply walking forward or backward]], making for some really tricky puzzles.
** Then there's the final level: World 1, Level 1. You and the princess help each other as she tries to escape from a knight, she opening doors and disarming traps for you as you run from a [[AdvancingWallOfDoom giant wall of fire]]. You reach the end. Everything changes. [[TheReveal And]] [[TomatoInTheMirror then...]]
* ''EmpireEarth'', the first game had many major historical battles to fight, but certainly Waterloo takes the gold. You have to make do with a scant few units, trying to hold back Napoleon's forces from taking your castle or flanking you and heading for the city, while desparately praying that the Prussians manage to reach the battlefield before it's too late. You also get the chance to carry out operation Sea Lion (the planned but never executed German invasion of England), which normally starts out with a Blitz of massive proportions. This time around, however, there's little the RAF can do to stop Buckingham Palace from being reduced to rubble.
* ''BatenKaitos Origins''. Vega. Just Vega. It starts with the Heart-to-Heart scene, which is a true SugarWiki/CrowningMomentOfAwesome for storytelling; equal parts TearJerker, CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming, PlayerPunch, and WhamEpisode all in one, and ends with you getting your [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity Plus One Finisher]]. The rest of the level is you tearing the enemies to shreds with it, all the way up until the boss of the place, [[spoiler: Shanath]], who's on the BestBossEver page for a reason. And then there's the music. ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz-jFRuvA2o&fmt=18 Le Ali Del Principio]]'' (a.k.a. Motoi Sakuraba's single best work ever, which is saying a LOT) in the Heart-to-Heart scene, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbqSFEtZtDE&fmt=18 this song]] used after said scene, and when you get the finisher...and then there's the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKPxXRbYl6s&fmt=18 boss music]]. Seriously, what's not to love?
* The final level of Homeworld. You're the last people from your planet left. You've just wiped out multiple enemy fleets coming from multiple directions, more are still coming and you're running out of ships. It zooms out to a cutscene and seriously depressing classical music starts playing, as[[spoiler: a huge fleet starts to hyperspace in right on top of you. You're left thinking "Well, shit, this is it". Then they finish appearing and turn out to be some allies from earlier in the game. And you go on to spread ion cannony death to your foes.]]
** What about [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZQBv0WRJBI the last level]] of Homeworld 2? The Vaygr are about to overrun the last of Hiigara's defenses. Then [[spoiler:Sajuuk arrives. If not for the Planet Killers showing up in the middle of the battle, it would be over '''very''' quickly since Sajuuk can one-shot-kill nearly everything and is nigh indestructible]].
* ''PopNMusic 14'' and ''15'', arcade versions: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTiyBbE0kOE&fmt=18 Super Mario Bros. BGM Medley]].
** Listen to the click of the buttons, it sounds like someone's tap dancing to the same tune!
* ''Commander Keen'' 5. Blowing up the Armageddon Machine [[spoiler: with the aliens's own mines is tricky, but it feels quite rewarding.]] Plus, the music is Mars, Bringer of War.
* Tom Clancy's HAWX. Your PMC [[spoiler: takes an offer from some foreign powers and attacks America. What do you do? Take your 3 man squad and SAVE WASHINGTON D.C. The next level is your squad SAVING AIR FORCE ONE. The final level is an extended dogfight against some of the best planes in the game, and ends with you destroying a nuke that was about to blow up LA. And, the campaign to reclaim the eastern US starts with you flying stealth bombing runs over enemy installations while having to dodge missiles and fly in a narrow "don't get shot" pipe.]]
* In ''Hype: The Time Quest'', the thieves' village (not exactly a level, but an area nonetheless) is definitely befitting of this trope. Amazing music, golden light, [[LegendOfZelda people in green tights]], and fully explorable REALLY thick tree branches!
* [[YourMileageMayVary There's some levels different people like]], but in LittleBigPlanet, Skulldozer takes the cake. You're running away from a giant bicycle-wheeled, bull skull-headed mechanical beast surrounded in red fog, piloted by [[spoiler: [[WomanScorned an insane zombie bride who thinks she's been jilted]]]]. Blazing guitar plays in the background, and it's downright ''[[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome awesome.]]''
