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| 30 Nostalgic Vidya Levels đŽđšď¸
Note: Not the "best" or "greatest" or "most [insert superlative]" game levels by any means, simply the ones that are most nostalgic TO ME. I "grew up" largely in the 90s, and I'm sure that will be obvious after having read my list. These are the games that impacted me for better or for worse as a kid and, one way or another, have managed to stick in my memory even decades beyond. | | 30 |  | Phish
Junta
30. The Simpsons Arcade Game - âKrustylandâ
At the local arcade by my house (well, my motherâs house), THIS was the game that every single kid in the neighborhood was lined up to play, a fistful of quarters waiting eagerly for one of the four current players to lose his or her final life and free up one of the joysticks. This game really isnât even that good, especially by todayâs standards, but itâs a relic of my video game experience as a kid, and I canât even think about my formative video game years without immediately reminiscing over smashing evil goons in suits with Bartâs skateboard or Margeâs vacuum. âKrustylandâ was (and is, still, I would imagine) my favorite level, if for no other reason than the boss - a massive inflatable balloon in Krustyâs likeness that bounced and flailed erratically all over the screen. Good times. Some of the best, really. | | 29 |  | Curta'n Wall
Siege Ubsessed!
29. Super Mario World - âIggyâs Castleâ
For my money, the greatest 2D Super Mario platformer of all time. (Hell, it might beat the 3D platformers as well, but letâs not go there just yet.) Though at this point there are upwards of a dozen levels in this game that I could sketch from memory with unbelievable accuracy, the level that stood out to me the most as a kid was Iggyâs Castle. It included a number of elements both awesome and frightening that felt so bold and fresh for a Mario game - climbing fences and punching koopas on the other side, dodging smashing posts that took up over half the screen, and, of course, having to bop Iggy off his little floating, unstable island into the pool of laval below. I even remember being enamored at the way the world map changed permanently to reflect your progress through the castles. Incredible stuff. | | 28 |  | Swans
Public Castration Is a Good Idea
28. Donkey Kong Country 2 - âKing Zing Stingâ
This level isnât really a âlevelâ, but a separate boss level. It is forever seared into my frontal lobe, however, for the immense pain and anguish it caused me as a kid. I canât say exactly how long I was stuck on this level, but it was an embarrassingly long time. Like, weeks. Perhaps even months. Which, when youâre a kid and you only have a handful of games, feels more like an eternity. Controling that damn parrot was a pain, you had to understand the exact trajectory of his little coconut attack, and the damn beeâs flight pattern was quick and (seemingly, at the time) unpredictable, so aiming for his little stinger was a bitch. Plus, he took not three, not four, but SIX hits - and that didnât even defeat him! He turned into a smaller red bee with four other yellow bees swarming around that you had to take care of! When I finally got past this level it felt like opening up a brand new game. | | 27 |  | Filth Of Mankind
The Final Chapter
27. Mega Man X - âHighway (Intro) Stageâ
What else to say about ~plants flag~ THE best Mega Man game of the entire 2D series? Immacualte levels, beautiful platforming mechanics, a ton of cool gear and gun upgrades, unforgettable boss battles, and - hey - it wasnât so difficult that you felt dehumanized after e.g. failing some ridiculously frame-perfect jump-shot for the sixtieth time. When I think of this game, literally every single level pops into my head because theyâre all unique and thrumming with creativity, area-specific enemies, and a gorgeous soundtrack. So, naturally, I went for the level-that-isnât-quite-a-level, i,e., the opening Highway scene. Itâs a simple introduction, but you get an immediate feel for how awesome the game is going to be - from taking down the giant mechanical bee, to having Zero same your blue ass in the nick of time. | | 26 |  | Neurosis
Times Of Grace
26. Braid - âWorld 7â
By far the newest/most recent entry on this listâoriginally released in 2008, I picked up this little gem on a whim from the XBox Live Arcade and was immediately rapt by its ingenious puzzle mechanicsâto say nothing of the vibrant, deliciously retro (but also somehow contemporary?) artstyle. Every âworldâ in the game is memorable in its own right, each one expanding your heroâs time-bending tool belt in a number of creative and ingenious ways. The final world, however, is memorable for a different reason entirely: Its narrative implications. (SPOILERS) The whole time youâve been working to save a girl from some unnamed monster, only to discover in the eleventh hour that youâre the monster from which she is trying to escape. The way the game works this element into the actual gameplay by having you reverse all the way back through the final level is remarkable. | | 25 |  | Faust
