It's Too Bloody Hot (Lava Levels)

Sod this weather. Absolutely bloody repulsive. I don't know how the Australians deal with it reaching 40ºC-odd in their summers - it's at 35ºC and I want to stick my head in a freezer and stay there.

Er, right, so the lava level is much maligned in video games, but what have been your favourite lava levels and musics and enemies and so on?

I'll start with one of each:

 

If I'm stuck for good level design, more often than not, I can snatch one from Twilight Princess... except the Goron Mines were slow and dull. So here's Skyward Sword's Earth Temple instead. Rolling a giant ball around the lava was fun.



Apparently when I said "your favourite", I meant, "your least favourite"? But this twerp needs a mention. Called a Splorch, it and its siblings caused me far too much damage. Far too much.

And finally, Melty Molten Galaxy. Best lava music. Just the best.

NOT THIS PLACE, THAT'S FOR SURE.



I'm actually struggling to think of lava levels I enjoyed - usually a low point in games, for me.

This, just for the sheer insanity of the interior designer's decision to install a lava room with fire-breathing dragon structures. Inside a castle. Probably the same guy who did Bowser's.

Lava Reef Zone in Sonic & Knuckles is beast, and not just because of the tune. Earthworm Jim's 'What The Heck?' level is really good too. Can't not mention Lethal Lava Land in Super Mario 64, and the volcano course in Pokémon Snap is perhaps the best in the whole game.

Lava levels are good, unlike shitey Desert levels.

I thought about Lethal Lava Land. While it gets points for the volcano, the rest of the level lacked the care of many of SM64's others. It felt a bit, "Here's a bunch of level furniture, let's use a random number generator to place it on a field of fire."

Good shout on Snap's volcano, mind. And a bad (i.e. correct) shout on Magmoor Caverns - load of tripe.

The only thing I want to see in this weather is ice levels!!! *shakes fist*

I quite liked Magmoor Caverns, mainly because of the variety it offers (lots of small segmented spaces interspersed with bigger rooms in both directions) but those flying jetpack space pirates irritated me to no end.

Hmm I thought we had a thread similar to this before but after a search it appears we don't so....

It might be obvious from what game I've returned to recently but it's the Mole Knight stage in Shovel Knight, it just put's a great twist on it with the bouncy slime mechanic also the music like it is in the rest of the game is quality!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2-1OWLCGMQ

Not exactly a level, but I enjoyed the 'Hell' chapter of Super Meat Boy plenty.

Then again, the only world I wasn't a massive fan of in that game was Rapture

So technically the blast furnace in metal gear solid is molten steel but that's basically lava. I liked the terminator 2-esque aesthetic and the idea of backtracking to hear the Pal key was pretty clever.

I'm sure I'll think of a better one later.

Even got a scottish voice

How could we not mention,

@flora-chan wrote:

Even got a scottish voice

Someone must pay for that pitiful attempt at a Scottish accent. Near Mike Myers level, that.

@euan707 wrote:

How could we not mention,

[youtube]

Anything but that!

The hate/dislike for Grumble volcano continues to baffle me.

How can anyone dislike a track that is so broken it can be finished in under 30 seconds?

Grey/brown, brown/grey, unremarkable racing line, unremarkable music, utter waste of a remake slot in MK8, and did I mention that it's the ugliest Mario Kart track since they scrapped the planned "Thatcher's Stadium"?  

Actually, the best lava racing course I can think of doesn't come from a Mario Kart:



Although seeing Euan's current ranking reminds me that actually, the worst lava level will be this planet in the year 3000.

I don't think some one who said this can be trusted.    

Balla in the MK8 topic wrote:

I like what they did with the Mario Circuits, although they're not Toad's Turnpike levels of brilliant. But then, few things are.

Alright, alright, I got a bit too excited about zero-g walls and cars with surfboards. A man's allowed his overenthusiasm!

I'm still wrong here, mind. After posting a picture of good ol' Hot Top, I remembered this:



Also, here's some nice volcanic music (slight cheat because the lava's only found later on, but there's plenty of ash). I can't remember while at work whether the RSE or ORAS remix is better.

Predictably, Nintendo zealot Zero goes for Mario. I don't know...

1) The Hand Trap levels in Super Mario Bros. 3's World 8. Y'know, these:



Three little possibly optional, possibly forced lava levels to provide a lull between Bowser's tanks, ships and airships. Such an odd-but-welcome-at-the-time design choice.

2) Freezeflame Galaxy from Super Mario Galaxy. The debate of whether this is a true lava level can rage - I just love the mash-up of two of platforming's biggest clichés.

@ZeroJones wrote:

1) The Hand Trap levels in Super Mario Bros. 3's World 8. Y'know, these:

Ah neat! Good thinking - this is the least worst lava level.
Srs, I struggled to think of something to contribute to this as I think I hate lava levels as much as water levels.