Just a forewarning...I don't play that many video games, especially ones with traditional villains. So be wary, this list sucks... 10. The Drums on Expert - Rock Band 1 and 2 They are impossible, can anyone in the world really accomplish any songs on the drums on Expert? Especially without turning their hands into one big blister? 9. Boo - Super Mario World I'd like to think this villain got it's name from the way to beat it...peek-a-boo rather than the traditional sound a ghost makes. Does any ghost make the sound boo anyways? Aren't most ghosts silent? And if you do hear a ghost speak, doesn't that mean your crazy?
8. The Pink Ghost - Pacman Uhh, I hated the pink ghost. The red, orange, and yellow ones were fine, but that pink one was something else. The way it stared at you, it was just creepy.
7. Dr. Robotnik - Sonic the Hedgehog Did anyone else used to watch the Sonic morning cartoon? I did, and I regret it. Sonic and his companion Tails, were two cool cats, but Dr. Robotnik has to be the lamest villain ever. His lameness earns him a spot on this list.
6. Donkey Kong - Donkey Kong/Donkey Kong Jr. The joint arcade game is where it's at, the combination of Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. Too bad it is not officially recognized as a legitimate machine to set DK records on. =( 5. Death - Paper Boy Is there really any better villain than Death? I mean everyone fears Death. This villain gets bonus points for looking exactly like Death from South Park.
4. Bowser - Mario 64 I really cannot distinguish any of the Mario games other than the first one and Mario 64. I remember Bowser looking rather cool from Mario 64. But even cooler from the Super Mario Bros. movie. Ahh, Dennis Hopper needs to reprise this role.
3. The Dallas Cowboys - Sega Madden-Madden 09 The Dallas Cowboys suck. Plus they have a player on their team named Pacman.
2. The Nazis - Wolfenstein 3D Ugh, Nazis are evil mofos. There will never be a worse group of people in this world, that could be so universally hated to not only be the number two villain in all video games but also be the... 1. The Nazis - Call of Duty 4 The number 1 video game villain of all time too. That is how evil Nazis are.
Most of my list comes from Nintendo games, since those are the systems I tend to own.
10. Francis: Super Paper Mario Super Paper Mario is filled with fun characters (although they do tend to go on talking for too long). Francis is the funniest one I've encountered so far. He is an obsessive collector, especially of items relating to the Mushroom Kingdom version of Battlestar Galactica. Francis is so nerdy that he has to turn the game into an RPG so that he is more comfortable talking to Peach. Francis flips out when asked a question that isn't one of the game's options, and the team of Mario, Peach, and Bowser must fight him. The fight itself isn't the best, but everything leading up to it is gold. The funniest moment is definitely when Francis is scrolling through his options and he hovers on "Smooch" for a few seconds before choosing to "Look' at the "Hot Babe.'
9. Helicopter: Call of Duty 4 There is nothing more terrifying than the thumping sounds of an enemy helicopter in Call of Duty 4. These bastards pack powerful guns, always know where you are, and are hard to shoot down. Josh, Brett, and Kevin can attest to the fact that I hated these things so much I would focus on killing them rather than other players.
8. Insanity: Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem This game starts out in 26 B.C. as the Roman soldier Pious Augustus is corrupted by an Ancient God. In the year 2000 A.D., Alexandra Roivas finds an ancient book in her grandfather's house that tells Augustus' story as well as those in other time periods. You get to play as each multiple characters, in different time periods, as Alexandra reads about their fight to stop three gods from taking over the universe. As the player encounters bad guys, their sanity meter drops; this causes various tricks on the mind: the volume meter may begin to go down, it may appear as if your save data is being erased, bugs show up on the screen, your character explodes, monsters appear out of nowhere, and many others.
There don't seem to be any good videos of insanity effects, so here is a fan-made trailer I found:
7. Las Plagas: Resident Evil 4 These baddies start out as typical zombie-like creatures, albeit slighlty more human. These guys reach top ten status when headshots no longer drop them and instead shoot giant spiked tentacles out of their necks. From then on, headshots become a calculated risk; they could drop the zombie in one shot, but chances are you will just have to deal with a horrible tentacle of death.
