The Most Frustrating Boss In The Metroid Series

Some gamers may not immediately think of Nintendo when it comes to ultra-difficult video game bosses that will ruin your life, but make no mistake — the Big N has some titles that feature some absolutely devilish face-offs. Just look at the "Metroid" series for proof. The fights in just about every entry of the intergalactic series put Samus through her paces, with many demanding pinpoint precision and split-second reaction timing from the player just to make it through. Whether it's a climactic confrontation with the SA-X or Kraid showing up for the 17th time, gamers should always expect to have their limits tested when battling a "Metroid" boss.

From the original "Metroid" in 1986 all the way up to modern titles like 2021's "Metroid Dread," the franchise has featured more than its fair share of nail-biting boss fights. Still, for the many heavyweights that challenge Samus on each and every mission, one particular boss stands out among the rest in terms of the sheer amount it'll make you want to snap your controller in half just from trying to beat it.

While "Metroid" bosses like Raven Beak and Ridley are formidable foes, those enemies have recognizable attack patterns that can be learned. Such is not the case with Mother Brain in "Metroid" and its remake "Metroid: Zero Mission." Before the fight even begins, you must traverse a corridor filled with an unending barrage of turret bullets and SpaghettiO-esque death rings. These projectiles don't just damage you, they also have knockback that can plunge you into the lava below. "Metroid: Zero Mission's" improved controls make things easier, but it also adds blockades you need to unload your precious missiles into in order to proceed. Wonderful.

Mother Brain herself isn't even all that mechanically unique. You'll find her at the end of the corridor in a glass container sitting above a pit of lava. Break open the glass, shoot missiles into her eye, she'll periodically fire a laser beam. Simple, right? The problem is that you're doing this while also attempting to avoid the aforementioned spray of bullets, meaning you have three separate types of projectiles constantly firing on you from every direction. "Zero Mission" goes further, giving the player just two miniscule platforms to stand on. It's a beast of a time just trying not to get hit and knocked into the lava below, let alone trying to properly aim your finite missiles so that they hit the boss' one damageable point. Out of every "Metroid" game, it's the most frustrating fight by far.