10 Video Game Bosses Beaten By Their Own Arenas

Being a video game villain really doesn't seem worth it. No matter how highly the odds are stacked in their favour, the most ill-equipped, unlikely protagonist will ultimately prevail. Obviously, there are narrative incentives for such inexplicable ineptitude, but within the framework of a game's inner logic, it so often doesn't make sense.

Dr. Robotnik could easily dispatch that spiny sod Sonic in a heartbeat, if only he'd use his most dangerous device on the first zone rather than waiting till the last. Think of the savings he'd make on rocket fuel! Likewise, Bowser's pursuit of Princess Peach's hand in marriage would be done and dusted if he didn't personally wait for Mario at the end of his many castles, and instead jetted off for Vegas straightaway.

And why is boss arena feng shui so often so shoddy in situations where the baddies would be otherwise unbeatable? It's as though they've been taking interior decor design tips from a malevolent George Clarke, assuring them that a set of spikes lining the credenza absolutely won't spell their doom, oh no.

Thanks to their Amazing Idiotic Spaces, it always does.

Whilst trawling the Military Quarter of the necrotic Nerubian ziggurat Naxxramas, raid parties' progress will first be halted by Instructor Razuvious. The teacher is majorly miffed at having his tutelage of a whole new generation of Death Knights interrupted by interlopers, so disciplines players with a very hard brand of corporal punishment.

In fact, it's so hard that only those in massively overlevelled gear can tank the p*ssed off professor. Just as well then, that the lecturer is cheered on by a whole class of his students, each of them self-buffed with the damage-withstanding Bone Barrier - and each of them susceptible to mind-control.

The trick is to have priests possess the protected pupils, letting them draw the bulk of Razuvious' punishment as the rest of the party concentrates on battering him. In the 10-man version of the raid, the dozy Death Knight makes things even harder for himself by leaving a load of mind control crystals around his classroom, just in case the group doesn't have the required classes. Grade F- for arena idiocy.