10 Final Levels That Ruined Great Video Games

Tick Tock Clock is often considered the hardest level in Super Mario 64. But in the level's defence, having Mario plummet to his death is usually the fault of the player. If you've mastered the moves and have impeccable timing, you should be okay. 

However, the final stage is a different story altogether. Like Tick Tock Clock, Rainbow Ride requires precise platforming. But due to the clunky camera system, there are times where you can't see where you're meant to jump to or when. Rainbow Ride is also very high so the slightest misstep can cost you a ton of progress (that is if you don't fall into the abyss below).

Several puzzles are time-based, forcing players to rush while performing complex manoeuvres, like wall jumps, somersaults, and long jumps. Players tend to panic due to the time limit, causing them to make fatal mistakes.

Worst of all, Rainbow Ride is boring. Rather than backflipping onto platforms and bashing baddies, Mario spends most of the time standing on a slow-moving carpet. Considering most of the gameplay is dynamic and reactionary, it's odd how the final stage mostly involves staring at a motionless Mario.

On top of that, the carpet vanishes if it's abandoned, leaving our moustachioed hero unable to progress at times, which comes across as bad level design.