* The sole River level in the ''{{Dinosaur}}'' GBC game. The last few levels have been gruelling treks through volcanic areas, raptor-infested deserts, and a cave where nearly everything can kill you. The River level, by contrast, is a cheerful level (it is the first time in the game you've found drinking water, after all), with cheerful music (which only plays in one other level). In comparison to the immediately previous levels, it is also refreshingly free of random things coming out of nowhere to kill you, save the very visible mosasaurs.
* Air Fight in ''ZoneOfTheEnders 2''. You versus six flying battleships with MoreDakka, {{Roboteching}} BeamSpam and naturally, {{Wave Motion Gun}}s. All accompanied by [[CrowningMusic/VideoGames Crowning Music of Awesome]]. And when you manage to destroy one with your own WaveMotionGun, you can see it falling for miles and breaking up in the air. {{Troperrific}}.
** And while we're at it, the [[TheWarSequence Mars Melee]]. You, the [[{{Gradius}} Vic Viper]], and 20 or so [[RedShirtArmy LEVs]] against ''hundreds'' if not a thousand or more enemy {{Mecha Mook}}s. From the opening salvo of attacks, to the scramble to save your troops, to the inevitable OhCrap you feel when the on-screen radar shows a ''wave'' of enemies coming down at you, the whole thing is an intense, frantic, and ''awesome'' battle that really shows off what the game's about, and how much power Jehuty really has.
* The Tomb of Varn in MightAndMagic VI. Not only is it one of the most massive dungeons in any game of the series, it also has some of the coolest enemies, genies and jackals.
* The Tower of Dawn, the final level of ''PrinceOfPersia: The Sands of Time'', is everything great about the game in one dizzying climb - fast pacing, fun puzzles, fights that are fun without bogging the game down (thanks to your brand-new OneHitKill weapon), extra challenge from not being able to rewind time, and CrowningMusicOfAwesome.
* Every Scarecrow confrontation in ''BatmanArkhamAsylum''. [[spoiler:Especially the last one, when he pulls a masterful FissionMailed gambit on ''you'', the player. "Use the middle stick to dodge Joker's bullet"? Wow.]]
** The return trip to Intensive Treatment, where the gargoyles are rigged to explode when you climb over them. This comes after you've done a few rooms with gargoyles, and by this point using them has become routine, so being forced ''not'' to use them makes for a good challenge.
** For sheer fun, the [[spoiler:welcoming party before the Joker's arena]] is just plain awesome. No KnifeNut inmates, no lunatic patients, no StunGuns, no firearms. Just a truckload of mooks and The Bat. Start kicking ass, and watch your combo counter struggle to keep up with your awesomeness until you are a blur of kevlar and hate, flying across the room like a superball bent on revenge. Then, you leave the room, emotionless as ever. You're badass. You're ''Batman.''
** Don't forget the Totally Insane DLC Challenge Map. Where You fight a literally endless supply of mooks. The combo multiplier begins to imitate the energizer bunny and keeps on going...and going.... and going.
* The hotel escape level in CallOfCthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth. After a few establishing hours of realistic (no HUD, no medikits, not even any weapons at this point) gameplay, you find yourself delayed in the small town of [[TownWithADarkSecret Innsmouth]] by a broken-down bus. You investigate the town and find the locals distinctly unhelpful and somewhat sinister. With no leads panning out, you retire to a hotel room to wait for the bus to be repaired. You sleep poorly, plagued by disturbing dreams. And in the dead of the night, the townspeople come for you.
** Allow me to elaborate. With no way to defend yourself, you have to run away and close every door behind you, lock them, and push tables in front of them if possible. All while your pursuers are running after you, breaking doors down. If you forget to lock a door, they'll break through it faster than you can get into the next room and hack you to pieces.
