Nintober 2013

The villainous King of the Boos. He captured Mario by luring him to a haunted mansion, leaving Luigi to become the unlikely hero. Armed with the Poltergust 3000, Luigi vacuumed King Boo during a tense rooftop battle, and E. Gadd sealed him away in a painting.

After making his escape, King Boo descended on Evershade Valley and broke apart the Dark Moon, causing the spirits that lived there to turn hostile. With his new army of ghosts, he plotted to conquer the world… And exact his revenge on Luigi and E. Gadd by capturing THEM in paintings.

It is said that King Boo finds little Boos cute and will do anything in his considerable power to protect them. He also enjoys kart racing, baseball and alpine skiing – although it's not considered fair, as he doesn't use skis.

Related Games

• Luigi's Mansion (Gamecube)
• Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (Gamecube)
• Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (Nintendo 3DS)

Link survived the traps of the Earth Temple in his search for Zelda, but when he caught up to Ghirahim, she had managed to escape his grasp. Eager to work off his frustration, the demon lord breathed life into a giant boulder, transforming it into the Pyroclastic Fiend, Scaldera. The core became molten, opening into a massive, toothed mouth. Six legs of scalding magma extended from cracks in the surface, and a single eye peered out.

The fiend curled itself into a ball and rolled towards Link, forcing the hero into retreat. As the beast clambered back up the hill, it opened its gaping maw to spit a stream of fireballs. Seeing his chance, Link hurled bombs into its mouth to stun it, then slashed at its exposed eye. Scaldera's rock carapace was weakened and eventually broke away entirely, causing the fiery beast to shrink away and vanish into ashes.

Related Games

• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)

One of the leaders of the Space Pirates, Kraid resembles a gargantual three-eyed lizard. Its thick, green hide is impervious to all weaponry.

Samus Aran first encountered Kraid deep within a Space Pirate hideout beneath Brinstar. The beast erupted out of the ground, unleashing a volley of spines and sickled claws, and immediately growing replacements. As Kraid rose up to its full height, Samus used the spikes it fired from its belly as footholds to come face to face with it, finishing it off with a volley of missiles aimed inside its mouth.

Samus encountered Kraid once more on her return to Zebes. Quite how this behemoth was able to navigate the narrow caverns beneath the planet remains unknown.

Related Games

• Metroid (NES)
• Super Metroid (Super NES)
• Metroid: Zero Mission (Game Boy Advance)

When the being known as Dark Matter first landed on Popstar, it searched for a host filled with malice so it could bring about a new age of darkness. But as this was the happy-go-lucky Dream Land, it had to settle for greedy King Dedede. Kirby fought his way to the top of Dark Castle and discovered the king had fallen into an unnatural sleep, held aloft by the being inside him. His attacks were stronger too, supplemented by Dark Matter's rage. With the power of the Rainbow Drops, Kirby freed the king and chased Dark Matter into the skies.

Dark Matter later returned to engulf Popstar, including King Dedede. After battling with Kirby in his Iceberg Palace, the king's lifeless body raised into the air, opened along the belly, and revealed either a set of snarling, black teeth or the Dark Matter's hideous eye.

Related Games

• Kirby's Dream Land 2 (Game Boy)
• Kirby's Dream Land 3 (Super NES)
• Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (Nintendo 64)

A creature of darkness, whose power is said to rival that of the gods, and imprisoned by Viridi many generations ago. The Chaos Kin steals souls with the scythe-like hook on its skeletal tail, carrying them to its nest in the Chaos Vortex and slowly feeding on them.

The Chaos Kin has just one desire: Complete and unending disorder.

As Pit and Palutena waged their divine war against Viridi's Forces of Nature, they destroyed her weaponized battleship, the Lunar Sanctum. Unknown to them, the Sanctum doubled as the prison for the Chaos Kin. Following the Aurum invasion, the creature made its move, possessing Palutena and using her power to attack mankind, Pit had no choice but to attack the very goddess whom he served.

Related Games

• Kid Icarus: Uprising (Nintendo 3DS)

Looming large over Devil World, the Devil is the king of pure evil. Always just out of reach, he commands his minions to move the walls of his dastardly labyrinth to crush anybody trapped inside. He derives his power from Boa-Boa Dots and the glowing Devil Cave that stands in the centre of the maze.

When the dragon Tamagon hatched inside the Devil's maze, he was able to destroy the Boa-Boa Dots by holding a Cross. The Devil sent his minions Medaman, Co-Devil and Bon-Bon to stop him, but Tamagon used his holy fire breath to toast the monsters into harmless (and delicious) fried eggs.

