History Main / GimmickLevel

** NASCAR
*** Food City Dirt Race (c. 2021)
*** LA Colisseum (c. 2022)
*** Chicago Street Race (c. 2023)

* ''VideoGame/EarthwormJim'' loved these sorts of stages.

* Apogee's ''VideoGame/MonsterBash'' has the second-last level of Part 3. You can fly on a broom and shoot lightning bolts in that level, in addition to the normal gameplay mechanics.

* GravityScrew
* BlackoutBasement
* MinecartMadness
* AutoScrolling

** Yoshi Valley from ''VideoGame/MarioKart64'' is split off into multiple different routes, and due to the Nintendo 64's limitations, keeps the placement of the racers hidden until the very end of the race.
** [[AmusementPark Baby Park]] and Wario Colosseum from ''VideoGame/MarioKartDoubleDash'' avert the usual "three laps per course" convention by having a different amount of laps each; Baby Park is seven laps due to it being a small oval, while Wario Colosseum is only two laps long on account of it being so long.

** [[VideoGame/WiiSportsResort Wuhu Loop, Maka Wuhu]], and Rainbow Road from ''VideoGame/MarioKart7'' are all divided into three sections of one large course. Same applies to Mount Wario, N64 Rainbow Road, and [[VideoGame/FZero Big Blue]] in ''VideoGame/MarioKart8''.
** [[VideoGame/WiiSportsResort Wuhu Loop, Maka Wuhu]], and [[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry DK Jungle]] from ''Mario Kart 7'', and [[VideoGame/{{Excitebike}} Excitebike Arena]], [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Hyrule Circuit]], [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossing Animal Crossing]], [[VideoGame/FZero Mute City, and Big Blue]] from ''Mario Kart 8'' are all based off of other Creator/{{Nintendo}} franchises.

* ''VideoGame/DoomII'' features the level ''Barrels o' Fun''. As the name suggests, the level is stuffed with large amounts of barrels, and the first two areas feature you running through rows of barrels to safety as a monster emerges behind you, attacks and inadvertently sets off a chain reaction of exploding barrels.

* ''VideoGame/MarioPartyIslandTour'': Most boards share the central idea of reaching the goal line first, with a few variations in each case to keep the idea fresh. However, Star-Crossed Skyway stands out because reaching the end won't be enough: the objective for each player is to gather more MiniñStars than the rest (much like in the boards of ''VideoGame/MarioParty9''). Another exception is Bowser's Peculiar Peak, where the objective is to be the ''last'' player to reach the goal line, since the ones reaching first will be punished by Bowser (this also requires ''losing'' the minigames to the fullest extent possible).

** [[spoiler:7-B (Rock Barrage), the game's BonusBoss. No puzzles, just a small army of moles firing deadly rocks, which you'll need split-second timing to get past.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Doom}} 2'' features the level ''Barrels o' Fun''. As the name suggests, the level is stuffed with large amounts of barrels, and the first two areas feature you running through rows of barrels to safety as a monster emerges behind you, attacks and inadvertently sets off a chain reaction of exploding barrels.

** ''VideoGame/MarioPartyDS'': This is done much less prominently than in the post-''5'' installments, but some boards still shake up the Star obtainment formula: Toadette's Music Room has sentient musical notes that sell the Stars for a different price each, and when one is bought the next is for sale by a different note in a different spot in the board (the order goes from the music that puts the lowest price to the one who puts the highest, eventually reseting); DK's Stone Statue has the Star always placed in the upper left corner, and a player can buy more than one if they have enough money to do so (like in Faire Square from ''Mario Party 6''); and Kamek's Library has three winged green pots which hide each a different content, only of them guarding the Star (like in Neon Heights from ''Mario Party 7''). The other two boards (Wiggler's Garden and Bowser's Pinball Machine) opt to use the classic idea of "find the Star and pay 20 Coins to get it".

*** Stacking blocks with Magnisis to climb around.

** Castaway Bay uses a mildly updated version of a gimmick seen in Mario's Rainbow Castle from the original ''VieoGame/MarioParty1''. Sailing the waters surrounded by the board's islands are two boats: One piloted by Donkey Kong and the other by Bowser. If the player reaches the end of the last island when DK is around, he'll sell a Star for 20 Coins; if it's Bowser who is nearby, he'll give them a Ztar which reduces the number of Stars by one.

** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest'': The game's level proportion is roughly half-and-half (half gimmick levels, half traditional levels).

** The [[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry1 first one]] has some gimmick levels, but they are mostly in the minority. The [[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest second]] is roughly half-and-half (half gimmick levels, half traditional levels), and by the time the [[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble third]] came out, the traditional levels were in the minority. Some of DKC3's more memorable examples include a mostly swimming level where your left/right controls are reversed while in the water, a level with significantly decreased gravity, a level where through the entire thing an offscreen enemy is shooting at you, a difficult level where lightning is constantly trying to strike you, and a level where a hungry fish is constantly following you and have to feed normal fish enemies to him to keep him from attacking. Even the "normal" platform levels in DKC3 usually feature some sort of one-off gimmicky enemy seen nowhere else in the game.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'': World 6-2 is based on a bird-mounting ride (the otherwise aggressive Albatosses are simply flying in migration form, and have no Bob-Ombs to attack anyone with), instead of the usual platforming.

** Hunting Jhen Mohran and Dah'ren Mohran in ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter3Tri'' and ''Monster Hunter 4'' respectively, and their corresponding rereleases, is much different than hunting most large monsters. In almost every other case, the monster would spawn somewhere on a sprawling map and you chase them down. The Mohrans are instead fought in two phases on a single part of the map: the first is a BattleshipRaid style, where you attack the leviathans with ballistas and cannons while [[HoldTheLine preventing them from destroying the ship you ride]], and occasionally leaping on top of them to deal damage or gather materials from their back. While most enemies have a roulette of attacks, the Mohrans' attacks are largely scripted in the first part. The second phase is an AdvancingBossOfDoom where you're on solid ground and have to stall until time runs out or you manage to kill it, occasionally using the ship's defenses to prevent damage to the ship. Even the other Elder Dragons in the series whose battles involve TowerDefense-based sequences (like Lao Shan Lung in the first generation of games and Ceadeus from the same third generation as Jhen Mohran), as well as the crustacean Shen Gaoren in the second, are fought with closer gameplay to the usual formula.

** Hunting Jhen Mohran and Dah'ren Mohran in ''3'', ''4'', and their rereleases is much different than hunting most large monsters. In almost every other case, the monster would spawn somewhere on a sprawling map and you chase them down. The Mohrans are instead fought in two phases on a single part of the map: the first is a BattleshipRaid style, where you attack the leviathans with ballistas and cannons while [[HoldTheLine preventing them from destroying the ship you ride]], and occasionally leaping on top of them to deal damage or gather materials from their back. While most enemies have a roulette of attacks, the Mohrans' attacks are largely scripted in the first part. The second phase is an AdvancingBossOfDoom where you're on solid ground and have to stall until time runs out or you manage to kill it, occasionally using the ship's defenses to prevent damage to the ship. Even the other Elder Dragons in the series whose battles involve TowerDefense-based sequences (like Lao Shan Lung in the first generation of games, Shen Gaoren in the second and Ceadeus from the same third generation as Jhen Mohran) are fought with closer gameplay to the usual formula.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' has several Gimmick Levels, the most recognizable ones being those involving the Wiimote's motion-sensing abilities to control different actions, like balancing Mario on top of a rolling ball, riding a manta ray around a course, or using a fan to blow a bubble around an electrified maze [[DoomyDoomsOfDoom of doom]]. This makes the game better because you hardly ever do the same thing twice (though those types of levels do appear at least twice each: One where you can practice with them, and then the harder variations that appear later). The sequel, ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'', adds flying on a bird.

** Eventide Island. Upon landing on the shore, the voice of the resident Sheikah monk informs you that in order to access the shrine, you must activate the three keys while deprived of all the weapons, armor, and other items you have collected up to that point (though you keep the Sheikah Slate and its runes). This means you must forage and steal items from enemies just like the Great Plateau at the beginning of the game. This is especially tricky when getting the key from the resident [[EliteMook Hynox]]. Once you activate the keys, you get all your stuff back. Notably there's a way to RulesLawyer your way around the restriction by leaving gear on the raft before coming to shore, as it will still be there after losing your stuff for you to pick up (you ''technically'' picked it up after the challenge began). Just make sure to drop it back on the raft before finishing the challenge, as part of the rules also mean you [[ExactWords lose everything you found during the challenge]] when it is completed.

