Awesome / Parodius

• Bug from The Octopus Saves the Earth is guaranteed to shock anyone who takes on him expecting the usual Zero-Effort Boss, like how most Gradius final bosses are, by actually being a difficult Final Boss who shoots lasers and blobs.
• The Labyrinth of Parodius Da!. While epic music is playing, you get to destroy a whole labyrinth made of candy, as well as pumpkins that eat everything on their path.
• In the last stage of Gokujō Parodius, you raid the enemy fortress, a strip club. A strip club where you are under fire from everywhere, while "New World Symphony" plays. Play well, and you will feel unstoppable until you have to face the invincible Rika... then you will feel like a badass again when you face the final boss and kick her butt.
• Chichibinta Rika, the mightiest, most terrifying showgirl of all time. She is a giantess whose music is the most imposing in the game, she is invincible and you merely have to survive and not getting crushed while she dances, probably not even noticing you. In the second game, she becomes even bigger and stronger than the first time, crushing even the floor under her weight! Overall, you don't mess with this showgirl.
• The epic secret stage of Gokujō Parodius. It has the player fighting legions of the final boss of Parodius Da!, this time each of them capable of fighting back. There is also a section that has "Thanks for playing the game!" as projectiles that are hard to avoid unless you go in circles. Then, near the end, a 16-bit card with 65,535 hitpoints appears. Finally, you're treated to a boss fight with a giant mechanical penguin that is the hardest boss in the series, final or otherwise, and wouldn't be out of place in a serious game. Winning will make you proud of yourself.
• The Boss Rush in Sexy Parodius, coupled with bosses from older games before you face Aphrodite herself.