Using the Buble, Tamagon shut down the Devil Cavem forcing the powerless Devil to cower beneath his cloak, transform into a bat and fly away to safety.

Related Games

• Devil World (NES)

A Forbidden Ghost/Dark Pokémon that was sealed inside the fissure of an Odd Keystone over 500 years ago. It is known for carrying out aggressive, evil acts with little remorse.

Due to its imprisonment, Spiritomb isn't particularly mobile, heavy relying on long-distance curses and projectile attacks. While some have been known to levitate their keystone, more often they teleport themselves from one keystone to another.

It is no coincidence that Spiritomb's Sinnoh Pokédec number 108, it weighs exactly 108.0 kilograms and its base defence and special defence values are both 108. Spiritomb is composed of 108 malevolent spirits, each representing a temptation that must be overcome if one is to reach nirvana.

Related Games

• Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl (Nintendo DS)
• Pokémon: Black 2 & White 2 (Nintendo DS)

The dread pirate ghost who resides in the ruins of his ship, the Black Skull, grounded deep within Pirate's Grotto at Keelhaul Key. With the power source to the ship stolen, Cortez stayed to protect his hoard of treasure.

Mario tracked the location of the Sapphire Star to the Black Skull. Unbowed by Cortez's ghostly warnings, he approached, only to be set upon by the skeletal swashbuckler. Rising out of a pile of bones, Cortez attacked with four arms, each brandishing a different weapon. He then transformed into a skeletal serpent and finally a floating head.

When Mario explained that he was only after the Star, Cortez handed it over as it made him uneasy. After Flavio returned the Skull Gem, power source to the Black Skull, Cortez gave Mario and friends a ride across the ocean whenever they wanted.

Related Games

• Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Gamecube)

The Phantom Shadow Beast, invisible to the naked eye, was sealed beneath the well in Kakariko Village by Impa, protector of the Royal Family. Once Ganondorf had his hands on the Triforce of Power, he broke the seal that imprisoned the creature to torment the Hylians who resisted his rule.

Unseen by all, the creature set fire to the village before escaping to the Spirit Temple in the Graveyard. Link, the Hero of Time, avoided the temple's ancient traps and confronted Bongo Bongo on the surface of a giant drum.

Using the Lens of Truth, Link was able to see the beast's true form, a twisted humanoid torso suspended from the darkness, with a single red eye emerging from petals made of decomposing flesh where the head should have been. Its disembodied hands hammered out a beat on the drum's surface… And the battle begun.

Related Games

• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64)

As Samus explored the Bottle Ship, she found herself on a glass walkway above a lava-filled facility. As she crossed to the other side, a whale-sized beast lunged from the magma below. Samus dodged out of its way, but the walkway was demolished.

She had no choice but to return to ground level and cross back through the beast's hunting grounds. It launched itself at her, biting off a pod that became lodged in its jaws. Samus survived the chase, but so did the Vorash.

Continuing her search for the purple creature that had been sighted in the area. Samus was finally cornered by the Vorash in the Blast Furnace Observation area. By a stroke of luck, the pod lodged in its mouth was a grapple point, giving Samus the opportunity to pull the Vorash into land with the Grapple Beam, and blast the creature's soft underbelly.

Related Games

• Metroid: Other M (Wii)

One of the terrible chimera species created by Dr. Andonuts in the employ of the Pigmask Army. Combining elements of the horse and the tarantula, the Horseantula has eight hooves that exhibit incredible strength. The third leg from the right is said to be its strongest.

The Horseantulas all escaped from the Chimera Laboratory thanks to the efforts of Salsa and Samba and can now be found roaming the nearby Murasaki Forest, where they trample their prey and then inject a deadly poison with venomous fangs.

It is vulnerable to PK Fire and has been known to drop a poison antidote when defeated.

Related Games

• Mother 3 (Game Boy Advance)

The Bull Demon King, along with Goku the Monkey King, were responsible for nearly bringing about the end of the world. The pair were sealed in stone and banished to the heavens from the god Oshakasama. Many years later, the two crashed back to Earth.

Goku was found and taken in by the kindly Chao, with no memory of his rebellious past. Gyumao, on the other hand, immediately restarts what he was unable to finish. Goku was given an ultimatum by Oshakasama – destroy Gyumao or face banishment once more.

The Bull Demon sent his wife Rasetsujo and son Kogaiji to prevent Goku and friends from reaching his volcano lair in India, but the efforts were futile. Goku, given strength by Chao's love, dodged Gyumao's fireballs and delivered the final blow. Gyumao's power left him and he transformed into a normal bovine.

