1. Dr. Wily in Mega Man 7

Dr. Wily zooms in on a robot-crushing spacecraft shaped like a skull. It's the ending to nearly every Mega Man game, no matter how many disguises the mischievous villain tries on first. But he's never been tougher than his appearance in Mega Man 7, which requires pixel-perfect jumps and slides to avoid the ungodly amount of firepower raining down. If you've destroy him, you've got an abundance of talent. (Photo: Capcom)

2. Wizpig in Diddy Kong Racing

Before Angry Birds had its own magical porker, the almighty Wizpig reigned supreme in Diddy Kong Racing for the N64. If your monkey paws slip on the steering wheel for a fraction of a second in the race against Wizpig, you may as well start over. Wizpig turns even the most hardcore drivers into slops for the trough. (Photo: Nintendo)

3. Father Gascoigne in Bloodborne

In every Souls game, there's a boss that tests your commitment to the game's marathon of endurance. Father G in Bloodborne fills that role. With a killer beast lunge that pounds your hunter into gravestones, Father G is bootcamp for Bloodborne babies. If you emerge from the fight alive, the paleblood sky belongs to you. (Photo: Sony)

4. Mr. Sandman in Punch-Out!!

Mike Tyson gets all the infamy for frustrating end-game fisticuffs. But the newest Wii Punch-Out!! game has a seriously brutal challenger guarding the credits scene: Mr. Sandman. This heavyweight champ pulls no punches in a devastating fight that's nearly equal to the 8-bit Iron Mike. (Photo: Nintendo)

5. Inbachi in Dodonpachi Saidaioujou

If you've ever wandered down the dark alley of bullet-hell shoot 'em ups, you know this one has to be on the list. Inbachi from Dodonpachi Saidaioujou is so tough, very few fighter pilots survive the battle to tell the tale. One look at that screen filled with beautiful bullets is enough to give the boldest of navigators second thoughts. (Photo: Cave)

6. Jasper Batt Jr. in No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

There's a reason this game is called Desperate Struggle, and that reason is Jasper Batt Jr. This final boss has got a range of phases and attacks, including a charged-up triple punch and an overhead strike so severe it'll give you migraines just witnessing it. If you manage to get him to his massive ultimate form, featured above, you're only a few belly combos away from victory, along with another proud notch on your boss-beating belt. (Photo: Ubisoft)

7. Bowser in Kaizo Mario World 2

Bowser might be the most frequent boss you'll encounter in your career as a video game hero, but he's a quantity-over-quality kinda fella. He's rarely more than a push over ... until you face him in the devilish fan remix Kaizo Mario World 2. Mario has to swim upstream against invisible water and a barrage of bad guys before he can even begin to attempt a fight against the Koopa King. (Photo: T. Takemoto)

8. Agni and Rudra in Devil May Cry 3

If you haven't mastered the Revolver combo by the time you meet this duo, Dante's as good as toast. An excellent defense is important too. Don't worry about looking like a rolling maniac trying to dodge their attacks. If you can bring them down in Dante Must Die mode, you deserve a Triple S for Stylish. (Photo: Capcom)

9. Fire Leo in Viewtiful Joe

Before director Hideki Kamiya beat us into submission with the menacing bosses of Bayonetta, he was walloping GameCube and PS2 owners with the super villains of Viewtiful Joe. The meanest of them all was the Inferno Lord, Fire Leo. If you survive the majority of the battle with him, he punishes you by ramping up his speed and unleashing a frenzy of fireballs. (Photo: Capcom)

10. Luca Blight in Suikoden II

It doesn't matter how strong of a party you assemble by the time you meet this murderous psychopath; Luca Blight will take them all down. You're in a race against time, so get your strongest magicians to rain down lightning from heaven as quickly as you can. This guy deserves your rage. (Photo: Konami)

11. Rajang in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

If you're a Monster Hunter neophyte, then all of the beasts in the game can seem intimidating. But Apex Rajang stonewalls even the most talented of warriors. You'll want to collect a group of three pals to take him down, and just prepare to get a faceful of laser. (Photo: Capcom)

12. Old King Allant in Demon's Souls

By now, the Souls series is synonymous with difficulty, but because Demon's Souls was the first game in the franchise, no one quite knew how vicious these games could get. All it takes is a permanent drain of your soul level to figure out Old King Allant means business. He's not the hardest Souls boss of all time, but he may be the most famous wake-up call. (Photo: Sony)

13. Penance in Final Fantasy X

There's standard grinding for experience in RPGs, and then there's the NEXT-LEVEL hellish quest of grinding required to take on the ultra-powerful optional boss Penance. His ultimate attack is appropriately named Judgment Day, dealing 99,999 HP of damage instantly against all of your party members. You've gotta fight for your right just to confront him. (Photo: Square Enix)

14. Boost Guardian in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

The sequel to Metroid Prime never got quite the same love as the original, and we're pretty sure the Boost Guardian boss has something to do with that. This nasty piece of work has an invulnerable morph ball and a devastating damage-dealing boost ball attack. (Photo: Nintendo)

15. Dark Demon from Demon's Crest

Dark Demon is a bit of a deep cut for masochistic Ghosts 'n Goblins fans who somehow didn't think that game was tough enough. This monstrosity isn't impossible to beat; he's just completely infuriating. It takes the patience of a saint to destroy this skeletal wraith from hell. (Photo: Capcom)

16. Culex in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Super Mario RPG feels like a role-playing game with training wheels on, unless you accidentally stumble upon the optional boss Culex, who will wreck your party with the furious flair of a grown-up Square boss. It all comes down to those deceptively bright crystals. Mario and company could use some help from the four heroes of light. (Photo: Nintendo)

17. Hiruko Ubusuna in Shinobi

The classic Shinobi franchise makes a grand return on the PlayStation 2, reviving the hardcore ninja arts after generations of slumber. The game pack a brutal experience, culminating in Hiruko Ubusuna, a boss so hard it often takes players months of practice to beat him. If you manage to restore peace to the Golden Palace, come collect your gold star. (Photo: Sega)