Drowning in Pixels

[Daedalus1942]

So, we've all established quite profusely that most gamers (myself included) hate underwater levels.
It goes without saying that they are possibly the most unwelcome and unwanted thing in videogames.
What I would like to know is what are some of the worst in your opinion?
My vote would have to easily be that Earthworm Jim level with the submarine and the time limit your air supply puts on you.
Second vote, goes to Knight of the Old Republic. That level where you had to get those generators back online and concoct the right mixture into that injector tube... Those shark things gave me the creeps.
Also, i realize alot of people will say the water temple from Ocarina of Time, but I honestly had no issues with that. I just have a photographic memory, and was easily able to backtrack to the proper switches.

What say you, Escapist? Is there some deeply embedded reason in our genetic memory or instincts as to why we hate water levels?

 

[orangebandguy]

James Bond Nightfire. The water level was horrible in that.

Driving an Astoon Martin underwater with timed events, no thankyou.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Kingdom Hearts...Little Mermaid level.

So...damn...annoying...
Sure you couldn't drown, but it'd be preferable to the fucking dialogue and characters from that area.

 

[Angron]

Tomb raider 2 i think, 40,000 fathoms, wasn that bad but i was young and it was scary

 

[HardRockSamurai]

I don't hate water levels. It's just that most games have awkward swimming controls. It's understandable, since there really is no way to make a transition from land to water without some instability, but annoying, nonetheless.

 

[GundamSentinel]

I for one really enjoyed the Water Temple and the KotOR underwater section was great too (especially after the rather boring running around topside on Manaan), the guy in the locker cracks me up every time. "Here, fishie-fishie!"

But I do know what you mean by hating underwater levels. Rolling the katamari underwater was a pain in the ass in We Love Katamari and by extension, Katamari Forever.

Also, the Final Fantasy X underwater parts got on my nerves too, don't know why exactly. Maybe it was just too slow. Oh, and I hated blitzball.

 

[Gralian]

For me, it's the feeling of not having control of my environment because water can be very restrictive when it comes to doing water themed puzzles. Maybe claustrophobia has something to do with hating water puzzles too.

I think as well its because we sometimes associate water with there being a sewer or ice level in the game. Seems to be a mantra of video games now, to have at least one sewer, ice or even swamp level.

 

[Daedalus1942]

For me, it's the feeling of not having control of my environment because water can be very restrictive when it comes to doing water themed puzzles. Maybe claustrophobia has something to do with hating water puzzles too.

I think as well its because we sometimes associate water with there being a sewer or ice level in the game. Seems to be a mantra of video games now, to have at least one sewer, ice or even swamp level.

For me, it's usually not the water, but actually what's in the water.
I finished that metroid prime level, but damn it freaked me out. I'd hide behind things and shoot those shark things from afar. also.

Kingdom Hearts...Little Mermaid level.

So...damn...annoying...
Sure you couldn't drown, but it'd be preferable to the fucking dialogue and characters from that area.

i second that, It was an easy level, but It's the reason I won't play that game anymore. I just hate it. And in KHII it just got worse...

 

[similar.squirrel]

James Bond Nightfire. The water level was horrible in that.

Driving an Aston Martin underwater with timed events, no thankyou.

For some reason, I remember that being really cool. Probably the Aston Martin thing, though.

And I really liked the water levels in Donkey King Country.
Go figure.

 

[traceur_]

Say wha??

I LOVE underwater levels. That said, I guess the most annoying was that one in Vexx, dunno why

 

[fix-the-spade]

Sonic 2. If a cartridge could ask for blood, that would be the one.

Tomb raider 2 i think, 40,000 fathoms, wasn that bad but i was young and it was scary

The sharks! Dear God the sharks that came form nowhere!

However, I loved the swimming levels from Mario 64 and Spyro 2. The extra vertical elements broke things up very nicely. Plus in spyro you couldn't drown, which made exploring the world more fun.

 

[DrDeath3191]

Water Temple in Ocarina of Time.

 

[technoted]

Super Mario 64, not so much as hard more genuinely horrifying to watch mario drown, far to realistic for small kids

 

[MercurySteam]

The underwater sections in Bioshock 2 are there to take you out of the fast-paced action of the game and slow you down to show you just how beautiful the area on the other side of the glass is.

It's one of the many reasons I'm getting it.

 

[nart_21086]

cuz people get annoyed when a super human juggernaut who can run at 60 mph and destroy cities with his pinkie is halted by the prescence of water...

seriously dude you can lift a small building but cant swim faster than a cod?

 

[Jenova65]

Underwater levels don't bother me at all (not even Little Mermaid, which is optional anyway in KH 2)
Now the obligatory RPG sewer levels..................... Grrrr!