Faust IV
25. Rollercoaster Tycoon - âForest Frontiersâ
A âlevelâ whose entry on this list is more of a synecodche for the game at-large. (But there is something infinitely warming and tender about that quaint little pocket of forestry among which youâre tasked with expanding your first-ever theme park.) Iâm almost certain I got a copy of this along with Loopy Landscapes and Corkscrew Follies for something to the tune of $10 which, when you consider the hours upon hours I sunk into this neat little Cedar Point simulator, mightâve turned out to be the best $10 Iâve spent in my life thus far. I started off like most kids did: Building loop-the-loops with unfinished track then cranking up the speed and mischevously running the carts off to their fiery deaths. But it didnât take long for me to harbor an obsession with making my theme park the biggest, baddest, and most profitable theme park the world had ever seen. | | 24 |  | Coconuts
Coconuts
24. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to The Past - âThievesâ Townâ
Iâve long cited this as the best / my favorite Zelda game (though as youâll see later, might no longer be the case) and for good reason. Itâs thirty years old but still impresses with its immersive world; a host of enemies, locations, and items; interesting characters and boss battles; and puzzling but intuitive dungeon designs. I could theoretically pick just about any dungeon or âlevelâ from this game, but the Thievesâ Town was chefâs kiss. I think what wowed me the most as a kid was leading the maiden out of the dungeon and into the light, only to quickly realize that she was the leader of the thieves in disguise the whole time. (I also particularly liked how the entrance was the Dark World interpretation of Kakariko Villageâs weathervane. | | 23 |  | Chrome
Alien Soundtracks
23. Mario Kart 64 - âRainbow Roadâ
Any millenial that says they didnât love Mario Kart 64 or play it until their Nintendo 64 overheated and their fingers were cramped from jamming down the A button is either lying or a Mormon. Mario Kart for the SNES wasâŚfun. For its time, anyway. But the controls are pitiful, the visual space is cramped and ugly, the âphysicsâ are a joke. It was more of a novelty than anything, but in those days, that was all we knew of Mario and his racing squad. Mario Kart 64 blew those doors wide open by improving upon its SNES predecessor tenfold, and in every possible facet. The 3D courses were innovating and gorgeous; the controls felt fluid, responsive, and tight; the power ups were devilish and exciting; the graphics (for the time) were beyond impressive. âRainbow Roadâ was a statement - it was by far the longest course in the game, its design was ethereal, and holy SHIT when we found out about that off-track shortcut?! Crazy, crazy times. | | 22 |  | The Zombies
Odessey and Oracle
22. Zombies Ate My Neighbors - âTitanic Toddlerâ
Growing up, I was under the impression this game was a lot more popular than it actually was; these days, even in retro-circles full of thirtysomethings desperatiely trying to live out past glories by reciting lists of video game accomplishments that no one cares about from several decades ago, Zombies Ate My Neighbors barely gets brought up or recognized. But itâs an incredible game. Yes, IS, not WASâhaving played through it somewhat recently on my SNES Mini, I can say that it not only holds up marvelously, but it is hard. Like, REALLY hard. (Younger-me would only play the game with Game Genie in tow, otherwise Iâm not sure Iâd have gotten past the third or fourth level.) The stage that always sticks with me, though, is the one with the giant baby running and flailing around. Itâs difficult, itâs ridiculous, itâs unique, what more could someone want? | | 21 |  | Tim Buckley
Happy Sad
21. Mortal Kombat - âThe Pit Bottomâ
Of all the games represented on this list, Mortal Kombat is perhapsâno, most definitelyâthe one that has aged least gracefully. Stiff, awkward controls, laughable hit detection and input mechanics, subpar graphics, and a character roster that, through no real fault of its own, feels retroactively puny and massively insufficient. But! Nothing can quite replicate the feeling of waiting in line for a turn on the sticks with a pocket full of quarters and a looseleaf notebook page with Liu Kangâs special moves scribbled down, moves you transcribed yourself from an issue of GamePro that you thumbed through at the corner store. Historical revisionism be damned, this game was incredible for its time, and no stage is more iconic than the bottom of âThe Pitâ and its razor sharp spikes with impaled bodies and decapitated heads. | | 20 |  | Goldfinger
Disconnection Notice
20. Tony Hawkâs Pro Skater 3 â âAirportâ