* From ''TheLostVikings 2'', the level 4RGH. Coming between ThatOneLevel [=H3LL=] and the BossBattle against [[BigBad Tomator]], it has very few enemies but plenty of timed switches and thought provoking puzzles.
* Arcade's World in ''[[MarvelUltimateAlliance Marvel: Ultimate Alliance]]''. It starts up with you (and the characters) duped into thinking it's Dr. Doom's castle, but smash the stone pillars and you reveal brightly coloured spirals, as well as carnival music some other oddities. When the rug is pulled about halfway in, the players pursue Arcade through a funfair called ''Murderworld'', fight Shocker and Rhino, participate in life-size games of Space Invaders and Pitfall, and run over infinitely spawning clowns in a bumper car. Then they fight Arcade in a giant robot. All of this in a stage with brilliant fairground music and visuals. ...And then you beat him, and he promptly ends the fun by revealing that whilst he led you on, [[spoiler: Nightcrawler has been captured and imprisoned in Mephisto's realm.]]
** Additionally, ''Ultimate Alliance'' had the balls to [[spoiler: force the player to choose who out of Jean Grey and Nightcrawler got to live, before casually killing off the other character for the rest of the game.]]
*** Well, [[spoiler: unless you got Magneto on DLC and had him in your party.]]
-->[[spoiler: '''Magneto''': Calm yourself, X-Men. These cages may come from another dimension, but they are still made of metal.]]
* BrutalLegend has your first encounter with [[BigBad Doviculus.]] First, [[spoiler: he casually kills the RebelLeader.]] Then, while Eddie's all ready for vengence, Doviculus just [[FingerPokeOfDoom snaps his fingers]] and giant coffins containing unstoppable, nightmarish monstrosities fall from the heavens and begin ripping apart the majestic city you just saved. What follows is a driving mission as you try to escape the collapsing city to fight another day, driving and smashing your way through buildings, towers, demons, and a giant statue's crotch. And all of this is set to [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Through The Fire and Flippin' Flames.]] Best FinalBossPreview '''ever!'''
** Except it was ''suppposed'' to be ''[[IronMaiden Run To the Hills]]''.
* In ''Tom Clancy's HAWX'', where you go to Rio. You're flying along, and it seems like you'll get there and nothing will happen, then your AWACS controller says that there's a massive invasion force of planes, tanks, and landing craft headed towards the city. Cue what might be the largest battle in the entire game, culminating in a battle with you and your squadron mates against a quartet of Aces (the only pilots in the game that are actually challenging even with ERS) flying Su-47s. AWE. SOME.
* ''[[BackyardSports Backyard Skateboarding]]''. [[SouvenirLand Shark Belly Shores]]. The Kooky Kraken. That is all.
* Company of Heroes has several levels that can be easily considered CMOA. For instance, the FIRST level of the game IS the first 20 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan," right down to "blowing the **** out of the bunkers and killing every last German in the area." Then there is the Mortain two-pack in which you first defend a hill again a seemingly endless wave of German tanks, infantry, and artillery, then take your battered units in the very next level that survived the night and CHARGE the Germans. I kid you not. And then, of course, there is the last level, in which what seems like the entire Wermacht is poised to go through your pitiful little base in a desperate attempt to retreat out of the Falaise pocket. In a game where having just five tanks on a map is enough to pwn anyone and anything in your way, the Germans come at you on this map with endless streams of Tigers, Panthers, Panzer-[=IVs=], and only Hitler knows how many armored cars and halftracks. There is nothing more epic than watching your thin line of American armor and infantry about to get blown over by the grey wave, and then-HOLY **** THAT WAS A P-47 WITH ROCKETS.
* ''SpaceInvaders Extreme 2''[='=]s Stage 5-D: ''Space Invaders ''(''Extreme'') meets {{Moe}}. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr3CFQyq9p0&fmt=18 Let's play!]]
