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{{trope}}
[[File:spikesofdoombetter_6790.jpg|link=Jo Jo's Bizarre Adventure
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Spikes. Spikes ''everywhere''.
On the floor. On the walls. On [[The Walls Are Closing In|the walls that are closing in on you]]. On the [[Descending Ceiling]]. On the [[Smashing Hallway Traps of Doom]]. All sharp enough to [[Impaled
Appearing in more games than the [[Exploding Barrels|barrel]] and the [[Crate Expectations]] ''combined'', the classic deadly spikes might just be the most widely-used videogame object ''ever''. (It should also be noted that while crates and barrels are everyday items that most people see throughout their day, you'd have to search really hard to see a real-life death trap made of spikes.)
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[[Spikes of Doom]] are very frequently found affixed to an [[Advancing Wall of Doom]].
See also [[Impaled
{{examples}}
== Anime & Manga ==
* ''[[
** The Gurren-Lagann creates dozens of cone-shaped drills all over its frame in episode 8. In Episode 11, it uses some of those drills to impale an enemy flight-Gunmen and turn it into a jet-pack. It's Giga Drill Maximum takes Spikes of Doom to the next level, as it encases itself in a prison of Giga Drills.
** Guame's Gunmen also has these, at least in its humanoid form. Whoever wants to place spikes on the inner side of the arms, however, is not clear. It only uses these for nearly defeating a member of the Dai-Gurren Brigade. It is defeated by a certain star-shaped Gunmen known as King Kittan, using Kittan Stinger, followed by Hell's Helmsplitter (more Spikes of Doom. Apparently, the show has lots.
*** Chouginga Gurren-Lagann takes Gurren-Lagann's Spikes of Doom to the next level, by creating several drills on its frame and in the rift on each drill, it creates more drills... and once more. Each of the smallest drills it creates are the size of Gurren-Lagann's Giga Drill Breaker, which dwarfs Gurren-Lagann.
* ''[[
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== Film ==
* In ''[[Indiana Jones and
* ''[[Krull]]'' had a room in the Black Fortress that had spikes intermittently moving out of the walls in every which direction. Didn't end well for one of the bandits.
* ''[[
* In ''[[
* The Autobot hangar at Diego Garcia in ''[[Transformers:
* Deployed on the king's order in ''[[Army of Darkness]]'', when Ash fights some decomposing deadites in a pit. Similar to many video game versions in that, when Ash throws one of his foes against the incoming wall of spikes, it just yanks itself free because its undead body can only be stopped by dismemberment, not impalement.
* In ''[[Hidalgo]]'', the titular horse falls into a spiked pit at one point in the story.
* Rambo constructs traps [[Impaled
* ''[[The Running Man (
* ''[[D.E.B.S.]]''. A feature of the [[Descending Ceiling]] trap in the bank vault.
* The Emperor causes a snowy courtyard to sprout hundreds of upward-pointing icicles in ''[[The Mummy
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== Video Games ==
* To [[Aero the
* ''[[Alfred Chicken]]'' wants you to walk across them using invulnerability in order to reach a secret item.
* The infamous [[Nintendo Hard]] game ''[[
* [[Game Boy Color]] game ''Batman: Chaos in Gotham'' had three types of sharp things. The first type was a platform that looked like it had sharp pieces but were really background material. The second type were slightly damaging spikes that you had to jump over. Next, there's a large icicle that instantly kills Batman if he tries climbing it.
* ''[[Castlequest]]'' has floor spikes, ceiling spikes and wall spikes. And the player is a [[One-Hit-Point Wonder]].
* ''[[Castlevania]]: [[Symphony of the Night]]'' has entire corridors lined top and bottom with these. It also has the Spike Breaker armor, which causes them to shatter harmlessly when you walk over them.
** They make you navigate a spike-filled, pitch-black corridor with only your little bat-sonar-peep for guidance to get at the stuff, too. Or you can do a little [[Sequence Breaking]] and navigate it blindly as invulnerable Mist instead.