I was a massive THPS stan back in the day; I owned and religiously played the original all the way through Underground 2 (which is where the series started to jump the shark and lose my interest), but 3 & 4 were, to my mind, the cream of the crop. THPS3 perfected the formula that was started with 1 & 2, and THPS4 broadened the game with its âopen worldâ concept without taking things too far in a bombast or unfamiliar direction. It has been so long since Iâve played any of these games that I canât fully articulate why the Airport is and always has been my favorite THPS map, but when I think of âclassicâ Tony Hawk maps, this is the one that sits most heavily at the forefront of my mind. (Iâm also fond of THPS2âs Venice Beach and THPS3âs Canada.) Shredding in an actual airport felt SO groundbreaking in 2001. | | 19 |  | cLOUDDEAD
cLOUDDEAD
19. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars â âNimbus Landâ
While Nintendo and Square Enixâs legendary crossover is admittedly a bit comfortable and, well, easy for a traditional RPG game, it was nevertheless a champion of worldbuilding and atmospheric enrichment, its eternal coziness Iâve found to be unmatched even today. (Played the Switch remake recently and felt just as âat homeâ as I did decades ago.) Nimbus Land was always my favorite chapter of the story; the milieu was delicious, Mallow learning the truth about his family was infinitely heartwarming, and the various dealings with Dodo and his lady friend were fun as hell. (Favorite moment: Mario painting himself gold to look like a statue and having to jump to avoid Dodoâs authenticity pecks.) | | 18 |  | Beach House
7
18. Final Fantasy VII â âShinra Manorâ
I was a Final Fantasy kid growing up; anecdotally, I vividly recall first hearing about FINAL FANTASY VII and thinking, âwtf happened to entries 4 through 6?â (Yes, yes, this was before the ubiquity if the internet, so âgooglingâ such things was not an option, and I hadnât read anything about these missing FF games in any of my GamePro magazines.) In any case, I was as enamored with FF7 as the rest of the world, blown away by the ârealisticâ landscapes and textures, the awesome (at the time) 3D sprites, the amazing story, the rich characters, the variety of locations, etc., it was the sort of game that invaded my subconscious regularly and honestly, graphical details aside, it still retains its charm and allure even to this day. A plethora of memorable locations to choose from, but Iâll never forget the cutscene in the basement of the Shinra Manor when Sephiroth learns the truth⌠| | 17 |  | STRFKR
Starfucker
17. Star Fox 64 â âCorneriaâ
I was the only kid in my group of friends that had Star Fox on the SNES, and the few buddies that played it at my house were not impressed. I loved it, though, despite its very apparent flaws and hardware limitations, so when Star Fox 64 was announced, I was unreasonably excited, far more than anyone else I knew. The game ended up doing well and proving itself a Nintendo staple even to those unfamiliar with Foxâs origins, but to those of us weaned on the Super Nintendo version, this game felt like such a monumental upgrade in every way imaginable. The graphics were stunning (for the time; though I still think they look lovely in their own, nostalgic way), the controls were far improved, the gameplay was more comprehensible and therefore intense. I have Corneria memorized better than the back of my hand. | | 16 |  | Boris
Amplifier Worship
16. Pokemon Red/Blue â âLavender Townâ
Shit was creepy as a nine-year-old, shitâs still creepy today. I can reconstruct that high-pitched, ear-piercing 8-bit jingle from memory alone and it drives me as crazy now as it did almost thirty years ago. I mean, what kid is prepared for the gravity of a Pokemon graveyard with a bunch of depressed residents mourning the loss of their beloved creatures? Thatâs some heavy shit to throw at a bunch of children, further emulsified with an eeriness brought on by creepypasta rumors that came out years later. (As I recall, the story was that the Lavender Town theme caused several people to sort of go into a weird hypnotic state and kill themselvesâŚPreposterous, sure, but remember, these were the very early days of the Internet, well before we were aware that literally anyone can just make up whatever shit they want.) | | 15 |  | Snowing
I Could Do Whatever I Wanted If I Wanted
15. Donkey Kong Country â âSnow Barrel Blastâ
Pretty sure Iâve cried thanks to this level, and pretty sure itâs responsible for me having taken well over a year to beat the damn game. I would return to it occasionally, only to get frustrated at my inability to time those stupid spinning/translating barrel blasts and get sent into the snowy abyss again and again. And, for as much as it irritated me back then, Iâve always adored how the snow in the foreground gets harsher and more severe as you progress until the point when itâs legitimately obstruction. Like, the barrel sequences didnât need anything to make them more difficult, but the developers just couldnât help themselves. Love/hate relationship with this one, but thereâs no denying the cavernous space it has taken up in the recesses of my memory. | | 14 |  | Brainbombs