** [[YourMileageMayVary The same cannot be said]] of 5-D's boss. Giant UFO Invader + Napalm = INSTANT DEATH!
* The final level in Resistance 2 has got to qualify, after taking out a giant, floating, PSYCHIC, evil octopus/alien thing you ditch your gun in favour of your new psycic power, namely being able to explode enemy's by gesturing in their general direction. Did i mention this takes place on an enemy hovership that is currently plummeting towards the ground?
* The level in the ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' game for Sega Genesis that took place inside Genie's lamp. Good music, no enemies, and lots of stuff to bounce around on.
* The {{Rayman}} 2 level The Precepice. You ran along these thin boardwalks attached to the edge of a cliff face over a huge drop as they fall away behind you...and then the gunship arrives and starts shooting at you and you must work your way around and down the cliff face while staying one step ahead of the cannons and the falling walkway while the games best track plays full blast making you feel really heroic.
** And then of course the part where you run inside a giant cave followed by a huge fall, with the music changing to a more mysterious track. All this before going back to the chase.
** Examples from other games could be Allegro Presto in the first (you know sliding is fun!) and the Land of the Livid Dead in the third (a level which includes a magic tower of light and an underwater battle against a giant mechanic tripod).
* MirrorsEdge has the Jacknife level. You start off fleeing through a drainage ditch, before moving through ''vast'' storm drains, leaping between broken service railings and dodging snipers. Then you have to climb back ''out'' of the storm drains, do battle with a group of shotgun-wielding guards, and then engage the titular Jacknife in a daring, high-speed chase across the rooftops.
* MafiaTheCityOfLostHeaven might be NintendoHard in so many ways, but some parts are just great. But the most epic is ''The Whore'' where you need to storm Hotel Corleone and kill a whore. Going through the hotel is filled to the end with supsense and you're the edge of your seat. After reaching the top, what do you do? You plant a bomb, run through a corridor and jump out a roof. After being chased by the police through the roofs you enter a church. Inside follows an epic shoot-out during the funeral of an old enemy. How do you top it off? You escape in a freaking ''hearse''.
* I'm finding it hard to believe that Left 4 dead 2's Concert finale isn't mentioned here: You set up a rock concert, then fight zombies. also, the Tank has remixes of its theme to match the two songs that play. AWESOMEST ZOMBIE FIGHT EVER.
** "So we got to set up to rock, and then fight zombies? ''This is the greatest day of my life!''"
** The Midnight Riders have the greatest fireworks and light show in history, hands down. Now imagine yourself on the up there, killing zombies who are bumrushing the stage, through fireworks powerful enough ''to set people on fire.'' It is the greatest moment of the game, and one of the greatest in video game history.
** Speaking of Left4Dead, how about some of ''{{Left 4 Dead}}'''s community-made levels? Personally, there is nothing more awesome than the Helm's Deep level for ''{{Left 4 Dead}} 1''. Re-enact the holdout of Helm's Deep for Lord of the Rings with zombies? Breathtaking level-making? Using the CrowningMusicOfAwesome straight from the movie? Hell. Yes.
** Hard Rain. Fightning zombies in the middle of a hurricane.
* Because sometimes, it helps to be reminded that the world really is worth saving: The Valley of Avalar from ''TheLegendOfSpyro: Dawn of the Dragon.'' In addition to just being plain old ''[[SceneryPorn gorgeous]],'' it's soothing and fun to just fly around and find all the nooks and crannies hiding goodies. Jumping and climbing your way to the top of the ''big'' waterfall and looking out over the valley just makes you feel ''good'' inside.
* The Tall Tower from ''[=~Yoshi's Story~=]'' is boing-a-riffic fun! In addition to having a lovely backdrop and ''pretty'' music, you get to rocket around on ''springs'' everywhere! Wheee!
* Tempest Peak Manor from ''{{Vexx}}.'' You get to roam around inside [[MacroZone a giant's house,]] which is neat enough, but it also has things like getting ''flung'' up into the rafters and sneaking around, flinging gelatin to get an extra life, playing a mini-game on a GIANT TV by ''standing'' on the joystick, and a ridiculous [[ShaggyDogStory Shaggy Dog]] EasterEgg. Oh: And the music? It's ''[[CrowningMusicOfAwesome awesome.]]''
