Game Art #58: Mega Man Gallery

In the words of Egoraptor, "Oh boy, oh boy! It's a Mega Man!" With the news of Mega Man being in the new Super Smash Bros. I'm as hyped as ever for my favorite blue android warrior. So enjoy some Mega Man artwork.

Pixiv ID

Pixiv ID

By Coramune

Pixiv ID

Pixiv ID

By Coramune

Pixiv ID

Pixiv ID

Pixiv ID

By Gashi-gashi

By Belly button lint

Pixiv ID

Pixiv ID

By Coramune

By Tip of nose

Pixiv ID

Latest Purchases #55

Where to start? How about the comics?

I was fortunate enough to find parts eight, nine and ten of the Sonic & Mega Man Worlds Collide crossover all in one go. Archie listed part eight, which takes place in Sonic Universe #53 as a June release but no matter how often I checked in Barns & Noble, they didn't have it. So I feared I may have missed it. Thankfully, this was not the case. Maybe there was a delay or it just shipped late, but whatever the reason, I haven't missed a single issue of this lengthy cross over. Sonic the Hedgehog #250 opens up with a two page spread of the heroes facing down what looks like most of the Robot Masters from the Mega Man series.

de Blob is a game I've had my eye on for quite some time but I never got around to picking it up. When I saw de Blob 2 on sale at K-Mart for  whopping $5, I knew it was time to get both games. Thankfully, GameStop had the original for a low price and complete to boot.

Battalion Wars is a game I already own but now I have  complete copy, which is always nice to have. Still need to get around to playing it and get the original on the GCN.

Red Steel 2 is a game I came close to grabbing about a year ago, but I can't remember why I never did. Well, I coped it complete for the super low price of $6.29, complete. I never played the first game but heard a lot of good things about this one. From what I hear, I could easily pass on the first Red Steel.

The Fire Mario candy makes the second version of Mario candy that I have. I bought my first one over a year ago and I never touched the candy as I bought this purely for Mario.

I didn't lose my 3DS stylus but it's always nice to have extras. But the main reason I bought Write & Protect Pack was to get some screen protectors. The 80 plus hours I poured into Theatrhythm Final Fantasy has produced some scratches in the center of my touch screen. To avoid anymore of that, I'm really hoping these screen protectors do the job.

Two more Super Mario 3D Land figurines are added to the collection, this time regular, small Mario and stone Tanooki Mario. Only three more to go! The New Super Mario Bros. Wii Danglers will take longer to collect since there's 10 of them and my Target is all out. Of all the enemies to get, I got one of the most bothersome foes. I didn't even bother to hit the Mario wikia to look up his name.

Gotcha Tomy has added more figurines to their current Zelda line. Two Link and Zelda figurines from Ocarina of Time and Skyward Sword join Tetra and Toon Link from Phantom Hour Glass. I was fortunate enough to get Skyward Sword Zelda, my favorite Zelda design from the whole series.

Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone! is a game I wanted to pick up when it released but I was preoccupied with other things. I've always been an art love and I love to draw but I've slacked for years. With this game, I hope to greatly get back into the hobby and improve my skills.

It's the Year of Luigi so I have to pick up Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon. Besides, I loved the original and this one has more than one mansion to explore.

Shin Megami Tensai IV is currently the most money I've spent on a 3DS game. At $50, you get the game a soundtrack CD and a strategy guide/art design book. I'm disappointed that the strategy guide talks up the bulk of the book. Not only that but the guide is by Prima, a company that has put out shoddy strategy guides in the past. If someone can tell me if Prima has improved, I'd appreciate it. Then again, I'll probably need all the help I can get since I hear Shin Megami Tensai IV is killing players in the tutorial dungeon. This is actually my first time buying any of the games in this series and I admit that I mainly did it for $30 in eShop credit. I'll be picking up Fire Emblem: Awakening next week.

Super Smash Bros. Songs to Smash To: Kirby Edition

The Kirby Edition of songs I'd love to see in the next Super Smash Bros.

