20 Video Game Bosses You Must Defeat Before You Die

18. Psycho Mantis (Metal Gear Solid)

The Mantis fight in Metal Gear Solid is one of the all-time trickiest boss fights, especially in 1998, before most people were savvy enough to use the Internet for guides. Players knew something weird was up at the start of the fight, when Mantis would read players' memory cards to see what other Konami games they had played and comment accordingly, and also shake the PS1 controller by way of his "mind control". It was a fun gimmick to set us up for the fight, but the strangest was yet to come. Once the fight starts, players will be dismayed that attacking Mantis does not work, because he can read your every move, and the solution is to unplug the controller and plug it into the second controller slot, making Mantis unable to read your mind. From then on, the battle is a piece of cake, but as a kid who was bemused by this for a long time, it was the Holy Grail of tough boss battles. It's also sure proof of Hideo Kojima's demented genius.