Your Favorite Boss Fights!

[ColinAlonso]

My obligatory Colossus shout is the third colossus. Positioned in a large circular platform positioned far above a lake, the area screams boss, and then you get a look at it.



Much bigger than the first two, which had already left an impression on me, this is the one where the game truly clicked.

Spoiler: show

and then you run up on his sword

As for another one I'll get all nostalgic and say the boss of the fourth planet from Ristar. Planet Sonata is the music themed level (as should be obvious from the name) and the fight takes place on stage in a concert hall. A songbird is singing the boss battle music until the boss swoops in knocking the bird from its perch and begins to sing...... really badly. Both the music and screen distort as the boss sings and the boss' music notes can hurt, including the dreaded singular 'dropped note' bouncing along the bottom. The disgruntled crowd will start throwing things on stage in disgust which is a bit random and is probably the part of the boss I like least. Knocking the boss of the perch will lead to the songbird going back on the perch and during that phase of the fight, the good singing may even result in a health star being dropped. I just like how well this boss works with the music theme of the level without being a rhythm game sequence.

Boss from 3:58

[Suits]

Nihilanth.

Jesus, this guy was insane. First thing that comes into my head when I hear, "End Boss".

Honerable mention goes to the very recent 2016 Spider Mastermind, which was just an enjoyable boss fight, hard but fair and very satisfying one dealt with.

Good thread this .

[Bakers_12]

Metal gear's running man just for how silly it is and for being a quite clever puzzle

[Joshihatsumitsu]

If you can't tell, I adore this game. If any of what I've just said sounds like it might be up your alley, try it if you haven't already! It's 10€ or your regional equivalent on the Xbox 360 marketplace.

I had Ninja Gaiden on the Xbox, complete with long Xbox loading times, and got as far as the third boss I think. Out of curiosity what was the differences between that version and Black, which came out later?

[KSubzero1000]

I had Ninja Gaiden on the Xbox, complete with long Xbox loading times, and got as far as the third boss I think. Out of curiosity what was the differences between that version and Black, which came out later?

About the loading times: the original Xbox had quite the bizarre infrastructure, and so the initial loading times are indeed excruciatingly long. But it's because the game is secretly installing a whole lot of data to the console's cache. And so after that process is complete, the loading times become really short all of a sudden! Very weird and confusing system.

Black is basically a "complete" or "Director's Cut" edition of the original Ninja Gaiden, the like of which is nowadays re-released with all the DLC on the disk. It adds at least one new weapon, two more difficulty levels, several new bosses and enemy types, and a really substantial mission mode you can access from the main menu. It also balanced out some of the moves and tweaked the enemy AI to counteract certain cheesing techniques. It's a slightly more difficult game but a better package in every way and the definitive edition of the game as far as I'm concerned. Ninja Gaiden Sigma on the PS3 had a major graphical upgrade, but it was developed without the supervision of the original director and all the gameplay changes were for the worse. I would only recommend that version to someone who has no possibility whatsoever to play Black.

Here's a more comprehensive explanation:
http://ninjagaiden.wikia.com/wiki/Ninja_Gaiden_Black

[Joshihatsumitsu]

Thanks for the info. At $10 AUD, it is a bit of a steal. I'll add Ninja Gaiden Black to my current pile o shame! It's a game I've been meaning to revisit, and that seems like a good reason too.

[KSubzero1000]

Thanks for the info. At $10 AUD, it is a bit of a steal. I'll add Ninja Gaiden Black to my current pile o shame! It's a game I've been meaning to revisit, and that seems like a good reason too.

I'm very glad to hear that. I hope you'll stick with it (and maybe even try out some of the harder difficulties once you're done). And do come back to tell us about it afterwards!

[Joshihatsumitsu]

I look forward to having my ass kicked again in Ninja Gaiden!

Another boss fight that's crossed my mind (I'm at work and daydream a lot) is the first boss in Wonderboy 3: The Dragons Trap on the Sega Master System, Meka (or Mecha) Dragon.

Most of the kids in my year at primary school had Sega's (probably because my parents looked at the price and saw it was way cheaper than the NES, and I assume other parents thought the same thing), so there was a decent childhood gaming community. And I still remember this boss fight in this game, because a snippet of that was used in the advertising campaign on television, and it looked like the most amazing thing in the world! Sure, robots and dragons are cool, but a robot dragon? Sign me up please.

It's a very easy battle really, but it's an early memory of a very particular boss battle, and of how games were advertised at the time.

[Jobobonobo]

Here are a few from the top of my head that I remember fondly.