Kirby's Dream Land

Yes, Kirby's first game is very short and can be breezed through in less than 30 minutes. Be that as it may, it still has some of the series' most memorable tunes, some I'd love to see in the new Smash. I think Castle Lololo deserves to be in as well as the glorious End Credits music.

Kirby's Dream Land 2

Coo the Owl. Who doesn't want to slap fools around to that theme? Let's give Rick the Hamster some much deserved appreciation. Cloudy Park is another excellent theme and I was pleased to see it get a wonderful arrangement in of all places, the menu for Kirby's Dream Collection. Dark Castle would make a fine battle background theme and so would Dark Matter.

Kiby's Dream Course

One of my favorite spin-off games, Dream Course has a few original tracks that are long overdue to be arranged. Iceberg Ocean, Green Fields, The First Hole, and Jigsaw Plains.

Kirby's Adventure

Soooooo much good music is in Kirby's Adventure. Being one of the very last NES games, it should come as no surprise that it has one of the system's best soundtracks. If there's going to be an 8-bit version of Green Greens, I'd prefer this one over the Game Boy version. Rainbow Resort needs some love as does Vegetable Valley and Ice Cream Island. Nightmare has one of the sickest NES final battle themes. I'd kill for an arrangement of it in the new Smash.

Kirby Super Star

If we don't get any remixed music from this game, I'd be fine with SNES versions. I was actually surprised how much music from this game didn't make it into Brawl. As the definitive Kirby title for over a decade (Kirby's Return to Dream Land finally dethroned it for me), I think the next Smash needs more music from this game. Peanut Plain, The Great Cave Offensive, Trees in the Depths of the Earth, Gourmet Race (come on, we gotta have the original), Megaton Punch, Heart of Nova, Crystal Field and Mystery Paradise, Duel with Meta Knight, and Staff Roll.

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards

Zero 2 was remixed for Brawl, but far more music from Kirby 64 needs love. Pop Star, Rock Star, Shiver Star, Aqua Star, Dark Star, Neo Star and of course that sick, SICK beat that is Miracle Matter. Oh and lest I forget, super jazzy theme, Ripple Star.

Kirby Air Ride

A few songs from Air Ride's magnificent soundtrack made it into Brawl but the next Smash needs more from this game. Machine Passage is a must, as is Beanstalk Park, Sky, Light, and Celestial Valley and of course, Fantasy Meadows. And no, I didn't forget about Magma Flows and especially City Trial. I know all the Air Ride fans want to smash to that song.

Kirby's Epic Yarn

Cool Cave, Big Bean Vine, Weird Woods, Rainbow Falls, and Fountain Gardens are my top picks out of so many other songs I could choose from this game. Some remixes would be nice, but I'd be perfectly happy if they just stuck to the originals.

Kirby Mass Attack

There was some arranged music from Kirby Air Ride in this one, but there was plenty of new content as well. Kirby Collecting, Tree to Tree, Over the Water, Fetching Fruit, and a rock version of Terrifying Fiend would be welcome music in the next Smash.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land

Finishing this installment off with what is my favorite Kirby game. Return to Dream Land has so many good tracks. I know there's no way all of them would be used, but I can dream, can't I? Cookie Country, Looming Darkness, Sphere Doomer, Super Copy Boss, Galacta Knight, Vs Magalor, C-R-O-W-N-E-D, Exotic Pyramid, Techno Factory, Grape Garden, Challenge Stage, and Sky Tower. I'm betting only about five of those will make it into the actual game, though.

Mario Edition

Downloads #25

Mega Man Unlimited (PC)

I had planned to download this game before going to work on Sunday when it was released but the download speed was taking forever. This was probably due to so many gamers trying to download it. So I waited until I was finished with work and was able to download it in seconds. I've only tried two levels, Tank Man and Nail Man and can say that the game is very much Nintendo Hard.

Mighty Switch Force! 2 (3DS)

I've been listening to this game's soundtrack since I downloaded it a while back. It only felt right to get the game as well. I'd hoped to be playing this one already but I still haven't beat the original Mighty Switch Force! That last level is no joke.