Related Games

• Yuuyuuki (NES)

As Matthew's party climbed the Apollo Sanctum to fire the Apollo Lens, they were halted on their ascent by the Chaos Hound. When it saw Sveta in the group, it stopped itself from attacking, but Chalis and Blados appeared, using their Dark Psynergy to corrupt it. Following a tense battle, the Tuaparang duo used Dark Binding to fuse with the Chaos Hound, and emerging as the terrible Chaos Chimera.

Armed with a terrible range of powerful attacks, this was the deadliest foe yet. Its Chaos Upheaval and Shadow Clash techniques dished out some fearsome damage, while it used Djinn Blast to halt summons. It was only its weakness to Jupiter that gave the heroes a chance to pierce through its defenses and break the binding spell, casting aside Chalis and Blados and revealing the true nature of the Chaos Hound…

Related Games

• Golden Sun: Dark Dawn (Nintendo DS)

As its name suggests, the Screech Pokémon Misdreavus loves to cause mischief. It sneaks up on people in the middle of the night, yanking their hair and wailing loudly just to see their shocked reactions. The red orbs that surround its neck are used to absorb fear and turn it into nutrition.

When Misdreavus is exposed to the Dusk Stone, it evolves into the Magical Pokémon, Mismagius. Its cries are said to sound like a dark incantation, causing headaches and even hallucinations in those who hear it. However, on rare occasions, these ghostly incantations can also cause the listener to become incredibly happy.

Related Games

• Pokémon: Ruby & Sapphire (Game Boy Advance)
• Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl (Nintendo DS)

In the distance Bonefin Galaxy resides the terrible aquatic beast, Kingfin. Related to the Fishbones Mario has encountered on many adventures, Kingfin is the size of a whale with a face similar to a shark. Stripped of all flesh, it swims endlessly around its small, water-covered planet.

When Mario arrived in the Bonefin Galaxy, Kingfin immediately summoned schools of Fishbones to track him. Swimming as fast as he could to avoid them, he saw the glowing yellow eyes of the Kingfin cresting over the planet's shallow horizon. Snatching up Koopa Shells, he used them to catch up with the beast, launching them to damage it.

With each hit, Kingfin would thrash about, damaging the fragile underwater structures and releasing more Fishbones to hunt Mario. With five well-aimed shells, the Kingfin was finished, shattering into bone.

Related Games

• Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

Before the noble King of Hyrule died, he broke the Triforce apart and hid each piece around the kingdom. The Triforce of Courage was sealed away in the Great Palace, behind an impenetrable barrier. There, it was watched over by an ancient guardian, a demon known as the Thunderbird.

The winged creature was draped in ornaments from a time when it was worshipped as a god. The only way to make it vulnerable was to use the Thunder spell, only possible for those who exhibit great wisdom. The hero would have to use all their power to dodge the volley of fireballs and slash at this newly-revealed weak point.

While courage was needed to slay the Thunderbird, it was not the final challenge for the Hero. They still had to face the darkness within them.

Related Games

• Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES)

A catastrophic meteor strike on the planet Aether had created a dimensional rift. As well as a massive loss of life, half of the planet's energy was lost through the rift where it existed on a duplicate world: Dark Aether.

With Dark Aether came the Ing, a destructive, warlike species that caused untold destruction to the remaining Luminoth settlements on Aether. The Emperor was the oldest and most powerful of the Ing, mutated by exposure to Phazon and siphoning power from an Energy Controller.

As Samus damaged the immobile Emperor by firing upon its eye, it entered a chrysalis state. Samus cracked the cocoon by placing high explosives at various weak points, but from it emerged a further mutation, extremely mobile, capable of manipulating the dimensional rift and using both light and dark energy to protect itself and its energy source.

Related Games

• Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (Gamecube)

Nobody can resist the sparkling allure of shimmering gold, especially the captains of salvage crews. That is how the Plasm Wraith draws in its victims. Its body is composed of a sentient, golden jelly. It can break apart to create duplicate bodies and phantom creatures.

When it adopts its vaguely humanoid form, it uses its arms to spear Pikmin and other creatures, feeding them into the hole that acts as a mouth. The prey is slowly dissolved into nutrients within its body jelly. It doesn't always feed on its prey. It is believed that the Plasm Wraith can actually be possessive of the creatures it captures if it finds them amusing.

The Plasm Wraith is believed to be related to the terrible Waterwraith. Some theories posture that it's even the same creature, learning to be more human from its encounters of the distant planet.