Obey
14. Super Mario 64 â âBob-Ombâs Battlefieldâ
Part of me wanted to put the castle courtyard and foyer here for nostalgiaâs sake, but when I really think about it, the (traditional) first level, Bob-Ombâs Battlefield, is nothing short of a landmark for Nintendo, and probably console gaming in general. Not only was it essentially everyoneâs first extended experience of their favorite platforming plumber in glorious 3D, but this level alone introduced so many new and cool concepts that would be used throughout the rest of the game (and even in subsequent games!). Defeating a boss by picking them up and throwing them, using cannons, harnessing the winged cap and flying for the first time, ground pounding a post to free a tethered chain chomp, and even racing the damn Koopa. Oh, and how excited were we as kids when we first learned of the little teleporting trick in the alcove of the mountain? | | 13 |  | Filmmaker (COL)
Vlad Tapes
13. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night â âThe Long Libraryâ
The baroque music of this area is forever embedded into my brain (shoutout, too, to the music in the Colosseum). Talk about incredible ambience and atmosphere, especially for a game with such unassuming graphics. I love the stuffy old background scenery, and Iâll never forget the weird tension I felt the first time one of the books poked out and tried to attack me. (Iâll also ever forget that bass-heavy sound effect when destroying them.) And, obviously, who can forget the Master Librarian? What a cool dude, and god bless the Jewel of Open he sells you. There are arguably far more âiconicâ set pieces in this game, but Long Library always has been always will be a personal favorite for its mood and tone. | | 12 |  | Cave Sermon
Divine Laughter
12. Kirby Super Star â âThe Great Cave Offensiveâ
A childhood favorite for my cousin and me, and an amazing co-op experienceâI remember staying up into the wee hours of the night as kids trying to 100% everything. While the entire game and all its subgames are excellent (especially Milky Way Wishes and Revenge of Meta Knight), The Great Cave Offensive is its crowning achievement, and quite honestly might be the single best level/location in the entire Kirby franchise (yes including recent ones; not impressed). Couldnât even estimate how many hours we spent searching high and low for all the hidden treasures. The four bosses are also among Kirbyâs most memorableâthe massive whale, the shifting chameleon, the RPG-style computer, and that rock-handed abomination. Instant classic. | | 11 |  | Sleep
Dopesmoker
11. Super Mario Bros. 3 â âWorld 2 â Desertâ
More of an infamous pick, really, this was one of those levels about which I harbored an irrational fear as a child, all thanks to that goddamn grimacing sun in the upper-left corner of the screen, staring menacingly down at Mario, just waiting to start swirling around and swooping down like an asshole. Truth is, this level is somewhat of a joke seeing it now as an adultâyou can blaze through most of the level at P-speed without too much trouble. A few well-timed jumps and itâs over. But yâknow what? Seven-year-old me didnât fâking know that. And I was terrified of that damn thing. I crept through the level like an idiot and immediately panicked when he finally started thrashing about. The sense of relief when I finally cleared this level is | | 10 |  | Babes In Toyland
Fontanelle
10. The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening â âToronbo Shoresâ
My sleeper pick for best Zelda gameâthough admittedly I am man enough to admit that better ones existâa sentiment tied directly to the number of times I beat it as a kid. (Easily the Zelda game Iâve played through start-to-finish the most.) From incessantly playing this black ânâ white beauty, eventually upgrading to the colorful âDXâ version, and now hammering out the gorgeous revamp on the Switch, I still get goosebumps during the introductory sequence, wandering down the shores of Koholint Island, finding a stranded sword, and talking to the mysterious owl for the first time. Thereâs nothing particularly novel about this location other than its place in my heart â but there it shall remain forever. The wind fish, my beloved. | | 9 |  | Insane Clown Posse
The Great Milenko
9. Final Fantasy VI â âKefkaâs Towerâ
