History Main / BonusDungeon

* ''VideoGame/OriAndTheBlindForest: [[UpdatedRerelease Definitive Edition]]'' features the Black Root Burrows and its Lost Grove sub-level, which reveal the backstory of Ori's adoptive mother Naru, and grant Ori two new Ancestral Tree skills, which are also required to access new secrets in the main game for OneHundredPercentCompletion.
* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'' has the [[BeehiveLevel Hive]], which has little if any relevance to the story, lacks a local map of its own despite being considered a distinct region on the world map, is only necessary for obtaining a [[HeartContainer Mask Shard]], two [[LivingMacGuffin Grubs]], and the Hiveblood Charm in a [[OneHundredPercentCompletion completionist run]], and [[GuideDangIt the entrance can be tricky to find if you don't use spells.]]

Sometimes, hardcore gamers, especially fans of [=RPGs=], feel cheated that the popularization of video games has led to a lessening in difficulty. Enter the bonus dungeon, a difficult optional dungeon that's usually not directly connected to the main game's story. The bonus dungeon offers a added challenge near the end of the game or [[NewGamePlus after]].

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* After trudging through Zero's [[ThatOneLevel first two missions, which involve shooting down/fighting with toys on a very tight timer]] in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'', you are treated to...an RTS mission. However, it is probably the most fun mission in the game since it's virtually impossible to screw up, and hearing David Cross cheer you on when you do well at it creates quite the fuzzy feeling. Oh, and one of the previous scrappy levels becomes infinitely replayable after you beat it, although there is now no longer a penalty for failing it.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden'' has one in its remake. The [[RuinsForRuinsSake Thabes Labyrinth]] unlocked after beating the FinalBoss happens to be extremely [[BrutalBonusLevel brutal]]. [[CheckpointStarvation The entire dungeon doesn't have a single save point]] and is filled to the brim with extremely beefed-up mooks. The boss of the dungeon is even accompanied by {{Elite Mook}}s that would otherwise spawn in extremely rare encounters. Not helping is the boss has an ArmorPiercingAttack and most enemies have more HP than the HP bar can display.

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[[AC:Non-Video Game Examples]]
* The [[http://adventuretime.wikia.com/wiki/Dungeon_Train_(location) Dungeon Train]] from ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' has all the halmarks of a Bonus Dungeon, such as being extremely long, having unique bosses, but also containing numerous {{Palette Swap}}s. Finn finds the place so much fun that he almost decides not to leave!

* ''VideoGame/JimmyAndThePulsatingMass'' has one that can be accessed by [[spoiler:moving Punch Tanaka's pile of crashed motocycles using the Low-Level Goon form]] in the Wilted Lands. It is [[SurpriseCreepy strikingly different in tone than the rest of the game]], containing a creepy, claustrophobic environment that shifts to trap you inside and features creepy, hand-like rock formations. At the end lies [[SnakesAreSinister Slither]], a very difficult BonusBoss.

* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterStories2WingsOfRuin has the Elder's Lair, a 9-floor dungeon unlocked after beating the main game. To advance through each floor you have to perform specific quests, such as breaking certain body parts on the monsters, or completing puzzle fights within a certain time limit. After completing that is the S. Elder's Lair, a repeat of the Elder's Lair but with [[BrutalBonusLevel MUCH tougher monsters]]. At the bottom of both lies the game's [[BonusBoss superboss]]: [[spoiler:Fatalis, reprising its role from the [[VideoGame/MonsterHunterStories first game.]]]]

** There's an extra dungeon in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' in the remade GBA version. Players can't access the dungeon until they completed the multiplayer Four Swords game. Inside the dungeon is 4 areas with very tough puzzles and color swaps of some of the bosses Link fought previously, along with new behavior patterns. Beating all 4 bosses opens the way to fighting 4 clones of Link from the Four Sword, each Link bearing a different color and abilities that mirror Link's. Beating these bosses only gets you statistics of your game data, so it's nothing but bragging rights.

** ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'' has the Gerudo's Training Ground, out in their outpost, which consists of solving puzzles in different rooms to collect keys. These keys are used in a maze to get the Ice Arrows. While rumors suggested that the cave could be made UnwinnableByDesign under certain conditions, the dungeon is ''always'' solvable.
** The two ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames Oracle]]'' games for GBC also includes special dungeons, available only in linked games. They're both called the Hero's Cave, but their challenges and rewards differ based on which order the games were played in. The one in ''Seasons'' replaces the mini-dungeon of the same name that would give you the sword in an unlinked game, while the one in ''Ages'' just appears on an otherwise-blank wall.

** The DLC for ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' has the Trial of the Sword; an incredibly difficult challenge that, if one succeeded, permanently gave the Master Sword the bonus it would usually only get near Guardians or Ganon.
* ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'' features a particularly evil example. In different areas of the overworld there are 3 caves that are home to (slightly) upgraded versions of a previous giant demon spider boss. Defeating them earns a reward, but you can then return to the same cave later to find a demon gate eerily sitting there. Going through forces you to battle wave after wave of superpowered regular enemies. Even the lowliest of {{Mooks}} can waste you with a couple of hits in these battles (and you have to go through 10 of them to get the reward) and have HP that would make some of the late-game bosses jealous. These battles could be considered a refreshing change of pace compared to the general easiness of ''Okami'' if not for their sheer sadism. The most difficult cave has you face several bosses from the past in groups, usually two or three at a time. Including [[spoiler:Waka and two possessed Raos]].

* ''VideoGame/IttleDew'' has a couple:

* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry''

** After freeing Sandro, the Lich-ruler of Necropolis, you get the key to the game's bonus dungeon, the [[IDontLiketheSoundofThatPlace Dungeon of Death]], which requires access to both Clouds of Xeen and Darkside of Xeen to enter. Upon entering the Dungeon of Death, expecting highly difficult end-game enemies... the level is instead completely devoid of any enemies at all. It is actually a giant crossword puzzle.

* ''VideoGame/PaperMario:''

* The ''VideoGame/StarOcean'' games all have at least one BonusDungeon. The Seven Star Ruins in the [[VideoGame/StarOcean1 first game]], Cave of Trials in the [[VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory second]], as well as its GaidenGame, and Maze of Tribulations in the [[VideoGame/StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime third]], which jacked up the pot by adding Sphere 211, another 100-level dungeon, and the Urssa Cave Temple, a more puzzle-oriented Bonus Dungeon. The [[VideoGame/StarOceanTheLastHope fourth game]] brought back the Seven Star Ruins and added the Wandering Dungeon. Many of these dungeons share the same background music (slightly remixed). ''VideoGame/StarOceanIntegrityAndFaithlessness'' has a large post-game dungeon called Maze of Tribulations, full of many [[BonusBoss Bonus Bosses]] and ending with the game's superboss, Gabriel Celeste. Also, when you complete it, you can challenge it again at increased difficulty two more times. (If you want HundredPercentCompletion, you will have to do this, as the powered-up versions of Gabriel Celeste have their own entries in the enemy database.)

** ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia's'' Memory Dungeon. The graphics are blurry, [[RealIsBrown it's brown]], and all the sound effects sound far away, like you're hearing them on a camcorder recording the actual video game. In here, you fight the party's memories, and with that, every enemy they've faced in the game. This makes for some weird situations, like StoneWall WhiteMage vs. [[spoiler: BrainwashedAndCrazy WhiteMage]] and GrumpyOldMan vs. [[spoiler:the other half of his SplitPersonality.]] Strangely, for a game whose characters lampshade many things such as {{CrackPairing}}s and DudeLooksLikeALady, this wasn't remarked about at all. The [=PS3=] UpdatedRerelease ups the ante with the Garden of Izayoi, an [[MarathonLevel incredibly long]] dungeon with the gimmick of progressing through the floors by way of actual combat; once you defeat a group of enemies, paths on the battlefield open up for you to traverse to another battlefield with more enemies, and you make your way through several floors of mazes. There are plenty of new {{Bonus Boss}}es, including a horrific "monster" called [[spoiler:the Spiral Draco, the King of the Entelexeia]], which appears to have taken the title of "most difficult boss in the ''VideoGame/TalesSeries''."