6. Majora: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Majora is a mask that possesses its wearer and gives them the power to do evil. In this game, the mask takes over the innocent Skull Kid and forces him crash the moon into the world of Termina. At the end of the game, Link finds the mask embodied in the form of a child who is ostracized and lashing out on the world.
5. Metroid: Metroid Series Metroids belong to the tiny, hard-to-shoot category of villains also populated by dogs, those crab things in Half-Life, and the Flood. Although these guys aren't too dangerous in the Metroid Prime series, their shriek still sends chills down my spine. I always hated encountering these baddies, even though I often dispatched them with ease.
4. Donkey Kong: Donkey Kong He may be a good guy now, but DK got his start by kidnapping Mario's girlfriend and carrying her up a construction site. Donkey Kong is one of videogames greatest villains mostly because he is part of the difficult elevator level. I hate those springs!
3. Bowser: Mario series Bowser shows up as the main villain in most Mario games, despite having been constantly defeated over the last twenty years. His motives are usually a bit vague, but it's excusable because who doesn't like beating the crap out of this guy? One of the more exciting battles with Bowser occurs in Super Mario Galaxy:
2. 12 year olds: Any online game (especially Halo) These squeaky-voiced bastards are whiny, selfish, racist, and homophobic. They will berate you before every match, and drop out if they begin to lose the game. I've had some on my own team who killed me because they wanted the Warthog I was in! Their worst offense is always vetoing the first choice of game, regardless of what it is. When I'm excited for a game of Slayer, they inevitably veto it and we play Oddball or something equally horrible. It's the worst.
1. Ganon/Ganondorf: Zelda series Some of the best boss battles of all time have been against Ganon. Endowed with the Triforce of Power, Ganon tries to take over the world by capturing the Triforce of Wisdom and the Triforce of Courage from their holders Zelda and Link. One of the coolest fights is in Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker: Link and Zelda must work together to defeat Ganondorf as Ancient Hyrule floods around them.
10. Zombies Video Game: Dead Rising Explanation: Zombies are a pain in the ass. You know it, I know it. Dead Rising was a whole game full of zombies. There were tons of them. At points I couldn't even walk, because the whole mall was so densely packed with zombies trying to eat me. No worries though, as my trusty sword made short work of them. Best Villain Moment: There is a bit in Dead Rising where the mastermind behind putting the zombies there has planted bombs under the mall. So I had to race around under the mall disarming them. However, there are so many god damn zombies under the mall, that my car gets damaged from running so many of them over. Inevitably, I have to proceed on foot and get swarmed and killed. Those bastards.
9. Chain Chomp Video Game: Mario Kart Wii Explanation: Although Chain Chomp is featured in many Mario games, what makes him a good villain is his performance in Mario Kart Wii. For some reason, no matter how good I got at avoiding other dangers on the road, he was always the variable. He was always able to surprise me, and send me from first place to last. So, while he isn't as cunning as the others on this list, his pure ability to frustrate my goals makes him a top villain. Best Villain Moment: Not technically in a game, but still...
8. Nazis Video Game: Every World War 2 game ever Explanation: The Nazis, along with Bowser, are another classic villain. They don't really require much of an explanation. We are all quite familiar with the exploits of the Third Reich. Best Villain Moment: There are so many Nazi moments in video games, that it was tough to come up with just one moment. The one that popped into my head takes place in Call of Duty 2. Essentially, you are about to take out some sort of key Nazi target, and they start bombing the hell out of you. So you have to avoid getting bombed to death and sitll run around to stop those bastards. Tough stuff.
7. Ganondorf Video Game: Zelda Explanation: Ganondorf, AKA The Great King of Evil, makes an appearance in most Zelda games. His goal is to control the entire tri-force, thus making him pretty much undefeatable. But Link has other plans. Best Villain Moment: Despite the ease with which this person beats Ganondorf, I recall this fight taking me FOREVER as a kid.