An all-time game for me, and one of the precious few that holds up just as well today as it did nearly thirty years ago. (Not remotely hyperbole; I recently played through it again on my SNES Mini and it hasnât lost a single bit of luster.) The game is stacked with memorable locations, epic music, and iconic villains, but perhaps none more famous than Kefka Palazzo, a name that still sends shivers down my spine. (Okay, okay, perhaps Sephiroth has surpassed Kefka in terms of recognizability and overall stature, but Kefka did it first!) Iâll never forget the adrenaline rush I had when exploring Kefkaâs Tower for the first time as a kid, knowing that this amazing game was hurling toward its big, dramatic, climactic finish and that Iâd get the change to take down Kefka himself once and for all. | | 8 |  | Tomb Mold
Primordial Malignity
8. Super Metroid â âCrateriaâ
Truthfully, the entirety of Planet Zebes should be on this list; Super Metroid is a landmark in simple-but-rich and efficient, effective level design and every distinct area (Brinstar, Norfair, the Wrecked Ship, etc.) has a distinct vibe to it, a sequence of tones that helps guide the narrative of the game. Forcing myself to settle on a single area, though, I naturally landed on Crateria, mostly because yes, it is the first and most instantly recognizable landscape in the game, but also due to how emblematic that opening sequence is of a synecdoche for the series at-large. Samus arriving in her ship to the wasteland planet, rain pouring down, dismal and blighted by monsters, but brimming with flora, hidden passages, and secret nooks everywhere you look. | | 7 |  | Rainbow
Man on the Silver Mountain / Snake Charmer
7. Pokemon Gold/Silver â âMt. Silverâ
Hard to think of a sequel/follow-up that delivered as smashingly as Gold/Silver did. Blue/Red was monumentalâit was solely responsible for my school banning Game Boys. Kids literally could not stop playing it. Sneaking it under their desk during lessons and linking up to trade during recess. Gold/Silver took everything that was great about Blue/Red and made it even better. Johto felt more expansive and adventurous than Kanto, the new Pokemon were every bit as creative and interesting as the original 151, dark/steel type additions felt exciting, the day/night specific events was unique for the time. But the cherry on top was the ability to go back and explore parts of Kanto once you beat the campaign, the pinnacle of which culminates in the single most memorable battle in the entire Pokeverseâfacing off against âRedâ, i.e., your old-self from the previous generation. | | 6 |  | Radiohead
Spectre
6. GoldenEye 007 â âFacilityâ
Anyone with a Nintendo 64 most certainly sunk an ungodly number of hours into GoldenEye, much of that time in split-screen multiplayer, shooting up their friends and painting the walls with the âpaintball cheatâ activated. But the single-player campaign was iconic, too, and for a reason unbeknownst to me exactly, the second level, âFacilityâ, is the one that instantly springs to mind when I think of this game. Sneaking through the ventilation system, busting open a bathroom door and icing a dude taking a shit, covertly meeting with another double agent, using watch-activated mines to blow up a collection of tanksâthis stuff was trailblazing back in â97, and continues to stick with me to this day. | | 5 |  | Amon Duul II
Phallus Dei
5. Earthworm Jim â âWhat the Heckâ
I had a deep fondness for Earthworm Jim growing up, more so than other kids my age. I watched the cartoon religiously and even had an impressive collection of the action figures (which I no longer have, and are now worth a decent chunk of change, it seems). I think the grotesquerie appealed to me (much the same way as something like, e.g., Ren & Stimpy did), the farting noises, the belching enemies, the fact that you could whip murderous crows with your head, etc. And no level better encompasses that sardonic tone better than âWhat the Heck?â â a romp through hell, including enemies in the form of lawyers, bankers, demonic dog-like spirits, a crazy snowman, and a bloodthirsty cat. And if that isnât enough, the soundtrack is a marvelous comingling of both classical and elevator music. | | 4 |  | Anwar Sadat
Ersatz Living
4. Myst â âMyst Islandâ
Unconventional choice, maybe, but this was one of the depressingly few PC games my dad bought in the era of our first-ever, totally Internetless household computer. I couldnât even tell you why he bought this. I wasnât even 10 years old at the time, so I certainly didnât ask him to buy it. I didnât know wtf it was. But that didnât stop me from playing it. And, as anyone whoâs played the game before can imagine, my first year-or-so with Myst consisted mostly of pointing, clicking, and wandering around the starting island without having a single fucking clue what I was supposed to be doing. That didnât stop me from trying or having an unreasonable amount of fun with it, though. And even a clueless adolescent, if given enough free time, will eventually stumble upon something that appears like progress. I remember opening the portal to the Channelwood Age for the first time. Mind = blown. | | 3 |  | Can
