History Main / PassThroughTheRings

* The race challenges in ''SpiderMan 2: TheMovie'' (among the best licensed games out there) are like this, only the rings are 10 to 15 stories high - given the game's excellent swinging physics, this is somewhat understandable - the ones attached to walls and obstacles are somewhat smaller and more frustrating to hit.

* ''Franchise/CrashBandicoot'':

* ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot3Warped'' has a level like this dubbed "Rings of Power". This is a ShoutOut to the game developer Naughty Dog's first game.

* The ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxter'' series frequently features this trope. ''VideoGame/JakIIRenegade'''s difficulty ranks at or just below NintendoHard. In addition to having an "accelerator ring" race that ranks in the top 3 hardest missions of the game, there are numerous optional ring races that are much harder than the rest of the game. ''VideoGame/Jak3Wastelander'' repeats this.

* ''VideoGame/{{Superman 64}}'' has a ''lot'' of these. Bizarrely, Lex Luthor introduces these ''linear'' ring racing segments by challenging Superman to [[http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/498/239007-ss03.png "SOLVE MY MAZE"]]. This went all MemeticMutation for N64 magazine (later NGamer), to the point that Lex Luthor's Solve My Maze became a regular feature when the title changed focus to the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube and became NGC.

* The ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants Movie Game'' has certain 'Patty Wagon' ring challenges where you would have to steer the patty wagon through rings.

%%Caption replaced with old caption from Superman 64's page per Image Pickin' thread: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1323993757094260100
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* ''DragonBallZ: Infinite World'' on the [=PS2=] has several of these levels, often for no discernible reason.

* ''DragonBallZ: Infinite World'' on the PS2 has several of these levels, often for no discernible reason.

* A bunch of the more recent ''[[VideoGame/LEGOAdaptationGame LEGO Adaptation Games]]'' have timed racing minigames where you have to run, drive or fly through rings.

These kinds of missions are common for two reasons: first, it sets a clear, specific objective that can be a challenging and fun way to master the controls across a number of popular game genres. Second, it's generally very easy to make them; place a bunch of ordered rings, and add a time limit and\or swarm of enemies.

[[caption-width-right:300: Then there's no time to waste! [[{{Seanbaby}} We've got to get through these hula hoops,]] [[http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/4356 and fast!]]]]

* In ''VideoGame/SkyOdyssey'', transparent rings are in each level and are colored white and yellow. White rings help guide the player on the correct path through the area. Yellow rings are harder to safely pass through without crashing your aircraft, but worth more points. All of these rings are optional to pass through but give players a better store, allowing them to buy more parts to [[AceCustom customize their aircraft]]. * The PC game ''VideoGame/TachyonTheFringe'' also has this type of mission. However, at least they are completely optional, really only important for earning a little extra money.

* ''VideoGame/RatchetDeadlocked'' has several missions wherein you have to steer a vehicle (either a hoverbike or a spaceship) through rings in a certain time limit.
** ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankGoingCommando'' has three ring races in space as optional missions for 100% completion.

* Among the side missions in ''VideoGame/JustCause2'' are plenty of racing ones. There's four kinds, too; road courses where you use a car or motorcycle, flying courses where you pilot some type of aircraft, boat courses, and obstacle courses where you don't use a vehicle at all. You need to go through all the rings in order within the time limit, and passing through each ring makes it explode dramatically while adding seconds to the timer. Time doesn't start ticking until you hit the first ring, so you can take all the time you need to get ready, or even go hijack another vehicle to use for the race.

* From the ''VideoGame/StarFox1'' onwards, it's common in ''VideoGame/StarFox'' to pilot your Arwing through various rings for different reasons. Training modes always make you fly through rings, with some of them having a special placement that requires special maneuvers.
** ''VideoGame/StarFox64'' has ring-shaped health items: the silver ring gives you a little bit of health, the star-shaped silver ring and the checkpoint ring give you a lot of health, the golden ring gives you a fair amount of health and collecting three will double the length of your health bar.
** A few hidden exits in ''VideoGame/StarFox64'' are unlocked by doing this.

** In ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'', every time you go from the planet to a chunk, the flight corridor has ten Gold Rings to fly through. Only one chunk requires you to pass through all of them to get there (namely to access Dragon Rock), but whenever you do, you gain bonus points for that flight. In addition, there are two cases where Fox must pass through rings of sparkles. At CloudRunner Fortress, Fox must use pillars, other structures, and floating crates to jump through a series of rings along a path over water. At the Walled City, rings appear in the stream around the central land mass, the object being to ''swim'' or otherwise pass through them. Both instances are a race against time, but in the second case, passing through a ring gives you a few more seconds.

