Games that cheat to beat you

The Metal Gear Solid series has earned a reputation for messing with players, a fact never more evident than in the boss fight against Psycho Mantis in the original game. Though Psycho Mantis seems like any other boss at first, it quickly becomes apparent the developers have set you up for failure. Be prepared to lose over and over again as the psychic enemy seems to read your mind, anticipating every move you make. Punches do nothing, bullets miss, and rockets blow up in your hands. He even breaks the fourth wall, accessing your system’s memory card, commenting on the other games you’ve played, and causing your controller to shake.

Mantis can’t really read minds. He’s just designed to be better than the you. The game makes him move faster than you can aim. Oh, and he’s also immortal. To beat him, you need to “Mantis-proof” your game. In one of the best examples of video game logic ever, you can do this by plugging your controller into a different port. The controller swap will turn the all-powerful Mantis into a regular enemy, ready for the slaughter.

Written by: Looper