Jennifer remains one of the most disturbing bosses I’ve encountered in a game. Splatterhouse gets some sick kudos for having the balls to not only refuse you the victory of saving the girl, not only forcing you to fight and ultimately kill the girl, but having her humanity periodically return to beg for your help as you do it. That’s some crap you just don’t walk away from. …except walk away you do, because somebody has to pay for it.
@@enriquejoseantequerasanche6180 And then in the third game she can become a mindless beast once again, possibly treating the player to one of the most horrifying screens in a 16-bit game.
@@warcraftfan5 Whoever drew that screen did a very good, because her gaze is more disturbing than most of all of the stuff in the modern horror games. I just love how sometimes I'm browsing for some Splatterhouse OST (the songs from the games are fucking amazing) and then accidentally stumbling across a recommended video that has that face in the thumbnail
I feel like Crocomire from Super Metroid could appear here, though my reasons for finding it disturbing are more personal. It doesn't attack you unless you attack it, and then it gets the most horrific punishment out of any boss in the game. Then there's how its skeleton pops out afterwards. Does that mean it survived as it melted alive? Its design doesn't help either, I used to feel like it reminded me of rotten flesh
Its an effective jump scare. Just its roots being in the Alien movies and sci fi. I enjoyed Metroid Fusion, and I think your doppleganger stalking you all over with its creepy glowing eyes and fully upgraded Power Suit is disturbing stuff. I think Fusion really did the isolation better, since it felt like a space station not a planet. But Super Metroid is still the best imo in the series, the graphics story and solid and engaging gameplay, and the feeling of become stronger as you go are all so good even today. I imagine it inspired alot of Metrovania games we know and love.
Heh, I was about to comment the same thing. I was completely unprepared for seeing a boss continue to try to attack you even as its flesh melted off, exposing its skeleton...while still alive.
Recently played through Gynoug after not seeing it for nearly 30 years. It's still so unsettling. All the bosses that have human faces look like they're kept in a state of unspeakable agony, like their flesh has been marshaled into the service of some twisted deity. Killing them off almost seems like you're doing them a favour.
"You cannot grasp the true form of Giygas' attack" is still one of the most chilling things ever written in a videogame. "It hurts you and you don't understand how" is a helluva thing to foist onto a human mind.
@@caucasoidape8838 The first game, Giygas has form. After it dies, it becomes a malevolent psychic parasite, more akin to Azathoth or Yog-Sothoth than Cthulhu or Nyarlathotep. To keep it in the cosmic horror family.
Something I’ve always loved about the Snes/Genesis was popping in a “serious” game, getting to the boss area only to see a gigantic abomination in the background coming at you. It’s kind of hard to capture that level of impending doom in a 3D game although Resident Evil 6 somehow managed it at the end of Leon’s campaign!
@@nayyarrashid4661 I get the impression that the 'Drug Cartel' story was just some crap the US marketing dept of Data East tacked on. This being the era of 'Winners don't use drugs', after all
Well I was disappointed he took up a spot because everything else in the video was new to me and really interesting - and then "oh, also there's Giygas who everyone already knows about." He certainly fits on the list but still!
The first boss on altered beast is pretty scary. It rips it's own head off and throws it at you, many times in quick succession, growing them back instantly each time.
It's so great to see when Secret of Evermore is recognized especially considering how overlooked that game was. Such a great game and memorable experience.
They were so proud of that thing, it was on the box, the strategy guide, etc. Then you even got to fight it again in white form. Probably cost $120 for that game in today dollars
@@braidena1633 Yeah that's right! You did fight it twice. And now that you say that they really did give a lot of attention to that boss. The commercial I believe had an animation for it too. I remember buying the cartridge (out of box) maybe 10 years ago @ a retro store. I think it was around $40 or so. One cool thing to know about the game is that it was Jeremy Soule's 1st video game to compose music for. They also intended it to be 2 player but didn't have the space. It'd make a great remake I think. I'd love to know where some of the developers of SOE are now.
@@slimtim1782 I'll be honest it's not bad but it's not exactly one of my favorite snes games, but thrax and white-thrax, it might have been called Cleopatra but id have to look it up, sit in my memory for how horrifying they were. Dad would get all the big releases back then, and relative to other ones around the time it was just kinda drab and didn't have the same character that Mana did (imo). We'd slash Dad had bought Yoshi's Island the same day and I remember that game keeping my interest much stronger. Played most of evermore but yea didnt have the same magic as its contemporaries like say chrono trigger SoE just kinda sits in that weird spot between not-great but not bad either. Days Gone would be a good modern comparison
@@braidena1633 For me that game singlehandedly got me into RPGs specifically Action RPGs. It was a short game and some things could have been worked on better so you couldn't for example take one of the hardest boss battles (the rat boss) and turn it into the easiest boss battle by manipulating the mechanics of the alchemy system when he attacked you. But it was one of the few games that actually had atmosphere @ the time thanks to Jeremy Soule of course. But it also had a unique story and was set in a more modern time period technically which wasn't usual for RPGs. The writing was great and the game had intelligent humor. It was pretty witty as you pointed out even with just the name of the boss the 2nd time around. I loved the ending. It was satisfying and you even "played the ending" so if you haven't finished it you should give it a 2nd go! It's possible Square limited the time they had to work on the game too as there is a secret boss battle that seems to show there may have been more to the game planned or a different direction with the story/end boss.
The final boss from the arcade game NARC is totally wild! Mr BIGG is a giant gangster head with flaming eyes and exploding tongues trying to run you over lol!
Dude that was messed up. Imagine having a nightmare of a giant obese head with no neck chasing after you with that repeated haunting laughter, only to reveal a long-necked skull monster underneath. I'd say the final boss was actually demon in disguise or some wacko lab experiment. My final thoughts would be that the player has spent so much time killing/arresting drug thugs and running through labs (like Robocop 2), that maybe the final boss was a trippin hallucination.
I used to have a really hard time with Mr BIGG. There were a couple of nights when I barely slept as a kid after I got to that fight. Crimson King is this on steroids, but I didn’t learn about him until just now.
@@whatifguy9675 The visual suggestion is that he was some sort of titanic giant who was a total blimp and insane enough to order himself reduced to a head with life-support machinery... for no damn reason! And *then,* crazy enough to remove almost all of his remaining humanity to install hidden armor and deranged weapon systems he'd only need if facing a small army all by himself.
Was going to post the same thing... particularly considering how easy it is to glitch her into a hellish purgatory of ecco's black silhouette perpetually screaming in pain against a blood red background with the Vortex's bottom jaw appearing occasionally appearing to take another chomp on him. No I'm not making this up, my channel showcases exactly how to create this scenario/glitch if you're interested.
Finished playing through Earthbound recently and can say that the Giygas fight is one of the most unsettling/incredible boss battles I've ever experienced. Beyond the imagery and text design, the music sets up such an overwhelming sense of dread that even knowing how to beat the boss (final stage of the fight can only be won by having a character pray for help) it still felt like a hopeless situation.
