Mini Boss/Playing With

Basic Trope: Distinct, powerful enough enemy that awaits you before the confrontation versus the actual boss of the stage.
 * Straight: In the platformer Super Troperia Adventure, each stage has powerful enemy in the middle of it, placed well before the actual boss battle for that stage. Unlike other enemies, they can't be skipped so you know that they are (mid-)bosses.
 * Exaggerated: There are a dozen or more of those kind of enemies per stage.
 * Fighting the mid-bosses makes for more than 2/3 of Super Troperia Adventure.
 * Justified: Those powerful enemies are the right hand men of the boss of the stage they are appearing, and are there to wear you down before the big fight of the stage.
 * The Big Bad is perfectly aware that his generals isn't enough to stop the hero, so he gives them lieutenants to be placed to defend their bases.
 * Inverted: Each stage bosses are effectively the mid-boss of their stage: that is, each time you defeat a boss in its stage, you need to get out of that stage quick before it collapse entirely.
 * Subverted: An enemy is obviously set-up as mini boss, but it can actually be skipped and/or only about as strong as other enemies in that stage.
 * An enemy is obviously set-up as mini boss, but it's actually the stage boss.
 * Double Subverted: ...at least until it Turns Red and become worthy of the title of Mini Boss -and/or- if you try to skip it, it will chase you throughout the stage-- even during the actual stage boss.
 * ...and then after its defeat, the stage doesn't end. Expect a long walk and another boss fight!
 * Parodied: the mid-boss' name is actually Mr. Mid-Boss.
 * The mini-boss is 5 pixels tall.
 * Deconstructed: Excessive use of mid-boss is a sign of poor game design. the critics pan the game and thus it has poor sales.
 * Reconstructed: Using lots of mini-bosses to efficiently and impressively flesh out the story.
 * Zig Zagged: Some stage has mini-bosses, others don't. And then the Big Bad tell the hero how all other enemies defeated is just a long mini-boss fight comparing to the fight that is about to begin.
 * Averted: Super Troperia Adventure isn't a game that use boss fight, or any fight, period.
 * Enforced: "We don't have enough time to design and test long stages. let's just make short stages and fill it with mini-bosses."
 * Lampshaded: "I presume you aren't the master of this wicked place?"
 * Invoked: Preparing just enough power to defeat the inevitable mini-boss fight.
 * Exploited: Players don't waste ammo and healing too much on something that is obviously a mini-boss fight.
 * Defied: Glitching your way out of a mini-boss battle.
 * Discussed: ???
 * Conversed: ???
 * Plotted a Good Waste: Fans will make regular fanfictions where the minibosses are a Quirky Miniboss Squad. The guys who will make the cartoon decide Sure Why Not, and the guys who made the game are The Chess Masters.

Halt! You must fight me first before you can go to Mini Boss!