10 Most Disturbing 16-bit Video Games Bosses

The fourth console generation arguably represented the pinnacle of 2D gaming. For many, these were the glory days.Clever developers were finding incredible new ways to make games look, play, and sound far better than they had any right to. However, while 16-bit consoles could be used to build worlds as beautiful as they were magical, they could also bring our worst pixelated nightmares to life, especially when it came to intimidating boss encounters. Here are the 10 Most Disturbing 16-bit Video Games Bosses!

#Earthbound #Contra #Splatterhouse

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[StopSkeletonsFromFighting]

When I clicked this video I said to myself "If I don't see Splatterhouse, I'll riot" Well done guys!

[knightdriver]

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.

[Alucard-A-La-Carte]

"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.

[entertainment]

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!

[JohnnyThousand]

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.

[redscyther]

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

[droooooooooooooooooooooooooooo]

I'm always so happy to hear any mention of the Breath of Fire series.

[urk]

That King Crimson boss is basically the cover art for King Crimson's first album "In the Court of the Crimson King"

[slimtim]

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.

[OstianOwl]

As soon as I saw the title, I immediately thought "okay, where is Giygas going to appear on this list?" and was not disappointed.

[thenonexistinghero]

Was hoping to see Ecco's final boss. But Gynoug is a nice inclusion, I was expecting that one to be missing as well.

[maurycyoseka]

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

[NathanielBarlam]

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.

[videogameattic]

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.

[tronentertainment]

"Beware, I live." "I hunger." "I am Sinistar."
Scariest game boss ever - period.
☠

[johnlewisbrooks]

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!

[TheRealDorikko]

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.

[cianbroderick]

Really shows how amazingly creative and textured the graphics used to look

[wanderlustwarrior]

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.

[toozigooti]

Castlevania's bosses always freaked me out when I was a kid. Now I can appreciate the artistry that went into creating them.