* ''VideoGame/EccoTheDolphin: The Tides Of Time'' has the main character swim through rings to progress between certain levels.

* ''VideoGame/{{Superman 64}}'' has a ''lot'' of these. Bizarrely, Lex Luthor introduces these ''linear'' ring racing segments by challenging Superman to [[http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/498/239007-ss03.png "SOLVE MY MAZE"]]. This went all MemeticMutation for N64 magazine (later NGamer), to the point that Lex Luthor's Solve My Maze became a regular feature when the title changed focus to the GameCube and became NGC.

* Among the side missions in ''VideoGame/JustCause 2'' are plenty of racing ones. There's four kinds, too; road courses where you use a car or motorcycle, flying courses where you pilot some type of aircraft, boat courses, and obstacle courses where you don't use a vehicle at all. You need to go through all the rings in order within the time limit, and passing through each ring makes it explode dramatically while adding seconds to the timer. Time doesn't start ticking until you hit the first ring, so you can take all the time you need to get ready, or even go hijack another vehicle to use for the race.

* The VideoGame/GundamVsSeries has this in the mission modes for ''[[GundamSEEDDestiny Alliance vs ZAFT II Plus]]'' and ''Gundam vs Gundam''. Then there are levels where the ''actual'' objective is "Pass through these three rings", but [[EndlessGame an infinite number of enemies constantly spawn]], letting the player [[LevelGrinding grind]] at will. In this case, the rings are simply the "off" switch, allowing the player to duck out before he gets killed.

* ''EccoTheDolphin: The Tides Of Time'' has the main character swim through rings to progress between certain levels.

* Used with difficulty in the ''Ultimate {{Spider-Man}}'' game, as Spidey's (or Venom's, for that matter) movements are rarely in a straight line and missing once can lead to having to start all over again.
* A GameBoy ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' game used this when you went to warp speed, in order to put you in another system. Despite this being very difficult on some occasions, it's impossible to fail.

* The game for the first ''IronMan'' movie uses a ring sequence as flight training.

* This is the point of ''NightsIntoDreams'' and its sequel.

* ''KingdomHearts'':

** Likewise, the [[ThatOneLevel Gummi Missions]] in [[VideoGame/KingdomHearts the first game]].

* Similarly, the DCUniverseOnline MMO has racing challenges a player can choose to take, consisting of timed ring obstacle courses throughout the cities.

* ''Videogame/CrashBandicoot3Warped'' has a level like this dubbed "Rings of Power". This is a ShoutOut to the game developer Naughty Dog's first game.

* The ''{{Spyro}}'' games have this as a minigame, too.

* From the ''VideoGame/StarFox1'' onwards, it's common in ''Franchise/StarFox'' to pilot your Arwing through various rings for different reasons. Training modes always make you fly through rings, with some of them having a special placement that requires special maneuvers.
** ''StarFox64'' has ring-shaped health items: the silver ring gives you a little bit of health, the star-shaped silver ring and the checkpoint ring give you a lot of health, the golden ring gives you a fair amount of health and collecting three will double the length of your health bar.

** ''Command'' uses squared rings instead of circular ones, be it to chase down a missile, Barrel Roll into the enemy mothership, and so on.

* ''{{Pilotwings}}'' has the justification of being about aerial acrobatics. It's also one of the oldest examples of this trope.

* ''RatchetDeadlocked'' has several missions wherein you have to steer a vehicle (either a hoverbike or a spaceship) through rings in a certain time limit.
** ''RatchetAndClankGoingCommando'' has three ring races in space as optional missions for 100% completion.
** ''[[RatchetAndClankFutureToolsOfDestruction Tools of Destruction]]'' goes further by having pass through the rings missions that are [[FakeDifficulty steered using the PS3's sloppy motion-sensor controls]] by default.

* ''RocketRobotOnWheels'' has several ring missions, usually involving each level's specific vehicle.

* ''TheSimpsons Game'' has this in the final level.

* The ''{{Spyro}}'' games have this as a minigame, too. {{Spyro 2}} has two missions in the world "Aquaria Towers", involving riding on a Manta Ray through rings made of bubbles.

** {{Spyro}}: Enter The Dragonfly has a mini-game involving flying through hoops.

** ''Mario Golf'' has challenges where the player has to shoot the ball through rings.
** ''Mario Golf'' 2 has ''co-op'' ring shot, with different sets of holes for 1, 2, 3, or 4 players. Only one ball needs to go through each ring (with more rings across more paths to compensate), but ''everyone'' needs to make par to win.

