10 Hidden Areas In Video Games You Weren't Supposed To Find

As rock-hard as the original Crash Bandicoot was, the crate-bashing platformer was supposed to be more challenging. Naughty Dog intended to include a level called Stormy Ascent, which made other infamous levels like Whole Hog and The High Road feel like a cakewalk by comparison.

Stormy Ascent is like an extreme version of Slippery Climb, with our Wumpa-munching hero traversing through a series of precarious wooden platforms suspended over a deep chasm. The area is filled with spinning knives, swinging pendulums, and collapsing boards, demanding pinpoint precision and timing. Worst of all, there are no checkpoints, meaning players need to complete the whole thing in one go.

Though Stormy Ascent was finished, Naughty Dog worried its punishing difficulty would stop progress dead for casual players, incentivising them to remove it. But over the years, players have figured out other means to access the level, earning it a reputation amongst hardcore fans.

Stormy Ascent became so iconic, it was made available in the 2017 remaster, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, allowing a whole new generation to be wowed and horrified by this nightmarish level.