Kokuga (3DS)

This game got a physical release in Japan but only a digital version for it's American release. I'm OK with that. It was one of the more pricey 3DS downloads at $14.99, but I'd say it's worth it. Kokuga is a tank-style shooter that scrolls far more slowly than other games in the SHMUP genre. I'd like to review this game when I get the time but if you're looking for more incentive to check Kokuga out, the game is the brainchild of Hiroshi Iuchi, the same mind behind Ikaruga.

Mario Bros. (NES)

With this year being the Year of Luigi, I thought I'd download the first game he ever stared in. Or the best home version, anyway. It may not be as polished or deep as other Mario titles, but I confess to getting a lot of enjoyment out of Mario Bros. even if the later phase slay me.

F-Zero X (N64)

I was jonesing for some F-Zero and it's been years since I played F-Zero X, one of my favorite N64 titles. Since my N64 got lost in the move, I opted for a digital version, although I still would have gotten this off the Virtual Console regardless.

The Last Blade (NG)

This marks my first Neo Geo game download. I've experienced a lot of SNK/Playmore games through anthology releases but I've never played either of the Last Blade games, and I've heard a  wealth of good things about both.

Play Hard Part 1

Challenge. It's just about as important as the fun factor in video games. But some games go above and beyond the means to challenge a player. I'm talking about games that cause you to break into unintelligible shouts, leave your controllers in two or three pieces, and have you staring at the game over screen for the umpteenth time. Welcome to Play Hard, an going feature of Gaming Rocks On where we recognize some of gaming's most sadistic titles from the past to the present.

Ghosts 'n Goblins (ARC)

Arcade games are generally designed to be difficult. They pretty much had to be or else you wouldn't keep dropping quarters into the slot. That being said, Ghosts 'n Goblins is so much harder than the average arcade game. You could have twenty dollars in quarters and it still wouldn't be enough to get you through this nightmare of a game.

It's a simple plot. Arthur's girl, Princess Prin Prin is kidnapped by Satan. Get her back. Like a lot of old-school arcade games, you have a time limit to complete each stage. But the odds of you losing a life to the ticking clock are very slim. No, what kills you in Ghosts 'n Goblins are the waves of undead enemies, which are hands down the most well oiled, coordinated army of mooks I have ever seen. Zombies, one of the most common ghoul foes in video games make the ones from Resident Evil look like scrubs in this game. The zombies in GnG pop out of the ground in pairs. You can slay these guys pretty quickly but seconds after you've put them into the ground, they get right back up for more. These guys don't even have the courtesy to stay dead after you've killed them on screen. I mean, I could understand if you killed them, scrolled right then came back and they were there again, but no! These guys come back to life right on the spot to make your life miserable! Then there's the Red Arremers, red demon creatures that use their speed and airborne superiority to their advantage, which makes them extremely difficult to hit. Red Arremers also love to chase Arthur around and having just one on screen can make a simple jump impossible. Big Man, large ogres can take so many hits before they fall and they can drop boulders on you. If you're in close proximity to a Big Man, they'll charge at you so you better get out of the way or pray to God that he only has a few more hits before you kill him.

In case I haven't made it clear, the enemies in GnG are relentless. Even if you aren't dealing with Big Man or Red Arremers, no enemy is not to be taken lightly. Every single one of those flunkies are dangerous. More often than not you have more than one to deal with because these guys swarm you. It's very rare to feel safe in GnG because of the threat that even the smallest of enemies pose. You're always on edge and you're always in attack mode. You either kill them or they kill you and more often than not, they will be the ones fluttering about on the screen looking at your corpse.

What makes the enemies even more dangerous is Arthur's weaksauce armor.The blacksmith that made it should be stabbed. Repeatedly. I mean, the armor isn't very durable, which is to say, Arthur's armor has the strength of wet toilet paper. One hit and Arthur is forced to run around in his underwear. One more hit and he's a pile of bones. Get used to that death jingle.

If by some miracle you actually make it to Astaroth's lair and best him, you get what is perhaps the cruelest fake out in the history of video games. Your victory over Astaroth was all an illusion and you have to go through all six stages again on an even harder difficulty. I've seen some pretty horrible things in my lifetime, but this is just sick. At this point you have two options: go through an even more frustrating quest or shut the game off. I'm willing to bet more than a few gamers have let the bad guy win this one even with the unlimited continues that the digital versions give you.

