10 Video Game Joke Items That Are Secretly One-Time Boss Killers

10. Attack FX R - Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a lighthearted RPG set in the paper-mache version of the Mario series world.

The game is well-known for its humor and frequent jabs made at the RPG formula, some of which consist of worthless joke items that don’t really do anything.

And yet, one particular joke item is secretly the greatest weakness of the game's scariest boss, Hooktail.

Hooktail is a giant dragon that serves as the final boss of the first chapter. Normally, fighting him takes a lot of endurance and good damage output, as he’s quite resistant and his giant claws can kill your squad in a couple of hits.

However, the grumpy monster has one hidden weakness—he’s absolutely terrified of crickets!

And it just so happens that you can find a cricket noisemaker in his castle.

Attack FX R is a joke badge, and, unlike other badges in the game, it doesn’t increase any of your stats. Instead, equipping it causes your jumping and hammer attacks to make cricket noises.

In most cases, the sound is an audible reminder of how underwhelming the badge’s ability is, but when fighting Hooktail, it allows you to frighten him, instantly winning the boss fight.