Don't forget how the only way to "beat" him is to pray. Also I remember reading somewhere that he is everything, even the ground your characters are standing on. Imagine if that was rendered in UE5 (hell I'd love to see all of these bosses modeled in UE5)
That too but it uses A bad Breath attack that can nearly EVERY status effect in game INCLUDING instant kills to the ENTIRE party even if you TRY to use the SPELLS that NULL those effects the bad breath like effects WILL still WORK against you.
@@danialyousaf6456 It wouldn't be possible to render this boss in UE5 because this boss was designed in such a way that your own imagination fills the gaps. There's no way for UE5 could come close to that.
When the narrator mentioned these bosses being recreated with modern graphics in high definition, my first thoughts were that those renditions would likely pale in comparison to the originals. There's something about old graphics that's still unmatched when it comes to disturbing imagery; maybe it's the limited color palletes, maybe it's the limited animation sometimes complemented by rather fluid segmented animation (like that boss with the long neck from Gynoug), or maybe it's that the artstyles are very unique for modern standards of horror design and as a result of their underutilization they still haven't lost their charm. Maybe it's some mix of all the above.
It's not the right generation, but my mind went straight to Darkatalkers 3, and its final boss Jedah Dohma. Not because of the man himself (a self-mutilating, blood-contracting embodiment of death), but because of his stage, "Fetus of God". Which is of course exactly what it sounds like.
@@JJ-vn3xq that, and Death on Lament Of Innocence was extremely hard! I worked at him for a month, took 8 months off then came at him again with the game shark and beat him. Even using Game Shark, he was still hard to beat.
Scariest part of 16-bit game era for me was the underwater drowning music from Sonic lol. You're in a level with the water constantly rising and if you're under it too long the music starts and speeds up till you die. Was always terrifying
The bosses from Alien Syndrome (arcade was 16-bit) were all pretty horrifying, more than some on this list. All HR Giger inspired body horror monstrosities.
Theres something about 16bit games that makes enemies look really creepy and terrifying. Almost more terrifying than 3D games, quite uncanny. And why isnt no one talking about how the players make it seem so easy to fight the bosses in these games?
The actual form of Zeon from Shining Force 2 was awful to look at. His portrait was already scary as a kid, then you see he is a giant head on a massive body you never see.
Was very happy to see that "Splatterhouse" made the list! That game was the reason I bought a TurboGrafX-16! The Xbox 360 version was a great time as well!
Imagine how much more games could have gotten away with hadn't it been for the ESRB. I mean, some of these have a pure shock value because of the context they are in, being non-horror themed games. Here's as innocent looking shooter and BANG!, lovecraftian boss. It's awesome how they managed to take you off guard and completely break expectations.
Gonna add my hat in the ring for Ecco the Dolphin's Vortex Queen boss... terrifying on her own, but also even worse if you glitch her into turning red (or glitch the screen into turning red).
I’m guessing you guys have never heard of the band King Crimson. Do an image search for their first album and you’ll find something equally as horrifying as the entry of the same name on this list. 😱
If there was "most disturbing stages" in a video game, you can throw in the last level in Contra 4 for the DS. You see a bunch of bodies that have been captured by the aliens, falling in the background. Its pretty dark and the stage is called "Harvest Yard" where the last boss absorbs a bunch of the corpses to make itself more powerful.
Secret of Evermore is one of my favourite childhood SNES games, makes me happy to see it pop up in a TripleJump list. That Mephisto boss fight would have been a strong contender also. Thanks for the excellent content.
Yes! I absolutely loved SOE. It's overlooked and underrated. Square ignores it to this day unfortunately. I think it'd make a great remake. There's so many good things to say about it from the unique story and setting to the humor and amazing soundtrack including the environmental sounds. It's a very memorable game. Did you know that was the 1st game Jeremy Soule composed music for? Pretty cool fun fact.
@@Shion_Akiba Huh. Never heard of that but I guess that could make sense. Wasn't it the only game that came from Squaresoft of America? Glad it was made...and released though!
One of my fondest memories of childhood was on Halloween after trick or treating we went to rent a video game and brought home "Splatterhouse 2" and my sister and I stayed up late playing it and it was just absolutely horrific. The first boss has guts that explode when you defeat it and the second boss has giant bloody eyeballs you have to pierce and they explode and melt away. It really stuck with me and triggers major nostalgia.
Real good list! I feel the thing with Giygas is even worse for me because from what's implied I took it to be that their PSI powers got so strong at one point that it destroyed everything about them that wasn't related to the powers so Giygas became essentially a free-floating mind that's become shattered from the power so is now in some sort of horrible purgatory fugue with only vague thoughts of their feelings and worries about Ness being left. They've become their own -dimension- from the implications and maybe that'd just spread forever outwards as their power seems to just continue rising forever and they can't even control it or even know what's happening anymore. I feel the fact that Gigyas is suffering as well makes it a lot worse, I remember seeing a thing saying the translation of "It's not right" was in the "it's not right we're fighting" sense in the original, plus Gigyas refers to Ness in the Japanese version using polite/formal/respected terms, everything's at odds with each other and confusing and can never be sure what's really happening which are big things for me personally 💭
@@JohnSegway-RainingLamppost aiiint noooo way. That’s like oh yeah goombas are just mushroom shaped is a coincidence. I thought I read that it was based on some movie or something Shigesato Itoi watched.
@@originalman01 coincidence, the main thing about that form is that if you flip it upside down you'll notice a multide of contorted giygases. More specifically, contorted version of his original body
Giygas Is even worse than that. Giygas in earthbound is the aftermath of an alien child who was forced to repress his feelings by his species and eventually, thanks to the still present feelings for his adoptive mother and his sheer power, became a brandead and impossible to properly identify mist. The pure embodiment of the concept of evil. All of this happens in Mother 1, where Giygas is the final antagonist too
The longer this video went on the more I sat thinking "When is splatter house going to show up?" You're right any of it could have made the list, Jennifer is a great choice! Great list!
Looking at some of these bosses... HR Giger was never shown the appreciation he deserved. He completely revolutionized horror and sci-fi and practically everyone emulated his style.
Maybe it's just arachnophobia, but I find the Black Widow Queen from Vectorman 2 to be pretty creepy. A huge spider with a brain for an abdomen sticking out of the wall is creepier to me than a baby doll head with smaller, older ones inside it which is little more than an oversized toy.
Honorable mention to the Darius bosses (such as in SNES game Darius Twin) which all resembles nasty looking mechanical fishy aquatic creatures. Gives you a reminder to appreciate seafood dishes.
That worm boss from Super Turrican 2 reminded me of Ardy Lightfoot, where one of the levels actually takes place inside of a huge worm creature, and while traversing its innards, you actually come across the decomposing remains of a boss character you encountered earlier who was also swallowed up. I know she was technically a villain, but still, what an awful way to go.
Actually, Porky exploited Giygas for his own goal and just left Ness fighting Giygas because, as he put it, he's "an almighty idiot". And a fun fact: Giygas has two tropes based on him and the quotes from the game on Tvtropes.