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (NES)

Lots of NES games are hard. Heck, the Nintendo Hard trope was named after the dozens of brutal NES carts. But this game is in a class all by itself. Do you remember how tough World 8 was in the original Super Mario Bros.? The Lost Levels starts out like that and skyrockets from there.

I'm not sure if someone left a flaming bag of crap at Nintendo's headquarters in Japan, but someone must have really gotten on their bad side if this was what they decided to give gamers. Many of the same enemies from the original game return but they are far more aggressive. Piranha Plants do not play by the rules, popping out of the pipes even if you're standing on them. Hammer Bros., the most loathsome adversary in the game can move forward now and they don't stop moving until after you've passed them. Are you backed into the left side of the screen with a Hammer Bro. approaching? No blocks under him to hit to kill him? Don't have any power-ups? Well, then, you're screwed. Bloopers are not limited to underwater levels and now appear in stages where there is no H2O. Bouncing off enemies to gain extra height on a jump has been a staple in the Super Mario games for years and this is the game that introduced it. Unfortunately, the controls that made such a feat easier in later games is not present here and most of the time you have to perform these jumps over bottomless pits.

Speaking of pits with no end, these things are EVERYWHERE! Yeah, pits are a common thing in platformers, but it's like Nintendo couldn't think of anything more intimidating to make us feel threatened. If you aren't getting offed by a tenacious Hammer Bro. or an ill timed jump that lands you on a Piranha Plant, it's the pits that will be the death of you. Which leads to the main reason why Lost Levels causes players to break controllers: the level design. The level design in the Lost Levels is not fair in the slightest and exists for the soul purpose of making the player rage quit. In level 3-4 you cannot progress to the end unless you're small, which means that if you came in that place with Fire Flower, you'll be forced to give it up. Other levels rely on hidden blocks to clear bottomless pits and some of the secrets to pass a stage can get ridiculously cryptic. Strong gusts of wind can help you make certain long jumps or send you flying into the nearest pit. Warp Zones return but some of them can actually send you back a few worlds and since backwards scrolling didn't come around until Super Mario Bros. 2, you pretty much have to kill yourself in the nearby pit that's been conveniently placed there should you happen by a backwards Warp Zone.

I mentioned the Fire Flower above, but really, you'll be lucky if you can even hang on to it for long. The copious amount of enemies and cheap level design ensure that you'll probably play most of the game small. Progressing as regular Mario makes the Poison Mushroom all the more dangerous. What is the Poison Mushroom? It's a power-down that has the exact same effect as touching an enemy. Poison Mushrooms are all over the place and can even be found in hidden blocks. Have fun with that.

The Lost Levels is completely remorseless. It laughs at your pain and suffering and your tears sustain it. Strange as this may sound, there are players that love the game for those very reasons. The Japanese cover shows Mario smiling giving the peace sign. He may as well have his middle finger up because that's exactly how the Lost Levels feels towards players.

Rayman Origins (PS3, Wii, 360, 3DS, Vita)

A mist all the holiday releases in 2011, you may have missed out on Rayman Origins. If you did, I highly recommend you pick it up. It's available on most platforms and is dirt cheap. I honestly think it was the best platform game released that year. Rayman Origins is also one of those games that reminds you that there are current generation titles that aren't afraid to kick you in the junk. Repeatedly.

You know a game is going to punish you when it completely dispenses with lives. That's right, there are no lives to collect in Rayman Origins and you have as many chances as you like to complete a stage. How many attempts you're willing to take, however, all depends on how many times you can stand being punched in the face with a pair of brass knuckles. Jumps will be missed and windows may be broken due to a chucked controller. Or two or three or four if you're playing with friends. Somehow Rayman Origins manages to have more spikes than Mega Man 9 so I'm guessing someone on the development team was a real fan. Each new ability Rayman and company learn is essential and you're required to switch from one to the other at any given time. One minute you're wall jumping for your life, the next you're using Rayman's hair as a helicopter to slow his decent to clear a gap. Even if you aren't going for 100% completion, Rayman Origins is no joke. Just finishing this game is an achievement in and of itself.