The running man from stage 3 from Rez. I love this boss so much, the pumping music as you chase down this man made from blocks and slowly whittle him down is a highlight from a game that is one big highlight for me.

Star Dream from Kirby Planet Robobot. Kirby games usually have sublime final bosses but this guy is the top of the pile for me. A genocidal computer that takes control of a large spaceship and you have to battle it in three phases in your own little ship, Star Fox style. Just a fun little boss with awesome music and its proper form in True Arena is a real challenge to take down as it has two additional phases.

The next boss battle is from the incredible Mother 3 so will be hidden under Spoilers for those who have not played this gem yet.

Spoiler: show

Claus, your brother. This is such a unique battle as you cannot attack your brother and merely have to survive his onslaught of attacks as he slowly overcomes his brainwashing (the spirit of their deceased mother is trying to get him to remember his previous identity) and realises he is attacking Lucas. He launches a lightning attack at Lucas which reflects off of Lucas' Franklin Badge and kills him. He does this so he can finally join their mother in the afterlife. This is easily the most tragic final boss battle I have ever played and I think it was a gutsy move to do something different from the evil alien force final bosses from the first two Mother games. It was a decision that paid off beautifully in my opinion and to this day this is one of my most memorable boss battles.

The last one that comes to mind for me is Yami from Okami. This powerful demon initially drains you of all your celestial powers and you are completely helpless against it. Then Issun finally comes to be of some use and his storytelling of Amaterasu and her benevolent deeds spreads across the land. The people of Ancient Japan start praying to you and this now gives you the power to start taking on Yami. The feeling of triumph and hope throughout this battle (aided by one of the best bits of music from the game, which is saying something for Okami) makes this one of the most uplifting experiences in the entire game.

Yeah, that is all I can think of for now.

[KSubzero1000]

The last one that comes to mind for me is Yami from Okami. This powerful demon initially drains you of all your celestial powers and you are completely helpless against it. Then Issun finally comes to be of some use and his storytelling of Amaterasu and her benevolent deeds spreads across the land. The people of Ancient Japan start praying to you and this now gives you the power to start taking on Yami. The feeling of triumph and hope throughout this battle (aided by one of the best bits of music from the game, which is saying something for Okami) makes this one of the most uplifting experiences in the entire game.

Fantastic choice!

[Todinho]

Yup,mechanically the fight is pretty easy but who cares,that scene gets me everytime that's very little that comes close to how uplifting it is.

[Tleprie]

I've got quite a few, all for different reasons:

Sonic Adventure 2

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The final boss of SA2, much like the rest of the game, was clunky and a bit odd, but boy do I love. The music along with Super Sonic and Shadow working together make this fight one of my favorite moments in video games.

Bloodborne

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Mechanically, Orphan of Kos is probably my favorite boss in any game. He reminds me of a lot of the hunter fights, such as Father G, in that he feels like fighting a mirror image, but taken up a few notches. He never feels unfair, and kept me on my toes throughout the entire fight.
Aesthetically Orphan was a success for me as well. Unlike Micolash, who was just annoying and talked a lot, Orphan was some chap that basically was just born. I doubt he was aware much of what was happening, and because of this I both pitied him and respected him as an opponent.

I'll also give a shout-out to the Gherman fight. The first time I attempted it felt incredibly cinematic and epic. I would've loved if you only got one shot at it per play-through of the game, and losing just kicked you to the 'easy' ending, though this would probably bring other issues.

Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

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There are quite a few fun bosses in Isaac, but few are as stressful and exciting to overcome than Mega Satan. This is especially true when trying to complete the game as The Lost. Mega Satan sends a gauntlet of his minions and bullets throughout the fight. The feeling of just scraping by with half a heart left is only eclipsed by later reaching him with an incredibly overpowered run, and killing him in just a minute using one hand, while the other gives him the finger.

Transistor

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This is one that I'm glad I did in one go. Again, as with some of Bloodborne, I love the idea of fighting a mirror of yourself, with similar abilities and rules to follow. I think he got me to my last 'life' and almost won, but I ended up the victor. The setting of this fight is really cool as well, a nice juxtaposition from the rest of the game.

Portal

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I don't have a whole lot to say about this one, but finally reaching Glados after all her puzzles and snide remarks was super satisfying. The fight itself wasn't terribly hard, but was certainly stressful with the threat of death by neurotoxin.

Jamestown

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A great challenge, especially with 3 or 4 players. The level leading up to it often cost us a continue. We'd occasionally get him to his final form, usually on our last continue, only to die in a freak laser accident.