Related Games

• Pikmin 3 (Wii U)

A millennia ago, the Fell Dragon tried to conquer the continent of Ylisse, but was defeated. The Grimleal cult grew around the legend of Grima, and its followers then grew into their own nation, Plegia. They worked towards a single goal: To create a host Avatar so Grima could be revived… An event known as The Awakening.

The Awakening was successful and the world was led to utter ruin by Grima. However, a disturbance in the timeline could have undone everything.

Grima returned to the past before he was revived and discovered that his Avatar had been taken away before the Awakening could be completed. However, he was now trapped in the past with very little of his power remaining. If he was to regain his Dragon Deity form, he would need to manipulate the peoples of this world.

Related Games

• Fire Emblem: Awakening (Nintendo 3DS)

The Leader of the Noizoids, interstellar invaders who arrived on the planet Melodia riding a meteor. Gargan immediately sends his minions to cause trouble and mischief across this peaceful land.

A young lad named Tempo comes across a mysterious staff that can repel the Noizoids, and is sent to meet with Princess Ariana of Symphony City to have it over to the HarmoKnight. But when Tempo and his friends arrive, it transpires that Gargan had kidnapped the Princess and cast everyone else into a deep sleep.

Now Gargan waits in his volcanic lair with his captured princess. With nobody else to help, can Tempo wield the power of the HarmoKnights?

Related Games

• HarmoKnight (Nintendo 3DS)

A mysterious, crystalline life form that grew in strength from the negative feelings of Pokémon, as its actions caused fear in the residents of the Pokémon World. Any Pokémon that approached it would be overwhelmed and suffocated by the winds of despair.

In a desperate bid to stop it, humans were transported to the World of Pokémon, becoming Pokémon themselves. It was hoped they wouldn't be affected by Bittercold's negative winds. But by the time the path to the creature was open, it had grown too powerful. A purple vortex began to swirl around Glacier Palace. Was all hope lost already? Was the end of the world that Kyurem foresaw inevitable?

Or is there always a glimmer of hope, even in the darkest of times?

Related Games

• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gate to Infinity (Nintendo 3DS)

Wario crash-landed in a vast forest. Venturing into a cave, he discovered a music box sitting upon a pedestal. As he moved to steal it, he was drawn into the world inside…

He was greeted by a mysterious figure, the god of this world, whose power had been sealed away in five music boxes. With a promise that he can keep any treasure he finds, Wario barged his way through the Music Box World, taking out strange creatures and stealing whatever he could carry.

With the music boxes returned, the figure revealed its true form. Rudy was no god, but a giant, evil clown, sealed away by the inhabitants of the Music Box.

But, if there's one thing a villain should know… Never ever break a promise of treasure to Wario.

Related Games

• Wario Land 3 (Game Boy Color)
• Dr. Mario 64 (Nintendo 64)

In the World of the Ocean King, tales told of a giant squid that could drain the life force out of anyone. So singular was its motive that it attacked and drained the life force of the Ocean King himself, growing in power until it was unstoppable.

The Ocean Kind watched helplessly as Bellum exerted his power over the seas. The Temple of the Ocean King was cursed, draining the life force from anybody who entered. A ghost ship sailed the seas, spreading rumours of a treasure in the temple, drawing many foolhardy hunters to their doom.

Bellum extended his greed into other worlds, snatching Tetra. However, this act also drew Link, the Hero of Winds, into the World of the Ocean King. And thus began the tale of Bellum's ultimate downfall.

Related Games

• The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo DS)

The leader of the Space Pirates is the dragon-like bio-form known as Ridley. The beast has hounded Samus Aran her entire life, even leading the attack on her home world that killed her parents.

Samus had fought Ridley time and again across the galaxy. After she took him out on the planet Zebes, Ridley was taken aboard the Space Pirate ship Orpheon where he was genetically and mechanically enhanced to become Meta-Ridley.

Deep in uncharted space, Galactic Federation scientists about the Bottle Ship retrieved genetic material from Ridley, and sought to fashion a bio-weapon of their own. However, the clone was at the very start of its long life cycle.

Project "Little Birdie" appeared to be a failure.

Related Games

• Metroid (NES)
• Super Metroid (Super NES)
• Metroid: Other M (Wii)

The Keepers: Artificial life forms created on the doomed Earth 4 to sterilise the planet of external threats.

In the Sky Fortress, Isa and Kachi were confronted by Hibaru, one of the Nebulox. As they battled, they awoke the Keeper that rested beneath the Fortress: The dreaded Horror Keeper.

A horrible bio-mechanical monstrosity of dripping flesh and metal, the Horror Keeper crawled up the walls of the tower, trying to crush Isa and Kachi with its giant hands and blast them by firing missiles from its surgical implants. It would also whip at them with the chains that had failed to hold it in place.

