History Main / BonusStage

* ''JazzJackrabbit'' had a variation where, after each world, you would get a bonus round, where Jazz would run around (in ThirdPersonShooter mode, minus the shooter part, rather than SideScroller mode) in a semi-3D maze collecting gems. If you met the target within the time limit, you got a 1-up.

* The credit rolls of the ''TetrisTheGrandMaster'' series have you continue playing. Some modes have you simply continue playing as the credits roll, with no effect on your score or grade. Some others, like ''[=TGM2=]''[='=]s and ''[=TGM3=]''[='=]s Master mode, have the "disappearing roll," in which pieces vanish 5 seconds after locking down; in ''[=TGM3=]'' clearing lines during this part will add a small fraction of a whole grade. Then there's the infamous "invisible roll" in which pieces vanish upon locking; in ''[=TGM2=]'', this is required to earn the Grand Master rank (failing will net you an M grade instead), and in ''[=TGM3=]'', this nets even more grades per line clear, and clearing enough lines ''and'' surviving are just part of the [[http://www.tetrisconcept.com/wiki/index.php/Tetris_The_Grand_Master_3#GrandMaster_Requirements requirements]] for ''[=TGM3=]''[='=]s Grand Master rank.[[hottip:*:And believe me, those two requirements alone are [[{{Understatement}} hard enough]]. How hard? Well, out of the millions who've played ''Tetris'', only '''''3''''' of them have this rank.]] Finally, ''[=TGM3=]''[='=]s Shirase credit roll has you playing with fully-visible double-sized pieces, but has no effect on your grade.

* The US manual for ''{{Deathsmiles}}'' [[SchmuckBait advertises the Ice Palace in MBL as this]]. Under normal conditions, it is exceptionally easy to rack up points and max out your lifebar (scores of over '''''[[PinballScoring 11 billion]]''''' from the stage by itself are not unheard of, making it the single high-scoring stage). Unfortunately, if you happen to be [[NoDamageRun doing too]] [[HarderThanHard good]], the background will be red instead of blue, and you'll have to contend with it at Rank 999, where accumulating points is a [[{{Understatement}} bit]] more difficult.

* In Videogame/{Oasis}}, bonus stage where most of the map consists of large oasis. There is also a single town. Once the glyph and the city is discovered, victory is guaranteed.

* In the original ''SuperMarioBros'', going down certain pipes or climbing up hidden vines would take you to hidden areas filled with coins. Later games in the series kept these in-level bonus areas but added entirely separate levels, sometimes hidden, sometimes not, in which you could get loads of points, lives, or items.

** ''Super Mario World'' had, in addition to coin rooms, a MiniGame where Mario must hit various cycling blocks and try to get 3 shapes in a row to win {{OneUp}}s. It was accessed by accumulating 100 stars via breaking the tape at the end of the level.
** In ''Super Mario Land'' on the GameBoy, in addition to coin rooms, taking the harder-to-reach exit to a stage would lead to a bonus game where, depending on your timing, you could get lives or a power-up.

** ''Super Mario Galaxy 2'' had scattered Warp Pipes that lead to various rooms with free stuff avaliable. Some contained dice which could give coins, Star Bits, or {{OneUp}}s. Others contained many coins that, if collected soon enough, gave a 1Up.

* In the first 16-bit ''SonicTheHedgehog'' game, collecting enough rings during a level would unlock a bonus stage (Special Stages) at the end of the level where you could try to win a Chaos Emerald. In later 16-bit era games, these areas would become accessible during the levels rather than after them, and would later be accompanied by additional types of bonus stage (called oddly enough, Bonus Stages) that didn't contain Chaos Emeralds but did contain power-ups and the like, but these were still treated as separate stages rather than as parts of the stage you came from; your score would be tallied at the end of them just like at the end of any other stage.

* ''StarTrek Elite Force 2'' has a BonusStage which is a direct pastiche of ''SuperMarioBros''; you even have go drop down a giant pipe to get to it.

* The credit rolls of the ''{{Tetris}}: The Grand Master'' series have you continue playing. Some modes have you simply continue playing as the credits roll, with no effect on your score or grade. Some others, like ''[=TGM2=]''[='=]s and ''[=TGM3=]''[='=]s Master mode, have the "disappearing roll," in which pieces vanish 5 seconds after locking down; in ''[=TGM3=]'' clearing lines during this part will add a small fraction of a whole grade. Then there's the infamous "invisible roll" in which pieces vanish upon locking; in ''[=TGM2=]'', this is required to earn the Grand Master rank (failing will net you an M grade instead), and in ''[=TGM3=]'', this nets even more grades per line clear, and clearing enough lines ''and'' surviving are just part of the [[http://www.tetrisconcept.com/wiki/index.php/Tetris_The_Grand_Master_3#GrandMaster_Requirements requirements]] for ''[=TGM3=]''[='=]s Grand Master rank.[[hottip:*:And believe me, those two requirements alone are [[{{Understatement}} hard enough]]. How hard? Well, out of the millions who've played ''Tetris'', only '''''3''''' of them have this rank.]] Finally, ''[=TGM3=]''[='=]s Shirase credit roll has you playing with fully-visible double-sized pieces, but has no effect on your grade.