@@caucasoidape8838lol, When you look at it deep down, the final boss was the friends you made along the way...or maybe the existential realization you wasted all that time getting to the end of a Barney game and your life is that much shorter
Honorable mentions: Vortex Queen in Ecco The Dolphin Final boss of Axelay Lavos in Chrono Trigger The alien leader's true form in Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair Slave Beast Taka and Brain Organism Searle in Contra III
I always thought Deathevan looked nasty, but I didn't realise just how horrifying he truly was until now. Thanks TripleJump… I wonder if whoisthisgit is still working on that book...
Zero and Zero Two from Kirby's Dreamland 3 and Crystal Shards were pretty damned messed up, all things considered. Cutesy Kirby and then all of a sudden a giant eyeball that shoots blood at you? And the angel wings and weird spike root growing out of Zero Two? Would have really messed me up if I had played them when I was a little kid
Nice to see Gynoug/Wings of Wor mentioned. At least two other bosses in that game could have made the list, particularly the mangled armless exposed heart torso guy who tries to kill you with giant red blood cells.
Bloody Mary from Terranigma always bothers me. The build up and realizing you can barely damage her changes the tone of the game for me. If u weren't expecting it, it's a brutal and depressing battle.
Anyone remembers Neo ExDeath from Final Fantasy V? That was quite unsettling, and could have some kind of "honorary mention". Interesting list nonetheless, thanks for the presentation.
Certain parts of Final Fantasy 9 would also be an honorable mention, especially as they're in total contrast to the fairy-tale world of most of the game. Terra creeped me out as a kid, and the twins battle was unexpectedly disturbing.
I think that giant moth boss in Castlevania bloodlines could be disturbing for some because of how creepy bugs look especially from up close. And maybe the final mother Brain from Super Metroid might also be a good choice because it doesn't seem so scary at first when you're just shooting the brain but when you think you've won up arises a body to go along with that brain and some pretty loud disturbing music plays with some loud really angry screaming from the monster
Side note for the Gynoug (pronounced jee-nuug) boss: Perfidy is only her name in the English and Brazilian versions. Yes, her. The Japanese name for her is Jouou--QUEEN. The Japanese version doesn't call her stage the Demons' Womb for nothing...
Love these lists, I get so many ideas of what games to play next. I am going to have to play Super Turrican 2 and that Midnight Resistance...I enjoy Contra type games!
Altered Beast had some disturbing bosses, though I never made it to the end of that one to see all of them. I only ever played the arcade version, and I never owned a home copy. This wasn't a boss, but there were these frog things that would jump in the air, and if they landed on you, they'd have your head in their mouth as you walked around until you killed them.
The Profound Darkness from Phantasy Star 4: End of the Millennium does the tentacle-y Lovecraftian Cosmic Horror schtick pretty well, especially considering that the final bosses of the previous three games (and three to four+ times in Phantasy Star 4, depending on whether or not one of the elite random encounters in the final dungeon is another once, which is an absolutely terrifying concept to anyone familiar with what even *one* of those things could and have done throughout the various games in the franchise), Dark Force, were all just physical manifestations of a fraction of her(?) hate. Of special note is the second Dark Force that you encounter in Phantasy Star 4, who incarnated as the organic Garubek Tower, which is a pulsating mess with sphincters that serve as doors/elevators, is surrounded by a massively regenerative carnivorous forest, and which simultaneously manipulated the weather of an entire planet into being a continuous deadly blizzard (by the standards of an ice world) despite the climate being actively controlled by sci-fi weather manipulation technology, *and* spread a dangerous zombie plague. Dark Force 3 in that same game either impersonated a normal human until it was time to jump the party, or it just flat out possessed a potentially innocent man and forced the party to kill him.
I’d consider the concept behind the King and Queen of Eblan in Final Fantasy IV to be disturbing. They were captured and Dr. Lugae did these absolutely horrifying experiments on them to turn them into these stitched-up chimera-like monsters, losing most of their sanity as a result. They recognize their own son and attack him anyway. It’s only when they have a brief moment of lucidity that they acknowledge that what they were transformed into has no right to live, say their farewells to Edge, and commit suicide. The only thing that would stop me putting it on a list like this is that it’s a scripted fight, but it’s at least an honorable mention.
I can't believe that didn't even get a mention. It's worthy of #1 for a variety of factors: -The fact that the King and Queen's transformed selves aren't reflected in their "map" sprites and hit you like a ton of bricks when they engage you in battle. -Their transformed selves are grotesque in a truly warped, unsettling way (Amano's illustration of the Queen's is nightmarish even without knowing its context in the plot). -The worst part has to be when they come to their senses. Their self-realization must be horrific, and to make matters worse it's accompanied by that depressing melody reserved for when key characters die. -The final exchanges between them and their son is heartbreaking. Edge's trauma would be unbearable. I really feel that this scene doesn't get treated with enough gravity in the game, especially as far as Edge is concerned. He recovers far too quickly from it and the party just moves on too soon.
I've always had a thing for the Phantasy Star 3 incarnation of Dark Force. Contrary to all its other versions, that one looked almost human in a way, which took it deep into the uncanny valley. And those small faces on its shoulders plus the one on its crotch... Ugh! Say what you will about that game, but that's the creepiest Dark Force in the entire series.
The Final Boss in "Gynoug" looks like the Alien Cell Final Boss from ending 3 in "Contra Hard Corps". Specifically, the creature that bursts out of the top of the Missile. They both recall John Carpenter's The Thing in hideousness.
Giygas was always the most disturbing for me back then. I think it's because it was at the end of an otherwise tame and upbeat game that seemingly out of nowhere, that monstrosity showed up. The contrast of what the game was up to that point and what Giygas was made it worse. They went for more psychological horror and succeeded.
Given some of the other bosses on the list, I was surprised not to see Maxwell Madison from the Phantom 2040 game. That thing gave me the willies as a kid.
you guys know that "perfidy" is actually a proper english word, right? it's the noun from which the adjective "perfidious" is derived. and neither of the two ways you pronounced it here was correct lol.
Wasn't there an old game Abbadox or something like that, which was a horizontal shooter that took place going through the body/digestive tract of a real gross alien or something like that? Damn it!! Too much cheeba has corrupted my memory card...
You gotta check it out! Very difficult game, but at the time it was praised for its graphics and back then, children would have fun burping, picking their noses and probably anything deemed 'gross' and they were in for a surprise. In this game, you're infiltrating a literal planet-sized alien parasite full of grotesque surprises. Nearly all bosses were abominations of flesh and distorted perceptions of human-like features (one loos like a fish). I always relate this game to Junji-Ito's "Hellstar Remina" horror comic. I highly recommend you take a look!
@@whatifguy9675 I found it. Boxed copy with sleeve and manual, and not in terrible condition either! I'm so excited! If anyone needs me...... Just don't need me for a while I guess. 🤣
The 8-bit game Journey to Silius on SNES got me overall. It's an unsettling action game (for a small boy back then) with great boss fights and soundtrack.
i am absolutely flipping surprised Dan from Clock Tower was not here. Granted, he’s not a boss you “fight” but he is incredibly nightmare inducing. Like DAYUM
Oh, that's called Moter Alien... We called it The Witch. But in my oppinion, the most disturbing boss in Hard Corps was That-Thing-From-The-Rocket. Ah, and btw, when you fight Zeed in Shinoby III, you have the very same Giygas effect.
