8 Early Video Game Bosses That Kicked Your Ass

Anyone who's even taken a cursory glance knows that when it comes to absolutely insulting challenges, it takes a lot to best the Ghost's N Goblins series.

Subsisting on a diet of players pain and fragments of their souls, this franchise has never taken its foot off the gas when it came to offering up insta-kills, hard as nails gameplay and of course, maddeningly tough bosses, and those hoping for an easier ride when it came to the recently released Ghost's N Goblins Ressurection were dragged over coals once more for even daring to suggest such a thing.

One of the most punishing bosses in the title rears its ugly head in the second zone titled "Hellfire Hamlet". Here the player has to navigate a series of sand traps before ascending a monstrous tower. As they progress they'll be assaulted by flaming dogs that unleash an infuriating array of flame attacks until they finally reach the top.

And how does the game reward this punishing journey? by combining all three dogs together into one huge monster called Cerberus. This beast of hell possesses all of the other dog's powers as well as a few of its own, and dodging its attacks while navigating the terrain is sure to see players turned to a crisp over and over.

Thankfully you can mitigate some of the challenges with the duplicate spell to double your attacks, but this is a wake-up call boss for players in an already challenging game that's for sure.