Isa deflected its own missiles back at it, and Kachi teleported them away to safety as its death throes brought the tower crashing down.

Related Games

• Sin & Punishment: Successor of the Skies (Wii)

Created during an experiment 460 years ago, Zero was intended to be the ultimate Master, unifying the twelve laws. In order to create such a creature, two vessels were required.

A pair of grief-stricken parents volunteered to become the light and dark vessels in order to end the war. It was discovered that the woman was pregnant during the procedure, and the experiment was cancelled. The woman was left as an incomplete monster while her husband and child were saved.

The descendents of her husband were cursed to be called to Pandora's Tower so Zero could be with them. She consumed all of the Master Flesh and regained her power, but after fighting Aeron she was reduced from her womanly form to that of a raging, twisted beast.

Related Games

• Pandora's Tower (Wii)

The Supreme Commander of the Geathjerk, alien invaders that have caused terrible destruction on Earth. Jergingha appears as a giant, blue brain with a single, unblinking eye.

The planet of the Geathjerk was conquered by the Greater Galactic Coalition 1,500 years in the future. To prevent their oppression, Jergingha led his people back through time to destroy the Earth, where the Coalition was formed.

Jergingha at first controlled the entire planetary fortress, but he was stopped by the Wonderful 100. He used a Centinel Mask to transform into Wonder-Jergingha. In a final, desperate attempt to destroy the Earth, he transformed into his Planetary Destruction Form, and launched himself towards the planet.

Related Games

• The Wonderful 101 (Wii U)

The pumpkin Pokémon, Pumpkaboo, is inhabited by a spirit trapped in this world. As the sun sets, the spirit becomes restless and searches for a place where it belongs.

Trading a Pumpkaboo will cause it to evolve into Gourgeist. It wanders town streets when the New Moon is out, singing in an eerie voice. Anybody who hears its song is cursed. It wraps its prey in its hair-like arms, singing with joy at the suffering it causes.

Both Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist learn the move Trick-or-Treat, which causes the Pokémon it faces to become part-Ghost type.

Related Games

• Pokémon: X & Y (Nintendo 3DS)

Thousands of years ago, Antasma was just a normal bat that lived on Pi'illo Island. After feeding on the nightmare of one of the Pi'illo people, he was transformed into the Bat King.

With his newfound power, Antasma stole the Dark Stone and crushed it into Nightmare Chunks, petrifying the Pi'illos, but not before being sealed in the Dream World.

Centuries passed. Antasma concocted a devious plan to escape. He would lure someone from the real world to use as a vessel. He chose Princess Peach, who was holidaying on Pi'illo Island. As well as drawing the Mario Bros. to him, the kidnap also brought Bowser into the fray.

Realising that the powerful and evil King of the Koopa would make a more suitable vessel, Antasma made a deal with Bowser, fusing with him and beginning his plot to conquer the world.

Related Games

• Mario & Luigi: Dream Team (Nintendo 3DS)

In the lands that were to become New Hyrule, a great demon kign terrorozed the first settlers. Following a battle that lasted a generation, Malladus was imprisoned by the Spirits of Good beneath the Tower of Spirits. The Spirit Tracks were laid as chains to the prison, becoming a railway network for the people.

A century passed, and the Spirit Tracks began to vanish. Princess Zelda and an apprentice train driver named Link were drawn into a plot by Chancellor Cole to resurrect the Demon King.

As the Tower of Spirits opened, Malladus was freed. He chose Princess Zelda as a host, but until his resurrection was complete, he lacked the ability to control her fully. Betrayed by Byrne, Malladus had no choice but to inhabit the unwilling body of Cole. While this possession was unstable, it would prove to be more than enough to lay waste to New Hyrule.

Related Games

• The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Nintendo DS)

When King Boo broke apart the Dark Moon, the ghosts in Evershade Valley became hostile… All except for one.

Polterpup was a mischievous ghost dog that lived in the garden of Gloomy Manor. When Luigi began exploring the mansions of Evershade Valley, it became clear that he was being followed. Polterpup's antics caused Luigi many headaches, by playfully running away with important keys to the mansions. Each time Luigi tracked Polterpup down and captured it with the Poltergust, it would somehow escape from E. Gadd's Ghost Container.

After the Dark Moon was restored and the tame ghosts were released, Polterpup was sad that it no longer had anyone to play with. Luigi, somehow moved by its empty puppydog eyes, took Polterpup into his home as his new pet.

Related Games

• Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (Nintendo 3DS)