History Main / TideLevel

* [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] in ''VideoGame/Jak3Wastelander'' and its Spargus Arena challenges, where the platform you fight on sinks partially and temporarily into lava instead. The outcome is the same however; you have to find higher ground in time or you'll burn.

* Water Height: Water (or something which a character is able to swim in, like [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2 Mega Mack]]) rises and falls throughout the level and is sometimes needed to reach certain treasures, all while affecting the floating platforms on top of it. This may either happen periodically in seconds or through a mechanism that changes the water level when activated. Usually found in UnderTheSea or PalmtreePanic levels. Compare RisingWaterRisingTension.

* [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] in ''VideoGame/Jak3Wastelander'' and its Spargus Arena challenges, where the platform you fight on sinks partially and temporarily into lava instead. The outcome is the same however; you have to fight higher ground in time or you'll burn.

* [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] in ''VideoGame/Jak3Wastelander'' and its Spargus Arena challenges, where the platform you fight in sinks partially and temporarily into lava instead. The outcome is the same however; you have to fight higher ground in time or you'll burn.

# Water Height: Water (or something which a character is able to swim in, like [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2 Mega Mack]]) rises and falls throughout the level and is sometimes needed to reach certain treasures, all while affecting the floating platforms on top of it. This may either happen periodically in seconds or through a mechanism that changes the water level when activated. Usually found in UnderTheSea or PalmtreePanic levels. Compare RisingWaterRisingTension.
# Lava Tide: Lava (usually, sometimes it's something like poison or lots of enemies) rises up and down, often indicated by scorch marks or an abrupt change in color on the platforms. For extra difficulty, the platforms may sink. Frequently found in LethalLavaLand levels.
# Spiky Scenery: This one is that the platforms ''themselves'' are the hazards. May involve the platforms sprouting spikes, turning glowing-hot, baddies bursting out of the platforms, etc.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'': Has two, both water types: World 3-3 and World 3-8 where the player is persistently chased by a big jumping Cheep Cheep.
** There are three examples in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'':

*** Some cave levels have a yellow-colored rock terrain that moves this way. It's taken to a logical extreme in the second level of Valley of Bowser, as Mario has to deal with them while running through narrow passageways.

** ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros2'': World 3-4 is this trope but with [[GrimyWater poison water]]. Floating crates are there for the player to jump onto before they start sinking. Rising tides of poison also appear in the 3rd level of Coin Rush mode's Impossible Pack.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2'': This can be invoked by players in level-making. When making a course in the Forest or Castle themes, you can choose to set the liquid level, how fast it goes up and down, and the maximum and minimum heights it can reach. The liquid is water for the daytime version of Forest, lava for Castle, and poison in the night version of Forest.
** Pump Works from ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory'' is this. It involves Bowser guzzling water on the outside to allow the bros. to swim around by filling it with water, as this is his body's version of the kidneys (they process liquids)- It also changes some of the enemies there: Bubble Bloopers are in the Pipe Works when it's wet and Dry Bloopers (which are essentially dehydrated Bubble Bloopers) when it's dry.
* ''Franchise/MegaMan''
** ''VideoGame/Megaman4'': In Dive Man's stage, water rises and falls at regular intervals in some sections. You must use the extra jump height from rising water to help you navigate the stage, but beware [[OneHitKill spiky sea mines]] which float on top of the water.
** ''VideoGame/Megaman7'': Burst Man's stage is filled with some orange liquid which rises and falls. Unlike regular water, Mega Man floats to the surface of this goo. You have to use this to reach high platforms at high tide, but the goo drains far enough at low tide to drop you into SpikesOfDoom at the bottom.
** ''VideoGame/MegamanZero3'': When the water rises in Volteel Biblio's flooded library, it makes contact with exposed power cables, [[ElectrifiedBathtub shocking anything in the water,]] but it is safe to pass through the water as it falls below them.
* ''{{VideoGame/Celeste}}'': Parts of The Core involve the threat of a lava pool below, and a ceiling of ice spikes above. You flip switches to toggle which one advances and which recedes, and this whole section is basically a constant rush to the next switch before the lava or spikes get too far.
* ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'' has Click Clock Wood, which has the lake in the level change depending on the level's season.
* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' has Chemical Plant Zone, a level filled with a pink substance called Mega Mack which drains your air faster than normal water does.
* ''VideoGame/CastleOfIllusion'': In the Genesis and Mega Drive version, one part of the ancient ruins is a corridor that periodically floods, drowning you when it gets deep enough. You have to rush to the next elevated platform whenever the water lowers.
* In ''Tiny Toon Adventures 2: Montana's Movie Madness'', the [[{{Wutai}} Samurai Saga]] has a rising and falling pool of OneHitKill water in the bath house. Buster must travel across the lower path when the water is at its lowest, but get to higher ground when the water rises.
* In Stage Three of ''VideoGame/RocketKnightAdventures'', there is a rising and falling pool of reflective lava that [[OneHitKill instantly kills]] Sparkster if he falls into it. Since [[ObstructiveForeground crystals block the view of certain platforms,]] Sparkster needs the lava to see his reflection and cross the platforms safely. He also needs to charge his jet pack and time his charge perfectly so that he can safely make it under the lower paths when the lava is at its lowest. Later in the same stage. Sparkster comes to a rising and falling pool of water, and he needs to charge his jet pack, timing the charge perfectly so he can make it under low spiky ceilings when the water is at its lowest.
* ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot3Warped:'' The level Tomb Wader has the water rising up and down at intervals in certain sections. Crash cannot swim, so when the water goes up, he has to quickly find a tall footing or a floating platform to keep himself safe.