Now the thing I found scary years back was a scene in silent hill. Maybe more advanced as on PlayStation but still scared me. It’s when you have lights off at home then play the level when your in a school and your treasurer radio makes odd crackles when a enemy near. The room you go in with radio making noises and odd kids coming from no where freaked me out lol
That's another thing that retro games had that most modern games lack, horrible and bizarre bosses, that showed how amazing was the art design of those games
Metroid Fusion has a couple of good examples. While not being in the same era as the games on this list, being limited to a handheld makes it pretty similar. The isolated setting and SA-X alone are bad enough, but two bosses will always stick out in my mind as the most uncomfortable parts. The first one is Nightmare. You're stuck in a corner facing off against this floating, reality-manipulating, melty-faced creation while uncanny music drones in the background. The close second to this is the fight with Ridley (because of course there is one), but primarily just because of the sound effects. Its screech is LOUD. While it's not haunting as something like Lavos' screech, a constant noise throughout the battle and is really anxiety inducing. While not being hard bosses, those will always be the two that I remember best. Also, kudos to you for including Splatterhouse.
I'm surprised you didn't at least mention that King Crimson is a reference to the band. At least...it _has_ to be a reference to the band. They're pretty well known. Jojo references them as well. They are amazing too, by the way.
Jennifer remains one of the most disturbing bosses I’ve encountered in a game. Splatterhouse gets some sick kudos for having the balls to not only refuse you the victory of saving the girl, not only forcing you to fight and ultimately kill the girl, but having her humanity periodically return to beg for your help as you do it. That’s some crap you just don’t walk away from. …except walk away you do, because somebody has to pay for it.
Thank god they did a sequel, because damn did that hurt.
@@enriquejoseantequerasanche6180 And then in the third game she can become a mindless beast once again, possibly treating the player to one of the most horrifying screens in a 16-bit game.
@@warcraftfan5 Whoever drew that screen did a very good, because her gaze is more disturbing than most of all of the stuff in the modern horror games.
I just love how sometimes I'm browsing for some Splatterhouse OST (the songs from the games are fucking amazing) and then accidentally stumbling across a recommended video that has that face in the thumbnail
@@warcraftfan5 “Jennifer begins to smell of the rot of the grave…”
@@edusilveira777 I think they used digitized photos of actors, at least in the original Genesis/Mega-drive version.
I feel like Crocomire from Super Metroid could appear here, though my reasons for finding it disturbing are more personal. It doesn't attack you unless you attack it, and then it gets the most horrific punishment out of any boss in the game. Then there's how its skeleton pops out afterwards. Does that mean it survived as it melted alive? Its design doesn't help either, I used to feel like it reminded me of rotten flesh
Agreed. Heck, most of the bosses design in Super Metroid are disturbing too. Just look at Phantoon or Draygon for example
Its an effective jump scare. Just its roots being in the Alien movies and sci fi. I enjoyed Metroid Fusion, and I think your doppleganger stalking you all over with its creepy glowing eyes and fully upgraded Power Suit is disturbing stuff. I think Fusion really did the isolation better, since it felt like a space station not a planet. But Super Metroid is still the best imo in the series, the graphics story and solid and engaging gameplay, and the feeling of become stronger as you go are all so good even today. I imagine it inspired alot of Metrovania games we know and love.
Heh, I was about to comment the same thing. I was completely unprepared for seeing a boss continue to try to attack you even as its flesh melted off, exposing its skeleton...while still alive.
That's kind of like the Stripe gremlin still attacking after the sun had cooked its flesh off. lol
The Metroid series in general is just lovely, even with the first one and it's lonely feeling in the game.
When I clicked this video I said to myself "If I don't see Splatterhouse, I'll riot" Well done guys!
I love Splatterhouse and I learned about it through... HVGN back in the day ahah
Thank you dude! I love your channel!
I don’t think anyone here knows about ECCO the DOLPHIN last boss, think I’m messing around? Check for yourself
The aliens from silent debuggers were nasty too
I gotta do a pt2
Uncle Derek is here!
Recently played through Gynoug after not seeing it for nearly 30 years. It's still so unsettling. All the bosses that have human faces look like they're kept in a state of unspeakable agony, like their flesh has been marshaled into the service of some twisted deity.
Killing them off almost seems like you're doing them a favour.
"You cannot grasp the true form of Giygas' attack" is still one of the most chilling things ever written in a videogame.
"It hurts you and you don't understand how" is a helluva thing to foist onto a human mind.
Odd, because in the first game it has a form you can easily perceive.
@@caucasoidape8838 The first game, Giygas has form. After it dies, it becomes a malevolent psychic parasite, more akin to Azathoth or Yog-Sothoth than Cthulhu or Nyarlathotep. To keep it in the cosmic horror family.
I love how they didnt mention how Giygas is shaped like a Baby in the womb
@@FunkSwaggMusiK The WHOLE thing is just a cavalcade of nightmares.
*to foist onto a twelve-year-old mind
Something I’ve always loved about the Snes/Genesis was popping in a “serious” game, getting to the boss area only to see a gigantic abomination in the background coming at you. It’s kind of hard to capture that level of impending doom in a 3D game although Resident Evil 6 somehow managed it at the end of Leon’s campaign!
One of the great parts of that game, that while sparse, still work on repeat playthroughs.
Chris’ final boss is a highlight as well.
@@osurpless oh no doubt, currently replaying 6 for my gf and she’s loving it so far. I can’t wait for her to see Simmon’s final form!
Was hoping to see Ecco's final boss. But Gynoug is a nice inclusion, I was expecting that one to be missing as well.
That King Crimson boss is basically the cover art for King Crimson's first album "In the Court of the Crimson King"
Fucking love that song and album. I was just watching Children of Men and forgot that song was in it.
I loved Midnight Resistance and always thought it was about Alien Invasion.
@@nayyarrashid4661 I get the impression that the 'Drug Cartel' story was just some crap the US marketing dept of Data East tacked on. This being the era of 'Winners don't use drugs', after all
Robert Fripp: "LOL, no ... "
The moment I heard that that red head was "King Crimson" I was hold "hold on... Is that the same King Crimson from the band?"
As soon as I saw the title, I immediately thought "okay, where is Giygas going to appear on this list?" and was not disappointed.
Between Giygas and Lavos which is more unsettling
Yet he managed to completely miss that Giygas' form resembles that of a human fetus. Now that's a big omission
Well I was disappointed he took up a spot because everything else in the video was new to me and really interesting - and then "oh, also there's Giygas who everyone already knows about." He certainly fits on the list but still!
@@kungfuchef8500 it's more disturbing the fact that giygas's form is just the head of his previous body but upside down and deformed
Me too. Earthbound can look childish and pure at the start, but then cames Giygas and you feel like playing an damn horror game.