*** The Cultists'/Fanatics' Tower, where you can only use magic. Did we mention many enemies have auto-reflect? DemonicSpiders ahoy!

** There were a couple of "miniature dungeons" in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII'' which the characters could only enter with the "mini" [[StatusEffects status effect]], which aside from making them small reduced their attack and defense stats to 1. Thus, it became a lot more beneficial to make everybody a mage.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' has an underwater level. You have 20 minutes to finish it.

*** Fanatic's tower, where you can only use magic. Did we mention many enemies have auto-reflect? DemonicSpiders ahoy!

** There were a couple of "miniature dungeons" in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII'' which the characters could only enter with the "mini" [[StandardStatusEffects status effect]], which aside from making them small reduced their attack and defense stats to 1. Thus, it became a lot more beneficial to make everybody a mage.

* Eventide Island in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild''. Upon landing on the shore, the voice of the resident Sheikah monk informs you that in order to access the shrine, you must activate the three keys while deprived of all the weapons, armor, and other items you have collected up to that point (though you keep the Sheikah Slate and its runes). This means you must forage and steal items from enemies just like the Great Plateau at the beginning of the game. This is especially tricky when getting the key from the resident [[EliteMook Hynox]]. Once you activate the keys, you get all your stuff back. Notably there's a way to RulesLawyer your way around the restriction by leaving gear on the raft before coming to shore, as it will still be there after losing your stuff for you to pick up (you ''technically'' picked it up after the challenge began). Just make sure to drop it back on the raft before finishing the challenge, as part of the rules also mean you [[ExactWords lose everything you found during the challenge]] when it is completed.
** This game also features 120 shrines, a majority of which could be considered technique levels. For example...
*** Levels requiring you to roll a ball through a maze with motion controls
*** Levels centered around updrafts
*** Puzzle levels forcing you to find the solution, which are all unique
*** Solving riddles to find the shrines
*** Stacking blocks with Magnisis to climb around
*** Abusing Stasis to throw items into a target

* Hunting Jhen Mohran and Dah'ren Mohran in ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter 3'', ''4'', and their rereleases is much different than hunting most large monsters. In about every other case, the monster would spawn somewhere on a sprawling map and you chase them down. The Mohrans are instead fought in two phases on a single part of the map: the first is a BattleshipRaid style, where you attack the leviathans with ballistas and cannons while [[HoldTheLine preventing them from destroying the ship you ride]], and occasionally leaping on top of them to deal damage or gather materials from their back. While most enemies have a roulette of attacks, the Mohrans' attacks are largely scripted in the first part. The second is an AdvancingBossOfDoom where you're on solid ground and have to stall until time runs out or you manage to kill it, occasionally using the ship's defenses to prevent damage to the ship.

* ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' has the motorbike sequences in the last two standard stages (the ones respectively leading to the Rank 2 and Rank 1 fights). Travis has to defeat his enemies by running over them instead of slashing them with his beam katana. The Rank 1 scene also has an area where you have to exit from [[TheLostWoods an illusory forest]], killing more enemies in the process.
* The Rank 23 stage in ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle'' is a StealthBasedMission, though being spotted doesn't make you fail the level - you simply have to deal with enemies much earlier than planned.

* Every ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy'' game has had at least one "Freaking Huge Spiderball Maze" that the player must navigate.

** World 6-2 of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' is based on a bird-mounting ride (the otherwise aggressive Albatosses are simply flying in migration form, and have no Bob-Ombs to attack anyone with), instead of the usual platforming.
** World 5-3 of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3''. There are a few more levels with the shoe that didn't make it into the final game, but [[DummiedOut can be accessed]] through hacking. There are also levels that rely on solving some sort of puzzle (such as taking a Koopa Shell at the top of World 6-5 to break the blocks that obstruct the exit, or looking for a Tanooki Suit to fly to the boss area of World 7's first Fortress).
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand'' has two levels that take the form of side-scrolling shoot-'em-ups: one underwater in a submarine, and the final level which takes place with Mario in a plane.