Ege Bamyasi
3. Sonic the Hedgehog â âGreen Hill Zoneâ
Almost as famous for the infectious tune as it is for the level design and aesthetic, Iâm pretty sure people who arenât even video game diehards would recognize this grassy, sunlit series of ledges, loops, and corkscrews. I didnât have a Genesis growing up, oddly enough (I was an SNES kid), but my cousins did, and I hung out with them often; going over their house and playing Gensis was essentially a pastime, and Sonic was, naturally, the game of choice. I canât even say with confidence that we ever beat the entire game, but what I can tell you is that Iâve played through Green Hill Zone no less than fifty times in my life, and the precise timing of its jumps and the location of its hidden springs are seared into my mindâs eye forever. | | 2 |  | Pig Destroyer
Prowler in the Yard
2. Counter-Strike â âde_dustâ
Counter-Strike was the be-all end-all of my gaming experience as a teenager (specifically CS1.6 but I did play Source for a bit) because it had everything I wanted. The gameplay was simple and effective, the formula for FPS deathmatches was elegant and easy to grasp, the mods were endless, the community was booming, and the Internet was still ârelativelyâ new concept (at least in my household), so the prospect of being able to hop online after school and shred with the same dudes you were just in class with was genuinely exciting. Thereâs no doubt in my mind that Iâve played more hoursâ worth of CS1.6 than any other game in existence. Probably even more than Tetris. And though not my favorite map, de_dust is quintessential. It is THE Counter-Strike map. | | 1 |  | Hell (USA)
Hell
1. DOOM â âE1M1: Hangarâ
Too pat? Too expected? Perhaps. But thereâs no way this wouldnât or couldnât be my personal #1. Me and this game have way too much history. I was a mere child, these were the days when âthe Internetâ was still this largely intangible, lionized slice of magic of which not every household was blessed. So, when my father brought home a crappy Windows â95 computer for home, my hobbies includedâŚmessing around in MSPaint, Ski Free, and Solitaire. That is, until we bought DOOM from the local Blockbuster. I was way too young, but games didnât have ESRB ratings to warn oblivious parents back then. Three (or four?) floppy disk installations later, and the rest is history. I played DOOM seemingly nonstop for the better part of a decade. I became fascinated. Obsessed. It was a cornerstone of my childhood and, by extension, my lifeâand the Hangar is where it always began. | |
tectactoe
06.08.25 | Note: Not the "best" or "greatest" or "most [insert superlative]" game levels by any means, simply the ones that are most nostalgic TO ME. I "grew up" largely in the 90s, and I'm sure that will be obvious after having read my list. These are the games that impacted me for better or for worse as a kid and, one way or another, have managed to stick in my memory even decades beyond. | tectactoe
06.08.25 | Sput, what are some of the most memorable video game levels from your childhood? | YoYoMancuso
06.08.25 | 20 sticks out to me for sure, I also got to give a shout out to "Boulders" from the original Crash Bandicoot | budgie
06.08.25 | major props for forest frontiers (check out the game theme parkitect its sick)
fun trivia the school map in THPS 2 is partially based on the school i went to
iceworld from cs 1.6 days was sick | budgie
06.08.25 | also rogue encamppment from diablo 2 so cozy. rain big bonfire incredible moody music and friendly npcs | tectactoe
06.09.25 | There were a few Crash Bandicoot: Warped levels that almost made the list (to this day thatâs the only CB game Iâve ever played).
Unfortunately I got into the Diablo series too late. D3 was my first one, I really liked it but it made it difficult to go back and play the old ones. Started D2 a few times and never got very far. | foxblood
06.09.25 | 3 for sure. another one is the first level of Jumping Flash! I haven't played that since I rented it from blockbuster as a kid but I'll never forget that first level and the soundtrack. The first level of Streets of Rage too | Hawks
06.09.25 | So many great ones here. Have been thinking about getting back into gaming. I was a huge gamer up until my senior year of high school then I just stopped. | BAT
06.09.25 | yeah first things that came to my mind was counterstrike maps, if i had to chose one specifically for og cs it'd be cs_assault, for source onwards dust2. i do wish dust1 would've made a comeback cause it's an underrated map
for a random pick : goldeneye - facility | budgie
06.09.25 | remember that airport maybe 737 or 747 | CottonSalad
06.09.25 | Phantasy Star Online -- Jungle/Seaside of Ep. II
Nothing particular happens in this area regarding gameplay, but it captures that early 00's "ocean/beach" video game vibe (a la Chrono Cross or Super Mario Sunshine) in a special way.