The first boss on altered beast is pretty scary. It rips it's own head off and throws it at you, many times in quick succession, growing them back instantly each time.
VELKOM TO YA DOOM-AH!!!!!
As a kid that kind of scared me yeah
The 16 bit era of video games will always be the best in my heart. The artwork and what is behind making the artwork for 16 bit games is amazing.
It's so great to see when Secret of Evermore is recognized especially considering how overlooked that game was. Such a great game and memorable experience.
They were so proud of that thing, it was on the box, the strategy guide, etc. Then you even got to fight it again in white form. Probably cost $120 for that game in today dollars
@@braidena1633 Yeah that's right! You did fight it twice. And now that you say that they really did give a lot of attention to that boss. The commercial I believe had an animation for it too. I remember buying the cartridge (out of box) maybe 10 years ago @ a retro store. I think it was around $40 or so. One cool thing to know about the game is that it was Jeremy Soule's 1st video game to compose music for. They also intended it to be 2 player but didn't have the space. It'd make a great remake I think. I'd love to know where some of the developers of SOE are now.
@@slimtim1782 I'll be honest it's not bad but it's not exactly one of my favorite snes games, but thrax and white-thrax, it might have been called Cleopatra but id have to look it up, sit in my memory for how horrifying they were. Dad would get all the big releases back then, and relative to other ones around the time it was just kinda drab and didn't have the same character that Mana did (imo). We'd slash Dad had bought Yoshi's Island the same day and I remember that game keeping my interest much stronger. Played most of evermore but yea didnt have the same magic as its contemporaries like say chrono trigger
SoE just kinda sits in that weird spot between not-great but not bad either. Days Gone would be a good modern comparison
**Coleoptera. Clever play on words there
@@braidena1633 For me that game singlehandedly got me into RPGs specifically Action RPGs. It was a short game and some things could have been worked on better so you couldn't for example take one of the hardest boss battles (the rat boss) and turn it into the easiest boss battle by manipulating the mechanics of the alchemy system when he attacked you. But it was one of the few games that actually had atmosphere @ the time thanks to Jeremy Soule of course. But it also had a unique story and was set in a more modern time period technically which wasn't usual for RPGs. The writing was great and the game had intelligent humor. It was pretty witty as you pointed out even with just the name of the boss the 2nd time around. I loved the ending. It was satisfying and you even "played the ending" so if you haven't finished it you should give it a 2nd go! It's possible Square limited the time they had to work on the game too as there is a secret boss battle that seems to show there may have been more to the game planned or a different direction with the story/end boss.
The final boss from the arcade game NARC is totally wild! Mr BIGG is a giant gangster head with flaming eyes and exploding tongues trying to run you over lol!
Dude that was messed up. Imagine having a nightmare of a giant obese head with no neck chasing after you with that repeated haunting laughter, only to reveal a long-necked skull monster underneath. I'd say the final boss was actually demon in disguise or some wacko lab experiment. My final thoughts would be that the player has spent so much time killing/arresting drug thugs and running through labs (like Robocop 2), that maybe the final boss was a trippin hallucination.
I played it plenty in the arcade, but never got past Mr. Big's 1st form. When I played it years later in MAME, it was a total "WTF is that?!"
I used to have a really hard time with Mr BIGG. There were a couple of nights when I barely slept as a kid after I got to that fight. Crimson King is this on steroids, but I didn’t learn about him until just now.
I looked it up. So true!
@@whatifguy9675 The visual suggestion is that he was some sort of titanic giant who was a total blimp and insane enough to order himself reduced to a head with life-support machinery... for no damn reason! And *then,* crazy enough to remove almost all of his remaining humanity to install hidden armor and deranged weapon systems he'd only need if facing a small army all by himself.
I'm always so happy to hear any mention of the Breath of Fire series.
What about Ecco the dolphin's Vortex Queen? That thing haunted me in my dreams for several years back in the day.
PS: great list though.
Absolutely the same. Had to get my brother to beat it for me when I was super young cuz I couldn't stand to look at it lol.
was about to comment the same thing my man haha
Was going to post the same thing... particularly considering how easy it is to glitch her into a hellish purgatory of ecco's black silhouette perpetually screaming in pain against a blood red background with the Vortex's bottom jaw appearing occasionally appearing to take another chomp on him.
No I'm not making this up, my channel showcases exactly how to create this scenario/glitch if you're interested.
I knew I wasn't alone with this, hahahaha.
I'm glad I was bad at that game as a kid.
Finished playing through Earthbound recently and can say that the Giygas fight is one of the most unsettling/incredible boss battles I've ever experienced. Beyond the imagery and text design, the music sets up such an overwhelming sense of dread that even knowing how to beat the boss (final stage of the fight can only be won by having a character pray for help) it still felt like a hopeless situation.
Don't forget how the only way to "beat" him is to pray.
Also I remember reading somewhere that he is everything, even the ground your characters are standing on.
Imagine if that was rendered in UE5 (hell I'd love to see all of these bosses modeled in UE5)
It's been my favorite game for 25 years, and I am ENVIOUS of anyone who gets to experience it fresh for the first time.
That too but it uses A bad Breath attack that can nearly EVERY status effect in game INCLUDING instant kills to the ENTIRE party even if you TRY to use the SPELLS that NULL those effects the bad breath like effects WILL still WORK against you.
For real nightmare fuel, look up what inspired the design.
@@danialyousaf6456 It wouldn't be possible to render this boss in UE5 because this boss was designed in such a way that your own imagination fills the gaps. There's no way for UE5 could come close to that.
When the narrator mentioned these bosses being recreated with modern graphics in high definition, my first thoughts were that those renditions would likely pale in comparison to the originals.
There's something about old graphics that's still unmatched when it comes to disturbing imagery; maybe it's the limited color palletes, maybe it's the limited animation sometimes complemented by rather fluid segmented animation (like that boss with the long neck from Gynoug), or maybe it's that the artstyles are very unique for modern standards of horror design and as a result of their underutilization they still haven't lost their charm.
Maybe it's some mix of all the above.
It's not the right generation, but my mind went straight to Darkatalkers 3, and its final boss Jedah Dohma. Not because of the man himself (a self-mutilating, blood-contracting embodiment of death), but because of his stage, "Fetus of God". Which is of course exactly what it sounds like.
Castlevania's bosses always freaked me out when I was a kid. Now I can appreciate the artistry that went into creating them.
Castlevania 64's last boss still haunt me lol, I think I've beat him once and called it a day out of frustration 😂😂
Looked cool af too
@@JJ-vn3xq the chainsaw guy inside the garden was always creepy as hell, even though I was 21 when it came out it was pretty scary 😂
@@JJ-vn3xq that, and Death on Lament Of Innocence was extremely hard! I worked at him for a month, took 8 months off then came at him again with the game shark and beat him. Even using Game Shark, he was still hard to beat.
I always look forward to the design for Dracula and the inevitable demon transformation.
