History Main / CriticalAnnoyance

* ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1988'' has an alarm clock-style health warning beep.

* ''VideoGame/AxiomVerge'' has the stereotypical "doot doot doot" beeping when Trace is on low health. The "annoyance" part, however, is cleverly averted because the beeping is actually always on beat with the music. So, instead of being annoying and taking the player out of the game, it only serves to heighten the tension, especially in a boss fight. The volume also starts out loud to let the player know that Trace is on low health, but gets quieter the longer he stays that way.

** Then ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' brought it down to 30 before starting the same sound from the first one again. It's also what makes the Baby Metroid recognize her.

* ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'' has a loud, irritating heartbeat noise when your Mental Health runs down. Given that DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist it's enough to drive a player to suicide.

* From ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'':

** In Mann versus Machine, the various "[Class] is dead!" responses can be this if your team gets overrun.

* When ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' is about to drown, the music changes to another theme. The drowning music gets louder and more frantic as time goes on until he dies, gets a bubble or resurfaces. This is usually accompanied by numbers appearing over his head to indicate how much time he has left. And given his SuperDrowningSkills, the drowning music always plays for a short [[HellIsThatNoise and disturbing]] time until air is gotten. 'Ding' noises are hears at intervals before this happens, which is useful because Sonic's OxygenMeter isn't actually visible.

* ''VideoGame/CarmenSandiegoJuniorDetectiveEdition'' has DeeJay's "Red alert! My power is running low. Please make an arrest soon."

* ''VideoGame/MysteryQuest'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem beeps constantly when the player character runs low on health.

* In the early UsefulNotes/AmstradCPC game ''VideoGame/{{Tubaruba}}'', when your energy bar depleted enough, the constant background music became rather wonky and unsettling...

* In the original ''VideoGame/FZero'', you need to be above a particular rank as you cross the finish line, with the required rank getting higher with every lap (starting at 15 for the first lap and topping off at 3 for the final one). If you're at the minimum rank or lower, regardless of what lap you're on, a warning beep starts to play, and if you aren't at the minimum rank or higher as you cross the finish line, or if you fall to 20th place, you die.
** In ''F-Zero X'' and ''GX'', a similar klaxon sound is played when your energy is running low, and gets faster as your energy gets lower.

** Then ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' brought it down to 30 before starting the same sound from the first one again.

** The earlier ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' games have a quick beeping sound when you drop to one health point. The later ones use this when the health bar gets low. The beep only occurs once per "room", though; if you go through a door with your vitality still low, the beep plays again once the new room fades in.

* When ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' is about to drown, the music changes to another theme. The drowning music gets louder and more frantic as time goes on until he dies, gets a bubble or resurfaces. This is usually accompanied by numbers appearing over his head to indicate how much time he has left. And given his SuperDrowningSkills, the drowning music always plays for a short [[HellIsThatNoise and disturbing]] time until air is gotten. 'Ding' noises are hears at intervals before this happens, which is useful because Sonic's OxygenMeter isn't actually visible.

* In ''VideoGame/KlonoaHeroesDensetsuNoStarMedal'', on low health, the player's portrait will glow red and a booping sound will repeatedly play.

* ''VideoGame/{{Robotica}}'' sees your robot's alarm going off and beeping constantly once your armor hits below 20%. It gets even louder once you reach 10%, and if you're unfortunate enough to hit 5% it ''depletes'' itself.

''(For the proper experience, run the "music" from [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWTJRLW6uRM this video]] while reading this page.)''

* ''VideoGame/RetroCityRampage''uses the ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' low health beep, though not continuously.

* ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' (The Original NES game) has an alarm clock-style health warning beep.

* The English dub of ''Manga/{{Chobits}}'', with Sumomo's [[CatchPhrase frequent]] high-pitched "WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!", almost always indicating an extremely trivial threat. It's amazing no one ever smashes her with a hammer to get that noise to stop.

** When calling for a medic, characters will sound increasingly desperate and insistent as their health drops.

* In earlier ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution'' titles, bringing your LifeMeter down to critical levels causes some sort of "Danger!" screen to flash in the background. ''Dance Dance Revolution Extreme'' is particularly bad with this, with a terrifying clip of a shark jumping out at you.