* Total Annihliation features two. The final Mission of the ARM campaign, which starts you at the bottom of a series of terrace's on which are overlayed the entire CORE force, including everything except ships. You must fight your way up each terrace, until you can destroy the CORE commander. The second is in the CORE campaign and is called Surrounded and Pounded, where you must defend a plateau from ARM forces, and don't have much room to build.
* {{Oblivion}} has the Dark Brotherhood quest in which you attend a party at which one person is a murderer (you!) To complete it properly, instead of just going mental on everyone you must lure them off one by one to kill them without the others seeing who did it, then slipping seamlessly back into the party to react with shock when told that one of the guests is dead, and swap theories on who the killer might be. For extra awesome points, you can convince one guest that another is the killer, and have them kill each other for your amusement. So much fun.
** This troper loved that mission, especially leaving the young, dumb nobleman for last. If you talk to him then he will whimper about how since you and him are the only two left that the killer must be slipping in and out of the manor somehow. after doing an EvilLaugh(me the player not the character) I stabbed him in the face. ''it was awesome''
* Silvia Cannon in ''{{PangYa}}'', a golf course set on a ''freaking battleship fleet.''
** The Ice courses. Icy slopes = huge Overdrive bonuses + Super Pang multiplier = massive Pang.
* Romhacks of the NES Megaman series try to do this deliberately. Some standout examples:
** Rockman No Constancy, one of the first major ASM hacks of Megaman 2, with a minor {{Touhou}} influence.
** Quickman's stage, a pulsing crystal cavern with tiles ripped from the 16-bit ''X2'' and an NES mix of ''the opening theme to NamcoXCapcom'' as the BGM.
** Heatman's stage, a desert level that makes good use of palette switching to go from afternoon to evening, with an 8-bit arrangement of MegaManZero 2's opening stage "Departure" playing in the background.
** Rockman 2 Dash, an interesting mix of [=MM1=]'s tileset on [=MM2=]'s ROM. The combination is what the first game would have been like if the devs had more time to work on it.
** Pretty much the entirety of Rockman Gray Zone.
*** Heatman's stage, a sparkling nighttime cityscape with an NES version of ''VideoGame/MarioKart64'''s Rainbow Road for BGM and an extensive underwater section.
*** One of Wily's Fort levels is an underground waterway that makes extensive use of Item-2, has almost no enemies to speak of, and has Jet Stingray's stage theme (from the Playstation MegaManX 4) downmixed.
*** The last level is a sunken city with an up-tempo, 8-bit mix of {{Chrono Trigger}}'s "Corridors of Time" playing in the background.
** Rockman 5 Air Sliding, a high-quality [=MM5=] hack that gives you a fun gimmick and has worthy, [[NintendoHard challenging]] levels taking advantage of it. Topped off by a soundtrack consisting of music from the {{Kirby}} series.
* The final UEF mission in ''SupremeCommander'', Operation Stone Wall. The Aeon and Cybrans are within spitting distance of taking out Black Sun, the UEF's final hope of winning the Infinite War, which isn't even ''finished'' yet. You are in the center of the map. There are off-screen enemies absolutely surrounding you. You're given a bit of a breather at the beginning, which you will need, because once the mission gets rolling, the Cybrans and Aeon will be throwing absolutely ''everything'' in their arsenal at you - stealthed transports to capture the Black Sun control center, nuclear missiles aimed everywhere, fleets arriving regularly with monstrous battleships at the head, massed raids by strategic bombers and air superiority fighters, ''waves'' of [[HumongousMecha Monkeylords]]...
* ''{{Repton}} 3'', originally released for the BBCMicro and now converted for the PC, has a few levels that despite their difficulty are highly regarded amongst fans for their skilful design. These include Oceans H, Africa G, Baby G and Work H. Amongst the PC-only levels, Medieval Level 7 also qualifies.