Scariest part of 16-bit game era for me was the underwater drowning music from Sonic lol. You're in a level with the water constantly rising and if you're under it too long the music starts and speeds up till you die. Was always terrifying
Several of the Demon's Crest bosses deserve an honorable mention, I think...the undead dragon and Crawler being two of the more disturbing ones.
Agreed, and those mummies in the catacombs... ugh man, gave me the damn creeps.
Really shows how amazingly creative and textured the graphics used to look
It really was a huge step from the atari days and even to an extent from the nes, they still have an art style that holds up surprisingly
bro this shit looks so much better than most of these "sprite art" indie games lol
The bosses from Alien Syndrome (arcade was 16-bit) were all pretty horrifying, more than some on this list. All HR Giger inspired body horror monstrosities.
Nice. I figured someone would mention Alien Syndrome. Some of those alien bosses were grody to the max. 🤮
I love Alien Syndrome.
I just played through that a couple weeks ago and was thinking the same!
Mannn, that takes me back. Everything looked fresh out of David Cronenberg's fridge.
@@planetofthegapes- Scanners, Videodrome or all of them? 🪱
"Beware, I live." "I hunger." "Roooooaaaaar!" "I am Sinistar."
Scariest game boss ever - period.
☠
Run, coward!
@@reillywalker195 - RUN! RUN! RUN!
Theres something about 16bit games that makes enemies look really creepy and terrifying. Almost more terrifying than 3D games, quite uncanny. And why isnt no one talking about how the players make it seem so easy to fight the bosses in these games?
Because realism in games sucks.
@@Lordodragonss no lol there’s some terrifying designs
I thought the final boss of Kirby's Dream Land 3 was pretty disturbing for a kid's game - a giant, bloody eyeball.
Exactly my point, i was surprised that Zero wasn't on this.
The actual form of Zeon from Shining Force 2 was awful to look at. His portrait was already scary as a kid, then you see he is a giant head on a massive body you never see.
Was very happy to see that "Splatterhouse" made the list! That game was the reason I bought a TurboGrafX-16! The Xbox 360 version was a great time as well!
"Corpse Pirate" sounds like a classier version of "Grave Robber."
Imagine how much more games could have gotten away with hadn't it been for the ESRB.
I mean, some of these have a pure shock value because of the context they are in, being non-horror themed games. Here's as innocent looking shooter and BANG!, lovecraftian boss.
It's awesome how they managed to take you off guard and completely break expectations.
No mention of Altered Beast? That had some amazingly grotesque end of level bosses.
Gonna add my hat in the ring for Ecco the Dolphin's Vortex Queen boss... terrifying on her own, but also even worse if you glitch her into turning red (or glitch the screen into turning red).
I was always creeped out by Final Fantasy IV last boss Zeromus. Man; I'm surprised how much excellent monstrosity was created in the 16-bit era !!😳
and don't forget Neo Exdeath and Kefka's pillar from later games. Final Fantasy games had their own stuff of nightmares
I’m guessing you guys have never heard of the band King Crimson. Do an image search for their first album and you’ll find something equally as horrifying as the entry of the same name on this list. 😱
If there was "most disturbing stages" in a video game, you can throw in the last level in Contra 4 for the DS. You see a bunch of bodies that have been captured by the aliens, falling in the background. Its pretty dark and the stage is called "Harvest Yard" where the last boss absorbs a bunch of the corpses to make itself more powerful.
Secret of Evermore is one of my favourite childhood SNES games, makes me happy to see it pop up in a TripleJump list. That Mephisto boss fight would have been a strong contender also. Thanks for the excellent content.
YES! Secret of Evermore was one of my favourites too! Now I have the Puppet Show Theme stuck in my head!
Yeah, not enough people talk about SoE, it's something that Secret of Mana fans should give a shot since they have basically the same game play.
Yes! I absolutely loved SOE. It's overlooked and underrated. Square ignores it to this day unfortunately. I think it'd make a great remake. There's so many good things to say about it from the unique story and setting to the humor and amazing soundtrack including the environmental sounds. It's a very memorable game. Did you know that was the 1st game Jeremy Soule composed music for? Pretty cool fun fact.
@@slimtim1782 they ignore it because it was never meant to be created, squaresoft USA used the mana's code without squaresoft Japans permission.
@@Shion_Akiba Huh. Never heard of that but I guess that could make sense. Wasn't it the only game that came from Squaresoft of America? Glad it was made...and released though!
One of my fondest memories of childhood was on Halloween after trick or treating we went to rent a video game and brought home "Splatterhouse 2" and my sister and I stayed up late playing it and it was just absolutely horrific. The first boss has guts that explode when you defeat it and the second boss has giant bloody eyeballs you have to pierce and they explode and melt away. It really stuck with me and triggers major nostalgia.
Real good list!
I feel the thing with Giygas is even worse for me because from what's implied I took it to be that their PSI powers got so strong at one point that it destroyed everything about them that wasn't related to the powers so Giygas became essentially a free-floating mind that's become shattered from the power so is now in some sort of horrible purgatory fugue with only vague thoughts of their feelings and worries about Ness being left.
They've become their own -dimension- from the implications and maybe that'd just spread forever outwards as their power seems to just continue rising forever and they can't even control it or even know what's happening anymore.
I feel the fact that Gigyas is suffering as well makes it a lot worse, I remember seeing a thing saying the translation of "It's not right" was in the "it's not right we're fighting" sense in the original, plus Gigyas refers to Ness in the Japanese version using polite/formal/respected terms, everything's at odds with each other and confusing and can never be sure what's really happening which are big things for me personally 💭
It’s also a fetus which he didn’t mention
@@originalman01 Last I heard in an interview the fetus shape was a coincidence
@@JohnSegway-RainingLamppost aiiint noooo way. That’s like oh yeah goombas are just mushroom shaped is a coincidence. I thought I read that it was based on some movie or something Shigesato Itoi watched.
@@originalman01 coincidence, the main thing about that form is that if you flip it upside down you'll notice a multide of contorted giygases. More specifically, contorted version of his original body
Giygas Is even worse than that. Giygas in earthbound is the aftermath of an alien child who was forced to repress his feelings by his species and eventually, thanks to the still present feelings for his adoptive mother and his sheer power, became a brandead and impossible to properly identify mist. The pure embodiment of the concept of evil.
All of this happens in Mother 1, where Giygas is the final antagonist too
I'm surprised that the final boss of Ecco the Dolphin isn't in here.
Please cry
HOLY HELL. I had no idea monster designs could be this horrific in 16-bit.
The longer this video went on the more I sat thinking "When is splatter house going to show up?"
You're right any of it could have made the list, Jennifer is a great choice! Great list!
Im impressed with this list, you managed to dig up some fairly obscure games here rather then relying on all the well known stuff.
Looking at some of these bosses... HR Giger was never shown the appreciation he deserved. He completely revolutionized horror and sci-fi and practically everyone emulated his style.
It wasn't mentioned, but Gygas looks like an embryo, too with the background
That Babyhead boss' aging/transformation gimmick is really quite creative!