Speaking of Chrono Cross tho, that game is full of little images that have stuck over the years -- the 'temporal vortex' was on my mind for a while after my first playthrough | CottonSalad
06.09.25 | was a huge gamer up until my senior year of high school then I just stopped [2] | tectactoe
06.09.25 | yesssss, cs_747 was awesome. i was a big fan of cs_office, too. | budgie
06.09.25 | oh yeah dude office prob my overall fave for source | Emim
06.09.25 | Runway from Goldeneye. My dad would sneak into our room while we were "asleep" and play this level over and over trying to get better times. | tectactoe
06.09.25 | Yeah Runway was a good one, too. (Others that stuck with me bigtime were Frigate and Jungle.) What's odd is that I had to look up what the final level was because I couldn't remember. (It's the Egyptian Temple level. Literally forgot all about that one.) | unclereich
06.09.25 | No Russian from Cod Mod 2 | tectactoe
06.09.25 | Yeah I had that on my preliminary list and it didn't make the cut, not because it's not "memorable" but because its really a different breed of 'nostalgia' from the other entries here - I do remember doing that mission for the first time (and it was when the game was relatively new still, so I hadn't read/seen anything about the mission online beforehand) and being like...what the fuck. | IsisScript80
06.09.25 | 'Strider' (1989) - "Flying Battleship Balrog"
-Pure, "Fuck me!" Awesomeness, to this day. Opening level too, is pretty much on a part with it.
'Street Fighter 2' - Japan (Ryu's stage)
-Possibly this, but any/or, really.
'Golden Axe' - "Old Firewood Kingdom"
-Opening level.
'Streets of Rage 2' - "Downtown'
-Again, opening level. Vibe... music... holy shit!
'Daytona USA' - (ahem...) "Beginner"
-Next-level iconic. | tectactoe
06.09.25 | Man, STREETS OF RAGE 2 is one of those old "classics" that I'd never ever played. All I hear about is how awesome it is, maybe I need to hunker down and finally play it on an emulator or something. | IsisScript80
06.09.25 | ^ Absolutely, tec. If you're into the Beat em' Up genre (either now or historically) this game needs to be experienced. | RVAHC13
06.09.25 | FIRE IN THE HOLE FIRE IN THE HOLE FIRE IN THE HOLE FIRE IN THE HOLE FIRE IN THE HOLE bombhasbeenplanted FIRE IN THE HOLE FIRE IN THE HOLE FIRE IN THE HOLE FIRE IN THE HOLE negative FIRE IN THE HOLE FIRE IN THE HOLE | tectactoe
06.09.25 | scoutzknives also a bona fide classic | Emim
06.09.25 | Halo or Silent Cartographer from Combat Evolved would make my list too | tectactoe
06.09.25 | What's weird is I played and loved Halo 1, 2, 3, and Reach, but couldn't tell you a single goddamn thing about the story modes in any of 'em. Granted, 95% of my time playing that game was online multiplayer but for as "good" as I remember the campaigns being, I'm surprised that I can barely even think of a single level or narrative morsel, like, at all. | RVAHC13
06.09.25 | Yeah list could use some Halo maps: Zanzibar, Blood Gulch, Guardian, Hang âEm High, Lockout, Valhalla, High Ground, Narrows, Sidewinder, etc. | bludngorevidal
06.09.25 | >> busting open a bathroom door and icing a dude taking a shit
[100] | Emim
06.09.25 | "I'm surprised that I can barely even think of a single level or narrative morsel, like, at all."
That is pretty surprising, they've each got some iconic levels. Time for a playthrough, sounds like! | vult
06.09.25 | Few comments because you have some good stuff here:
29: I agree that SMW is the greatest 2D Mario game ever made and is one of my favorite games of all time. I would say that Yoshi's Island 2 is more iconic because its usually the first level people play, it has the shell 1UP throw which is still so satisfying, the football players, etc. It's a perfect level tbh.
23: Rainbow Road is iconic but I refuse to play on it again, it kinda sucks. Moo Moo Farm is my preferred.
The two Pokemon picks: Mt. Silver is amazing but it is endgame so I have a hard time putting it in the overall iconic category. Gen1 Victory Road was always the GOAT too :) good Lavender Town pick too. Coulda also picked Viridian Forest of course.
Funnily enough, Corneria would be my pick for BOTH SF64 and Super Smash Brothers.
A few of my own throwing out there:
- Jungle Hijinxs - Donkey Kong Country
- Traverse Town - Kingdom Hearts
- Treasure Trove Cove - Banjo Kazooie
- 2Fort - TF2 | unclereich
06.09.25 | >Yeah I had that on my preliminary list and it didn't make the cut, not because it's not "memorable" but because its really a different breed of 'nostalgia' from the other entries here
i get what you mean 100%. i had a hard time thinking of levels/missions because i mostly played pokemon/ star wars/cod games as a kid that didnt have specific levels names/titles(or ones i can remember) so the whole game ends up being nostalgic. | unclereich
06.09.25 | >What's weird is I played and loved Halo 1, 2, 3, and Reach, but couldn't tell you a single goddamn thing about the story modes in any of 'em. Granted, 95% of my time playing that game was online multiplayer but for as "good" as I remember the campaigns being, I'm surprised that I can barely even think of a single level or narrative morsel, like, at all.
lol nm you already said it best. same black ops 1/ KOTOR/ the first red dead. | tectactoe
06.10.25 | 'That is pretty surprising, they've each got some iconic levels. Time for a playthrough, sounds like!'