* ''VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire'' has Shoal Cave, a cavern that alternates between high tide and low tide during different parts of the in game day. During high tide, you can use Surf to reach areas normally too high to get to during low tide, and during low tide, the flooded parts of the cave drain out, allowing you to walk in them. There's even a secret SlippySlideyIceWorld accessible at low tide where one can find the then-elusive Snorunt.

* ''Literature/OldKingdom'': The Afterlife Antechamber of Death takes the form of an infinite misty river divided into nine "precincts", each with its own unique hazards. Necromancers have to sprint through the Third Precinct or else be caught up in a sudden surge of water that will carry them deep into Death and distort them into monsters.

# Water Height: Water (or something which a character is able to swim in, like [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2 Mega Mack]]) rises and falls throughout the level and is sometimes needed to reach certain treasures, all while affecting the floating platforms on top of it. This may either happen automatically in seconds or through a mechanism that changes the water level when activated. Usually found in UnderTheSea or PalmtreePanic levels. Compare RisingWaterRisingTension.

# Water Height: Water (or something which a character is able to swim in, like [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2 Mega Mack]]) rises and falls throughout the level and is sometimes needed to reach certain treasures, all while affecting the floating platforms on top of it. This may either happen automatically in timely intervals or through a mechanism that controls the water level. Usually found in UnderTheSea or PalmtreePanic levels. Compare RisingWaterRisingTension.

[[quoteright:275:[[VideoGame/BugFables https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bug_fables_stream_mountain_0.png]]]]

[[quoteright:300:[[VideoGame/BugFables https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bug_fables_stream_mountain_0.png]]]]

* ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'' has a subverted example in Click Clock Wood, which has the lake in the level change depending on the level's season.

A level or world in a game in which some type of liquid or object or hazard rises and falls in intervals. This comes in 3 flavors:

# Water Height: Water (or something which a character is able to swim in, like [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2 Mega Mack]]) rises and falls throughout the level and is sometimes needed to reach certain treasures, all while affecting the floating platforms on top of it. This may either happen in timely intervals or through a mechanism that controls the water level. Usually found in UnderTheSea or PalmtreePanic levels. Compare RisingWaterRisingTension.

# Water Height: Water (or something which a character is able to swim in, like [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2 Mega Mack]]) rises and falls throughout the level and is sometimes needed to reach certain treasures, all while affecting the floating platforms on top of it. This may either happen in short intervals or through a mechanism that controls the water level. Usually found in UnderTheSea or PalmtreePanic levels. Compare RisingWaterRisingTension.

# Water Height: Water (or something which a character is able to swim in, like [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2 Mega Mack]]) rises and falls throughout the level and is sometimes needed to reach certain treasures, all while affecting the floating platforms on top of it. Usually found in UnderTheSea or PalmtreePanic levels. Compare RisingWaterRisingTension.

[[quoteright:300:[VideoGame/BugFables https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bug_fables_stream_mountain_0.png]]]]

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames'': This is present in ''Oracle of Seasons'' as a mechanic. Lakes dry up in summer and freeze over in winter, allowing access to different areas.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' has Simmering Lava Lake, the penultimate level of World Castle (World 7) before taking on Bowser for the final Sprixie Princess. The player has to make their way through a lake of lava that rises and falls. You have to wait until the tide lowers in order to pass through.