2. Labyrinth Zone (Sonic)
A Sonic game is the last place youd expect to encounter a water level, or at least a slow, lackadaisical one. Whereas Nintendos mascot vehicle is about the platforming, gameplay in Segas flagship franchise has always been based on speed. But then, the last place youd imagine a spider to be hiding is under your pillow, and you know how they like to surprise you.
So, why is it infuriating? Honestly, I could have picked any water based level from any Sonic game. But I chose Labyrinth Zone because its just such a chore to play (if I ever have kids, Im going to punish them by getting them to repeatedly play this zone instead of doing dishes). It takes away the fast paced, twitchy gameplay and replaces it with shambolic movement and incredibly awkward platforming (for a game built around incredibly awkward platforming); its like youre suddenly playing as Sonics granddad. As the name suggests, the level is deliberately maze like (remember that section in Act 3?) and can be frustrating to navigate. You can actually bypass a lot of the section using the top route; but if you dont know this, then you get to enjoy the aforementioned Blair Witch esque section. How fun! On the 8-bit version Labyrinth Zone has been somewhat nerfed, but the developers included an actual fight with that dickhead (Eggman) and his submersible. Thats right: poor underwater controls versus torpedoes. Why isnt Labyrinth Zone in the number 1 spot; it cant get much worse, surely?