If I had an Xbox still, I would!
@vult: Nice call on Jungle Hijinx, definitely the most "iconic" and instantly recognizable DKC level. (I just have personally incurred scars at the behest of Snow Barrel Blast.) Same with Treasure Trove Cove - that was actually on my preliminary list, too. I must be one of the only people in the world who has never played Kingdom Hearts (none of the games in the series).
@uncle: Yeah the only specific "thing" I remember from BLOPS1 is Kino der Toten. I played SO MUCH nazi zombies back in the day. | Demon of the Fall
06.10.25 | massive list!
the DOOM and PokĂŠmon choices definitely ring true for me. idk how I'm supposed to pick a Sonic related one. Maybe the final boss / death egg for Sonic 2? That fight gave me a massive headache and is memorable for reasons of frustration as a kid
similar to the DOOM situation it's often the opening level that becomes the most memorable. Maybe the discovery / intro to something sticks with you more easily perhaps? Tomb Raider II with all those damn traps. Timesplitters 2's Siberia (probably as it was the first game I remember playing proper co-op with my brother on) etc.
I didn't ever own a Nintendo home console and even I recall Rainbow Road from the N64 days. Eye-roll inducing selection by whoever's silly idea it was to pick it during split screen shenanigans lol | Pheromone
06.10.25 | super mario world chocolate island 2 fr | tectactoe
06.10.25 | @Demon: I think the intro-level phenomenon also has a lot to do simply with exposure compared to everything else, e.g., I've "started" DOOM probably 100 times, but I certainly haven't beaten it all the way through to the end that much. Well over half of those sessions ended puttering out at a random level because I either got bored with it or became distracted by something else. Same with Sonic. Out of all the times I've played Sonic the Hedgehog, every single one of those times included Green Hill Zone. The same cannot be said for Marble Zone or Labyrinth Zone or whatever.
Never actually played a single Tomb Raider game despite owning a PS1 and PS2 for a decade+. At this point I feel I've missed the window and attempting to play any of them now would only amount to severe disappointment.
@Phero: Is Choco Island 2 the one with a million different exits? | mkmusic1995
06.10.25 | DK64 - Entering Jungle Japes, that theme track, the dark melody in the cave sections, it's so nostalgic for me.
| RVAHC13
06.10.25 | The Dark Hollow level from the original Spyro the Dragon would probably top my list | tectactoe
06.10.25 | Kinda forgot about Spyro but yeah that was a great game. Never played DK64. | Demon of the Fall
06.10.25 | yeah exposure definitely plays a part. Loved Spyro yet canât say I recall many specific moments. God rescuing that last dragon on the the original game tho, shit was infamous I believe. No wonder I was stuck on 79 or whatever it was for so long | vult
06.10.25 | Loved DK64 but it is a backtracking NIGHTMARE.
also the hardest part of the game is beating the OG Donkey Kong arcade game to access the coin needed to reach the final boss | tectactoe
06.11.25 | I also have pretty fond memories of playing PORTAL for the first time, though idk if those memories are quite old enough to be considered "nostalgic". I'll never forget escaping from the incinerator and warping through the back rooms of the enrichment center, though. | Demon of the Fall
06.11.25 | Portal (and 2) are wholesome | tectactoe
06.11.25 | Portal 2 is probably Top 10 or 15 OAT for me, hard to remember a time when I was as blown away by a game as I was playing through that for the first time. Especially the entire section after you (SPOILERS) get sent underground and discover the old enrichment centers and experimental gels from the 60s or 70s.
My only real gripe/complaint about PORTAL & PORTAL 2 is that they have very little replay value. You have to wait long enough between plays that you forget how to solve the puzzles lol. | Demon of the Fall
06.11.25 | yeah I haven't played them in forever but they ARE fantastic games. I remember the Portal 2 underground thing, it was a legit EXPERIENCE
| Liberi Fatali
06.11.25 | Oh how I wish I could experience Green Hill Zone as a kid again.
Also props for Faust & Swans. | budgie
06.11.25 | "hard to remember a time when I was as blown away by a game as I was playing through that for the first time.
half life 2 | RVAHC13
06.12.25 | ^^^^ |
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