* The flight training levels from ''TonicTrouble''.

* In ''{{Halo 3}}'', the player must jump through a series of rings in the correct order to obtain an EasterEgg skull.

* The GundamVsSeries has this in the mission modes for ''[[GundamSEEDDestiny Alliance vs ZAFT II Plus]]'' and ''Gundam vs Gundam''. Then there are levels where the ''actual'' objective is "Pass through these three rings", but [[EndlessGame an infinite number of enemies constantly spawn]], letting the player [[LevelGrinding grind]] at will. In this case, the rings are simply the "off" switch, allowing the player to duck out before he gets killed.

* The recent ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' games are huge users of this one. ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas San Andreas]]'', however, took the cake.

* The recent ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' games are huge users of this one. ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas San Andreas]]'', however, took the cake.

* ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'' has at least five ring-passing missions, two of which are in the Clanker's Cavern level. In comparison, ''Banjo-Tooie'' has only one PassThroughTheRings mission: the Hoop Hurry minigame in Witchyworld. And then there's ''Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts'', where you have to pass through rings nearly every other Jiggy Game it seems like.

* Some space sims from the early 1990s, particularly ''VideoGame/XWing'' and derivatives, used this trope for their training levels, which were usually not required to play, though you could get a BraggingRightsReward for completing them. ''VideoGame/XWingAlliance'' even put in a lot of thought into coming up with an in-game reason for its PassThroughTheRings "pilot proving ground" to be a real place and not a holographic simulator.
* The ''VideoGame/HarryPotter'' video games seem to like this one. The broomstick and Hippogriff flying lessons in their versions of ''Philosopher's Stone'' and ''Chamber of Secrets'' use this mechanic, and the Quidditch adaptations in each game also use the mechanic as an assist for chasing the golden snitch. Despite this, the rings only show up in ''Quidditch World Cup'' as an aid in the passing tutorials.
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' has this as a swimming minigame. You're then told you have to do it again to get your prize. And twice more if you want the piece of heart.
* ''Videogame/CrashBandicoot3Warped'' has a level like this dubbed "Rings of Power". This is a ShoutOut to the game developer Naughty Dog's first game.
* ''{{Pilotwings}}'' has the justification of being about aerial acrobatics. It's also one of the oldest examples of this trope.
* ''EccoTheDolphin: The Tides Of Time'' has the main character swim through rings to progress between certain levels.
* One of the minigames in the {{MMORPG}} ''Toontown''.
* {{Spyro}}: Enter The Dragonfly has a mini-game involving flying through hoops.
* The ''{{Spyro}}'' games have this as a minigame, too. {{Spyro 2}} has two missions in the world "Aquaria Towers", involving riding on a Manta Ray through rings made of bubbles.
* There's an option in some entries in the ''VideoGame/MicrosoftFlightSimulator'' series that allows you to see a flight path as a series of rings. Follow them, and you'll have a nice, smooth flight. Likewise, if you want an easy, smooth landing, just turn on an option that renders a landing path as a series of rings. ''Sega Airline Pilots'', an arcade flight sim, has a similar feature, except that the rings are mandatory, as they make up your flight route.
* This is the point of ''NightsIntoDreams'' and its sequel.

* In ''{{Halo 3}}'', the player must jump through a series of rings in the correct order to obtain an EasterEgg skull.
* A GameBoy ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' game used this when you went to warp speed, in order to put you in another system. Despite this being very difficult on some occasions, it's impossible to fail.
* ''VideoGame/{{SSX}} 3'' involves Big Challenges, which are like little mini-missions you do for money and completion. Naturally, a number of said challenges involve, you guessed it, jumping through hoops. Given the nature of the game however, this ends up being a lot more fun than one would expect.

* Used with difficulty in the ''Ultimate {{Spider-Man}}'' game, as Spidey's (or Venom's, for that matter) movements are rarely in a straight line and missing once can lead to having to start all over again.
* ''RocketRobotOnWheels'' has several ring missions, usually involving each level's specific vehicle.
* ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'' uses rings in the level designed to teach the player how to use their levitation powers. The level is a dance party in the mind of a high-ranking Psychonaut, who asks you to levitate through the rings to get them spinning so her party can kick off.

