History Main / PlanetHeck

* ''VideoGame/CaveStory'''s Sacred Grounds level, the hardest area of the game, is only accessible if you've fulfilled [[GuideDangIt a number of obscure requirements.]] Beat it to get the [[MultipleEndings best ending]]. Despite the name "Sacred Grounds", everything is dull red or orange-red and covered in spikes, and it's filled with evil angels. It's [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]], too, which is the only reason it's on this page with the name "Sacred Grounds". If you head right from the entrance and drop through the floor, you can read a sign that quite literally says "WelcomeToHell!" Of course, most {{Speedrun}}ners just avoid it entirely...

* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' has the Nether, which is all a FireAndBrimstoneHell world, complete with floating ghost-demons, flaming smoke plumes surrounded by spinning rods, cubes of lava that hop around, and zombie pigs. Wait... what the hell?

* Creator/MarvelComics has Mephisto's Realm. It is not another planet so much as it is another dimension that looks like a FireAndBrimstoneHell complete with a Satan {{Expy}} who is really just a mystical being that happens to be named [[Myth/{{Faust}} Mephisto]]. For all intents and purposes, it's {{Hell}} but without the religious implications and inescapabaility, allowing the heroes the ability to punch their way out.
* Creator/DCComics: [[ComicBook/NewGods Apokolips]], an infernal planet which is filled with burning fire pits. Pain, death, and hopelessness are the norm there. Its inhabitants are AlwaysChaoticEvil New Gods who are the embodiment of evil, most notably its ruler Darkseid.
* Nef in ''ComicBook/HackSlash'', which is not so much literally Hell as a dimension with demons in it. People don't necessary go there if they die, but those who know about it still call it Hell anyway.
* Resurréction in French comic book ''ComicBook/RequiemVampireKnight'' is the hell where people goes after death. Is shown to be an spheric planet like Earth (but inverted, the areas that are water on Earth are land there and vice versa) with its own moon.

* Creator/StephenKing's novel ''Literature/{{Revival}}'' shows that every single human being goes to the same place after death: a hellish planet ruled by ant-like monsters that enslave the human souls and worship a horrible spider-like EldritchAbomination.
* Creator/BrianLumley's ''Literature/{{Necroscope}}'' series, after the third book shows that vampires come from a hellish planet connected to Earth by a "gray hole". Albeit for the natives of that planet Earth is hell.

* In ''Series/StargateSG1'', the Goa'uld System Lord Sokar was considered particularly vile even by the AlwaysChaoticEvil Goa'uld standards, and over the millennia he shifted his persona from matching the Sokar of Myth/EgyptianMythology into one based on {{Satan}}. As part of this, he transformed Netu, the moon of his capital world Delmak, into a literal HellholePrison.

* Expect any ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' campaign to reach this at some point. For bonus points, in 4e the Nine Hells are shaped like a planet, are about as big as Earth IRL, and float in what seems to be outer space.
** This is noted in one strip of ''ComicStrip/WhatsNewWithPhilAndDixie''; that Hell ain't what it used to be if the rest of the party can physically breach it to rescue you.

* The TropeNamer also appeared in the [[WesternAnimation/EarthwormJim Earthworm Jim cartoon]], more or less unchanged from the videogame version, as the base of operation of Evil the Cat. We also get to witness the [[FauxHorrific unspeakable tortures]] the damned are subjected to: the Pit Sharp Cornered Coffee Tables, a DMV Office, and most terrible of all: the [[BitingTheHandHumor TV Network’s Conference Room]].

