Bonus Dungeon: Difference between revisions

* ''[[Marathon Trilogy|Marathon]] Infinity'' has the [[Serious Business|vidmaster]] levels. These levels are accessed through a secret area on the last level, and basically put you in three of the hardest levels of the series (One from each game), pitted against the hardest form of each enemy. The reward: Bragging rights.

* The first two ''[[Descent]]'' games had several secret levels, where the difficulty jumps from the regular levels' [[Nintendo Hard]] to ''[[Ninja Gaiden]]'' levels. Level 30 (secret level 3) of ''Descent'' on Insane difficulty is nearly impossible to beat.

* ''[[Medal of Honor]] Underground'' featured a campaign after the main game. Players reprised the role of Jimmy Patterson, hero of the first game, as he stormed the castle of a [[Stupid Jetpack Hitler|mad Nazi scientist]]. The castle was replete with...interesting...new enemy types, including attack dogs operating armored vehicles and automatons made from suits of medieval armor. Patterson even constructs his own automaton - a man-sized nutcracker.

 

* The ''Pokémon'' games have these, starting with Mewtwo's lair, the Cerulean Cave in ''[[Pokémon Red and Blue]]''. They are inaccessable until after you've beaten the game, and at the end lies a powerful legendary Pokemon for the player to catch, making it both a [[Bonus Boss]] and an [[Infinity+1 Sword]].

** ''[[Pokémon Gold and Silver]]''/''Crystal''/''HeartGold''/''SoulSilver'' and ''[[Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire|Emerald]]'' possess a different variant. After the bonus dungeon you encounter, rather than a high-level Pokémon, a trainer with ''six'' high-level Pokémon, often the highest in the game. In GSC this is {{spoiler|1=Red, the protagonist of the original games as well as the male choice of protagonist in their [[Video Game Remake|remakes]], ''FireRed''/''LeafGreen'', with a party including a level 80 ''Pikachu'' and 70+ versions of all three original starters, Snorlax...and Espeon, for some reason. HGSS replaces the Espeon with a Lapras. The whole match has continous hail and all of there levels have been buffed up. ''Pikachu'' is level 88 now!}} In Emerald it's {{spoiler|Steven, the mandatory [[Final Boss]] of the first two games of that generation, now cranked up to 11 as a [[Bonus Boss]]. He has a similar team to the previous game (which was bad enough), but now they're all around level 80 rather than 50-60.}} Both fights are bragging rights only and give no real reward (although they are in fact repeatable, making them among the best spots to grind high-level Pokémon).

* The Seraphic Gate in all three ''[[Valkyrie Profile]]'' games. ''[[Valkyrie Profile 2|Silmeria]]'' and ''[[Valkyrie Profile Covenant of the Plume|Covenant]]'' scales up the difficulty every time you beat it, and all require them to be beaten at least 10 times to get the [[Infinity+1 Sword]], the latter two being far harder due to reasons stated above.

* The ''[[Star Ocean]]'' games all have at least one [[Bonus Dungeon]]. The Seven Star Ruins in the [[Star Ocean 1|first game]], Cave of Trials in the [[Star Ocean the Second Story|second]], as well as its [[Gaiden Game]], and Maze of Tribulations in the [[Star Ocean 3|third]], which jacked up the pot by adding Sphere 211, another 100-level dungeon, and the Urza Cave Temple, a more puzzle-oriented Bonus Dungeon. The [[Star Ocean 4|fourth game]] brought back the Seven Star Ruins and added the Wandering Dungeon. Many of these dungeons share the same background music (slightly remixed) with the Seraphic Gate from Valkyrie Profile.

== Turn-Based Strategy ==

* The Hellgate from ''[[Tactics Ogre]]'' was 100 levels deep, and interestingly actually tied into the plot, as the bottom level was where one of the [[Bonus Boss|villains]] in the game had retreated to. Beating him didn't change the main plot of the game, though. In order to get the ultimate "bragging" item in the game, one had to go through the Hellgate twice, as well as get 4 specific weapons from special encounters with recolored monsters.

** Also fitting in that the Beauty Castle is the last dungeon in another [[Nippon Ichi]] game, [[Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure]].

* ''[[Fire Emblem]]'': ''The Sacred Stones'' has two of these: the Tower of Valni, and, more fitting, as it is only available toward the end of the main game, the Lagdou Ruins.