Basic Trope: An extra level that's not part of the overall game but noticeably harder than the rest of the set.
- Straight: Once a player beats the final boss, they can choose to watch the credits or attempt the bonus level, the Climb of Death Elevator Action Sequence.
- Exaggerated: After defeating the final boss, the player is allowed to attempt the bonus level, Maxwell's Hellish Falling Deathtrap: The Last Stand.
- Downplayed: The bonus level isn't terribly dangerous, but it has a time limit so you need to make the most of it.
- Justified:
- Maxwell was the Man Behind the Man of the final boss, and has good reason to want to be defended with the best and most brutal defenses available.
- By the time the player unlocks the level, they will be experienced enough to take it on and not die repeatedly.
- Taking out those support pillars in the previous level took out the boss easily, yes, but now you must escape the collapsing base.
- by killing every enemy, creature, npc, etc. you have shown yourself to the world for the Omnicidal Maniac that your are… now everyone wants to stop you before there is nothing left to save. And if you win… then what?
- Welcome to level -1, hope you can endure the glitchfest long enough note to reach the (hopefully functional) exit.
- Inverted: The postgame content is far easier than the Nintendo Hard main game.
- Subverted:
- A new campaign? Well, let's give it a sh--Oh god, with the lasers and the death spikes! Fission Mailed.
- Alternatively, the bonus level is fairly easy, if you can get past the initial "gatekeeper" jump...
- Double Subverted: The bonus level is built up as something insane, but it's fairly easy... except for its boss.
- Parodied: The player dies the instant the bonus level starts
- Zig Zagged: The level difficulty "swings". After a while it changes from brutally hard to childishly easy, then again to brutally hard, and later once again changes, to childishly easy. It continues to do change for the entire level.
- Averted: There is no Bonus Level, or it's explicitly pretty easy.
- Enforced: "Let's put in an extra little something for all the hard-core players who will complain it was too easy."
- Lampshaded: If your game has an afterlife level, an NPC comments that they died here.
- Invoked: ???
- Exploited: ???
- Defied: You beat the Big Bad, get all the extras hoping to unlock one last challenge...Nope.
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: ???
Back to Brutal Bonus Level