* Every world in ''{{Purple}}'' has one bonus stage which can be unlocked by finding a hidden switch. These stages contain lots of 1-ups.

* ''Donkey Kong Country Returns'' had hidden rooms that contained many bananas, banana coins, and balloons. Collecting everything would reveal a Puzzle Piece necessary for [[OneHundredPercentCompletion]. Falling off would not result in death.

* Various arcade-style games, such as ''{{Gauntlet}}'', ''MarioBros.'', ''Binary Land'', and ''WreckingCrew'', had bonus stages after completing a certain number of regular stages.

** ''SuperMarioBros 3'' was probably the one with the largest number of different kinds of bonus area/level. Underground coin rooms, beanstalk coin rooms, the slot-machine MiniGame, the Memory Mini Game, the ''treasure ship''...

This is also not to be confused with [[Series/BonusStage the web animation of the same name]], or BonusRound, which is for game shows and tends to function similarly. See also SecretLevel.

The friendly BonusStage (not to be confused with the less friendly BonusDungeon and BrutalBonusLevel) is a level or area in a video game that has all of the following traits:

*** A few of the coin rooms have SpikesOfDoom, allowing you to ''die in a coin room''.

The friendly BonusStage (not to be confused with the less friendly BonusDungeon) is a level or area in a video game that has all of the following traits:

Along with the {{Bonus Dungeon}}, this is also not to be confused with [[Series/BonusStage the web animation of the same name]], or BonusRound, which is for game shows and tends to function similarly. See also SecretLevel.

* Every ''{{Touhou}}'' game has one...and [[{{Understatement}} let's just say it's]] HarderThanHard.

The friendly and unconventional BonusStage (not to be confused with the less friendly and more conventional BonusDungeon) is a level or area in a video game that has all of the following traits:

The BonusStage is a level or area in a video game that has all of the following traits:

Not to be confused with the {{Bonus Dungeon}}, an entirely different manner of beast or [[Series/BonusStage the web animation of the same name]], or BonusRound, which is for game shows and tends to function similarly. See also SecretLevel.

* Usually hidden, or requires a certain level of performance or number of pickups, but in some games they always appear.

* Is accessible only via a hidden entrance or otherwise hidden means.
** Alternatively, it requires a certain level of performance to reveal (eg need to attain a certain grade, or collect enough pickups).

* Contains opportunities to get large amounts of points, {{One Up}}s, continues, {{Power Up}}s, and the like.
** It may also be the process in which one collects optional [[MacGuffin MacGuffins]].

* The US manual for Deathsmiles [[SchmuckBait advertises the Ice Palace in MBL as this]]. Under normal conditions, it is exceptionally easy to rack up points and max out your lifebar (scores of over '''''[[PinballScoring 11 billion]]''''' from the stage by itself are not unheard of, making it the single high-scoring stage). Unfortunately, if you happen to be [[NoDamageRun doing too]] [[HarderThanHard good]], the background will be red instead of blue, and you'll have to contend with it at Rank 999, where accumulating points is a [[{{Understatement}} bit]] more difficult.

** ''[SonicRushSeries SonicRush]]'' did the same thing, but only for Sonic's story - Blaze got a Sol Emerald automatically after every boss fight. The Chaos Emeralds AND the Sol Emeralds were both necessary to access the final stage in this case.

* As sort of a weird example, in ''EarthwormJim'', each regular level would be followed by a race with Psycrow. Beating him would allow you to go on to the next stage without incident and possibly rack up an extra continue, while losing to him forced you to fight him before going on to the next stage.

** SuperMarioGalaxy.

* In the first 16-bit ''SonicTheHedgehog'' game, collecting enough rings during a level would unlock a bonus stage at the end of the level where you could try to win a Chaos Emerald. In later 16-bit era games, these areas would become accessible during the levels rather than after them, and would later be accompanied by additional types of bonus stage that didn't contain Chaos Emeralds but did contain power-ups and the like, but these were still treated as separate stages rather than as parts of the stage you came from; your score would be tallied at the end of them just like at the end of any other stage.

Examples:

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Not to be confused with the {{Bonus Dungeon}}, an entirely different manner of beast or [[WebAnimation/BonusStage the web animation of the same name]], or BonusRound, which is for game shows and tends to function similarly. See also SecretLevel.