Toughest SHMUP Boss

[Ascending Wordsmith]

Of all the genres in the gaming world, SHMUPS have the toughest bosses. I don't care what anyone says; RPG's have tough bosses, FPS's have tough bosses, and fighters have some tough bosses. But SHMUP bosses can fill the entire screen with a hail of missiles, lasers, bullets, flames, mines, blasts, orbs, you name it.

What are some SHMUP bosses that have given you a serious headache?

http://www.irishplayer.com/reviews/images/gradius34a.jpg

This is one of the many impossible bosses found on Konami's Gradius III. Not only do the lasers pin you into a small space, but the boss has the audacity to use conventional attacks as well! Definitely a cheap shot!

[retrogmr]

Tough bosses... Raystorm is chock full of them. Mars Matrix on the otherhand, has impossibly tough bosses after the first level.

Come to think of it, most of the modern era shooters (1999 on) seem to promote the "impossibly-hard-quarter-sucking-conitnue" type of boss.

Give the programmers credit for innovate thinking to get more $$$ for the operator!

[Captain Wrong]

Right now, every boss in Ikaruga from level 3 on is demolishing me! I finally beat the level 3 boss without timing out, but the next levels are tearing me to shreads! Hell, level 4 is crushing me in total!

Another thing about modern shmups I love is the "you're not done yet" boss syndrome. You think you're done and then BOOM! second (or sometimes thrid) form pops up! It's gotten to the point where when I go back and play older games, I expect another forum when I cone to the boss battle and almost leave dissapointed when it's over :)

[Kid Ice]

Hmmm...this is one of those questions I could answer quickly off the top of my head, and then think of a bunch more the next day.

Thunderforce 5 to me has the toughest bosses. That "armament armed-arm" thing that the helicopters carry in drives me nuts! It doesn't help that the game says "PILOT ERROR" after you lose all your lives to its various cheap devices.

The thing that always gets me in Radiant Silvergun is that large circular piece of metal that you get stuck inside. It proceeds to rotate, change shape, become filled w/ fireballs, and fire a huge laser ray from end to end. Ouch!

The 3rd level in R-Type is basically one long boss battle with that huge ship. I hate that part of the game.

Mars Matrix has that "boss-on-rails" thing that always eats up a few of my guys. That boss even has different music than the other bosses for some reason.

the kid

[MankeyMan]

Probotector 2 for the NES. I believe you call it Contra, or something, can't remember off the top of my head.
I've been trying to beat the last boss for 6 months, it isn't possible.

[Metrackle]

http://www.classicgaming.com/shmups/reviews/imagefight/if_boss3.gif
Cucamonga, the third boss of Image Fight gets the runner up. This cheapo throws lasers everywhere (they go much more quickly in the NES version), and is badly named too, but not as so as Sweet Patootie. I did not make those names up, as they are in the manual.

http://www.classicgaming.com/shmups/reviews/xexex/lv05/xexe0017.gif
Now this is a tough boss, and tough enough to get my vote for the hardest boss in a shmup. This is the fifth boss of Xexex. What makes him so hard is that giant monolith can crush you very quickly, is invincible, and it takes up a lot of space too. Either there may be a pattern I am unaware of, or maybe a lot of speed power-ups are needed.

[rbudrick]

The last boss to The Guardian Legend for NES comes to mind.

I remember the 4th boss in Metal Fight was pretty tough too.

The last boss in Section Z for NES is a bitch too.


Oh, and that last boss in Gradius (j/k)!


-Rob

[E Nice]

Probotector 2 for the NES. I believe you call it Contra, or something, can't remember off the top of my head.
I've been trying to beat the last boss for 6 months, it isn't possible.

Super C, if you mean the boss is that creature that comes up from the ground with a woman's face in its mouth. Just run up it, after it's finished coming up, and fire diagonally at the eye. If those * start to rain down on your position destroy them with your gun ( I think you were able to do that) but if it's the big colored one then get out of the way since that can't be destroyed. That boss is very simple to beat.

[ROBOTRON]

For me its gotta be G Darius for PSX...Every boss, I mean every stinkin' boss in that game takes a day to beat....its soooooo ridiculous!

Runner ups:

Last Boss Viewpoint
Third Boss Alpha Mission II (Unless you've got the Blackhole weapon, forget about it.)
Einhander Stupid boss in the tunnel that clings to the ceiling, then the floor....@#*%!