Off To a Good Start: The 25 Best First Levels of All Time

November 14, 2008 | By: Robert Workman

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Every game has a first level, but only a few are timeless.

25. Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (LucasArts/Nintendo 64)

One of the main reasons we picked up this Nintendo 64 game was for its excellent first level. You fly through Hoth in your snowspeeder, shooting troublesome droids while tripping large AT-AT's with a harpoon gun. Just like in The Empire Strikes Back movie, you circle around them, strap tow cables to their legs and bring those suckers down.

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Reader Comments (62)

fallensteve88 at 9:02 am on November 18th 2008

you call yourself a hard core gamer and you dont even know half the games LOL... please your not a GAMER!! all the games here awesome this list is partialy correct.. FYI the list is about the first level of the game..please these game so call hard core gamer.... this games are all amazing and i have beated them all but where is chrono trigger???

tripp5soul at 8:54 am on November 18th 2008

who the **** makes these lame ass weak lists. I am a die hard gamer and I have not heard of half these titles and the other half just suck to **** except mario bros for the nintendo.

jtw06 at 7:30 am on November 18th 2008

Where is Metal Gear Solid 4 and Resident Evil 2,4?

romenstine32 at 11:48 pm on November 17th 2008

X-men 2 first level with randomization of selection of characters...streets of rage 2 first level was classic...TMNT turtles in time the fact that u can throw people off the stage starting off and what about the path of neo, the fact that u have to fight ur way into a difficulty

wargasm2488 at 6:32 pm on November 17th 2008

I'm sorry. Halo rocks.

powerfulone87 at 4:45 pm on November 17th 2008

I fulfilled once I saw "God of War II" on the list. "What is a man?! A miserable little pile of secrets" HAHA!

raymondfrei at 3:12 pm on November 17th 2008

I agree with plyr73. Medal of Honor's Frontline was possibly the best and most intense first level of any game I've ever played. If you haven't played that game then you are missing out on a huge experience. that should have been on this

tsaxman737 at 2:33 pm on November 17th 2008

The shot for Halo is actually a shot from Halo 2 or 3, the battle rifle Master Chief is holding in that picture wasn't introduced until Halo 2, and I also believe the Hell Jumpers behind him also weren't in the game til Halo 2.