As hard as it is, Rayman Origins' difficulty isn't cheap. You die because you fell into those spikes. You died because you didn't use your abilities to help you with that jump. Unlike Lost Levels, when you die in this game, it's your own fault. Yes, Rayman Origins is brutally hard, but it's also fair.

F-Zero GX (GCN)

Developed by Amusement Vision F-Zero GX marks the last time the series had a home console release. That's a shame, really because GX really is the pinnacle of the F-Zero franchise. You may also know Amusement Vision from their involvement with the Super Monkey Ball games, games staring adorable little moneys in balls to lure you into a false sense of security to think that those games must be easy. The Super Monkey Ball titles are no breeze and as hard as the F-Zero games were before this one, GX is ten times more difficult. These days it's common knowledge that GX dishes out pain in mass quantities. But when I picked it up on launch day nearly ten years ago, this is something I got to find out on my own.

The two main modes of GX are the Story and Grad Prix modes. You need to play GP mode to win tickets to buy more chapters in Story mode. Story mode's first chapter is cake but after that, holy crap, get ready for one seriously obnoxious difficulty spike. Chapter 2 is a race through Red Canyon against Captain Falcon's rival, Samurai Goroh. Not only does the Samurai always boost at just the right moment, giving him a near constant lead on you, but you also have to watch for falling rocks. Colliding with just one of them means failing the mission. Other chapters in Story mode have you racing with a bomb strapped to Falcon's car that detonates if your speed drops to a certain point, fleeing down a tunnel of closing doors on a strict time limit and trying to stay alive as hordes of other racers try to knock you off the track. There may only be nine chapters in Story mode, but anyone that even makes the attempt to finish them will pour more hours into them than the GP mode of GX or other racers. On the lowest difficulty setting, GX's story mode will break the patience of even the most sane individuals, reducing them to raving lunatics fit for a stay in the loony bin.

GP mode isn't much easier and in order to unlock all of AX's content, you need to beat all of the races on all the difficulties. On the Master class setting, those AI racers are out for your blood, bumping and using spin attacks to knock you off course, costing you a precious retry. Quick reflexes, course memorization and mastery of the game's controls are all key to unlocking everything the GX has to offer and this a feat very few have managed to achieve without the use of a cheat device.

There is no shame in not being able to hack it in F-Zero GX. This game will cut you open multiple times and as you lay on the floor bleeding, thriving from the pain, it will back over your marred body with a huge dump truck containing salt and will pour it all over you. Even today there are players that still haven't advanced beyond Chapter 2 in Story mode because the difficulty is just too much to handle. Be that as it may, GX still stands as one of the GameCube's finest games. Yes, it will shatter your spirit into a million peaces, but all the good things the critics said about the game ring true. It's fast, it sounds amazing and it looks drop dead gorgeous. F-Zero GX is worth checking out even though it can turn grown men into babies.

Battletoads (NES)

Why wait until Part 2 of this feature to mention one of gaming's most well known, unforgiving games? Battletoads took many by surprise when it was released in 1991. During this period, gamers were gravitating towards the SNES and Genesis 16-bit consoles, so it was pretty amazing to see an 8-bit game with such detailed graphics on the aging NES.

Developed by Rare and published by Trade West, Battletoads is an unforgettable beat 'em up mixed with platforming elements. The game has a two player co-op mode but it isn't very up front about it. The title screen makes no mention of this and the second player can jump in just by pressing some buttons on the second controller. Some of the best NES experiences are shared with a pal and having buddy join in should make things easier, right? You can unintentionally hurt each other and while that's been a mechanic of most beat 'em ups, whaling on your ally by mistake is far easier to do in Battletoads than other games in the genre. Still, that isn't the first major red flag that Battletoads is out to get you. Most of the games I've mentioned in this feature thus far hit you in the face with a sledge hammer right off the bat. The first two levels, Ragnarok Canyon and Wookie Hole are actually pretty enjoyable and leave a great first impression.

