20 Most Intense Video Game Moments Ever

17. The Final Escape - Super Metroid

Some say you need Hollywood-esque spectacle, realistic facial animation or even 3D to showcase white knuckle, cinematic intensity - but those people clearly haven't played Super Metroid.

Culminating in a stupidly frantic sprint to get back to your ship following the implosion of Planet Zebes (and the mind-blowing plot twist of an "evil" baby Metroid helping you defeat Mother Brain), you need to use the preceding 10 hours' worth of suit upgrades to move as fast as possible.

You'll sprint, blast through now-disposable foes, spin and flip to climb forever upwards, trying to reach your ship before everything goes boom. It's the perfect way to invert how much Super Metroid's focus is getting as deep down into Zebes as possible - not to mention the platforming and memorisation challenge of finding the fastest route back to the surface.