** Before ''[[
** One stage in ''[[
** ''[[Super Castlevania IV]]'' upped the ante by making you deal with a ROTATING ROOM full of spikes only avoidable by the Tarzan-swing-with-whip trick. As an added incentive for Simon to hang the hell on, there's an example of the cost of failure in the skeleton of a former, less savvy hunter lying in one corner... In that same room, if you choose to hang on to the platform instead of the Swing Ring, a new set of spikes appears on the floor you're trying to land on. Lose-lose situation there.
* ''[[
** Rather hilariously, the first instant-death-spikes you encounter are inside an NPC's house, accompanied by a sign that warns, [[Schmuck Bait|"Watch out! Deathtrap to your left. One touch means instant death!"]]
* ''[[Dark Messiah
* ''[[Donkey Kong Country (
** Subverted in ''[[Donkey Kong Jungle Beat]]''. What looks like an impossibly difficult trap is actually harmless because [[Depth Perplexion|the spikes are in the foreground.]]
** Rambi can destroy the Spikes of Doom in ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]''.
* ''[[
* ''[[
** Subverted in DF2010 where one of the best ways to train your dwarfs for combat is to turn the barracks into a [[X-Men|danger room]] filled with spike traps loaded with blunt training spears.
** This entry menaces with spikes of onyx and adamantine. On the entry is an image of spikes in camel bone. The spikes are menacing.
* In a rare JRPG example, ''[[
* ''[[I Wanna Be the Guy]]'' is full of spikes, which in some rooms almost entirely cover the floors and ceilings. The kid can die even by touching the ''side'' of a spike. At one point, a spike pit ''gets up and chases after you for several screens''! (This one has cost many an [[Let's Play|LPer]] their sanity.) Seriously. These spikes also have a tendency to detach themselves and shoot toward you, though they don't always fire in the direction they point so [[Trial and Error Gameplay|the game can kill you]] [[Wrong Genre Savvy|when you least expect it]].
* ''[[Commander Keen
* In ''Keith Courage In Alpha Zones'', touching spikes is [[One-Hit Kill|instant death]] (same as a [[Bottomless Pit]]), and since Keith only has one life, it's back to the beginning of the level (or game) if he dies. Particularly aggravating when jumping on platforms, or dodging [[Goddamned Bats]] such as the flying skulls in the underworld.
* ''[[Knytt]]'' has crystal-like spikes in the eastmost area of the game.
* ''[[
** However, the WiiWare remake, according to [http://la-mulana.com/en/blog/game_balance.html an official blog post], will have spikes take off about 1/5 of your health. As if getting knocked around by them wasn't bad enough!
* ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' uses this trope, but one of its most noteworthy versions is the boss of the Earth Temple in ''[[The Legend of Zelda:
* [[
* The 2D platformer MMORPG ''[[Maple Story]]'' has spikes here and there. Two areas in particular, Warning Street: Road to the Dungeon and Warning Street: Henesys Dungeon Entrance, are loaded with thorns among other things.
* If you had a nickel for every set of insta-death spikes in a ''[[Mega Man (
** In the first ''Mega Man'' game, [[Mercy Invincibility
** In ''Mega Man & Bass'' and ''9'', it is possible to buy a spike guard (Up to three at a time in Mega Man 9) that would make spikes damage you instead of outright kill you. However, the spike guard is used up the moment you touch spikes while you have one, so if you don't get off the spikes while temporarily invulnerable, you'll die from them. Furthermore (As a slight subversion), a Wily boss in Mega Man 9 has an underbelly of spikes that only damage you on contact.
** All four ''[[
*** Speaking of ''ZX'', Ouroboros in ''Advent'' had regenerating ''spiked'' blocks just to add to the madness. And yes, you do need to break some to get to the end. [[Nightmare Fuel|Happy nightmares...]] This is made a bit worse by the fact that Model H is the only armor with an aerial dash enabled. This would make these traps easier, except that same armor has only sabre weapons, making it harder to specifically destroy the regenerating blocks you ''want'' out of your way and not the ones you need to use as platforms to move on. You could use a more balanced armor like ''Model ZX'', but then you lose your mobility...
