Summary
Sometimes, when playing a game, you’ll boot up a level that’s completely different from the rest of the experience. It really sticks out and is usually one of the big parts of the game you’ll remember long after you’re done playing.
These are often gimmick levels, and despite the word gimmick having a generally negative connotation when it comes to gaming, most of them are stellar. Some gimmick levels are the first thing you think of regarding a certain title, or they explode in popularity and turn into something even greater and more lucrative.
All types of games are counted here, but the gimmick level has to be an actual level or a distinct section of the game.
10Beat Block Galaxy: Super Mario Galaxy 2
The Precursor To Champion’s Road
Super Mario Galaxy 2is filled with incredible gimmick levels, but Beat Block Galaxy takes the cake; for this stage, you must listen to the beat, and whenever a ding happens, the yellow and green platforms will trade spots. The regular level is easy enough, but once that Prankster Comet arrives, it turns savage.
The Prankster Comet makes the beat move so fast that you must be quick with your platforming. It’s a good, fun challenge, and Nintendo must have agreed, as it utilized the same gameplay mechanic in Champion’s Road,the hardest level of Super Mario 3D World.
9Quick Man’s Stage: Mega Man 2
It’s Exactly What You Think It Is
Another series that tends to have loads of gimmick levels in each instalment isMega Man. There are tons of standout ones throughout the series, and Quick Man’s stage in Mega Man 2 is definitely in the top echelon, as most of it involves going down as fast as possible to avoid the instant death laser beams.
This can take a long time to nail down on your first playthrough because the laser beams move so fast that you need to be equally as quick to avoid them, which is fitting, considering the boss you fight here. Thelevel’s very satisfying to completeand probably the most memorable one in the whole game.
What Would Become Map Seven Of Countless Doom WADs
Some of the most influential FPS levels came fromDoom, and Dead Simple would be among them. The map’s name is exactly right, as it’s just a plain arena with an outer layer that opens up after the first batch of enemies gets taken care of; despite this, the level’s a lot of fun, and the simplistic design greatly affected the Doom community.
Dozens of 32-map Megawads have a Dead Simple clone at the map seven spot, which is a tradition that continues to this day. Many of the clones have actually surpassed the original in terms of quality arena design, but the trend would never have happened if it wasn’t for the OG.
7Spin Cycle: Duke Nukem 3D
An Incredibly Unique FPS Level
Unlike Doom,Duke Nukem 3Ddoesn’t have a lot of gimmick levels, but there are a few, particularly in the secret stages. Many of the secret stages were multiplayer maps first, and as such, aren’t all that great in single-player; Spin Cycle, however, works great for both, as it’s an incredibly fun arena to play around in and really unique.
The map’s essentially a spinning circle with four outer areas that act as the multiplayer spawn points and where you can restock on ammo. The big spinning conveyor belt adds a lot to the combat and makes it far more hectic but ultimately more fun.
6Click Clock Wood: Banjo-Kazooie
Not The Best Level In The Title, But Definitely The Most Unique
AsBanjo-Kazooiewas very much Rare’s take on Super Mario 64, it makes sense the final level would try to do something similar. Click Clock Wood takes the time element of Tick Tock Clock and completely transforms it into something bigger and better; the level’s massive, with you getting four different variants to play around in, and doing actions in one will affect the others.
It’s tough as nails, too, which makes for a good challenge in the Xbox 360 version; the N64 version isn’t that fun, as you lose all your notes when you die, which, considering the huge size of the map, leads to a very annoying experience. TheXbox 360 remaster is the definitive versionfor a reason, and it makes this level so much more enjoyable.
5Long Night Of Solace: Halo Reach
The Standout Level Everyone Loved
Out of the entireHaloseries,Reachis rather mid-tier but has a couple of standout moments, and the biggest one that everyone universally praised had to be the Long Night of Solace mission. While the beginning and end of the mission contain the usual Halo FPS gameplay, the big middle section has a full-blown spaceship combat fight straight out of Star Fox orthe future Xbox exclusive Starfield.
It was amazing to play and a breath of fresh air at the time due to the lack of new spaceship combat games in 2010. When beating Halo Reach, a lot of people thought this should have been in the game more. It’s that good.
4We Sing: Alan Wake 2
A Level That’ll Live Rent-Free In Your Head
Remedy Entertainment goes all out with its titles, and a great example would be the We Sing level inAlan Wake 2. Alan Wake 2 is a survival horror game, and as such, you’d expect the tone to be quite serious, and something like a musical level would be out of the question; you’d be wrong, but don’t fear because this level’s freaking awesome.
The Herald of Darkness song is great; it complements the action, and Remedy even created a whole dance routine; the Herald of Darkness performance was so good that they performed it at the 2023 Game Awards, and it was easily the best part of the whole show. There’s no way this song isn’t getting stuck in your head after playing, and the We Sing level is easily the most memorable iconic part of Alan Wake 2.
3Silent Hill Historical Society: Silent Hill 2
A Timeless Masterpiece
We Sing was more on the wacky creative end of the horror game spectrum, while the Silent Hill Historical Society fromSilent Hill 2would be toward theobjectively best psychological horror everto be present in a game. The entire section, which is massive, by the way, is a psychological horror masterpiece that takes James Sunderland deeper and deeper into madness.
As you keep jumping down holes, some of the best story moments happen in this section, and even some of the best scares as well. It’s a level that hasn’t been surpassed in the Silent Hill series and likely never will.
2Downhill Jam: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
So Good, Activision Made An Entire Game Around It
Tony Hawk’s favorite level in the originalPro Skaterwas Downhill Jam, and when playing it, you’re able to see why. The level isn’t the most memorable in the game, but it has the most distinct design, as you go downhill until you reach the end, where you’ll loop back at the start.
Yes, Mall had something similar, but there were places you could stay at and rack up points, while Downhill essentially forces you down the path. Unique from nearly all other Tony Hawk levels, it struck a chord with a lot of players so much so that Activision and Toys for Bob made a racing game based on the level called Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam; you know a level’s truly special when an entire game is based on it.
1Nacht Der Untoten: Call Of Duty World At War
Lightning In A Bottle
The most lucrative gimmick level of all time has to be Nacht der Untoten fromCall of Duty: World at War. Like GoldenEye 007’s multiplayer mode, Zombies was very much a last-minute addition to the game, and it wasn’t even a big separate game mode at first, as Nacht der Untoten was originally a standalone gimmick level.
Treyarch and Activision didn’t know the reaction Zombies would get, but it ended up being a huge hit with players. Zombies DLC for World at War came by, and since then, Zombies have become one of the core staples of the Call of Duty franchise.
