by Richard Winterton

Created on: November 14, 2009

They've been called frustrating, annoying, challenging, sadistic and sometimes just "game-breaking." They're video game bosses who just make you want to smash your controller into your screen over and over again. Call them unfair, unrealistic, or just plain unlikable, here are a few who deserve a special place in video game hell.

Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII, PSone)- This boss definitely earns his fair amount of hatred over the course of the game. After killing Aeris and attempting to both destroy and merge with the planet, your final confrontation with this white haired sociopath lies at the bottom of a forgotten ancient crater. Yet it's not just one fight, oh no. He takes three forms in three separate battles, one of which requires every single Player character to participate in simultaneously, so you better hope they're all around level 65. Around form 2, he gains the uncanny ability to conjure a moon-sized meteor from the outer reaches of space and shatter the entire solar system in attacking you.

That last slash had to be cathartic for so many players.

Vulcain (StarFox 64, Nintendo 64)- What is worse than a level wherein players takes constant unavoidable damage on a burning star? Expecting players to fight a boss in that environment of course. Vulcain himself was pretty average in difficulty compared to the other bosses in the Starfox universe. What made him stand out was the fact that he resides in an endless ocean of lava and flame. What's more, players were expected to keep to the top of the screen while dodging various projectiles. Fly too low and you take impossibly high amounts of heat damage and even risk flying right into a lava wave.

Not cool.

General RAAM (Gears of War, Xbox 360)- He carries a Troika Turret and is protected by a living force field of Kryll that deflects all except explosive rounds. He doesn't run, he doesn't take cover, he just approaches you. Spend too much time out of cover: you're mowed down. Spend too much time away from the light: you're dissected by Kryll. Get too close to him, you're mowed down while simultaneously dissected by Kryll.

If you and your best bud Dom somehow manage to avoid all that, just don't run out of explosives.

Motaro (Mortal Kombat 3, Multi-platform)- Fighting game bosses are renowned in the gaming medium for their ability to break their respective games. Motaro is such an example. A precursor to the final battle with Shao Khan, Motaro is not only immune to ranged attacks, but has the uncanny ability to block almost any melee attack that is not part of a combo. Furthermore, he sports an unblockable grapple attack and teleport ability should you move too far away from his.

I actually bit my controller cord off fighting him.

Ares (God of War, PS2)- The foreshadowing of Kratos' fight with the titular God of War looms over the entire game (quite literally really, he's about tbe size of the Empire State building). When Kratos finally reaches the climax of his quest, him and Ares clash in a battle of epic proportions all set in the bay of Athens. His first form sports a giant hammer and an unblockable meteor attack that fills the entire bay with falling burning rocks. Is second form isn't much better, except that you're stripped of your magic and weapons that you've spent the entire game getting used to and have to rely on a sword with only four moves.

Oh, and second form can also throw mountains at you.

FYI: never get hit on God mode.

That's not even advice for just God of War. All of these bosses will kill you in one hit on God mode.

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