10 Best Underground Areas In Video Games
Bored with open worlds? Try these underworlds instead!
What with the state of the world being, well, *morosely gestures towards the nearest window with an empty whisky bottle*, it's tempting to follow Paul Weller's advice and start thinking about Going Underground until society gets its head on straight (or deathmarches itself into fascist oblivion).
Unfortunately, that idea loses its appeal when you consider who you'd be living with, as the doomsday preppers best prepared for such scenarios also tend to be the sort of people who scream "WOKE!" when female characters don't show enough skin for them to get their palms hairy.
But where reality disappoints, video games provide. As this article will show, humanity's greatest hobby has crafted a cornucopia of underground dwellings designed to give their players a delightful time (although "delightful" may not be be the most appropriate way to describe the majority of the locations here, what with the homocidal aliens, mutants and more than one case of existential depression).
To start us off on our subterranean journey, let's take a look at the blue-tinted bricks of arguably the most famous underground level in the world...
10. World 1-2 (Super Mario Bros.)
Super Mario Bros' second level deserves a mention for its music alone (music that will now be in your head for the rest of your day - sorry about that), but Mario's 1-2 punch has even more to offer than a funky theme tune.
Nintendo's recent output has really emphasized the player's freedom to break the game, but make no mistake - the big N's proclivity for this sort of mischief-making has long been a part of the company's DNA, and World 1-2 shows how Nintendo's been encouraging the naughty kids in class for over 40 years.
It's a well-known trick by now, but using 1-2's lifts to seemingly escape the boundaries of the level and run along the top of the screen still offers an illicit thrill. And its a thrill Nintendo actively encourages you to seek, as those who let Mario escape the confines of his subterranean play area are rewarded with the above sight - a secret area that lets you jump ahead to one of three worlds.
Even in the eighties, Nintendo understood the value of rewarding player creativity. Its an ethos that has served the company well in the four decades since we were welcomed to the Warp Zone.