So just when does Battletoads go from blissful gaming experience to sheer torture? Two words: Turbo Tunnel. Turbo Tunnel is the third level of the game, the one where Batteltoads true agenda is revealed. The level starts out innocently enough. More beat 'em up action with giant fits and boots to dispose of your enemies. But midway into the stage you come upon some hover bikes. You're thinking "Alright! A racing segment! This'll be fun!" FOOL! The moment you set foot on those bikes is the moment where you and your friend if you were dumb enough to bring him or her in on this, have given up all rights to have a good time playing this game. Your time spent on those hover bikes will be among the most painful memories you have in all the time you've been playing video games. The bike section in Turbo Tunnel demands nothing less than perfection from you and your friend. If you and your pal do not have the coordination of synchronized swimmers, cut the game off right now. All it takes is a blunder on you or your friend's part to make you both restart from the last check point. Yes, you both get penalized if just one of you screws up. The more you progress, the faster the things get, which makes thing nearly impossible if you're playing this level two player.

Should you actually get past the Turbo Tunnel, things don't get an easier. Even the side scrolling levels get more sinister. And if you think Turbo Tunnel was the only racing level in the game, boy are you in for a rude awakening. Battletoads has several racing stages, each one working more or less the same way as the dreaded Turbo Tunnel.

You could strap on the Game Genie and try to finish the game that way. I was once ignorant enough to try that. But then I came to realize that Battletoads was so hard that not event he power of Galoob's almighty cheat device could help me win. Battletoads could very well be the hardest NES game in existence. Since I've had the game rip out my insides and feed them to me every time I've tried to play it, I can safely argue that that is a title that is well deserved, however dubious it may be.

Mega Man Unlimited is Out

Get your weapons, keyboards and controllers read. Five years in the making, Mega Man Unlimited, the PC fan game developed by MegaPhilX, along with Gab, Jansim and Kevvviiinnn has finally released. Built from the ground up, Mega Man Unlimited was originally titled Mega Man 10 before Capcom let the cat out of the bag with an official Mega Man 10 title. Mega Man Unlimited looks like quite the ambitious fan game with some very clever level design and catchy music.

I've been keeping an eye on this game over the years, eagerly awaiting the day where I'd finally be able to play it. Well, that day is here and like so many other Mega Man fans, I'm very excited. So what are you waiting for? Head on over to MegaPhilX.com and download Mega Man Unlimited right now if you haven't already done so.

Download Mega Man Unlimited.

Awesome Boss Battles in Gaming Part III

Welcome to Awesome Boss Battles in Gaming Part III. This time braggart robots, fat robe-wearing overlords, dinosaur kings, giant mechs with vendettas against rodents, and winged beasts are the order of the day.

Vile - Mega Man X (SNES)

After going through one of the most devastating-looking first levels in video game history, Vile appears before X and swiftly and merciless beats the circuitry out of him. Usually the first boss fight in any game is easily winnable. But there isn't a single thing you can do to stop Vile from pummeling you. Most games these days would have a scene like this play out in a cut scene but by allowing you to be in control during the fight, even though you ultimately lose no matter how hard you try, that feeling of helpless is driven home much better. Zero has to step in and stop Vile from killing X, clearly demonstrating the power gap between the two.

Once you've taken out the eight Mavericks, found all the armor upgrades, gotten all the Sub-Tanks and Heart Tanks, you head to Sigma's Fortress. Upon making your way inside, who should greet you but the guy that gave you quite the whupping, Vile. Zero tells you that he'll face him in combat but the red reploid is quickly overpowered. Vile boasts that his Ride Armor is more than a match for X. But hey, you've gotten much stronger. The fight will be different this time, right? Nope. Despite your increased abilities, Vile still mops the floor with you. Once again, Zero steps in but this time he gets far more destructive with his help, trying to take out Vile in an explosion. Zero takes out the Ride Armor, but Vile is still standing, while X looks like he's seen better days. Suddenly, X rises to his feet, shrugging off all of the damage Vile has dealt to him and recovers his lost energy, much to Vile's surprise. After looking like a scrub twice, it's time to dish out some long overdue payback.