Gears of War

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I think this fight is probably better in my memory than what it actually is. But I remember playing through the whole game over 2 nights with a friend. This choice is less about the gameplay, and more the memories associated with it.

Black Ops 3

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This one isn't too exciting mechanically, but I really like it because my friend and I found it without reading or hearing about it anywhere before. It's sort of tucked away in the map, and the process of getting to it isn't entirely easy. Seeing the spider emerge was a bit unnerving.

[Todinho]

So got myself thinking of some great boss fights again:

Ifrit(FFXV)-


Say what you want about FFXV but one thing it undoubtebly has is the ability to wow and this boss fight certainly does that, it's built up from the beginning of the game and it can only be described as epic, it has 3 phases total and it's acompanied by a 12 minute track that morphs and changes as the fight goes on, it's not the hardest of fights,especially if you get there overlevelled like I did, but it's incredibly memorable having, without spoiling, what I can only describe as an uncharted set piece quality to it that left me grinning ear to ear while I was fighting.

Letho of Gulet(Witcher 2)-


No way to talk about this one without spoiling it so:

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Letho is your antagonist throught Witcher 2, he's an unassuming brute that you wouldnt think was the mastermind of an elaborate political plot and yet he was, not only that but he taunts you the entire game as you try to find him, first to clear your name and later to save Trish, the first fight you have with him is one of those where you cant really defeat him, the fight ending after you take a certain amount of his health, but Letho doesnt pull any punches and given how weak you are at the start, and especially if you're playing the game for the first time, he's likely gonna destroy you many times.
During the whole game you're determined to fight him again and get revenge but once you reach him at the end you're not so sure anymore, Geralt has regained his memory and this man is now not only your enemy but was once a friend and though his actions are condemnable his motives arent, he wants to restore the Viper School of witchers. Like you Letho is a dying breed in a world that now shuns and has left witchers behind, despite that both of you were used by those with political agendas of their own and little regard by those caught in the middle. At the end, there are no plans to stop it's all over and no real reason remains for the both of you to fight anymore, other then you made a promise to bring him down.
Many people say that they could never bring themselfs to fight and kill him at the end of Witcher 2, for me it's the complete opposite, the showdown among ruins between two dying breeds with nothing left to fight for: no world to save,no plans to complete, no ideals to uphold. It's too good of a send off to pass up.

The Boss(MGS3)-


Just on the off chance this one is also only possible to explain fully by spoiling:

Spoiler: show

Has there ever been a more perfect battleground for a final showdown? I dont need to go through the whole story of the game, everyone knows why The Boss is so important, memorable and why the game could only end with this confrontation, the battle between mentor and student of mother and son.
The fight has not only great meaning within MGS3 but it became the catalyst for the entire series and it couldnt have been a better moment. It's also incredibly intimidating, throught the whole game you're humiliated by The Boss and in the end it boils down to a 1v1 fight with her in a small arena, mechanically it's surprisingly deep and the best part is that the both of you can basically only use the same techniques: you are able to use camuflage to your advantage but having to pay attention because she can also disappear in the flower field, you can use CQC and like most of the game she'll overpower you but if your reflexes are good enough you can finnally turn the tables on her and of course both of you can use guns but straight up gun fight isnt likely to end in your favor, even here the game still stresses it's Stealth core of not trying to take things head on.
The ending of course when you have to pull that trigger with Snake is nothing short of perfection, one of the most subtle and meaningfull moments not only in metal gear history but videogame history as far as Im concerned.

While The End is still my favorite boss in the series when it comes to mechanics and one of the best videogame bosses overall, I find that The Boss deserves a spot right next to him, not only because of the story weight but also because of how it brings together gameplay and story in one unforgetable confrontation.

[KSubzero1000]

I feel like I should mention two of the highlights of my recent Dark Souls 3 playthtrough.

Dark Souls 3 main game:

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Nameless King



Another great example of "tough but fair". This guy is absolutely relentless and hits like a truck, but he telegraphs his attacks just the right amount to remain beatable. The location you fight him in is really cool, much like the lore surrounding him. The first phase of him attacking you from atop his dragon friend is just the cherry on top of an already delicious cake.

The Ringed City:

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Darkeater Midir



This Dark-corrupted Archdragon immediately earned himself a spot on my Bossfight Hall of Fame. Spectacular, "challenging" and oddly beautiful. The animation indicating his second phase in which he summons the Dark from the very ground you stand on still gives me goosebumps. What an exquisite adrenaline rush from start to finish. I think I even prefer him to Kalameet, who is such on impressive boss in its own right.

Interesting that they're both entirely optional, though!