***** Use QueenBee: flight as long as the energy gauge lasts and a somewhat clunky ranged weapon. Also a good place to master midair form switching.
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** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcHR3HizRTA "Wait, what was the name of this boss!?"] .... Oh you suck, Wily.
** ''FINALLY'' gets weaponized by Mega Man himself in ''Mega Man 10'' in the form of the Chill Spike. Shooting the ground or a wall with this weapon causes a set of spikes to freeze up at the impact site. This is the weapon of choice against Nitro Man, who takes the most damage from it when it's used as a tire hazard.
* ''[[Mortal Kombat]]'' ''loves'' using spikes in its death trap levels. Spikes on the floor, spikes on the ceiling, spikes several floors below you, spikes on [[Everything's Better
* The ''[[Prince of Persia]]'' series is absolutely full of spike traps, though different games have used different types:
** The original game used instant-trigger floor spikes, especially at the bottoms of pits. Anyone who falls onto them gets [[Impaled
** ''The Shadow and the Flame'' lost the spiked pits, but had spikes coming out of walls instead - left walls only, as holes in right walls would be invisible in the game's isometric graphics.
** The ''Sands of Time'' series had retracting spikes in the floor. But in lieu of serving as a temporary platform, they would impale any poor fool who so much as made a sound over them. To add insult to injury, if they managed to do this once, they'd likely do it again as you struggled to free yourself, forcing you to waste a sand tank to escape. Like the original game, however, you could avoid them, either by a well-timed wall run or tiptoeing over them, but you had to do it at the absolute slowest movement speed possible. Enemies also never got near them until the second game, where you could get some righteous revenge by triggering the traps with enemies on them.
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* The online ''[[Shift]]'' games play with this; the hero survives the [[Spikes of Doom]] because they were {{spoiler|created by [[Breaking the Fourth Wall|shoddy Actionscript]].}}
* They appear all too often in the ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' series. Unlike most other spikes though, only the sharp edges are typically damaging.
** Curiously, both the original ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (
** ''[[Sonic 3 and Knuckles
** Mystic Cave Zone of ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'' is home to the infamous inescapable spike pit. At one point, you need to grab a rope to lower a bridge to cross a pit. If you fall into the pit, you are [[Cycle of Hurting|speared repeatedly]] by a row of spikes at the bottom. It might as well be a [[Bottomless Pit]], given that the shaft is so deep that it can't be escaped (except by Knuckles). Even worse if you're [[Super Mode|Super Sonic]] and therefore can't take damage until you've run out of rings (which happens incredibly slowly)...
*** Actually, because Super Sonic could jump higher than normal Sonic, it was possible for him to escape from the pit... unless Tails had grabbed the rope after you'd fallen in, causing the bridge to cover the pit.
* ''[[
** It is also possible to throw enemies onto spikes to kill them instantly (and messily). And if any enemy lands on the spikes, they die. Even giant spiders and shopkeepers.
* The ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''. series is famous for these, especially ''[[
** There were certain critters in ''Super Mario World'' that were unharmed by walking over spikes, and which Mario could [[Cranium Ride|"ride"]] across a particularly expansive bed of spikes.
** ''[[
** Every [[Game Mod|ROM hack]] known to man of ''Super Mario World'' and every other ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' game have used these in massive amounts. ''[[Kaizo Mario World]]'' and [[Follow the Leader|every hack based off]] [[Platformer Hell|the concept]] has often used entire levels made of killer spikes.
** Most Mario spikes just take you down to small if you have any powerups, and ''[[
* ''Super [[
* The original ''[[
* ''[[Tomb Raider]]'' is far more full of spike pits than any actual tomb, although Lara was mysteriously unhurt if she just ''walked'' through spikes instead of blindly running through them.
