Water levels

[Dan]

Water levels are often synonymous with being bad or generally the weakest part of the game. We all come to that part in a video game and say "oh great it's the obligatory water level". So why is it many developers still place these terrible constructs within their games? Are there any water levels in a video game that you actually like and or look forward to when playing a game? What would you change about water levels to make them more appealing and fun?

I actually like Sonic 1's Labyrinth zone despite it being the opposite of what the game is mostly about. I find the floaty physics quite amusing, plus it's one of the most challenging zones of the game. For the most part however I dislike the majority of water levels, the controls are normally awkward and in general you usually aren't having as much fun in the water as you are outside it.

 

[Spirit]

I f*cking hate water levels... Looking at you Sonic, looking at you hard!

I think water levels could be saved if they operated more like free flowing flying levels... We have Zora Link in Majora's Mask who was so fun to goof around with in the water.

I think if we had more gameplay aspects like that, have the character feeling free and being able to glide through the waters (like Super Sonic levels in Sonic Games how he flies around, or even StarFox-like mechanics with the arwing...

I think that'd turn water levels around, instead of taking mobility from us, give us more, it'd open up design a fair bit too, then we'd actually look forward to water levels.. well I would anyway.

 

[A Link In Time]

I liked the water levels in the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy. They didn't feel particularly slow, and it was nice to have an animal companion that could attack underwater. The one water level in World 7 of Super Mario Bros. 3 was pretty fun as well, since it required making use of swimming to narrowly dodge a ton of stationary enemies.

 

[Lozjam]

Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze had amazing water levels.
They controlled so greatly, so much so that they were extremely fun!
Also, Ancient Cistern was an amazing water level as well.

 

[Swordbomb]

My favorite was Aqua Star from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. As the only game to let Kirby inhale underwater without Kine's help, it makes getting abilities easier! They seemed faster than normal with the flowing water portions, and really just let you open up to the beauty of the water itself!

 

[SavageWizzrobe]

I'm quite a fan of water levels in Metroid, particularly Sector 4 (AQA) in Metroid Fusion, the Crashed Frigate Orpheon in Metroid Prime, and the rocky part of Maridia in Super Metroid (the quicksand parts are annoying, though). Thank goodness for the Gravity Suit, but even without the Gravity Suit you aren't completely defenseless.

Zelda also handles water levels quite well, and the Ancient Cistern is SS is a good example of this. Even other water-themed dungeons in Zelda aren't horrible just because of the swimming controls, because Zelda has decent swimming controls.

My take on making water levels good: you need good swimming controls, and, ideally, a way to defend yourself or attack underwater.

 

[Salem]

Probably the ones in the classic Mario games for NES and SNES.

 

[NintendoCN]

Usually water levels are just tedious rather than fun such as OoT water temple or MM Great bay, lots of looping around to get what you need, but if its just a 'get to the end' I enjoy them since its a good change of pace from the rest of the game... sometimes.

 

[Farore's Chosen]

It depends on the water level

Levels I love
SMB3 Water levels
GS:TLA-Aqua Rock
Ecco the Dolphin is nearly one big water level, except for the stupid space ship levels, I loooove Ecco.
LoZ: Ancient Cistern, both Swamp Palaces
MM: Bubble Man, Wave Man, Dive Man
DKC Trilogy Water Levels with the exceptions of River Race and the shipwreck ones

 

[Mange]

I never had something against water levels.
I like Mario 64's cuz of their awesome music,
I like Mario Bros' cuz they're a bit more difficulty,
I like OoT's Water Temple (very much),
I like MM's Water Temple.

Not worse than other element types of levels... ^^

 

[MetaBeta]

I'll admit it. The only dungeon I liked in OoT was the Water Temple. The Serenade of Water was my favorite ocarina song (and I loved its return in TP), and the Water Temple's theme was very eerie. In a good way. I liked the vertical logic of it. I liked how "clean" it looked as opposed to some nasty old cave in ruin.

 

[Zelda Music Dude]

Yo guys I am a musician and Ive been making some Zelda Remix type songs. I would love to do more Remixes and love to do one of the Water temple. Check out my youtube channel and let me know what you think. I need opinions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7Fk7J1SkGg

 

[Dan]

Yo guys I am a musician and Ive been making some Zelda Remix type songs. I would love to do more Remixes and love to do one of the Water temple. Check out my youtube channel and let me know what you think. I need opinions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7Fk7J1SkGg

It's no MattVS7 but it's pretty neat.

 

[Djinn]

I hated the water levels in Donkey Kong Country mostly because you had no real method of attacking anything at all. Without that one pet, you just had to avoid everything. Which is basically what the water levels were in those games. Just swim through obstacle after obstacle. Mario was like this to a lesser extent but fireballs at least helped out a lot. With platformers in general water levels meant much less options when it came to survival.

Sonic just replaced swimming gimmick with the possibility of drowning. But I think the bubble shield of Sonic 3 really helped out a lot with this. Too bad it never really appeared again after that.