Some Like It Hot

The second stage in Earthworm Jim takes us to the bowels of Heck. As Jim navigates through a devilish maze of platforms, he has to contend with a number of infernal beings – including demons, lawyers, and bankers. (You’ll also battle a fire-breathing snowman for some reason.) The landscape is covered with spiked walls and fiery pits, and plumes of flame will appear without warning. One of the best things about the level was its sound design. Hair-raising screams and menacing cackles could be heard in the distance, and they served as a constant reminder of how dire the situation was. The smooth elevator music that played in the background was intentionally cheesy, but I think it was one of Tommy Tallarico’s most memorable compositions. The level’s boss (an evil cat named Evil the Cat) apparently enjoyed the music too, as he could be seen dancing from afar. When Earthworm Jim HD was released in 2010, the landscape was brighter, the fire looked more intense, and an erupting volcano could be seen in the background. Jim may have an indestructible super suit, but things started to heat up once he ventured onto Planet Heck.

The Fire Temple from Ocarina of Time is a more obvious choice to represent the Zelda series on this list, but I had a stronger affinity to Dragon Roost Cavern from The Wind Waker. After Link enters the volcanic lair, he immediately finds himself surrounded by pools of lava. At first, he has to rely on rope bridges and rickety platforms to move around the cavern. His horizons open up after he finds a grappling hook, however, and he’s also able to cool (and solidify) lava with pots of water. It’s advisable to avoid fire in most situations, but Link uses his scorching surroundings to his advantage. He lights torches, burns through wooden barricades, and uses volcanic geysers as makeshift elevators. At the end of the dungeon, Link finds himself face to face with a giant insect who’s hanging out in a pit of liquid magma near the summit of the volcano. Link’s able to defeat the monster with an unintentional assist from a fire-breathing dragon. They say you should fight fire with fire, and Link took this concept to its logical extreme.

Crisis City is an infernal metropolis that’s defined by its burning buildings, destroyed highways, and pools of molten lava. Our first visit to Crisis City was in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), but the Sonic Generations version of the stage was a lot less frustrating. The stage could be played by both “Classic Sonic” or “Modern Sonic,” and they each took their own path through the devastated city. Modern Sonic’s route was all about speed as the restless hedgehog made his way across crumbling highways and through dilapidated skyscrapers. Classic Sonic’s route was every bit as perilous, but if focused more on precision platforming. Whether you were jumping over fiery chasms or being swept away by flaming tornadoes, the fervent environment was just as dangerous as the burning creatures that inhabited the smoldering city. It’s fair to say that Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) was not Sega’s best effort, but I’m glad Sonic Generations gave one of its most promising stages a chance to reach its true potential.

Oftentimes, fire-based levels are nothing more than cosmetic makeovers. Pools of lava could easily be replaced with bottomless pits, after all, and roaring flames are often used for decorative purposes. The “Scorch ‘N’ Torch” stage from Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze places you in the middle of a pervasive brush fire that is anything but ornamental. You’ll need to dowse burning vines with water before you can swing on them, branches will crumble into ash while you are standing on them, and entire trees will collapse into the fires while you are climbing them. As you proceed, bushes become engulfed in flame, fireballs rain from the heavens, and broad patches of the ground will sizzle when you walk on them. The first stage of the game’s “Bright Savannah” area is among the happiest levels in the entire series, so it was pretty alarming to see the environment set ablaze a few stages later.

The sixth chapter of Uncharted 3 takes us to an 11th-century chateau nestled away in a forest in eastern France. The mansion has been abandoned for some time and there’s overgrowth everywhere, but you can clearly see the potential in the place until a bunch of goons decide to burn it to the ground. Nathan Drake and his partner Sully are trapped inside when the fire starts, and their situation becomes more dire with each passing second. The fire effects are nothing short of amazing. Corners of the wallpaper will start to roll before igniting, embers flicker in the air, and beams deteriorate as they burn. You’ll be in a hurry to leave, but you’ll have to proceed with caution since the floor below you can give out without warning. At one point, Nathan’s foot gets stuck in the floorboards as enemy guards shoot at him from a distance. As staircases collapse and walls are reduced to rubble, Nathan and Sully have to find alternate escape routes. They’ll scale walls, shimmy across ledges, and barge through doors in dramatic fashion. Fire awaits them every time they enter a new room, and a smattering of enemy guards impede their progress and force them to slow down. If you get tired of fighting computer-controlled opponents, the burning chateau is also available as a multiplayer map!

