History Main / CheckpointStarvation

* ''SonicUnleashed'': In the HD versions of the game, one mission involves getting to the end of Eggmanland, a NintendoHard stage that indeed is comparable to those of the old 8-bit games--without any usable checkpoints and with a time limit. It is also by far the longest stage in the game, considering the time limit is 45 minutes.
* ''SonicTheHedgehog2006'' has several stages that lack check points until several minutes into a stage and have little to none afterward. And some, like The End of the World Stage, lack checkpoints altogether.

* Checkpoints in ''GodHand'' are invisible, so you can't tell if there are any in a level until you die. Generally, they're where the game loads a new screen (but not always)... which means that any level where the game doesn't have to load a new area, like "Flying Pyramid", has to be done in one go.

* The developers of ''[[RType Super R-Type]]'' made the fatal mistake of not putting any checkpoints whatsoever in levels.

Note: This is an objective trope. It is ''not'' a tool for [[ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontLike Complaining About Games That Don't Have Enough Check Points]]. This trope is about the length of time you spend without {{Check Point}}s, not how frustrated you get because of it.

* ''{{Resistance}}: Fall Of Man'' was pretty bad about this: each level only had 1 or 2 checkpoints, with many major firefights between each checkpoint. Given how quickly you can go from full health to completely dead in this game, it's very common to get booted back 15-20 minutes of progress just as you're about to hit the next checkpoint. The sequels used a much more conventional and forgiving checkpoint system.

* The ''GrandTheftAuto'' series is deservedly notorious for this, and it's actually gotten stingier in the more recent games than in the old ones. In the worst cases, the one save is at the place where you're first assigned a mission (which can be quite a ways away from where you actually begin the mission, in a series that disdains any form of fast-travel.)

* ''CaveStory'': [[spoiler: [[BrutalBonusLevel Sacred Grounds]].]] Not only is the level NintendoHard, but the player is required to do it all in one go, including its two bosses, one of which has four forms.

* ''IWannaBeTheGuy'': The only difference between difficulty levels is how far apart the save points are. "Impossible" mode requires you to beat the entire game without save points.[[hottip:*: There actually ''is'' a way to save on Impossible. The "evil" save point that appears near the end of the game is still there on Impossible, and due to a glitch if you time it right have about 1 second to save on it.]]

* ''IWannaBeTheGuy'': The only difference between difficulty levels is how far apart the save points are. "Impossible" mode requires you to beat the entire game without save points.
** There is one save point that normally attacks you. This is the only save point in impossible, and due to a glitch if you time it right have about 1 second to save on it.

CheckPointStarvation occurs when in a {{video game}}, the player must go for an extended period of time without {{Check Point}}s or {{Save Point}}s. Its purpose, when done intentionally, is to add difficulty to the game.

Not to be confused with SaveGameLimits, when the game imposes limits on when and where you can save the game, though these two sometimes overlap.

The extreme version of Checkpoint Starvation is "Ironman mode", which generally challenges the player to complete the whole game from start to finish without ever going back.

* Some missions in ''GrandTheftAutoIV'' can run for up to 20 minutes, no saves or checkpoints, of course.

* ''DeadSpace2'': This trope is deliberately invoked in "Hardcore Mode" . Specifically, it only allows the player to save three times in the whole game, and there are no checkpoints.

* [[WhatCouldHaveBeen Originally]], ''Left4Dead'' would have the players start at the beginning of a campaign if they failed. [[NintendoHard Yes, a usually hour-long campaign consisting of 3-5 sections]] [[OhCrap and one Tank can send you all the way back]]. Thankfully, Valve caught on to how frustrating it was from play testing and added checkpoints at the beginning of each section.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'': The only installment of the 2D Mario platformers that had no checkpoitns in the levels. This isn't normally a problem since most of the levels are short anyway, but this can cause frustration in the game's harder, longer levels.

* The {{Mons}} game ''JadeCocoon'' has you going through the [[spoiler:[[FourIsDeath 4th forest]] without being able to save the game nor fusing monsters]] due to story elements, namely that [[spoiler:everyone in your village has been TakenForGranite]]. The king... sovereign... some-guy-who-seems-to-be-in-charge in the next hub [[{{Lampshaded}} comments on your endurance]].
* The infamous [[BrutalBonusLevel Chrysler Tower]] in ''ParasiteEve''.

* ''[[{{Tron20}} Tron 2.0]]'': Autosaving only occurred at the start of a level, no matter how large said level was. Saving did not exist at all during the lightcycle matches.

* ''BattlefieldThree'' has a few levels with a severe lack of checkpoints. The worst few involve playing a cutscene or introductory section before the actual combat.
* [[HarderThanHard Nightmare Mode]] in ''AliensVsPredator'' disables the checkpoint system, meaning you get bumped back to the very beginning of the mission if you ever die (which, given the enemy's increased damage output, happens a lot).

Compare MarathonBoss.

Not to be confused with SaveGameLimits, when the game imposes limits on when and where you can save the game, though these two sometimes overlap.