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[n00bsauce87]

I'm playing KH 1.5 earlier this week and I was in Atlantica. So I played the PS2 version and I was already reminded on just how frustrating it is to fight in water. You try to get close and swing the keyblade and you still end up too far away. So you get close and get too close and end up getting hit unnecessarily. Then you throw in the god awful camera angles and I was just having a horrible time. Maybe I just sucked. It did take me 10-15 tries to beat the boss. I know I've heard stories of how bad water levels have been done over the years, but has there been an examples of it being done right? What made them work?

 

[Crimsonclaw111]

Donkey Kong Country 1/2/3 and DKCR: Tropical Freeze have great water levels. I credit David Wise for those sweet sweet tunes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHMmoSX3hhM

 

[Pipomantis]

Super Meat Boy.

Spoiler

Cause there aren't any.

 

[Xav]

Donkey Kong Country 1/2/3 and DKCR: Tropical Freeze have great water levels. I credit David Wise for those sweet sweet tunes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHMmoSX3hhM

Close thread, we're done here.

 

[Murrah]

Water levels in Sonic Colors were great. Unlike most water levels, the majority of the time you were able to keep going at full speed with high mobility because of the drill wisp. Music was fantastic too

 

[Fancy Clown]

Rayman Origins had some awesome water levels

 

[Datwheezy]

Water Temple in OoT

 

[Odrion]

They don't exist.

 

[Kriken]

Rayman Legends hands down has my favorite water levels of all time. Doesn't hurt that the underwater controls are top notch

 

[Sadist]

Yeah, gotta say that the underwater levels in Tropical Freeze are pretty enjoyable.

 

[Neff]

All of them, they're awesome.

 

[Whompa]

Donkey Kong is really the only one that wasn't bad that comes to mind.

 

[injurai]

Personally I like most of the water levels in 3D action platformers. Ratchet & Clank, Spyro, Ty The Tasmanian Tiger.

 

[gngf123]

Ocarina of Time 3D's Water Temple was great. The only thing wrong with it in the original was constantly changing into and out of the iron boots, something that has been corrected in the 3DS version.

 

[discoalucard]

Ys Origin has a good water level. There's no resistance to movement and swimming basically just removes gravity for infinite jumping. It's a lot of fun.

 

[Seik]

Water Temple in OoT

While it was a very frustrating experience to me back then, I gotta agree.

Water Temple is clever as fuck.

 

[Red UFO]

All of them, I love water levels.

 

[Septimius]

Mario 64.

Dat music

 

[backflip10019]

Rayman Legends' water levels were solid.

 

[REMEMBER CITADEL]

Some people didn't like it, but I quite enjoyed the Water Temple in Kameo.

Water levels in Toki and Secret Agent were also great.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

Does Bubble Man's stage in Mega Man II count? It takes place largely underwater, but the only change to the game physics is that you can jump higher, often into spikes that instantly killed you so you had to mind your limits. You weren't otherwise impeded in any new ways. It strikes a nice balance of only changing one thing about how the game controls without trying to frustrate your forward progress.

 

[Brandon F]

Aquatic Ambience made them some of my fav levels in DKC1. Ironically I didn't enjoy most of them in TF, oxygen levels and all returning.

SM64 had some imaginative underwater levels as well. Galaxy had a few planets that featured underwater bowls that looked spectacular but were nowhere near as engaging to explore.

 

[Ken Masters]

I have never liked a water level, I wish devs would stop forcing them in

 

[A Huge Battleship]

Both high tier zones. Though you can skip a lot of the underwater parts in them (from memory it's possible to do Aquatic Ruin without getting wet at all).

 

[Timeaisis]

Donkey Kong, of course. Tropical Freeze had some excellent water levels. That world was my favorite, actually.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Does Bubble Man's stage in Mega Man II count? It takes place largely underwater, but the only change to the game physics is that you can jump higher, often into spikes that instantly killed you so you had to mind your limits. You weren't otherwise impeded in any new ways. It strikes a nice balance of only changing one thing about how the game controls without trying to frustrate your forward progress.

Hell yes it does. Great choice.

 

[Tuck]

Deep Sea wall (I think thats what it was called) in Galaxy 2 - benefits from the fact that the level is super linear, so you only have to worry about moving forward.

