From the hidden block in the first Super Mario Bros. or the original Easter egg in Atari’s Adventure, secrets and video games have gone hand-in-hand almost since the advent of the entire medium.

However, not all secrets are little messages or items - some are entire landscapes that have been hidden incredibly well by crafty developers.

Locating these areas often takes a lot of time, patience, skill, and yes, sometimes cheating, but the joy of discovery always make it worth it.

With this countdown, we’ll be discussing the best-of-the-best in of secret worlds and areas that flourish in the most concealed segments of digital code, and we’ll be happy to tell you how you can access them and discover their secrets.

We’ll be going through entire generations of games, from classics on the Nintendo Entertainment System and PlayStation, all the way through to the current generation with the PC and PlayStation 4.

You might be familiar with some of the hidden worlds we’ll be covering, and others might be not be, but the one thing that all of our entries have in common is how increasingly difficult and obscure the means of accessing each one ends up being, whether it’s through simple codes or diabolically random requirements that no one in their right mind would even begin to consider.

With that said, here are the 25 Hidden Levels In Iconic Video Games Only True Fans Have Found (And How To Find Them).

Dark Souls - The Painted World of Ariamis

The Souls series seems like it was specifically designed to mystify players at all times… before beating them into submission, of course.

Within the gloomy, desecrated world of the first Dark Souls, there’s a strange respite found within the wintery world of a painting.

For players to find their way into this completely hidden realm, you’ll need the Peculiar Doll, which can be found in your cell within the Undead Asylum.

The painting itself is located in Anor Londo.

If you do decide to go into this completely new world, be prepared to stay there for awhile.

Modern Warfare - Mile High Club

While not exactly a secret level for those of us who are patient enough to sit through a game’s credits, the Mile High Club remained a mystery for those who mashed every button on the controller after beating Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

If you resisted your base instincts, you were treated to a quick, unrelated mission of an anti-criminal unit battling aggressors on a plane.

While it’s far from a noteworthy addition to the game, it did serve as the inspiration for the incredibly fun Spec Ops missions in Modern Warfare 2 and 3.

Diablo II - Cow Level

In Blizzard’s StarCraft (and its BroodWar expansion) there was a code called “thereisnocowlevel,” and the phrase has become something of a running joke with PC gamers and developers, but what did it actually refer to?

In Diablo I, there was a viral rumor that there was a “cow level,” and the rumor became so bad that Blizzard themselves had to shoot it down. That is, of course, until there really was a cow level in Diablo 2.

You’ll need to acquire Wirt’s Leg, beat the game, go back to Act 1 on the same difficulty level, go to the Rogue Encampment, combine the leg with a Town Poral Tome, and then enter a red portal.

Be forewarned: despite the humorous concept of cow enemies, the difficulty is enormous.

Pokémon Red/Blue - Glitch City

The original Pokémon Game Boy games weren’t strangers to insane theories and rumors, like the “PokeGods” or the existence of actual glitches like MissingNo. on the shores of Cinnabar Island.

There’s also a genuine secret location, but it wasn’t one intended by the developers. This place is called Glitch City.

To explore this place yourself, go the Safari Zone, start the quest, attempt to leave, answer “no” when asked, go back into the Zone, and then save the game, turn it off, and start it back up.

Now leave the Safari Zone for real, answer “no” again, then walk around for 500 steps.

Before you know it, you’ll be warped to this incredibly weird location that easily lives up to its name.

Doom (2016) - Retro Levels

Doom’s 2016 revival was heralded for bringing the fast-paced gameplay and monstrous atmosphere of the original into the modern world, but it took a little more of the old game with it than you might think.

In multiple levels throughout the reboot, you are able to access hidden sections that are identical recreations of classic Doom levels, down to the pixelated textures.

We’ll give you the coordinates to the first one, but leave the fun of discovering the rest up to you.

In Level 1, go through a blue gate. Keep left until you find a yellow structure, drop down, and in a gap you’ll find a lever that you need to pull. After that, head right and you’ll find yourself in a major blast from the past.

Sonic Adventure 2 - Green Hill Zone

Despite die-hard fans claiming otherwise, the Sonic Adventure series has aged excruciatingly poorly, but SA2 does have one thing going for it, which is a level so secret it was thought to be a myth: a 3D remake of Sonic 1’s Green Hill Zone.

You’ll need all 180 Emblems to get there, and that’s much harder than it sounds.

You’ll need to beat the Chao challenges, complete every mission in every stage, and get an A rank on everything. Most of this requires a level of precision and reliability that the game is simply incapable of providing, so prepare for a broken controller (or two.)

If you actually succeed, you’re in for what is easily the best (and most functional, for some reason) level in the entire game.

Rogue Squadron - "Chicken"

Rogue Squadron on the N64 is one of the best Star Wars games ever made, and it holds up even to this day.

While it would eventually be outdone by its Gamecube sequel, the original game was the finest Star Wars dogfighting experience that players could have on their home consoles for years.

Aside from its excellent gameplay, Rogue Squadron was infamous for tons of cheat codes, including a complex one that allowed for players to actually fly a Naboo Starfighter before the release of Episode I.

However, the best secret was a small level where players took on the role of an AT-ST and laid waste to a city, and it’s an absolute blast.

To access it, you simply need to punch in “CHICKEN” within the codes menu.

Donkey Kong 64 - Debug Room

Donkey Kong 64 is a fantastic 3D platformer made by the exceptional Rare, which brought all manner of classics to the N64 such as Banjo-Kazooie, Jet Force Gemini, and Blast Corps.

However, the company might have gone a little overboard with DK64, considering that it held the world record for the amount of collectibles within the game.

Something that the record failed to mention, however, was the game’s secret Debug Room.

Populated by an eerie, unmoving Donkey Kong, a balloon, and a few platforms, it’s easily accessed by collecting all of the Blueprints, going to Snide’s HQ, enter the Bonus Menu, and hold B and press A.

Be careful, though, as you won’t be able to escape the room’s clutches.

Super Mario Bros. 3 - The Warp Whistle House

Alright, Toad’s house in World 1, Level 3 isn’t a fully-fleshed out secret level per se, but it’s a mind-bogglingly hidden secret area that seemingly no one in their right mind could have discovered without outside help.

In Level 3, you’ll be ing an area with multi-colored, rectangular platforms in the background, which you can jump on. Land on a white one, and then duck for a few seconds.

You’ll eventually go “behind the scenes,” allowing you to run past everything, including the end of the level.

You’ll end up in Toad’s House, and he’ll give you a Warp Whistle for your efforts.

Toad has a few more secrets up his sleeve, though, which we'll get to later.

Shadow Of The Colossus - Secret Garden

Shadow of the Colossus has one of the most atmospheric, mesmerizing, and fully-realized landscapes in the entire history of gaming.

It has utterly captivated players since its release, and many have gone on to discover incredibly strange ruins and leftover content by hacking through the game and going out of bounds.

While there are many rumors about other secrets, there is only one that is legitimate: the secret garden.

To find it, you’ll need to take a lengthy and arduous climb up the Shrine.

If you make it, beware the fruit, as it will lower your stamina and health.