Top 10 Hardest Video Game Bosses of the 90s

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#10: Death

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“Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse” (1990)

Death has had a notorious reputation throughout the “Castlevania” franchise, not just “Dracula’s Curse”. Although, we’re outing this iteration because of two things: the design of the arena and the projectiles. On top of the awkward layout of the stage, you’ll have to predict Death’s next moves while dodging all of the scythes flying around. Even though you can destroy the scythes, they will eventually spawn back in and at random points with different patterns than before. Be mindful of your position and prioritize the scythes before trying to wail on Death.

“Super Metroid” (1994)

The first encounter with Ridley wasn’t as much of a hassle compared to many other “Metroid” villains. No, the second encounter is where the tension rises. Samus and the giant lizard fight in a vertically narrow room, and our bounty hunter is forced to stay somewhat close to the center in order to avoid a fiery death. But with Ridley’s massive amount of health and vicious attacks that can kill you quick, you’ll be itching to bum-rush him just to get out of there ASAP.

“Chrono Trigger” (1995)

Lavos is tough from the getgo thanks to the typical “you haven’t even seen my final form” bosses we’ve come to expect from JRPGs”. First form, of course, isn’t going to be super tough as he simply reuses attacks from bosses prior. The second form requires you to target his head and arms to lower his body’s defense and prevent it from recovering HP. And that final form? Thirty-thousand HP and the ability to absorb elemental attacks. You might want a guide for this fight.

“Final Fantasy VII” (1997)

You were expecting maybe Sephiroth? Or perhaps Ozma from “Final Fantasy IX”? Oh, absolutely not. Tough bosses, but not as tough as the Emerald Weapon. A mech that is only weak to lightning-based attacks, boasts one million HP, and sits at Level Ninety-Nine. That is the thing you are fighting against, and may God have mercy on your soul when it uses its Emerald Shoot ability or counters with Revenge Stamp. This fight is why many JRPG fans advise that you farm every chance you get. Never back out of a fight so you can get that XP because you got dudes like this running around.

“Diddy Kong Racing” (1997)

Interestingly enough, Wizpig is arguably the hardest of the first-party N64 games we all typically play. “Diddy Kong Racing”, overall, gets oppressive with its rubber-banding after the first third of the campaign. Wizpig makes it ten times worse. In order to beat him in both races, you will need to hit almost every zipper while using the trick of letting off the gas before hitting the zipper for maximum boost. Should you accidentally drive off road, you may as well restart the whole race.

“Super Street Fighter II Turbo” (1994)

Akuma, to this day, still sends a chill down the spines of “Street Fighter” players. Even his debut game makes him ridiculously hard! First off, this is “Super Street Fighter II Turbo”. Emphasis on “Turbo” because you need to be fast with your inputs to get through most of your fights. As for Akuma, he has many moves similar to Ryu and Ken’s, but he does deal more damage and can use Demon Dash to essentially negate attacks while simultaneously closing the distance between you two. Better bring your A-game.

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#4: Death Egg Robot

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“Sonic the Hedgehog 2” (1992)

Whereas most of the bosses on this list are here because of massive health pools and insane attack powers and patterns, the Death Egg Robot is here for a different reason. See, just about every boss fight usually comes after running through a course - standard video game fare, right? Well, the Death Egg Robot is the level. There is nothing preceding it, meaning you have no chance of grabbing rings before reaching Robotnik’s mech. In other words, you will have to fight this thing without getting hit a single time. Good luck!

“Mortal Kombat II” (1993)

When it comes to fighting games of the 90’s, Shao Kahn always rears his ugly head into the conversation. The Emperor of Outworld has always been one of the most difficult bosses in gaming in general, and to this day, his debut in MK2 is still arduous. This is the kind of guy that will rush you down and quickly hurl an insult before you can get back up. And yes, he pulls the same B-S input-reading that so many fighting game bosses are given. Super fair fight.

“Mega Man 7” (1995)

When a developer says “let’s make a crazy hard boss”, you can almost guarantee they are about to make something wildly grueling. Case in point, the Wily Capsule. Wily uses this machine to turn invisible and utilize a plethora of different attacks that can make the screen look like a madhouse. Plus, if an attack hits, there’s a good chance it will freeze you long enough for another hit to register. You are going to need to utilize every power you’ve nabbed from the Robot Masters, and even then, don’t be surprised if you have to rely on your standard peashooter of an arm cannon.

“Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars” (1996)

Funny enough, you could play through all of “Super Mario RPG” and never see Culex a single time. This malevolent being lies behind a secret door, awaiting your arrival for a fight of epic proportions. Should you choose to challenge him, you might find yourself severely underpowered. Culex boasts twelve thousand HP and holds no weaknesses. On top of that, the four crystals that sit in front of him can grant monumental boosts to his attack power and defenses. Despite defeating Smithy, you may want to try and grind even more before facing this big baddie from another dimension.

Who do you think was the hardest boss of 90’s gaming? Did it make our list? Let us know in the comments and subscribe to WatchMojo for more videos everyday.