“Okay, one more try then bed time… dammit! One more try.”
Sound familiar? If so, chances are you were playing one of these infuriating bosses in video games. Every once in a while you will be pitted against a foe that unleashes a world of hell upon you. These enemies often require countless attempts just to learn their weakness and it becomes a true test of will. There’s varying degrees of hard; enemies can be glorified bullet sponges, some exploit their best attacks and spam you till you die, others are just designed to be unbeatable — the following bosses prove that video games aren’t for the faint of heart.
Sagat
- Appearance: Street Fighter II (SNES)
- Master Muay Thai cheapskate
M.Bison who? The most irritating Street Fighter II character was by far the second last boss Sagat. Fans know the struggle of the relentless Tiger Knees, getting too close and receiving a Tiger Uppercut, stand too far away and it’s non-stop Tiger Shots. The frustration came from not knowing where to go because you inevitably end up on the ground.
In Street Fighter II: Turbo he resurfaced as a unlockable character referred to as ‘Old Sagat’. Capcom later released the Hyper Fighting Edition which had an updated ‘New Sagat’. The new version granted him super combos at the expense of weaker attacks. Although, old Sagat is widely regarded as more challenging — he was such a disadvantage that tournaments in Japan issued a ‘soft ban’ meaning he was technically allowed to be used, but it was generally frowned upon.
Sephiroth
- Appearance: Final Fantasy 7/Kingdom Hearts II (PS2)
- His special destroys our solar system (NO BIG DEAL)
Sephiroth originally gained notoriety from the last battle of Final Fantasy 7, his overly dramatic special Supernova dealt massive amounts of damage to your team without proper buffs. He had several different forms you had to tackle at once and keeping your teammates alive was often hard to accomplish.
In Kingdom Hearts II, Sephiroth returned stronger than ever. Curaga was your best friend in this situation but otherwise, the only strategy was to just be good at the game. His attacks are fast and you have to be able to evade at a moment’s notice. Sephiroth’s one of those iconic characters that have to be unbalanced in every appearance because that’s his purpose in gaming.
Psycho Mantis
- Appearance: Metal Gear Solid (PS)
- Master of mind games
In the original Metal Gear Solid, the enigmatic Psycho Mantis emerges using telekinesis to battle Snake and Meryl. The power of his mind caused objects in the room to come hurling your way; he would also take over your companion Meryl and use her against Snake. Psycho Mantis was not one to be underestimated. I remember struggling to figure out how to defeat him on my first play through. He assumes control over Meryl, and you have a short period of time before he makes her commit suicide. Lay on the ground to avoid flying furniture then pop up for a shot when it’s clear. When Meryl gets possessed you have to knock her out quickly and refocus on Mantis. Back then, It took many reloads and some colourful words spoken to the television in order to figure out his strategy.
Let’s not forget the infamous “Hideo” screen that pops up before the battle ensues. This message appears to utterly confuse the player, prompting them to switch controller ports and making your controller rumble like it was haunted. ‘Hideo’ was a reference to the game’s creator Hideo Kojima who was responsible for writing and designing the Metal Gear series. Also, depending on what game saves you had on your memory card Psycho Mantis even went so far as to comment on your taste in games. After all that, it’s safe to say Psycho Mantis is a major headache.
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