Jennifer is not only disturbing but heart breaking. Imagine looking for your loved one only to find that you have to fight them...
The one in Splatterhouse 3 is probably the scariest. The cutscene alone terrified me so much that I wish I never knew about that game
@@christophergepullano9029 Splatterhouse 3 gave me nightmares, hahah.
the plot of Prey
Earthworm Jim had some odd ass Bosses too
Maybe it's just arachnophobia, but I find the Black Widow Queen from Vectorman 2 to be pretty creepy. A huge spider with a brain for an abdomen sticking out of the wall is creepier to me than a baby doll head with smaller, older ones inside it which is little more than an oversized toy.
1:20 - Hydra the Body Weapon
2:56 - Thraxx
4:23 - Jaws
5:55 - Deathevan
7:24 - King Crimson
8:45 - Giygas
10:14 - Mother Alien
11:28 - Mitsuru
12:59 - Jennifer
14:30 - Perfidy
King Crimson, A Robocop head wearing the mask of Jagi from Fist of the North Star, what a combo
Honorable mention to the Darius bosses (such as in SNES game Darius Twin) which all resembles nasty looking mechanical fishy aquatic creatures. Gives you a reminder to appreciate seafood dishes.
That worm boss from Super Turrican 2 reminded me of Ardy Lightfoot, where one of the levels actually takes place inside of a huge worm creature, and while traversing its innards, you actually come across the decomposing remains of a boss character you encountered earlier who was also swallowed up. I know she was technically a villain, but still, what an awful way to go.
Nothing like a good meat dungeon.
Actually, Porky exploited Giygas for his own goal and just left Ness fighting Giygas because, as he put it, he's "an almighty idiot".
And a fun fact: Giygas has two tropes based on him and the quotes from the game on Tvtropes.
Nothing can truly compare to the absolute horror of the final boss in Barney's Hide and Seek Adventure
That had a final boss? lol
@@caucasoidape8838lol, When you look at it deep down, the final boss was the friends you made along the way...or maybe the existential realization you wasted all that time getting to the end of a Barney game and your life is that much shorter
So happy to see Secret of Evermore on a TJ list! One of my favourites growing up!
Mine too!
Honorable mentions:
Vortex Queen in Ecco The Dolphin
Final boss of Axelay
Lavos in Chrono Trigger
The alien leader's true form in Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair
Slave Beast Taka and Brain Organism Searle in Contra III
I always thought Deathevan looked nasty, but I didn't realise just how horrifying he truly was until now. Thanks TripleJump…
I wonder if whoisthisgit is still working on that book...
Zero and Zero Two from Kirby's Dreamland 3 and Crystal Shards were pretty damned messed up, all things considered. Cutesy Kirby and then all of a sudden a giant eyeball that shoots blood at you? And the angel wings and weird spike root growing out of Zero Two? Would have really messed me up if I had played them when I was a little kid
Nice to see Gynoug/Wings of Wor mentioned. At least two other bosses in that game could have made the list, particularly the mangled armless exposed heart torso guy who tries to kill you with giant red blood cells.
Super Turrican 2 looks really cool. I'm definitely going to check it out!
Bloody Mary from Terranigma always bothers me. The build up and realizing you can barely damage her changes the tone of the game for me. If u weren't expecting it, it's a brutal and depressing battle.
Anyone remembers Neo ExDeath from Final Fantasy V? That was quite unsettling, and could have some kind of "honorary mention". Interesting list nonetheless, thanks for the presentation.
He was a hard one to beat, that's for sure.
Certain parts of Final Fantasy 9 would also be an honorable mention, especially as they're in total contrast to the fairy-tale world of most of the game. Terra creeped me out as a kid, and the twins battle was unexpectedly disturbing.
@@looker999997 The one where Zorn and Thorn combine? Yeah, that caught me off guard first time playing.
I think that giant moth boss in Castlevania bloodlines could be disturbing for some because of how creepy bugs look especially from up close.
And maybe the final mother Brain from Super Metroid might also be a good choice because it doesn't seem so scary at first when you're just shooting the brain but when you think you've won up arises a body to go along with that brain and some pretty loud disturbing music plays with some loud really angry screaming from the monster
10 1:20 Hydra - Shinobi 3
09 2:57 Thraxx- Secret of Evermore
08 4:24 Jaws - Super Turrican 2
07 5:57 Deathevan - Breath of Fire 2
06 7:25 King Crimson - Midnight Resistance
05 8:46 Gigyas - Earthbound
04 10:13 Mother Alien - Contra: Hard Corps
03 11:29 Baby face - Dynamite Headdy
02 13:00 Jennifer - Splatterhouse
01 14:30 Perfidy - Gynoug
Side note for the Gynoug (pronounced jee-nuug) boss: Perfidy is only her name in the English and Brazilian versions. Yes, her. The Japanese name for her is Jouou--QUEEN. The Japanese version doesn't call her stage the Demons' Womb for nothing...
Love these lists, I get so many ideas of what games to play next. I am going to have to play Super Turrican 2 and that Midnight Resistance...I enjoy Contra type games!
This is one of my favorite lists in a while. It’s a topic I hadn’t thought of and I didn’t know most of the choices, which is cool to learn about.
Altered Beast had some disturbing bosses, though I never made it to the end of that one to see all of them. I only ever played the arcade version, and I never owned a home copy.
This wasn't a boss, but there were these frog things that would jump in the air, and if they landed on you, they'd have your head in their mouth as you walked around until you killed them.
The Profound Darkness from Phantasy Star 4: End of the Millennium does the tentacle-y Lovecraftian Cosmic Horror schtick pretty well, especially considering that the final bosses of the previous three games (and three to four+ times in Phantasy Star 4, depending on whether or not one of the elite random encounters in the final dungeon is another once, which is an absolutely terrifying concept to anyone familiar with what even *one* of those things could and have done throughout the various games in the franchise), Dark Force, were all just physical manifestations of a fraction of her(?) hate.
Of special note is the second Dark Force that you encounter in Phantasy Star 4, who incarnated as the organic Garubek Tower, which is a pulsating mess with sphincters that serve as doors/elevators, is surrounded by a massively regenerative carnivorous forest, and which simultaneously manipulated the weather of an entire planet into being a continuous deadly blizzard (by the standards of an ice world) despite the climate being actively controlled by sci-fi weather manipulation technology, *and* spread a dangerous zombie plague.
Dark Force 3 in that same game either impersonated a normal human until it was time to jump the party, or it just flat out possessed a potentially innocent man and forced the party to kill him.
I’d consider the concept behind the King and Queen of Eblan in Final Fantasy IV to be disturbing. They were captured and Dr. Lugae did these absolutely horrifying experiments on them to turn them into these stitched-up chimera-like monsters, losing most of their sanity as a result. They recognize their own son and attack him anyway. It’s only when they have a brief moment of lucidity that they acknowledge that what they were transformed into has no right to live, say their farewells to Edge, and commit suicide. The only thing that would stop me putting it on a list like this is that it’s a scripted fight, but it’s at least an honorable mention.