 

[Hyperactivity]

I've got to agree with the Water Temple posts. With OoT3d making it easy to switch boots on and off, water temple was pretty freaking clever in its puzzles.

What's the main opinion on Great Bay though? Asides from its bosses (in fact, both had bad bosses) Sort of iffy on it

 

[Winterfang]

The best.

 

[doofy102]

GTA5 had hands down the worst "underwater sections" I've ever played in an otherwise good game. They're optional but that doesn't make it less of a chore.

 

[Vinsanity.]

EverQuest 1 had awesome underwater "zones"...

 

[Bishop89]

Pretty much one where u dont need to breathe, i.e. megaman x

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

Hydrocity Zone.

Probably my favorite Sonic Zone...sure, it can be a bit difficult (unless you play as Tails), but it's got such an amazing theme and design.

Also Jolly Roger Lagoon in Banjo-Tooie. It removes the oxygen limit for that level alone, so it becomes really peaceful and a relaxing level compared to the rest of the mostly frantic and cluttered game.

 

[Auto-Reply]

Tomb Raider Underworl did a fine job with underwater gameplay, just recently revisited that game.

 

[Professor Lich]

Banjo Kazooie had some cool water levels. I love Clanker's Cavern. I remember when I first played that level and Clanker scared me as a kid that I didn't want to play the level. Jolly Roger's Lagoon was sweet too.

Note: Lagoon is from Banjo Tooie.

 

[Coppanuva]

Endless Ocean the thread please? The whole game was underwater exploring the ocean, and it was calming and beautiful.

 

[Ganondorfo]

That level in Soul Reaver 1 where you have to swim, I forgot the name. Something Cathedral I think.

 

[Ninjimbo]

Mario Galaxy and Mario 64 had good ones.

My favorite ones had to be the levels in Tomb Raider: Underworld. The areas were huge and designed with little to no direction to guide the player. You had to swim and find your own way. You would see sharks, schools of fish, seaweed on jagged rocks, emerge into a cave and eventually find yourself in an old Nordic temple. The areas were so beautifully rendered that it made the whole experience very relaxing.

Underworld was pretty awesome.

 

[n00bsauce87]

I have to agree, DKC had some of the best water levels that I've played. it was so peaceful. I guess I have to credit that to the music partially.

 

[doofy102]

Rayman Origin's underwater levels were so good that Donkey Kong and even Mario took a few cues from it. (Donkey Kong in controls, Mario in pretty jellyfish)

 

[Winterfang]

Sonic Unleashed Jungle Joyride is fantastic. The lack of gifs or HD videos/pics is disappointing. I was searching everywhere.

 

[El Sabroso]

Gloo Gloo - Rayman Legends

 

[Yaphett Kotto]

Both high tier zones. Though you can skip a lot of the underwater parts in them (from memory it's possible to do Aquatic Ruin without getting wet at all).

Someone understands.

And yea, you can go through all of Aquatic Ruins without going underwater.

 

[Astro Monster]

it was calming and beautiful.

And scary as shit.

 

[Jawmuncher]

Rayman Origins had some awesome water levels

Came here for this and Legends.
Both game have the best water levels I can think of recently.

 

[Mass Effect]

Mario 64.

Dat music

Which one? Jolly Roger Bay or Dire, Dire Docks? Or both? Yeah, both.

And what's those two from Super Mario Galaxy? Beach Bowl Galaxy and... that other one I can't remember. I remember that with one of the stars you got was at the end of the level in a garden-like area with the sunset in the horizon. That one was amazing.

 

[Coppanuva]

And scary as shit.

Just like the real ocean!

 

[Mlatador]

Donkey Kong Country 1/2/3 and DKCR: Tropical Freeze have great water levels. I credit David Wise for those sweet sweet tunes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHMmoSX3hhM

And we're don..... - W-W-AAAIT a moment!

Kirby's Epic Yarn has few very great water levels, too, especially the ones where you transform into a Dolphin (which are also very fun in 2 player co-op).

 

[BouncyFrag]

I hate water levels. It comes from slaughterfish in Oblivion. The loud ass hammer sound and 'thump' from rumble always startles me when attacked. Never played as an Argonian probably due to this fear (I'd be more likely to swim) in both my conscious and subconscious mind. Thank god the Souls games don't have water levels. I shudder to think...

 

[Otakumegane]

The Galaxy games had great water levels. Ice levels on the other hand....