10 HORRIFYING Moments In Children's Video Games
1. Giygas - Earthbound
For the most part, Earthbound is a cheery video game filled with colourful visuals, an exotic soundtrack and the sort of humour that made it incredibly popular with younger audiences, especially in its native Japan.
Which only serves to make the final boss battle so much more unexpected, and downright chilling.
Also referred to as the 'Universal Cosmic Destroyer' and 'Embodiment of Evil', Giygas' sole goal is to chuck everyone and everything into a neverending void of darkness.
Giygas' appearance in Earthbound is one of those ones that is made even more terrifying for being a product of its time. The glitchy sound effects, hazy red-black colours and distorted sequence of tormented skulls across the screen make for a truly nightmarish experience.
In the game, Giygas' insanity mean that players have to deal with random attacks and mindless ramblings whilst they attempt to wrestle their nerves and overcome it. It's an encounter that wouldn't be out of place in a Resident Evil entry, so how it's ended up in a game based around four children setting off on an lighthearted adventure, we'll never know.