Line #15 YMMV/Quadrax


1	* BreatherLevel:
2	** Rule of thumb is that every tenth level is kind of hard, while the level that immediately follows it is this. This is due to the first level being the introduction of new episode, frequently adding new elements.
3	** The last level in the game is usually also easier than the one coming before it. The exceptions to this are ''VII'' and ''X''.
4	** In ''Neverending'':
5	*** Level 48 is notable because it is quite easy and the rest of the ''Titanic'' setting is absolutely grueling.
6	*** The ''entirety'' of the seventh episode qualifies, since it consists from the levels from the first game. Makes all that [[SequelDifficultySpike sequel difficulty spiking]] much more noticeable.
7	* DifficultySpike: Due to the wooden boxes in ''Neverending'', the difficulty goes right through the roof.
8	* SugarWiki/FunnyMoments: The monkeys stealing the team's (minus Rudy) equipment at the beginning of ''VII''.
9	* NightmareFuel:
10	** In general and especially earlier games, you are mostly closed in an underground levels with dim light and few bugs for only company, while a plenty of skeletons lies around. Yikes. Later games made settings much more variable, but it still didn't disappear completely.
11	** Deaths of a person under your control:
12	*** ''I'' has very graphic representation (for that time) of adventurer literary shatterring into a pool of blood as a result of FallingDamage. When seen for the first time, it can be quite shocking, especially for this otherwise family-friendly game.
13	*** Later games also introduce incineration, which basically burns the flesh from character from ground up with only skeleton remaining, and being shocked by electric fences, where the skeleton is also the only thing you can see afterwards.
14	*** ''X'' and later gives you possibility of dying by teleporting a block at character's position. Normally you wouldn't see what exactly happened beyond restart prompt, but if the portal only covers half of character, you can see that the other half is ''disintegrated into pink mist''.
15	** Some settings specifically are pretty unnerving:
16	*** In ''VI'', levels 81-90 take place deep under water, with dim light and blue-black background. Gives you really the feeling of being completely abandoned.
17	*** In ''X'' the levels 61-70 take place AfterTheEnd, with all what that implies.
18	* SequelDifficultyDrop: Half of those that don't pull [[InvertedTrope the]] [[SequelDifficultySpike opposite]], that means whole ''one''. ''Quadrax IV'' is easier because of not introducing new elements besides help scrolls, which make the levels a bit easier.
19	* SequelDifficultySpike: Almost ''all of them'':
20	** ''III'' was made by different author and such, while not including all the objects from the original game, it did include some new ones and the puzzles were more devious in general. The better resolution allowing for more complex stages might have some hand in it too.
21	** ''V'' introduced new character. That alone would mean more difficult puzzles, but there are also new types of objects such as block transporters, stone blocks that break after fall, the moving gates aren't limited to size of 2x1 tile anymore, and so on.
22	** ''VI'' introduced crystals which you ''have to'' collect, conveyor belts and time switches.
23	** ''VII'' introduced a wide array of different stone blocks, such as [[FrictionlessIce ice]] and ''levitating'' ones, poison darts that mean instant death, and flames, which have to be extinguished by blocks.
24	** ''VIII'' introduced movable cranes, even more block types, force fields that allow you to pass only in one direction, and teleports.
25	** ''Neverending'' adds anti-gravitational stone blocks that fall '''up'''. Then underwater levels completely screw you by wooden crates with the same property except you can also push two of them at once.
26	* ThatOneLevel: Even by [[NintendoHard game's standards]], these levels stand out:
27	** In revised ''III'', level 44 will make tear you hair in frustration because of a missing block.
28	** The early showstopper for many is level 17 in ''IV'', even considering the fact hint scroll says exactly what to do.
29	** Same for levels 10 and 11 in ''V'', which include new mechanics. Level 69 in the same game is the level 89 from previous installment, except without [[NotTheIntendedUse easy way out this time]], and is appropriately difficult. Its name, [[NameToRunAwayFromReallyFast Purgatory]], should indicate you what you're dealing with.
30	** ''V'' also has level 34 which has only one adventurer, Rudy. What, that should be easy because of less options? Well no, because of rather original solution and necessity to plan every step.
31	** Level 73 in ''VII'' is infamous to the point most people don't even know what the objective of the level is after spending few dozen hours in it. The guy who officially finished the game as first still took ''4 days'' to find a solution.
32	** Level 70 and 84 in ''X''. First one because of too many options from which only two work (and second is difficult to pull off), the second because of unclear objective.
33	** Level ''6'' in ''Neverending''. How bad it is? Even the guy testing it wasn't able to finish it ''without author's help''.
34	** Neverending's fifth episode in ''Titanic'' is grueling. Levels 44 and 46 presented a major roadblock for the majority of the players, so much that the author provided some additional hints for the latter, something he ''never'' does. Level 50 is already infamous for this due to development difficulty ''even before it was played by someone outside of the developer/testers''.

Context YMMV / Quadrax