6. Dogs Video Game:Paper Boy, Call of Duty 4 Explanation: Strange video games to list, huh? Well, it just goes to show that dogs are a pain in the ass. In the classic Paper Boy, they run out at you and you have to dodge them. If you aren't paying attention they will really ruin your route. Meanwhile, in games like COD4, they are actually attacking you and your teammates. You're saying to yourself, "Who cares, it's just a dog, just put it down with a shotgun to the head!" Unfortunately, it is not that easy. Best Villain Moment: When one of these bastards attacks a teammate in Call of Duty 4, you are in quite the predicament. You have to shoot the thing, but it is wriggling all over the place, and you risk shooting your friend. They know what they're doing. They run super fast so you can't easily shoot them then, and then those bitches use your friend as cover so you won't blow their brains out with a shotgun. 5. Bowser Video Game: Almost every Mario game ever Explanation: Bowser is a classis villain. What makes him most evil is his relentlessness. After years and years of trying to kidnap Princess Peach, he just keeps on trying. Further, he is able to force Mario to undertake all sorts of lengthy adventures just to find the Princess. Some might think Bowser is really just kidnapping the Princess because he enjoys toying with Mario. Either way, Bowser's persistence and classicness make him a top villain. Best Villain Moment: In the original Super Mario Bros., Bowser confronted Mario at each castle the courageous plumber explored. However, he was really just screwing with Mario's head. Bowser took the time to booby-trap each castle and fill parts of it with lava, just to mislead Mario. Even after Mario succesfully defeated Bowser at that castle, his only reward was a mushroom-headed minion telling Mario that "our princess is in another castle." By the time Mario got to the last castle, he would've been totally demoralized. Genius on Bowser's part. 4. Me Video Game: Fable, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, etc.Explanation: In today's video game climate, "choices" are all the rage. Instead of a simple linear story, games try to give you some free reigh and decide if you want to be a good guy or a bad guy. I have definitely been quite the bad guy in some games. Best Villain Moment: In Oblivion, for some reason there was a character that the game wouldn't let me kill. Maybe a glitch? So, in what is definitely not my best moment, I broke into his house, killed his wife, and stole everything in the house and pawned it to buy a bigger sword. 3. Frank Fontaine - WARNING: SPOILERS Video Game: Bioshock
Explanation: Wow. This guy is evil. Essentially, he uses his genetically altered son as a brain-washed slave to destroy his political opponent in an underground city.
Best Villain Moment: He isn't technically in the scene, but when you realize that this bastard has tricked you into doing his bidding using a subconscious mind control trigger, it will piss you off. Big time.
2. Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System Video Game: Portal
Explanation: More commonly referred to as GLaDOS, this female-voiced computer system is your main opponent in Portals. And she is one sneaky bitch. SPOILERS: Initially in the game, it seems like GLaDOS is your friend, helping you test out a sweet new gun. Pretty quickly, you realize that she has very little regard for your safety, both physically and emotionally. Her evils range from forcing you to kill your Weighted Companion Cube, to trying to throw you into a fire pit. She is also a good opponent because she is extremely smart, constantly tempting the player with promises of cake at the end. Unfortunately, the cake is a lie. The emotional and physical trauma that GLaDOS puts the player through make her one of the top villains in video game history.
Best Villain Moment:
1.The Flood
Video Game: Halo series
Explanation: The Flood are a parasitic alien race. They simply travel around killing things. They come in several varieties, from the tiny little crawly ones, to towering monsters bigger than a man and capable of using human weapons. Not only their relentlessness, but their sheer numbers make them a formidable foe.
Best Villain Moment: The first time you fight the flood in the original Halo. I tried, without success, to find some gameplay footage. But at the time, you had only seen regular Covenant baddies, your typical aliens. Then all of a sudden the Flood pops out of nowhere, and they are quite accurately named. There are so many of them that it's really a matter of whether you run out of bullets before killing all of them. The first time you face them is definitely some intense shit.