I can't believe that didn't even get a mention. It's worthy of #1 for a variety of factors:
-The fact that the King and Queen's transformed selves aren't reflected in their "map" sprites and hit you like a ton of bricks when they engage you in battle.
-Their transformed selves are grotesque in a truly warped, unsettling way (Amano's illustration of the Queen's is nightmarish even without knowing its context in the plot).
-The worst part has to be when they come to their senses. Their self-realization must be horrific, and to make matters worse it's accompanied by that depressing melody reserved for when key characters die.
-The final exchanges between them and their son is heartbreaking. Edge's trauma would be unbearable.
I really feel that this scene doesn't get treated with enough gravity in the game, especially as far as Edge is concerned. He recovers far too quickly from it and the party just moves on too soon.
@@greenskiis While this is a memorable fight, they are simply not that scary looking.
There was Dante's Inferno for the PS3.
Some of those creatures made these seem tame.
To answer the question no one asked, going by its Japanese title (ジノーグ, Jinōgu), "Gynoug" is pronounced like Kylie Minogue.
I didn’t ask but I’m glad to know! Thank you
And Perfidy is pronounced Perfa-dee.
It means "state of being deceitful and untrustworthy".
we don't need intros. We don't need table of contents. This video could have started at 1:14 and we would have lost nothing.
I've always had a thing for the Phantasy Star 3 incarnation of Dark Force. Contrary to all its other versions, that one looked almost human in a way, which took it deep into the uncanny valley. And those small faces on its shoulders plus the one on its crotch... Ugh!
Say what you will about that game, but that's the creepiest Dark Force in the entire series.
Boss in Contra III for SNES that was in the egg room. I still remember the first time I saw it, and I was a kid in the early 90's =0
The Final Boss in "Gynoug" looks like the Alien Cell Final Boss from ending 3 in "Contra Hard Corps". Specifically, the creature that bursts out of the top of the Missile. They both recall John Carpenter's The Thing in hideousness.
I knew it looked familiar...
Yeah the one that ends up throwing up worms at you as that rocket keeps ascending. Man I love that game, it's just boss battles galore!
5:56 ...I have never thought that monstrosity was named "Death Evan." The very thought of such a silly name is quite reductive.
Giygas is infinitely creepier once you see the shape of a baby/ultrasound!
I always see the face first. Then something happens in my brain and I can only see the fetus. Every time
Don't forget the chamber entrance resembling a womb.
But if you flip the image upside down, you can see his appearance from Earthbound Beginnings but twisted
whoever came up with the idea for this video... top fucking notch
Giygas was always the most disturbing for me back then. I think it's because it was at the end of an otherwise tame and upbeat game that seemingly out of nowhere, that monstrosity showed up. The contrast of what the game was up to that point and what Giygas was made it worse. They went for more psychological horror and succeeded.
Given some of the other bosses on the list, I was surprised not to see Maxwell Madison from the Phantom 2040 game. That thing gave me the willies as a kid.
you guys know that "perfidy" is actually a proper english word, right? it's the noun from which the adjective "perfidious" is derived. and neither of the two ways you pronounced it here was correct lol.
Splatterhouse was a no-brainer on this list. Might have also included something from Altered Beast and the Calbrena dolls from Final Fantasy 2
Wasn't there an old game Abbadox or something like that, which was a horizontal shooter that took place going through the body/digestive tract of a real gross alien or something like that? Damn it!! Too much cheeba has corrupted my memory card...
Yep. But it's for the 8-bit NES.
@@anthonywheeler2082 I need to go through my stash of NES games because I'm almost positive I have that game...🤔
Palpatine: "Do it!"
You gotta check it out! Very difficult game, but at the time it was praised for its graphics and back then, children would have fun burping, picking their noses and probably anything deemed 'gross' and they were in for a surprise.
In this game, you're infiltrating a literal planet-sized alien parasite full of grotesque surprises. Nearly all bosses were abominations of flesh and distorted perceptions of human-like features (one loos like a fish). I always relate this game to Junji-Ito's "Hellstar Remina" horror comic. I highly recommend you take a look!
@@whatifguy9675 I found it. Boxed copy with sleeve and manual, and not in terrible condition either! I'm so excited! If anyone needs me...... Just don't need me for a while I guess. 🤣
The 8-bit game Journey to Silius on SNES got me overall. It's an unsettling action game (for a small boy back then) with great boss fights and soundtrack.
Final boss from Ecco the Dolphin anyone?
Thank you for undoing several years of therapy and denial.
If you need me I'll be crying in the corner.
@@Banquet42 You're welcome 😄
i am absolutely flipping surprised Dan from Clock Tower was not here. Granted, he’s not a boss you “fight” but he is incredibly nightmare inducing. Like DAYUM
Oh, that's called Moter Alien... We called it The Witch. But in my oppinion, the most disturbing boss in Hard Corps was That-Thing-From-The-Rocket. Ah, and btw, when you fight Zeed in Shinoby III, you have the very same Giygas effect.
I was going to mention the boss in Dynamite Headdy. Glad you guys gave the game some love
Good call on BabyFace from Dynamite Headdy. That kind of weirdness sticks with you for 20+ years.
Fantastic list - SNES Turrican 2 did a great job with Mode 7 on the worm boss. Looks awesome!
Mr. Nutz had some pretty disturbing bosses, even the music was creepy
Now the thing I found scary years back was a scene in silent hill. Maybe more advanced as on PlayStation but still scared me. It’s when you have lights off at home then play the level when your in a school and your treasurer radio makes odd crackles when a enemy near. The room you go in with radio making noises and odd kids coming from no where freaked me out lol
Last game has an insanely amazing talented group of illustrators. I'm going to play it just to see all the different Boss designs
The really creepy part of the Giygas battle is the music. You need to hear the music.
Funny how you didn't pick the Alien Cell boss for Contra Hard Corps, I think that one looks more disturbing
Indeed. This and the creature "combining" machine would be my votes for most disturbing. Hard to pick just one.
That's another thing that retro games had that most modern games lack, horrible and bizarre bosses, that showed how amazing was the art design of those games
the music is very calming and wholesome
Metroid Fusion has a couple of good examples. While not being in the same era as the games on this list, being limited to a handheld makes it pretty similar. The isolated setting and SA-X alone are bad enough, but two bosses will always stick out in my mind as the most uncomfortable parts.
The first one is Nightmare. You're stuck in a corner facing off against this floating, reality-manipulating, melty-faced creation while uncanny music drones in the background.
The close second to this is the fight with Ridley (because of course there is one), but primarily just because of the sound effects. Its screech is LOUD. While it's not haunting as something like Lavos' screech, a constant noise throughout the battle and is really anxiety inducing.
While not being hard bosses, those will always be the two that I remember best.
Also, kudos to you for including Splatterhouse.
I'm surprised you didn't at least mention that King Crimson is a reference to the band.
At least...it _has_ to be a reference to the band. They're pretty well known. Jojo references them as well. They are amazing too, by the way.
this is the kind of double triple niche epic win i’m looking for. Shinobi 3 was such a difficult game. great video