* ''VideoGame/Persona2''

* Monad block in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}''. The game's ultimate boss can be fought on the final floor. Meanwhile, ''Persona 3 Portable'' has the Vision Quest, hosted by [[spoiler:Margaret, from ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'']] in the Desert Of Doors from FES. While not a dungeon in the same sense as Monad, it does feature Bonus Boss versions of all the Full Moon Shadows as well as hidden boss that some are claiming is harder than [[spoiler:Elizabeth/Theodore]]. Yes, you get to fight [[spoiler:Margaret. And she isn't going to cut you ''any'' slack.]]

* The "Another Goddess" quest in ''VideoGame/HalfMinuteHero'', aside from being very long for the game's scope (most levels last about 30 seconds, while this one will take a good five minutes), harkens to another Marvelous Entertainment-created RPG: ''ValhallaKnights'' (the title even changes to reflect this). It's accessible during normal play, but because of the major change in style, the Time Goddess urges you to walk past it, on to the next quest. In order to actually play it, you have to defeat 108 bosses first. Harsh.

* The VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas DLC ''Lonesome Road'' adds the Long 15 and Dry Wells maps, which are unlocked by launching nuclear missiles at NCR and Legion territory, respectively.

** Some of the optional non-story dungeons in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' may count, such as Deathclaw Sanctuary, the National Guard Depot, Fort Bannister, which also houses a BonusBoss, and the Dunwich Building.
* VideoGame/{{Wasteland}}, the original Post-Apocalyptic RPG, had this in the form of [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Finster's Head]]. A one-man-solo "dungeon" ([[spoiler:VR sim, actually]]) in a party-oriented game that comes right after what passes for the game's WhamEpisode can catch you by surprise with its (entirely optional) BonusBoss that yields the largest XP boon in the whole game (DOUBLE that if you kill him in melee) and an inventive puzzle maze.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden'' has one in its remake. The [[RuinsForRuinsSake Thabes Labyrinth]] unlocked after beating the FinalBoss happens to be extremely [[BrutalBonusLevel brutal]]. [[CheckpointStarvation The entire dungeon doesn't have a single save point]] and is filled to the brim with extremely beefed-up mooks. The boss of the dungeon is even accompanied by [[EliteMook Elite Mooks]] that would otherwise spawn in extremely rare encounters. Not helping is the boss has an ArmorPiercingAttack and most enemies have more HP than the HP bar can display.

* The [[http://adventuretime.wikia.com/wiki/Dungeon_Train_(location) Dungeon Train]] from ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' has all the halmarks of a Bonus Dungeon, such as being extremely long, having unique bosses, but also containing numerous [[PaletteSwap Palette Swaps]]. Finn finds the place so much fun that he almost decides not to leave!

** There's an extra dungeon in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' in the ported GBA version. Players can't access the dungeon until they completed the multiplayer Four Swords game. Inside the dungeon is 4 areas with very tough puzzles and color swaps of some of the bosses Link fought previously, along with new behavior patterns. Beating all 4 bosses opens the way to fighting 4 clones of Link from the Four Sword, each Link bearing a different color and abilities that mirror Link's. Beating these bosses only gets you statistics of your game data, so it's nothing but bragging rights.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV Advance'' added two new dungeons, one on Mt. Ordeals, containing new equipment due to the fact this version added the ability to switch party members, and the Lunar Ruins, which contains character specific trials. The DS version removed both dungeons along with the option of party customisation. The Complete Collection for PSP, being based off the GBA port, restored all of it.

** The [=PS2=]/DS remake of ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'' includes a bonus dungeon unlocked after beating the main game. The final boss of ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV'' lies at the end, with the difficulty significantly ramped up. Beating him unlocks the last [[MiniGame T'n'T board]] and beating ''that'' nets you the last two recruitable mons, who at this point are just for bragging rights. The real challenge is beating the BonusBoss in under fifteen rounds, which earns the final Knick Knack for your museum. This same boss was also in the original Japan-only SNES/SFC version of Dragon Quest V, and was the first postgame bonus in the series.