* ''PanzerDragoon Orta'': "Eternal Glacies". That beautiful snowfallen landscape accompanied by some gorgeous brass instrumentation; the moment before the boss fight where Orta's dragon regenerates his wings; and a reprise of "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MyqsYV3FFk Ancient Weapon 1]]", one of the best boss songs Sega has ever composed.
** Compared to the "Gigantic Fleet" immediately preceding? Hah! Single-handedly destroying swathes of imperial battleships in full 3D air-combat, taking down largescale attack-platforms AND the enormous mothership, all to the sound of grandiose war-music. And all capped off by an epic second boss battle against the Dragonmare squadron.
* Near the end of "Episode 4" of AlanWake, Alan fights off wave after wave of the [[TheHeartless Taken]] on a heavy metal stage belonging to a pair of BadassGrandpa rockers. The stage area is loaded with ammo and a much-improved version of the flashlight, as well as blasting out a heavy metal song while [[PluckyComicRelief Barry]] works the pyrotechnics.
* Star Trek: Klingon Academy. Play skirmish and take your pick: fighting in the debris ring of a planet? Inside the atmostphere of a gas giant? The corona of a star? Hell yes! Most awesome is the fight set at the edge of a Black Hole accretion disk, turned up to eleven when you decide to create a battle somewhat closer to the event horizon of that same black hole. Possibly the scariest as well, once your engines are dead you will fall faster and faster into the black hole...
* The [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaEh6p6B_I8&feature=related second level]] of the {{Willow}} arcade game, particularly the wagon ride. Its counterpart in the movie was nowhere near as intense.
* TheElderScrolls 3: Morrowind. The moment you step out of the Census and Excise into Seyda Neen and look around. [[YourMileageMayVary Exactly when it ends is up to the individual player]], but as you explore the little village and realize that pretty much everyone you see has a house within the town or at least to place a sleep. Quests that bring you back to the town from later in the game can be staggering when you realize that no, that little self-contained village is ''not'' self-contained, and those characters have histories that make them part of the larger world.
* RocketRobotOnWheels: Arabian Flights. Once you get enough Tokens to unlock the [=ShagFlyer=], you pretty much have unlimited VideoGameFlight. Pretty impressive for a 5th generation game.
* The final level of {{VVVVVV}}, in which you destabilize an alternate dimension and have to escape before it falls apart. The levels start [[AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield flashing different colors]], and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk6cLB9hWd0 action music]] starts playing, as you play through some of the [[NintendoHard hardest]] (but most fun) levels in the game.
* Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, Puzzle #138. where you [[spoiler: finally open the Elysian Box as it is meant to.]] It's not a difficult puzzle at all, but, I know this [[ItMakesSenseInContext sounds weird]], but it is a [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming beautiful puzzle.]] [[spoiler:''"The sun rises when you and I meet, and when the wind blows, you will know my heart."]]
* [[FirstEncounterAssaultRecon F.E.A.R 2]] has the Wade Elementary School, with some of the best scares in the game including the locker room, [[ParanoiaFuel Alma messing with entrances and exits]], and the [[OminousMusicBoxTune piano playing]] [[PeoplePuppets Remnant]].
* [[PhantasyStar Phantasy Star 4]] has several outright awesome 'levels' that manage to look outright gorgeous despite their outdated graphics,including...
** Garuberk Tower, a [[WombLevel Womb Level]] that manages to be surprisingly off-putting even by the standards of that trope, and this troper does NOT want to know what's floating in the air for a couple of areas, yuck...
** Kuran Station, where you can see the stars outside the windows, pick up some awesome weapons, and have your first glorious fight with [[spoiler: Dark Force]].
** Rykros, a planet that can't be seen without an artefact fans of the series will have met before, where everything is made from crystal and home to some of the hardest enemies and nicest equipment in the game, along with the Best Optional Boss Ever. Seriously. If you've fought it, you KNOW what I'm talking about.
** The Abyss where the final boss lurks, a howling vortex of bright colours, deep darkness, and the random chance to run into a feckin' evil foe who is actually HARDER than every boss barring the [[spoiler: Profound Darkness herself]].
