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Here are seven of the most challenging yet influential boss fights throughout all of gaming that inspired countless others.
Boss fights are the standout moments in video games. They are meticulously designed to make you feel the stakes of the narrative. Once beaten, they make you feel like a true “boss”. But some boss fights are made to humble you, to show you you’re nothing but a pawn in the grand scheme. These bosses test your skills and your knowledge of the core gameplay.
Personally, boss fights are what draw me to a game and persuade me to beat it. The better the challenge, the more fun the gameplay usually becomes. This article will explore seven of the hardest boss fights in all of gaming that have squeezed the utmost effort out of gamers. From Mike Tyson in Punch Out! To Melania in Elden Ring, these are the seven boss fights that have tormented gamers in their bleakest nightmares.
Mike Tyson – Mike Tyson’s Punch Out
One of the first challenging bosses since the dawn of gaming was Mike Tyson in Mike Tyson’s Punch Out for the Nintendo NES console. What made this match difficult was Tyson’s incredible resilience and intensely aggressive moves.
If you were knocked out by Tyson, you were back to the start of the game, and this made it very frustrating. However, there was a boon in the form of a cheat code (007-373-5963) that lets you skip straight to Tyson. This cheat made it easier to focus your efforts on the final boss instead of battling through the whole food chain again.
Senator Armstrong – Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a spin-off from the popular stealth game series, Konami’s Metal Gear Solid, released for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. However, Revengeance is a shift from the traditional Metal Gear formula. It was more focused on high-octane action and hack-and-slash combat. However, in a game where you go against nuclear mechs and chainsaw-tailed robo wolves, the hardest boss is a little unexpected.
The hardest boss in Revengeance is a spectacled megalomaniac politician named Senator Armstrong. His super-fast flurry of punches will destroy your health bar if they’re not dodged or blocked. The battle ends in your regular, well-timed QTEs, but is pretty challenging through the end.
Malus – Shadow of the Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus is still one of the most unique and creative games to this day. The game by Team ICO is available for PS2, PS3, and PS4. The game features a unique gameplay loop where you explore the open world to find and fight giant and towering colossi. The colossi are part organic and part architectural mythic beasts that wander the Forbidden Lands.
One of the most epic and challenging of these epic boss fights is Malus. Malus is easily the biggest one of them all, almost the size of a modern skyscraper. While on the ascent to Malus, falling off is the most common way of dying. You’ll need to manage your stamina incredibly wisely while climbing and attacking Malus. Malus is easily one of the most climactic and hardest boss fights that inspired a long line of video games.
The Alien/Xenomorph – Alien: Isolation
The Xenomorph is easily one of the most terrifying yet creative monstrosities in not only gaming, but cinema as well. However, the Alien in SEGA’s Alien Isolation (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Switch, Android, iOS, Mac, Linux) isn’t a boss traditionally.
It’s a constant and formidable threat on your radar that continuously hunts you. The majority of time in Alien: Isolation is spent trying to run, avoid, and outsmart this highly cunning killing machine. The Xenomorph from Alien: Isolation has left a mark on modern horror games, from the likes of Resident Evil 7 to Silent Hill 2 Remake.
Vergil – Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening
The Devil May Cry series is one of the best in the hack-and-slash genre. Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening is available on PS2, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Vergil from DMC 3 is basically a carbon copy of the game’s protagonist Dante, but much cooler. He has almost the same type of combos as you, but they are a lot more skillful and damaging. He’s calmer, deadly, and is the storm that is approaching you.
There’s something incredibly fun yet satisfying about going against a foe that has the same skillset and efficiency as you. A lot of games pull this trick out of the bag by pitting you against a foe that’s a stronger version of you, the player.
Mewtwo – Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow
This omnipotent Poke god was at the top of the monster chain and the final boss in the first iteration of Pokemon games (Nintendo Game Boy). Capturing Mewtwo was the toughest challenge for every Pokemon master in these games. Mewtwo, being the apex predator, was accessible only after beating every Pokemon gym and the Elite Four. Mewtwo is waiting for the player at the very end of the Cerulean Cave.
If you possess a Master Ball in your inventory, you catch him immediately; if not, get ready for a long battle. Mewtwo has the power to heal itself multiple times and use powerful psychic attacks. Mewtwo has also appeared in games like the Super Smash Bros. series and the live-action Pokemon film, Detective Pikachu.
Malenia – Elden Ring
The Blade of Miquella, also known as Malenia, is one of the hardest bosses from one of the hardest game series, the Souls games. This boss from Elden Ring (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC) has taken most players several months to beat. The ultra-fast barrage of sword attacks and her infamous Waterfowl dance are what make her so terrifying.
On top of that, she can regenerate health with every hit she makes, adding to the pain. Her second transformation, the Goddess of Rot, is even nastier and leaves you with little room for error. Her enemy AI is one of the most aggressive in all of the Souls games. Players often need help from renowned coop players like LetMeSoloHer to beat Melania a single time.
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