7. Berserker – Gears of War
Gears of War is a series that is too gun ho. All you seem to do is shoot, kill, shoot some more and then watch as the game’s all male cast say really macho stuff. The third game tried to alleviate this with some emotional bromance and female cast members, but it just wasn’t as effective at remedying the macho as the Berserker was in the original game. Suddenly you have an enemy that you cannot kill with conventional means. Suddenly you have an enemy who can not be avoided easily via the game’s cover system. You have to run with your tail between your legs like a little girl, and it was this subversion of the series’ usual paradigm that made the Berserker moments so memorable.
6. Star Wolf – Star Fox 64/Lylat Wars
Andross is a pretty cool final battle for the classic on rails action of Star Fox 64, (or Lylat Wars as it was known in Europe) but the truly crazy moments are when Star Wolf show up. Most of the enemies you face in the game are giant machines that can easily be evaded and outmanoeuvred in the nippy Arwings used by Fox and co. but Star Wolf are a different story. They are the only enemies in the game capable of matching your speed and agility, and there are four of them to contend with at any one time. Four is harder to take than one. Just do the math.
5. Chainsaw Psycho – Resident Evil 4/5
The two most recent numbered entries into the Resident Evil franchise had some memorable final bosses, albeit for varying reasons. (WESKER!!!!) What really sticks in people’s minds after playing these games though, are the chainsaw wielding mini-bosses that stalk Leon/Chris and Sheva throughout. The sound of a revving chainsaw is an unmistakable noise, and one that instantly strikes fear into the hearts of the player the moment it is heard.
4. Koopalings – Super Mario Bros. 3
Bowser is the big boy of Mario nemeses, a fact already established earlier in this list, but there was something satisfying about defeating the succession of his Koopalings at each castle in Mario Bros. 3. Though you knew what was coming next, the increasing abilities and difficulty of each of Bowser’s progeny added another layer of tension to the ever exciting Mario Bros. 3 experience. It isn’t considered one of the best games of all time for nothing.