** Even Birth Valley has it's moments, being the moment the game goes from 'fairly standard if entertaining fantasy' to 'epic science-fantasy that will send you across the entire system and end with a seriously awesome final boss who can and will kick your ass'.
* [[AtelierIrisEternalMana Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana]] has some absolutely gorgeous locations, but by far the most epic is [[spoiler: Iris']] Atelier and library. Some downright nasty enemies, beautiful music, the ability to FINALLY pick up Eital the Light Mana, a bossfight that requires intimate knowledge of your character's abilities to defeat, and some downright heartbreaking character development. In the space of maybe an hour if you take your time gathering mana.
** And don't forget the Flawless Marvel, a gorgeous pyramid of pure marble containing Aion the Life Mana, some surprisingly tricky puzzles, more of the beautiful music that marks the vast majority of the game... and That One Smegging Boss. Beating said boss is a Crowning Moment all on it's own.
* The original SpyroTheDragon has Tree Tops; it's ThatOneLevel to many people but once you figure out ''how'' to complete it, it becomes extremely fun to play through.
** Spyro 3 has Fireworks Factory. Brilliant level-design, [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome great music]], epic side-quests (though Agent 9's section is arguably [[ThatOneLevel one of the most annoying parts of the game]]) and [[EverythingsBetterWithNinjas ninjas]].
* Avernus Cathedral in LegacyOfKain : Defiance. Finally meeting vampire Turel, the one brother that escaped you in Raziels first game. Finally getting Raziels TK upgraded to Kains level. Encountering Mortanius, who hasn't been seen since the first game. And then, [[Series/DoctorWho aaaaaaaand then]] Raziel and Kain finally battle it out to the death ''and'' you control one then the other and finally [[spoiler: Raziel rips Kains heart out of his chest and flings him into hell]]. And there's ''still'' a good two hours of game left.
* TransformersWarForCybertron has an absolutely amazing level as the fourth mission of the Decepticon campaign. Megatron, along with Soundwave, and Breakdown are attacked by [[spoiler:Omega FREAKING Supreme]], and are cut off from the rest of the Decepticon forces. What follows is the three of them racing through the underbelly of a ruined Autobot city while being chased by a gigantic warship, with lots of 'Oh crap!' moments where you have to avoid being killed by it. Not to mention the hordes of Autobot mooks that stand between you and a safe escape. Oh, and then there's the fact that [[TheStarscream Starscream]] takes advantage of Megatron's disappearance to do what Starscreams do best and declare HIMSELF leader of the Decepticons...of course, you're playing as (or with) Megatron, so his reaction to all of this is pretty much 'BRING IT ON!'
** And conversely the 4th level for the Autobots is equally amazing, as a team lead by Silverbolt chases Trypticon as the latter is in the process of ColonyDrop ping onto Cybertron. So you follow it into the Gravity Well all the while trying to blow him up. This troper must have replayed that mission dozens of times for how awesome it is. 
* '' {{Iji}}'', Sector 5. After four levels of introductory skirmishing with the Tasen, ''this'' is where you finally discover what the game is really about. You suddenly find yourself in the role of a mere spectator as two alien races duke it out, and it's up to you whether to respond by trying to slip past them while they're occupied with each other... or just blow them both to pieces. It helps that it's also one of the largest levels and has what's widely regarded as (YMMV) the game's best non-boss music track. Keep in mind that basically ''every'' song in ''Iji'' is CrowningMusicOfAwesome.
* The final stage of ''{{Mushihime-sama}} Futari'' has you weaving through and raiding an [[{{Wutai}} Eastern-style village]] while taking out waves of dragons that are ''as wide as the screen.'' And then you fly into a palace and take on Queen Larsa, the infamous FinalBoss.
** Stage 2, particularly on [[HarderThanHard God Mode]] where you can take advantage of the many bullet-cancelling opportunities to cancel the [[BulletHell huge swarms of bullets]] into gold gems that can raise your score by as much as ''25 million points in 5 seconds.''