** Presumably, "walking" was video game shorthand for "moving slower and more carefully."
** This made a part late in the first level of ''[[Tomb Raider]] III'' a [[Guide Dang It]]. Progressing in a certain area DOES require walking through an area full of spikes and then jumping up and pulling yourself onto a ledge while standing on the spikes. Better hope Lara grabs the ledge the first time if you don't want to be sent all the way back to your last save...
* The many spikes in ''[[
* ''X-Men Origins: Wolverine'' game had both stationary and retractable varieties. The retractable ones were usually timed to have a rolling effect. Given that you're playing Wolverine [[Good Thing You Can Heal|the penalty for a mistime isn't much at all]]. The stationary ones are great fun for impaling your foes on.
* In ''[[
* The 1st, 3rd, 5th, 10th and 11th level of ''[[Captain Claw]]''. Also non-fatal ones on 3rd, 4th, 12th, 13th and 14th, which still removes 10% of your total hp. 9th, 10th and 13th has random arrows shooting out of the walls as well. 12th has '''stalactites falling from the ceiling'''.
* In ''[[
* In one of the [[Action 52]] games called [[They Just Didn't Care|Unerground]], spikes?(spears?, mushrooms?) work in a weird way. They [[Violation of Common Sense|don't damage you if you fall on top of them but will kill the character if you try to walk past them]].
* ''[[Toss the Turtle]]'' uses these to stop the turtle in his tracks. You can get an achievement for hitting enough of them, too.
* ''[[Pokémon]]'' has a sort-of example, with the moves Spikes and Toxic Spikes (and to a similar extent, Stealth Rock). When used, spikes get laid around the opposing team, and any Pokemon that switches in that can't fly/Levitate over them (or is immune to Poison in the latter case) gets hurt (directly with Spikes, or get poisoned with Toxic Spikes). Using the moves again increases the damage done (in the case of Toxic Spikes, a second layer badly poisons Pokemon that switch in so they lose health faster).
** Now there's [[media:597-598_6982.png|Ferroseed and Ferrothorn]] who have the ability "Iron Barbs". Guess what happens if you attack them with a physical contact move?
* In ''[[Prototype (
* In a case of [[Trailers Always Lie]], the trailer for the game ''[[Portal (
* Valve's ''[[
* ''[[
* ''The Adventures of Rad Gravity'''s final planet, appropriately named Telos (Greek for "end"), is full of these; on the floor, on the ceiling, on the [[Advancing Wall of Doom]], under the [[Conveyor Belt O' Doom]], a long stretch that has to be crossed with a [[Cast From HP]] item, you name it.
* ''[[Loco Roco]]'' has them in quite a few places. Togeh, togeh!
* The Warriors' Hideout in the arcade version of ''[[Double Dragon]]'' has gargoyle statues with stabbing spears that take off half your HP. There's also spikes on the floor below, although that is treated as a [[Bottomless Pit]].
* The [[Voice
* The ''[[Jumper (
* ''[[Limbo]]'' has some amounts of them and they look very sharp.
* ''[[Lost Vikings]]'' have large amounts of them in some levels.
* The [[Doomy Dooms of Doom]] part is subverted since Tux is [[Made of Iron]], but the ''[[Tux Racer]]'' courses Path of Daggers, In Search of Vodka, [[Just for Pun|I Like Spike]], and [[Exactly What It Says
* Spikes are the main cause of death in ''[[Ivy the Kiwi]]'', but can be protected against by stretching vines above them (or below, if they're hanging from the ceiling and you need to pull Ivy upward for some reason).
* In ''[[
* The dungeon specific trap for the Mana Tower in ''[[Children of Mana]]'' are these. Somehow, they are hidden in pots. They also show up in other dungeons, but not in pots.
* ''[[
* ''[[
* ''[[Joe Danger]]'' has stationery spike traps that send him flying if he lands on one, causing you to start over from the last checkpoint (or at the beginning of the race if there are no checkpoints).
