10 Levels That Stopped Video Games Being Perfect
9. Titanic Monarch Zone - Sonic Mania
Sonic Mania was a stunning reminder of just how great the franchise can be when due care is put into developing it.
It's a fine example of a shamelessly nostalgic game that nevertheless largely earns its nostalgia, seemingly outlining a promising future direction for the series - one that, sadly, hasn't ever been followed up on.
As incredible as Sonic Mania is, though, there's one zone which pisses just about everybody off and unfortunately tarnishes what's otherwise the best Sonic game in literally decades.
We're talking of course about Titanic Monarch Zone, the final zone of the main game and one of the zones created specifically for Sonic Mania, rather than being a remix of a classic one.
For starters, Titanic Monarch Zone is considerably longer than any other zone in the game, ensuring many players will find themselves succumbing to the 10-minute time limit per act.
Beyond that, the enemy and obstacle placements feel insanely cheap, not to mention the presence of the Ruby Mist, which will randomly teleport you around the map during Act 2.
Given the likelihood that you'll end up with at least one Game Over during the final boss fight and have to start the entire zone from the beginning, it can end up feeling like more of a time sink than an actual good time.
If you rage-quit Sonic Mania during this level, nobody could blame you.