Vile has been a source of agony for you since the game began and he's  always boasted about his superior combat skills at every opportunity. So when you finally get the chance to shut this guy up, it really is one of the most satisfying feelings in the world. Vile is weak to the Homing Torpedo and Rolling Shield. For super special enjoyment of ending his smack talk, one-shot killing him with the Hadoken can't be beat.

Wart - Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES)

World 7, the final world of Super Mario Bros. 2 thankfully only has two stages as opposed to the usual three. However, those two levels are far more longer and much more difficult than anything the game has thrown at you up until this point. I guess that's to be expected of the final levels, but when the bird head door betrays and attacks you? That's just sick and wrong. Ahem. The battle with Wart is the ultimate challenge in Super Mario Bros. 2. Like most children, Wart hates veggies and the imprisoned residents of Subcon have a machine in Wart's chamber that shoots out his Kryptonite. But you can't just toss vegetables at him and call it a day. Unlike all the other bosses in the game, Wart can only be damaged when his mouth is open and when he does open wide, he shoots bubbles which can destroy the veggies you toss at him if your timing is off. Those bubbles have a surprisingly far reach, too, so choose your hiding spots carefully if you're on the defensive. He may be a fat tub of lard, but Wart is no pushover.

King Dodongo - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, 3DS)

The second dungeon you explore as Young Link is the Dodongo's Cavern, home to, you guessed it, dodongos. Dodongos have appeared as bosses in the original Legend of Zelda on the NES. Since the N64 was a huge step up from that system, the sheer size King Dodongo can be downright intimidating when you first see him. The fight takes place inside a cave with a lava pool in the center. When he isn't rolling around the room trying to flatten you, he loves to roar and this is your chance to attack. King Dodongo has a rock hard hide and your sword is initially useless on him. His insides, however, are all soft and gooey and as the old man once said, dodongo dislikes smoke. When the big guy lets out a roar, toss a bomb inside, wait for it to explode, which will cripple him for several seconds, giving you time to hack and slash him in the face. This battle can go by pretty quickly, but's it's always been one of my favorite encounters in Ocarina of Time.

Death Egg Robot - Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (GEN)

The Death Egg, in spite of it's Death Star size and resemblance is quite the small level, the smallest of the whole game in fact. It does, however, house the largest boss of Sonic 2. After you dispatch Silver Sonic, Robotnik makes a run for it (he somehow manages to outrun Sonic) and jumps into his Death Egg Robot, a towering mechanized version of himself. The weak point on the Death Egg Robot is the stomach, which is closely guarded by the clawed hands. Attack at the wrong time and you'll lose a life. This can be a troublesome fight since you have no rings but more often than not impatience is what kills the player here. Not content with simply trying to crush Sonic by foot, Robotnik will also fly up into the air for several seconds and try to bring the full weight of his machine on top of him. Those arms can also be fired off as projectiles and they happen to be quite speedy. As much as I enjoyed the final battle in the original Sonic the Hedgehog, the final bout with Eggman in Sonic 2 easily tops it.

Mana Beast - Secret of Mana (SNES)

Secret of Mana had a ton of bosses, some of which were recolors of existing bosses but the final boss was a beast, both figuratively and literally. Taking up most of the screen, the battle with Mana Beast is waged on top of the Mana fortress, the very thing the creature is out to destroy. While the Mana Beast is only trying to restore Mana, the Mana Beast is a beast of pure rage, wrecking everything in it's path. Randi is at first reluctant to fight the Mana Beast but realizes that if he doesn't, the creature will bring about the end of the world.

The Mana Beast has three attacks but given the beast's size, those attacks can really hurt. One attack is a swooping attack that can knock all three characters off their feet. Another assault comes in the form of a spiral flame that damages the entire party. The only attack that strikes one character is the Lucent Beam but it can still kill a party member who's HP is too low. Since Randi is the only one that can use the Mana Sword, he's really the only one that can seriously damage the Mana Beast. Purim and Popoi should cast Mana Magic to revive the Mana Sword as well as healing and support spells.

Part I
Part II