* In the latest expansion to ''[[Eve Online]]'', named 'Incursion', the Space-Zombies {AKA Sansha's Nation} has these all over their ships and structures. Well, technically, they're just spikes, but if you see a Sansha Fleet, you're screwed, unless you brought reinforcements. On the upside, though, that's only when they really begin their Incursions. Mission-Running against Sansha is no more dangerous than against the Angel Cartel, Blood Raiders, Serpentis or Guristas... Well, until they start using ECM, Stasis Webifiers AND Warp Scramblers... Which they do a lot. Simultaneously. (Thank CPP for F.O.F. Missiles)
* The level Cozy Cabin in ''[[
* [[Everything Trying to Kill You|All over the place]] in ''[[Quake]]'': spike shooters, spike traps that come out of the walls, and spikes on an [[Advancing Wall of Doom]] are common level design elements.
* ''[[
* In ''[[Nethack]]'' (non-bottomless) pit traps often have spikes at the bottom, which merely cause more damage than a normal pit trap rather than causing a [[One-Hit Kill]]. However, the spikes are often coated with poison, which have a chance of causing a [[One-Hit Kill]] if the victim isn't immune to poison.
* ''[[
* ''[[
* Some of the spikes in ''[[Cosmos Cosmic Adventure]]'' are stationary, while others continually retract into the walls and then come out again. Most of the spikes can be removed with bombs.
* Even skateboarders aren't safe. Several ''[[Tony Hawks Pro Skater]]'' games had "Punji Pits" in the editor.
* ''[[
* ''Little Samson'' has lots of spike-covered surfaces, but Gamm can walk over them without taking damage.
* ''[[Ecco the Dolphin]]'' has sharp spikes protruding from the underwater walls. Guess what happens if you swim too close to them? *cue loud BOKKKK injury sound*
* ''Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa'' has protruding pencil points of pain in its later levels.
* In ''Kick Master'', wearing Magic Boots would protect you if you needed to walk over spiked floors.
* In ''[[
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* ''[[8-Bit Theater (Webcomic)|Eight Bit Theater]]'' tried to [http://www.nuklearpower.com/2006/12/21/episode-785-safety-first/ answer] the Spikes of Doom origin...
* Referenced in an early part of the "video game comic" ''[[Kid Radd]]''. Next level: Sharp Painful Object Land.
* [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0541.html These] [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0542.html two] ''[[
* ''Yamara'' has an obligatory [http://yamara.com/yamaraclassic/index.php?date=2005-06-06 spike pit].
* Parodied in [http://brawlinthefamily.keenspot.com/2009/02/20/141-bluebombervsblueblur/ this] ''[[Brawl in
== Western Animation ==
* ''[[
* In the 'Popcorn Panic' episode of ''[[The Penguins of Madagascar]]'', the Penguins are pushed towards these by a huge amount of popcorn, prompting Skipper to regret installing the 'decorative' spikes in question.
== Real Life ==
* There are various man made booby traps used through out the world that really use spikes in a variety of interesting and horrible ways. One of the most well known is the Punji Pit, which the Viet Cong used to trap allied soldiers. Oddly enough, the goal was not [[Impaled
** The Viet Cong's traps were designed to be somewhat less than lethal so that the enemy would have to evacuate wounded and treat them at a hospital, which they believed to be more damaging to the war effort than simply killing them.
*** There's some truth to that, as it would tie up more soldiers and resources to try to keep a wounded soldier alive than to simply deal with a dead body. Alternatively, the Viet Cong would attack while the other soldiers tried to help the trap's victim.
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* [[wikipedia:File:Radio-frequency-anechoic-chamber-HDR-0a.jpg|Anechoic RF Chambers]] certainly ''look'' that way. Good thing the spikes are actually foam rubber.
* Cypress and mangrove trees have spiky "knee roots" that could potentially impale an unwary explorer.
* Leap Castle in County Offaly, Ireland had one of these in its [[Sealed Room in
* The [[wikipedia:Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park|Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park]] in Madagascar is an entire landscape made of [[Spikes of Doom]]. These limestone spikes protrude at all angles, and are exceedingly sharp. As a result, this area is mostly unexplored. One biologist exploring the area stumbled a little, and [[Skyrim|took a spike to the knee]], which prematurely ended his expedition.
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