* The Mountains and the Jungle Temple in Mysims Agents certainly count.
* The third stage of the downloadable ''ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'' game probably qualifies as the ScrappyLevel the first time you do it, since it's nothing but wave after wave of {{Mooks}} and EliteMooks, has only one poorly-stocked shop, and ends with a triple boss battle. But once you've levelled up and unlocked more moves, it's the best stage to revisit and just pound bad guys to a pulp, as well as grind for money and experience.
* The Game of the Movie, Series of Unfortunate Events (the tv console version, not the pc version) has one minigame that involves playing a specific song on a piano. Not only is the song depressingly catchy, but it requires three tries to get to the end, each time getting faster. After you get into the pattern, it becomes surprisingly easy for this game. I never save after this level, just so I can do it over and over again.
* ''{{Blood}} II'' in most cases isn't as good a game as the original was. However, there's one level in the game that I love more than any other in the series. Why? In the middle of dealing with fanatical employees of a [[ReligionOfEvil cult]]-turned-MegaCorp or {{Eldritch Abomination}}s from AnotherDimension, there's one level where all combat is dropped in lieu of getting to take a boat through a fully-working canal lock.
* [[CarFu Road Rage]] on I-88 in ''{{Burnout}} Paradise''. Insanely fast, it loops (so you don't have to worry about sudden dead ends), intense combat... grab your Aggression car of choice and get out there.
* ''BattalionWars'' has Call Sign Eagle where you play as Air Cover and you get to pwn everything flying with a Strato Destroyer
** Also the Tundran Bonus Level with the Heavy Tanks and the badass Missile Vet with Sputnik on his back
* The SilentHill series, well known for having truly terifying levels, doesn't mean that they can't also be a blast to play for a NightmareFetishist.
** The Hilltop center in SilentHill3 is when the scare factor really starts getting ramped up, as the mall level was mostly designed to ease players in, featuring the Narm inducing Numb Body enemies, and going relatively easy on the disturbing imagery. The Hilltop Center has some truly haunting music, claustrophobia inducing enemies, horrifying imagery, and the HighOctaneNightmareFuel inducing watcher at the end of the level. One of the best moments is when Heather finds the magic words to defeat the monster... in a room absolutely soaked in blood.
** In SilentHill2, the Hotel level. Full of great spooky ambiance, and some of the biggest plot revelations in gaming history, this level is as terrifying as it is heartbreaking.
*** The Prison and Catacombs together display the series' ability to drown you in despair and oppression without strictly resorting to overt blood and rust imagery. The two levels, back to back, are a sterling example of mindfuck physics and incessant terror brought on almost entirely by the environment itself. 
* LaMulana has the Dimensional Corridor. It's basicaly one long string of miniboss fights, and if Lemeza is at full power, you can basically curbstomp ''all'' of them.
* The Black Caesar, the first Vice case in [[LANoire L.A. Noire]]. First off, Cole and his new partner, Roy Earle, have great chemistry, even if they dislike each other. The dialogue is great, with Cole and Earle both positing their differing views on law enforcement. The case itself is really intriguing, drawing Cole into the dark underworld of organised crime and the morphine trade, where you can't quite be sure who is or isn't involved, including the LAPD themselves. You've also got some great crime scenes to investigate, and a memorable shootout in the finale. And the title of the case is a RedDeadRedemption MythologyGag. 
* The last section of Dungeon Siege III. It takes place in a forest that is on fire [[spoiler: due to Jeyne ressurecting the archons in the form of a meteor shower, and you fight through zombie archons and four-armed Daevas, then throw down with a ''zombie god'']]
* ''TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles 4'''s penultimate level is a highway in [[{{Zeerust}} the year 2020]], to what appears to be Las Vegas, and you (and your enemies) are on hoverboards.
* ''KirbysEpicYarn'', Melody Town. The fact that all of the platforms in the level are musical instruments that respond to your landing on them creates some sort of indescribable audiovisual joy.

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