* The second half of ''VideoGame/SuperColumbineMassacreRPG'' takes place in Hell, and brings with it a DifficultySpike as you go from [[SpreeKiller gunning down near-defenseless students and teachers]] at [[UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} Columbine High School]] to battling demons straight out of ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' who can actually fight back. The {{Villain Protagonist}}s, who are huge fans of ''Doom'', are [[AHellOfATime ecstatic]] about being able to live out their favorite game for real, [[spoiler:and ultimately become Satan's minions after [[DefeatMeansFriendship fighting their way through him and his demons]]]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' is the archetypal example, with the player tasked with stopping an [[TheLegionsOfHell invasion of demons]] at their source, after fighting them off at a series of Mars bases. In ''Doom II'', it's the same thing all over again, except this time [[HellOnEarth you're fighting them on Earth]], and this time you actually [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu destroy Hell]], and afterwards idly wonder [[Music/MeatPuppets where bad folks will go when they die]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' is the archetypal example, with the player tasked with stopping an [[TheLegionsOfHell invasion of demons]] at their source, after fighting them off at a series of Mars bases. In ''Doom II'', it's the same thing over again, and this time you actually [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu destroy Hell]], and afterwards idly wonder [[Music/MeatPuppets where bad folks will go when they die]].

* ''VideoGame/GianaSistersDS'': About half of World 8 takes place in a maze of lava-filled caverns. The time limit even increases from 300 to 666.

* ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' is the archetypal example, with the player tasked with stopping an [[TheLegionsOfHell invasion of demons]] at their source, after fighting them off at a series of Mars bases. In ''Doom II'', it's the same thing over again, and this time you actually [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu destroy Hell]], and afterwards idly wonder [[Music/MeatPuppets where bad folks will go when they die.]]

* "Thy Farts Consumed" from ''VideoGame/TheAngryVideoGameNerdAdventures'' is explicitly set in {{hell}}, complete with ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' references.

* The TropeNamer also appeared in the [[WesternAnimation/EarthwormJim Earthworm Jim cartoon]], more or less unchanged from the videogame version, as the base of operation of Evil the Cat. We also get to witness the [[FauxHorrific unspeakable tortures]] the damned are subjected to: the Pit Sharp Cornered Coffee Tables, a DMV Office, and most terrible of all: the [[BittingTHeHandHumor TV Network’s Conference Room]].

[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not]] a LighterAndSofter version of "[[Music/{{Nightwish}} Planet Hell]] or of "[[DeathWorld Hell Planets]]."

* The first three ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' games have had (near-)endgame levels set in the demon world.

* The final battle of ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'' is against {{Satan}} himself, appropriately set in Hell.

[[quoteright:256:[[VideoGame/EarthwormJim https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ewj-snes-evil.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:256: And that's just level 2.]]

* ''Spear Of Destiny'', the MissionPackSequel to ''VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D'', has its last level take place in Hell and feels somewhat like a forerunner to ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}''. Given how id Software decided to use this level as inspiration for their newest game after an attempt to do an ''Film/{{Aliens}}''-based FPS fell through, it sort of ''is'' one.

** Unlike most PlanetHeck levels, however, the Underwhere is more based off of the [[Myth/GreekMythology Greek's interpretation of the afterlife.]]

* [[BrutalBonusLevel The Temple of the Elder Gods]] from ''VideoGame/AVeryLongRopeToTheTopOfTheSky'' is a two-for-one deal. It's split into two sub-dungeons, one of which is a BonusLevelOfHeaven and one of which is PlanetHeck. (It's a dreary [[TheUnderworld Underworld]] place rather than the Christian {{Hell}}, however.)

* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' has the Nether, which is all a FireAndBrimstoneHell world, complete with floating ghost-demons, flaming smoke plumes surrounded by spinning rods, cubes of lava that hop around, [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers and zombie pigs]]. Wait... [[{{Pun}} what the hell]]?

* ''Muramasa: Demon Blade'' features a nice ''[[GratuitousJapanese jigoku]]'' level, replete with oni galore. Really freakin' tough oni that take tons of damage and rarely flinch.

* The second half of ''VideoGame/SuperColumbineMassacreRPG'' takes place in Hell, and brings with it a DifficultySpike as you go from [[SpreeKiller gunning down near-defenseless students and teachers]] at [[UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} Columbine High School]] to battling demons straight out of ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' who can actually fight back. The {{Villain Protagonist}}s, who are huge fans of ''Doom'', are [[AHellOfATime ecstatic]] about being able to live out their favorite game for real, [[spoiler:and ultimately become Satan's minions after [[DefeatMeansFriendship fighting their way through him and his demons]]]].