10) Mr. Big/Lumberjack/Det. Harry Tipper (Timesplitters - PS2) My cousin and I played Timesplitters all the time, and for some reason, these were the three guys we always picked to play against. Skill-wise, no character is better or worse than another, but killing these guys just always seemed right.
9) Goomba's Shoe (Super Mario Bros. 3 - NES) Sadly, the only appearance of Goomba’s Shoe was in Level 5-3 of Sky Land in Super Mario Bros. 3. After you successfully killed the Goomba inside, you were then free to inhabit the shoe (which looks more like a boot to me) and walk harm-free over Spinies and Piranha Plants. Best part of the game.
8) Los Ganados/Los Illuminados (Resident Evil 4 - GC) Resident Evil enemies are always a blast to kill, but the townspeople and monks in RE4 are some of my all-time favorites because not only are they suitably scary, but they are also an effective means of learning delightful Spanish phrases and curse words.
7) Tonberry (Final Fantasy Series) There are various incarnations of Tonberry in the Final Fantasy series, but they all essentially have the same deal. They have massive amounts of HP, and they walk slowly toward you as you use your most powerful attacks in an attempt to kill them. If the Tonberry reaches you before you can take it down, it will fatally stab you once with its tiny chef’s knife. The best part about this is that the short stab is accompanied by a “Doink” sound effect. Hilarious. Side note: I actually own a plush Tonberry.
6) Eggplant Wizard (Kid Icarus - NES) You’re trying to navigate through the Labyrinth, when you unwittingly enter a roomful of Eggplant Wizards. Before you can turn around to hightail it out of there, BAM! You’re an eggplant. Now you have to try to find a room with a nurse. Giant pain in the ass, but pretty damn funny.
5) Big Boo/Petey Pirahna (Mario Kart: Double Dash - GC) Oooh…I hate these fuckers so much. First off, they’re always knocking my little Bowser Jr. all over the place with their heavy-ass cars. Second, I can’t even begin to count the number of times that fat flower head has blocked my screen while I’m trying to race. Still, it wouldn’t be Mario Kart without them - they give me someone to blame when I don’t come in first.
4) Ice Cream Truck/Boogeyman (Toe Jam and Earl - GEN) I can't think of a game with more ridiculous enemies than Toe Jam and Earl. However, there are two that stand out to me, mainly because they make an otherwise easy game quite difficult. The first is the Ice Cream Truck, which only shows up near the end of the game. You hear it’s loud honk, and POOF! It appears out of thin air to mow you down. Then it’ll disappear into a cloud of smoke, only to reappear two seconds later to finish you off. Brutal. Similarly, the Boogeyman is invisible until he is right on top of you. The worse thing about Boogeymen is that they sometimes travel in packs, and their combined efforts of “scaring” you usually result in death or falling onto the board below (which is sometimes just as bad). I couldn't find a pic of these guys, so here's a random screenshot of the game for you to enjoy.
3)Bowser Jr. (Mario games) Bowser Jr. is on the list because he is just so darn cute. He’s also my preferred racer in Mario Kart. His taunting laugh makes me smile, even when he’s trying to kill me.
2) Scissorman (Clock Tower - PS1) Scissorman might be the scariest villain I have ever encountered in a video game. You hear his music before you even see him coming – that’s when you know you’re screwed. The thing about Scissorman is that you can’t fight him, you can only hide. He hides as well, and despite knowing all his favorite spots, I still jump a mile out of my chair when he pops out of a closet. Even though you eventually find out that Scissorman is **SPOILER ALERT** the gayest nine year old boy you will ever see in your life, it doesn’t take away from the heart-stopping thrill of being chased by him in subsequent playings.
1) Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII - PS1) When I first heard about this list, I knew that Sephiroth was going to be my number one. He embodies everything that a villain should be. He has a bad ass weapon (the Masamune sword), awesome powers (see his “Super Nova” summon in the video below), and the best theme music ever (“One-Winged Angel”, heard in the video below). Did I mention that he is the main bad guy in one of the most beloved RPGs of all time? Combine all this, and you have an epic final battle that is second to none.