The Iron Keep is a vast fortress that is slowly being submerged into a massive pit of molten lava. The foundry is swarming with enemies that can kill you in an instant, and you aren’t given a lot of time to grab loot along the way. The Dark Souls series requires a lot of patience on the part of the player, but the Iron Keep flips the script and forces players to act quickly. The fortress is overtaken by the sea of magma, and you’ll face a similar fate if you don’t keep moving. This is easier said than done, however. Some of the game’s most imposing bosses can be found in the area, and they’ll happily knock you into the lava if the opportunity presents itself. It’s exceedingly easy to send yourself to an embarrassing death too, and you’ll need to be especially careful when you’re jumping onto moving platforms. If you act too slowly, you’ll be swallowed by lava. If you act too rashly, the result will be the same. Even if you do everything correctly, the sight of the rising lava will keep you on your toes.

Lava worlds are fairly common in the Mario series, and many of them were considered for this list. “Lethal Lava Land” from Super Mario 64 is arguably the most memorable level, but “Melty Molten Galaxy” from Super Mario Galaxy is more varied and exciting. As you progress through the stage, you’ll contend with rising lava tides, fire pillars, unpredictable geysers, and deadly volcanic showers. You’ll also race up a sinking mountain, square off against a fiery dino piranha plant, and cause a volcano to erupt in spectacular fashion! At one point, you’ll have to balance on top of a ball and carefully navigate through a rotating lava tunnel while the ground moves below you. The level requires you to visit a number of planetoids, but it might be more accurate to describe them as small stars. In either regard, none of them are especially hospitable. If Mario makes a wrong move or drags his feet for too long, he can easily find himself taking a bath in the molten lava that surrounds him.

StarFox 64 takes us to a number of planets in the Lylat System, but none are more hostile than Solar. As its name implies, the molten planet could be likened to a star, and its surface temperature is said to reach 3500°K. Conventional wisdom held that nothing could live on the planet, but a nefarious scientist named Andross somehow managed to introduce life there. When the StarFox team was sent to investigate, they discovered a number of biological monsters that could thrive in extreme heat. They also found plumes of fire, molten rocks, and massive lava waves. The planet’s surface was in a state of constant motion, and this was an awe-inspiring sight in 1997. (We had seen similar levels in 2D shooters like Axelay, but it was incredible to see everything unfold in three dimensions.) The fiery ocean wasn’t just there for decoration. Players had to stay as high in the air as possible to protect themselves from the heat, and their health would steadily decline throughout the level. The stage did a great job of conveying how perilous the planet was, and this ultimately made the stage boss seem even more intimidating when it emerged from the magma.

Norfair is easily the most iconic area on this list. Samus Aran visited the magma-filled caverns in the first Metroid adventure, and they were fleshed out considerably when she returned to planet Zebes in Super Metroid. The Norfair heat is so intense that Samus needs to upgrade her suit before she can fully explore the area. Although the volcanic denizen may be too much for unprotected visitors to bare, it’s home to many creatures that thrive in hot temperatures. One of the most memorable battles in the game involved an enormous red reptilian named Crocomire. After being knocked back into a lake of boiling lava, the creature’s skin melted off its body, leaving only its skeleton behind. Norfair is where Samus finds the majority of her weapon upgrades, and they’re put to good use as the bounty hunter ventures into the lava-ridden furnace. She uses her grappling beam to swing over lava pits, the speed booster allows her to escape from rising lava tides, and the ice beam can freeze enemies where they stand. Norfair becomes something of a proving ground for Samus. The area is too dangerous to explore at first, but Samus can basically swim through pools of molten magma after she’s powered up.

Operation 005 in The Wonderful 101 requires players to venture into the bowels of an active volcano in search of a lost city. During the mission, the team of unlikely superheroes will be surrounded by fire and brimstone. Lava tides rise beneath their feet, fiery rocks rain from the sky, and walls of flame restrict their movement. As the mission progresses, the heroes will build bridges to cross lakes of fire, use gliders to avoid flows of lava, and burrow underground to fight a fire-breathing dragon. They’ll also cool lava with water, fight enemies on seesaws, and square off against a giant mech who creates massive lava waves. When you eventually defeat this mech, you’ll be able to hijack it before fighting an even larger mech! This fight takes place against the backdrop of an volcanic eruption, and it leads to an impromptu round of Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots. (The bout even ends with a proper 10 count!) The intensity keeps ramping up as the mission progresses, and the action never stops. As the operation draws to a close, our heroes make their escape while spires of lava spew from the top of the volcano.