History Main / DeathMountain

A stage in a video game, particularly platformers, that takes place on a mountain or similarly high, rocky place. Thankfully, the usual problems of low air pressure are generally not found in these stages. Instead, natural hazards include falling rocks, crumbling ledges, {{rope bridge}}s, and of course, [[BottomlessPits very, very]] [[NotTheFallThatKillsYou long drops.]] High wind may be a hazard in some places as well. Enemies may include eagles or other high-flying birds, Bighorn rams, [[BigfootSasquatchAndYeti yetis]], and whatever nasty things the world may have living in the inevitable caves.

[[labelnote:L - R, top to bottom]] ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble'', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV (DS remake)'', ''[[VideoGame/Rayman1 Rayman]]'', ''VideoGame/DisneysMagicalQuest'', and ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros1''[[/labelnote]]]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Ys}}'': Eldam Mountains (also a SlippySlideyIceWorld) in ''Ys III'', Ice Mountain and Fire Mountain in both [[VideoGame/YsIVMaskOfTheSun versions]] of ''[[VideoGame/YsIVTheDawnOfYs Ys IV]]'', and Grana-Vallis Mountain in ''Videogame/YsVITheArkOfNapishtim''.

** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest'': The overworld of Crocodile Isle is one massive mountain, with each world being on a different section of the climb. To reach the top, the Kongs have to navigate through a GangPlankGalleon, a LethalLavaLand, a BubblegloopSwamp, an AmusementParkOfDoom (Which also has more swamp and a HornetHole), TheLostWoods (Which has bits of BigBoosHaunt), before reaching the BigBad's castle (Which partially includes a SlippySlideyIceWorld) at the very top of the peak.

** ''VideoGame/TazManiaSega'' has the Badlands, which serves as the first world of the [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Genesis]] version and the first level of the UsefulNotes/GameGear version. Hazards include geysers, bombs, and ambulatory rocks with angry faces. In the Genesis version, [[NeverSmileAtACrocodile Axl and Bull Gator]] serve as the world's boss in their truck. In the Game Gear version, Taz has to [[IndyEscape outrun a boulder]] that a Bushrat is running atop. The [[UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem Master System]] version has the Valley, which serves as the fifth and final world, and has many of the same hazards as the Genesis and Game Gear versions.

* ''Videogame/HarmoKnight': Rock Range and Metal Mountains contain [[GoddamnedBats flying, squealing seals that always glide in your face]], and [[SpikeBallsOfDoom rolling meteorites]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Krull}}'': The 1983 arcade game was made by D. Gottlieb and Company as a tie-in to the Film.{{Krull}}. The first stage of the game involves guiding Colwyn around a mountain slope to retrieve the five pieces of the glaive while boulders roll down the slope with increasing frequency.

** [[NoodleIncident Back when it was actually a mountain]], what is now known as Big Empty used to be this. Despite their good intentions for the progress of humanity, the facilities inside the mountain had created many, many dangerous weapons, creatures and machines. Some examples include the giant Roboscorpions, the incredibly venomous and [[BlatantLies totally sterile ]] Cazadores and Nightstalkers, the Cloud that corrodes everything it touches including those who inhale it, and weather machines capable of producing skin-tearing sandstorms. Not only that, but many of the test subjects were in fact Chinese prisoners from the war times who were forced to live in the mountain's concentration camps. Fast forward to where the game takes place, not only have the creations begun escaping the labs, but the remaining head scientists that had lost their sanity long ago are dangerously close to discovering how to leave the mountain and taking their experiments to society.

Death Mountain is commonly [[HailfirePeaks merged]] with other areas. For example, the LethalLavaLand version is of course a volcano, typically of the {{lava pot|Volcano}} variety, while others are [[SlippySlideyIceWorld snow-covered peaks]]. In some cases, once you reach the peak, you can keep right on climbing into a LevelInTheClouds. When you combine the Mountainous region with the GreenHillZone, you get the YodelLand. It's usually quite late in the SortingAlgorithmOfThreateningGeography. It's often also a MonsterShapedMountain. Despite the name, it is not portrayed as being the opposite of the real life Death Valley. MountainWarfare is often this trope combined with WarIsHell, with the mountain potentially killing off as many people as an enemy force.

** ''VideoGame/MarioKartDoubleDash'' has DK Mountain, in which the drivers hop onto a barrel cannon to be shot towards a large gray mountain and then go back to the start line to complete each lap. It returns in ''VideoGame/MarioKartWii'' and ''VideoGame/MarioKartTour''.