* ''VideoGame/{{Excite}} Truck'' has challenge modes which involved either ramp jumps through rings, or navigating through ever-shrinking gates. This is because, unlike most racers, the goal is not to come in first, but score the most points. Every course has a jump where you can attempt to fly through rings for points, although you can score roughly the same amount of points by getting air-time or successful mid-air spins.
* ''VideoGame/DiddyKongRacing'' uses rings as booster pads for planes. Also, you have to beat every track two times, the second time with the added challenge to collect eight silver coins, which is quite similar in how it restricts your movement options, but you can get them in any order and you have all three laps to get them.
* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'' contains three such challenges. Two of them can be a slight hassle as you have to do so with Diddy's jetpack which can be slightly difficult to use (but you could always use hover). The other one is a boss fight where you have to use a boat that [[UnexpectedGameplayChange you only use in that one stage]] while avoiding shockwaves and fireballs.
* ''JetpackBrontosaurus'', as the name implies.
* ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' has these on the DS in the mission mode.
* ''KingdomHearts'':
** Several of the mini-games in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', although passing through the rings would just increase your score; it's not really ''required'' to hit all of them.
** Likewise, the [[ThatOneLevel Gummi Missions]] in [[VideoGame/KingdomHearts the first game]].
** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2'', some of the missions where you need to pick up emblems can devolve into this, as you need to rush from one to the next in order to get full points. On the other hand, you can beat up nearby enemies to refresh the "ring", so it's a bit more involved (and easier) than most examples here.
* The race challenges in ''SpiderMan 2: TheMovie'' (among the best licensed games out there) are like this, only the rings are 10 to 15 stories high - given the game's excellent swinging physics, this is somewhat understandable - the ones attached to walls and obstacles are somewhat smaller and more frustrating to hit.
* In ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'', you have to pass through rings too.
* ''VideoGame/LegendOfKay'' has it for the riding minigames. While it makes some sort of sense for the races it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever for the dragon ride, where Kay just wants to get from A to B.
* One of ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}} 2'''s boss fights is one of these. The boss would create rings of fireballs that you have to fly through or else they inexplicably home in on you.

* The optional Ba'ul races in ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'', only needed for OneHundredPercentCompletion.
* In the bad sequel ''Mercenaries 2: World in Flames'' there are several ring/gate/checkpoint races. Most of them have no logical reason for existing. In one you are in a helicopter and told the rings will show you the quickest way to your destination; except, the rings take you on a very long and winding course when you could simply fly in a straight line and get there much faster. And you are timed of course.
* ''TheSimpsons Game'' has this in the final level.
* The "Power Cruising" event in ''VideoGame/WiiSportsResort''.
* ''VideoGame/WingCommander Arena'' has a game based on this, activated by a PowerUp in the "Bearpit" arena. Completing all three levels is worth an Xbox Live achievement.
* The PC game ''VideoGame/TachyonTheFringe'' also has this type of mission. However, at least they are completely optional, really only important for earning a little extra money.
* ''[[VideoGame/{{HAWX}} Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.]]'' has possibly the only implementation of this that makes ''sense'': the rings are created by your aircraft's computer system to assist in complicated maneuvers (such as intercepting enemy aircraft, dodging missiles or dive bombing a target). Not only is this sort of thing [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head-up_display#Enhanced_flight_vision_systems actually in development today]] but the player can turn it off at any time to increase the plane's maneuverability at the expense of greater stall risk and difficulty of control.
* Done ''Tempest 2000'' title reboot. Fly-though-rings levels appeared every now and then amongst the notably manic main levels, ostensibly to give you a quiet breather in which to dry your hands and catch your breath, as well as score some bonus points or extra lives if you did well. However, though they started slowly, the action was almost as mad as the main game once you neared the end of the course. It was noted in one review as officially being called "flying the bacon" due to the flat-plane texture of Jupiter's streaky clouds you flew over, and sometimes below after passing through the "rasher"... with space appearing UNDER you. The bacon was a single polygon, and so were the hoops which never appeared more than about three at a time to make it harder to plan which way to go.
* ''[[VideoGame/{{Descent}} Descent 3]]'' requires the player to fly through a series of rings to acquire the builder's icon in the Martian Nomad Caverns. Yes, a bunch of groundbound nomads locked up the key to their inner sanctum with a lock that requires an agrav ship to unlock.
* Among the side missions in ''VideoGame/JustCause 2'' are plenty of racing ones. There's four kinds, too; road courses where you use a car or motorcycle, flying courses where you pilot some type of aircraft, boat courses, and obstacle courses where you don't use a vehicle at all. You need to go through all the rings in order within the time limit, and passing through each ring makes it explode dramatically while adding seconds to the timer. Time doesn't start ticking until you hit the first ring, so you can take all the time you need to get ready, or even go hijack another vehicle to use for the race.
* The ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants Movie Game'' has certain 'Patty Wagon' ring challenges where you would have to steer the patty wagon through rings.
* The flight training levels from ''TonicTrouble''.
* ''DragonBallZ: Infinite World'' on the PS2 has several of these levels, often for no discernible reason.
* ''[[VideoGame/{{Bug}} BUG!]]'' has this, where the titular character has to ride a dragonfly through flaming rings (missing one ended the level).
* The GundamVsSeries has this in the mission modes for ''[[GundamSEEDDestiny Alliance vs ZAFT II Plus]]'' and ''Gundam vs Gundam''. Then there are levels where the ''actual'' objective is "Pass through these three rings", but [[EndlessGame an infinite number of enemies constantly spawn]], letting the player [[LevelGrinding grind]] at will. In this case, the rings are simply the "off" switch, allowing the player to duck out before he gets killed.