* ''VideoGame/TheiaTheCrimsonEclipse'': The Extremordeal is an optional dungeon that starts at around the same difficulty of the main story FinalBoss and gets increasingly more difficult the further the player goes. The gimmick to this dungeon is that the player can recruit characters that shouldn't be in the party story-wise, but they need to bring specific party members to progress in certain sections, including the new characters. This place can only be accessed by doing an endgame sidequest for Rock in the White Deer Guild.

* The ''VideoGame/StarOcean'' games all have at least one BonusDungeon. The Seven Star Ruins in the [[VideoGame/StarOcean1 first game]], Cave of Trials in the [[VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory second]], as well as its GaidenGame, and Maze of Tribulations in the [[VideoGame/StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime third]], which jacked up the pot by adding Sphere 211, another 100-level dungeon, and the Urssa Cave Temple, a more puzzle-oriented Bonus Dungeon. The [[VideoGame/StarOceanTheLastHope fourth game]] brought back the Seven Star Ruins and added the Wandering Dungeon. Many of these dungeons share the same background music (slightly remixed).

-->-- '''Alice Margatroid''', ''[[VideoGame/{{Touhou}} Subterranean Animism]]''

* ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'':
** The series, unusually for ShootEmUp games, has made a tradition out of this. Of all mainline games, only [[VideoGame/TouhouReiidenHighlyResponsiveToPrayers the first game]] (which isn't a shooter) and [[VideoGame/TouhouYumejikuuPhantasmagoriaOfDimDream the third game]] (which is a versus shooter) don't have any Extra Stages. Typically, the Extra Stage is unlocked after you've beaten all stages of the normal game without using any Continues (on Normal difficulty or higher for earlier games, later games allow for any difficulties). Storyline-wise, after defeating the FinalBoss of the current game and solving the incident, the heroines are once again faced with another, smaller incident that is related to the main incident. They then set off once again to meet the BonusBoss. Alice and Marisa's [[WrongGenreSavvy pretending the game is an RPG]] in ''VideoGame/SubterraneanAnimism'' leads to the page quote in that game's extra stage.
** ''VideoGame/PerfectCherryBlossom'' went one step further by having ''two'' Bonus Dungeons. The second one, called "Phantasm Stage", is unlocked after beating the first Extra Stage, and capturing 50 different spellcards.
** In ''VideoGame/PhantasmagoriaOfFlowerView'', which is a versus shooter, the Extra Mode is unlocked after beating all characters' Story Modes. In the Extra mode, you first unlock [[TheDragon Komachi's]] story, and after beating that you unlock [[FinalBoss Eiki's]] story. Gameplay-wise, all enemies are much more aggressive than in the standard story mode, and you only have one life before you die. The AI opponent has a timer, and they're invincible before the timer runs out, upon which they'll quickly suicide and let you win.

** ''VideoGame/Saga2'' (''Final Fantasy Legend II'' in North America) has the aptly-named Nasty Dungeon with single-tile hallways that span multiple screens and lead to dead ends and monster encounters the party cannot run from. Naturally the strongest weapons and equipment in the game are found here.

* Crossbone Isle of from ''VideoGame/GoldenSun2001''. Not as difficult as a good deal of the examples listed already, but still can be a challenge. ''VideoGame/GoldenSunTheLostAge'' has Treasure Isle, Yampi Desert Cave, Islet Cave, and Anemos Sanctum, all of which have their own bonus bosses (which do not necessarily have to be beaten before taking on the Anemos Sanctum, but you might as well since you have to progress at least part of the way through each to get the Djinn inside before you can unlock it).

* The "Another Goddess" quest in ''VideoGame/HalfMinuteHero'', aside from being very long for the game's scope (most levels last about 30 seconds, while this one will take a good five minutes), harkens to another Marvelous Entertainment-created RPG: ''ValhallaKnights'' (the title even changes to reflect this). It's accessible during normal play, but because of the major change in style, the Time Goddess urges you to walk past it, on to the next quest. In order to actually play it, you have to defeat [[OneHundredAndEight 108]] bosses first. Harsh.