* ''VideoGame/TheSecretOfMonkeyIsland'' features caverns near the titular island that shift positions, smell of sulfer, have strange growths of hands, eyes, and mouths, where the walls constantly drip with blood. Tourists used to line up for hours to see it.

* The final venue in ''VideoGame/GuitarHero III: Legends of Rock'' takes place in Hell [[spoiler:after the player's manager [[LouisCypher Lou, who is actually the devil - Lucifer]] - in disguise, sends the band there for refusing to perform on Celebrity Has-Been Dance-Off and threatening to fire him for even suggesting it. The band must then perform for the Legions of Hell and eventually face off against Lou in [[ChessWithDeath a climactic guitar battle to redeem themselves]]. The song in question? A rock version of "The Devil Went Down To Georgia", appropriately enough. Afterwards, Hell EXPLODES and the band ride out on flying motorcycles.]]
** Then you get to play the [[BrutalBonusLevel hellish bonus song]] Through The Fire and the Flames during the credits.[[note]]On one hand, you're not scored on it; on the other, it's impossible to actually fail the song.[[/note]]
** ''[[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs What?]]''
*** [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat_Out_of_Hell Philistine...]]

[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not]] a LighterAndSofter version of "[[Music/{{Nightwish}} Planet Hell]]."

* The TropeNamer is ''VideoGame/EarthwormJim'', where the second level, "What the Heck?" takes you to a planet of FireAndBrimstoneHell to face off against [[CatsAreMean Evil the Cat]]. The background music? ''Night on Bald Mountain.'' You know, that one scene with the demon rising from a volcano in ''Disney/{{Fantasia}}''? That one. Then it changes impromptu (complete with RecordNeedleScratch) into the, according to the [[AllThereInTheManual manual]], most evil music genre in the whole universe: [[FauxHorrific Elevator music]]. Peppered with screams of agony.

* ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}'' has "The Underworld" at the bottom of the map. It's literally made up of lava, piles of ash, and Hellstone, and is populated by living lava blobs, demons, fire imps, and bats made of flame. So, yeah, basically hell. It's also where the player summons the Wall of Flesh, the boss required to unlock the endgame.

* A real-life example comes from ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration''. The set they used when depicting barren or hostile planets was nicknamed "Planet Hell" by the staff. It was so named because it would regularly reach 110-120 degrees F during shooting, quickly wearing out the cast and crew.

* To save some time lets just say every planet or moon that does not have an atmosphere would be planet heck to us. However notable planets that are the heck of heck shall be listed.

* ''VideoGame/LaMulana'' has a Hell Temple with even more stringent requirements, and its difficulty [[PlatformHell outdoes the already-hard rest of the game by a couple of orders of magnitude]]. And just to add insult to injury, completing it 'rewards' you not with a better ending, but with [[{{Squick}} Squick Fuel]]. It doesn't help that the Hell Temple has background music that will [[EarWorm ring in your ears]] and drive you to despair as you fall into Lands of Hell over and over again. And all this is topped with the fact that if you don't know how to activate the checkpoints or any of the secret passages, every time you screw up and get dropped into the Land of Hell, you are sent back several rooms. Worse still, to get to the final room, you have to traverse the entire temple ''three times'', carrying three mutually exclusive items in your inventory.

* Technically, ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' involved a level in Hades [[spoiler:once the main character died]]. This happens in ''most'' games in the series.
** In the prequel, ''Chains Of Olympus'', the last half or so of the game takes place in Tartarus, which is essentially Hell.
** ''VideoGame/GodOfWar III'' revisits Hades twice, once in an early mission to [[spoiler:kill the god Hades]] and once near the end to [[spoiler:kill the Three Judges of the dead before the final showdown with Zeus]].

* World 8 in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3''.