The Most Frustrating Parts Of Great Video Games

Mario Kart can either be a fun, multiplayer gaming extravaganza, or initiate utter war between friends. The most despised element in the game is undoubtedly the blue turtle shell.

After someone works hard to secure first place in a race, the moment an opponent gets that blue shell - a weapon that automatically targets the person in front - the leader knows they're in for a world of hurt. And somehow it always manages to strike at the worst possible moment.

While Crash Bandicoot can be played by everyone, it was mostly a kid's game, which made this level even more inhumane. The Slippery Climb stage consists of nothing more than a series of constantly moving platforms, which would be fine, except for the fact the camera was insanely unreliable. If Crash jumped even a millimeter too close to the edge of a platform, he slid off and the player had to start over again.

Eventually players either developed the divine reflexes needed to beat this level, or they gave up entirely. Either way, it's easy to see them being very angry by the end of their playtime.

Only masochists attempt to play "Through The Fire And Flames" perfectly on expert. Guitar Hero 3 was marketed on the premise that anyone could pick up one of their plastic instruments and feel like a rock star.

The problem with this particular DragonForce song is that the guitar part, on expert, is a non-stop, carpal tunnel syndrome-inducing nightmare. This song is so complicated, and requires such immaculate precision, that men and women have lost their last shreds of sanity trying to play it to completion. 

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is not only a true classic, it's one of the most sublime gaming experiences ever created. Almost every moment is fantastic, which is why the Water Temple sticks out so much. The hate for this game's level is legendary, but the aggravation doesn't stem from one giant flaw: it comes from a multitude of small problems that compound together.

As players traverse through the flooded dungeon, they have to constantly travel up and down its three levels by equipping iron boots, and they're forced to pause the game and select them every time they want to do so. This becomes tedious quickly. Add in a map layout dependent on an inventory of small keys that are incredibly difficult to keep track of, and it's no wonder there are so many frustrated gamers.

While it may not have aged as well as some would argue, GoldenEye 007 was a revolutionary title that sparked a first-person shooter renaissance for console gaming in the '90s. While the campaign wasn't as memorable as the multiplayer gameplay, it was technically solid and had some fantastic moments. The Control level, however, was horrendous.

The Control level was one long escort mission, that culminated in a sequence where Bond had to defend Natalya from a gauntlet of soldiers. One of these mercenaries always managed to slip away from the player's line of sight, shoot Natalya, and force the player to start the horrible section all over again.

A hard-boiled noir featuring a revolutionary use of bullet time, Max Payne was a revelation when it was released on PC in 2001. Every shootout was a delight to play, as they featured bullets passing by gamers in slow motion as they jumped through the air with their dual pistols.

But the game wasn't perfect; the dream sequences meant to convey Max's personal hell also managed to drive gamers insane. These areas featured a moment where players had to run and jump along a trail of blood in an infinite abyss, but the trail was insanely hard to see and absurdly narrow. One wrong step, and gamers were forced to play the level all over again.