Best Heat / Lava stages

[Coptur]

Many games seem to be designed where there's a water level, an ice level and a fire level. It just got me thinking, I could probably name 50 water and ice stages that immediately come to mind. But I could actually only think of a few heat themed stages. Maybe I'm just having a brain fart. The one's I thought of are

Fire Man - Mega Man 1
Heat Man - Mega Man 2
Fire Temple - Zelda Ocarina of Time

Keeping to retro games only, what are some or the best (or worst) fire stages you can recall. What was cool about them?

5192

[FoxNtd]

Sonic & Knuckles - Lava Reef Zone

No explanation needed...

[o.pwuaioc]

There's Lethal Lava Land in Super Mario 64, and Super Mario World's Vanilla Dome World has lava. Square likes them too, with the underground with lava in Final Fantasy IV, a fire temple in Secret of Mana, Lava Dome in Mystic Quest, and of course Mount Gulg. Soul Blazer also had a fire temple. Samus Aran needed a special suit for Norfair in Metroid/Super Metroid.

After typing that out, I remembered that Google exists, and found this: http://www.giantbomb.com/lava/93-220/

Apparently that's all lava and not just lava stages, because they included Turtle Rock in LttP, even though it's not a lava stage properly.

I like the concept of lava as opposed to ice levels, and I'm thankful that movement isn't impeded like slipping on ice!

[joshnickerson]

I kinda liked the Solar stage in Star Fox 64, where you had to keep a high altitude throughout the stage to prevent your shields from being damaged by the heat.

[o.pwuaioc]

Derp, how can I forget the Gradius series, too? Gradius III's Fire Stage is one of the coolest looking stages of any 16-bit hori shmup.

[InsaneDavid]

Second stage of Galaxy Force II (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4FHQrMOFwM&t=2m0s), hands down.

[RCM]

I kinda liked the Solar stage in Star Fox 64, where you had to keep a high altitude throughout the stage to prevent your shields from being damaged by the heat.

I second this.

[Drixxel]

Second stage of Galaxy Force II (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4FHQrMOFwM&t=2m0s), hands down.

That stage is super cool and considerably more spectacular than how it turned out in the Genesis port.

I'm quite partial to the first half of stage 3 in Super Ghouls'n Ghosts (www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBRkqsX-YR8#t=12m44s), the solidifying lava column segment was a bit of a nail-biter the first time through.

[Damaramu]

Amazonia in Twisted Metal 2 was always a favorite of mine!


http://youtu.be/QdjRbf73CZs

[Tron 2.0]

Lifeforce NES
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRAYsUj9_jo

Pulstar Neo Geo Stage 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJj8q4T1SYs

Monster World IV Handera Volcano Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN6eqHWvpqk

[Cers]

Axelay stage 5

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

As already mentioned, the lava stage in Life Force is the first one to come to mind. I lost a lot of ships there, but it's still beautiful.

[Wookie]

Both Frogger's Adventure 1 & 2 on the GBA have some nice lava/magma stages.

[Wraith Storm]

Astal has the Volcanic Valley level. Probably my least favorite level in the game, but its still really awesome.

Lords of Thunder has that awesome level where you go inside a volcano and through some a lava tube and in the background is some old underground castle. One of my favorite levels ever designed. I love the imagination that went into it... that and the awesome music on that stage.

[treismac]

Mario 64 has pretty kickass lava levels.

http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/246946-super-mario-64-nintendo-64-screenshot-lethal-lava-lands.jpg

[SEGA_Queen]

Hmm, let me think now:

Lava Reef Zone (Sonic & Knuckles) - A classic!

Red Mountain Act 2 (Sonic Adventure) - I was blown away the first time I played this level.

Volcano Valley (Sonic 3D Blast Genesis Version) - I actually enjoyed this game when I was younger. This level had some of my favorite music.

Lava Landing (Kirby's Epic Yarn) - The fire truck transformation make this an amusing level to play.

[frogofdeath]

Mario 64 has pretty kickass lava levels.

http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/246946-super-mario-64-nintendo-64-screenshot-lethal-lava-lands.jpg
Also happens to be one of the toughest levels in the entire game. I probably died more in Lethal Lava Land than any other stage in SM64.

Also, I know the OP said retro games only, but the rollercoaster lava level in New Super Mario Bros. Wii deserves mention.

[tom]

The lava levels in H.E.R.O., boy you gotta do some tight flying there. Mario 64 is childs play compared to that.

[Pezcore343]

Ah man, I love H.E.R.O. so much. I spent like a week a few years ago trying to rack up the necessary score to earn my H.E.R.O. patch from Activision. Too bad those offers expired decades ago.

Anyway, I just happened to be playing Bucky O'Hare tonight with some friends and the Red Planet stage is pretty awesome as far as Lava levels go.

[JSoup]

Lethal Lava Land from Mario 64 is also a personal favorite. I'm also partial to all of Magmoor Caverns from Metroid Prime.