* The game for the first ''IronMan'' movie uses a ring sequence as flight training.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Scaler}}'', the races against [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragons]] at Desollem have rings scattered along the track. Bizarrely though, there's no bonus or penalty for respectivly going through or missing them, and it appears that their purpose is just to show the reccomended path around the track.
* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'' has augmented reality missions where Batman strives to use his cape gliding skills to pass through rings, apparently as a SelfImposedChallenge. The basic ones are fairly simple, and unlock both the Grapnel Boost upgrade and the Advanced missions, which are... [[ThatOneSidequest harder.]]
* In ''VideoGame/ConkersBadFurDay'', the titular character has to lure an eel into three rings of circuitry so it can empower a generator and use a ContextSensitiveButton panel.
* ''Videogame/ForzaMotorsport 4'' has Autocross events, where you need to pass through series of cone gates within a set amount of time (taking longer will result in less payout). The cones are arranged in hellish configurations to truly test how responsive your car is - slaloms, sudden braking, and oddly placed gates in turns. Every time you hit a cone or miss the gate, 5 seconds is added onto your lap time.
* Whereas the series's previous entries has it as a slot machine, ''VideoGame/EscapeVelocity Nova's'' gambling minigame has the player betting on the outcome of a space race involving this. A rare example where it's not the player doing it.
* ''[[VideoGame/{{X}} X: Beyond the Frontier]]'' has this as part of the JustifiedTutorial, the justification being testing the systems on the [[XtremeKoolLetterz Xperimental]] [[CoolStarship Shuttle]]. Also, several missions in ''X3: Reunion'' and ''Terran Conflict'' have you racing against other ships; you do not technically fly through rings, but you do have to pass through arbitrarily placed checkpoints.
* The ''VideoGame/RogueSquadron'' tutorial levels have you fly through a series of Rebel insignias.
* The ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' LicensedGame was largely based around swimming through bubble rings.
* In ''VideoGame/IndependenceWar'', there were a couple missions that required you to fly through rings as a training course of sorts. Hitting the side of one, however, was pretty nearly fatal. The one ring mission in the sequel, ''[[VideoGame/IndependenceWar2 Edge of Chaos]]'', was rather harder. You still have to fly through large metal rings without smacking into them, but you also have to shoot moving targets along the way.
* The flying and skydiving parts of ''VideoGame/WiiSportsResort'' have these.
* Each world in ''VideoGame/ToyCommander'', with the exception of the Cellar, has one race consisting of this. [[spoiler: The unlockable garden level has a race like this where you play as a snail and race other snails. Unlike the other levels in the game, getting hit doesn't damage you, it just stuns you for a few seconds.]]
* Some of the bonus challenge levels in ''VideoGame/JamestownLegendOfTheLostColony''.
* In ''VideoGame/SkyOdyssey'', transparent rings are in each level and are colored white and yellow. White rings help guide the player on the correct path through the area. Yellow rings are harder to safely pass through without crashing your aircraft, but worth more points. All of these rings are optional to pass through but give players a better store, allowing them to buy more parts to [[AceCustom customize their aircraft]].

* The flying and skydiving parts of ''WiiSportsResort'' have these.
* Each world in ''[[Main/ToyCommander Toy Commander]]'', with the exception of the Cellar, has one race consisting of this. [[spoiler: The unlockable garden level has a race like this where you play as a snail and race other snails. Unlike the other levels in the game, getting hit doesn't damage you, it just stuns you for a few seconds.]]
* Some of the bonus challenge levels in ''JamestownLegendOfTheLostColony''.