Your Favorite Boss Fights!

[Todinho]

So having just played Furi a game made entirely of boss fights it got me thinking of how much I love this age old gaming tradition,there was a time where I remember people outright saying that Boss fights were outdated concepts that should go away but I think that would be very unfortunate were it to happen they dont fit every game sure but a good boss fight serves as the culmination of your skills required to proceed and as punctuation in the narrative and some of my favorite boss fights perfectly exemplify that:

The End(MGS3)-This is probably the most slow paced fight I'ver did in any game and yet it's a perfect fit for a stealth game and especially the kinda stealth game that MGS3 is,the fight takes place in the middle of the game and I think serves almost as a vertical slice of the whole game,unlike many others you have to be stealthy here to succeed,use all the systems the game presented to you so far and the number of options you have to tackle this boss perfectly encapsulates MGS3's overall design,a masterpiece.

Ornstein&Smough(Dark Souls)-Another fight that's in the halfway point of a game,it's a difficulty spike for sure but a fitting one given it's place in the game,the two knights that perfectly complement each other guarding the cathedral is a great image add to that the music and the difficulty and you got one of the most memorable moments in the game,it's an important moment in the story this is the last test before you can claim to be the chosen undead and not another hollow like so many others and gameplaywise if you are able to defeat these 2 there's nothing in the game that can stop you.

Jubileos(Bayonetta)-While I enjoy the rival fights in character action games the most,where you are fighting your equal,my favorite boss in Bayonetta is Jubileos by a mile. Not only this is it the climax of the game where the story is coming to a head,where you have already learned all the skills and mastered weapons and techniques the sheer scale of Jubileos is something that I never quite seen before,usually giant bosses tend to be easier but Jubileos is hard without feeling cheap and while demanding you to use everything you learned up to that point.The fight is a spectacle in every sense of the word after all it's not every day you get to punch god into the sun!

Persona 3 final boss-Where most bosses have 1,2 or 3 phases the final boss in P3 has 13 phases,yep that's right 13 it's a gruealling marathon of a fight in which he changes properties at every phase forcing you to adapt to his new strenghts and weaknesses taking full advantage of the Personas great combat and arcana system add to that all the build up the story made and everything that's at stake and the best song in the whole game,this gives you the best conclusion to any JRPG I'ver played.

There's dozens more I could name but what are YOUR favorite boss fights and why!?

[KSubzero1000]

Great topic idea! Don't mind if I chime in.

I absolutely adore good boss fights, and feel like they are an integral part of (primarily japanese) action game design philosophy. A good boss fight serves to punctuate the experience and is a test of both the player's as well as the developer's skill. I'll try and focus on 3D action-oriented games for this list, as I feel like 2D platformers, bullet hell shooters and the like probably deserve their own lists, which I'll leave to the resident experts. The list is in no particular order, and I'll only use one example per franchise/subgenre to keep it concise. I'll spoiler tag my Bloodborne example, since CaR have yet to cover it and I wouldn't want to ruin anything for anyone. Everything else is fair game, I assume? In any case, read at your own discretion.


Doku - Ninja Gaiden Black



Far from the most spectacular boss fight, Doku is nevertheless one of the best example of "tough but fair" design. He'll make complete mincemeat out of you the first time you encounter him, but if you stick to it and learn his pattern, you'll be able to beat him without taking any damage. I really like his armor design as well. In any case, this guy does not get enough love.

Honorable mentions: Murai, Bone Dragon, Awakened Alma, Marbus, Doppleganger Fiends, Genshin, Zedonius.


Masked Lumen - Bayonetta 2



The best of the rivalry bosses that PlatinumGames are so great at creating. Stylish, dangerous and tenacious, he grows steadily stronger over the course of the game, always making you feel like he's just one step ahead of you. Conflict escalation done right. A complete and utter pleasure to fight.

Honorable mentions: Vergil, Jeanne, most of the giant angels in Bayonetta 2, Alraune, Rodin The Infinite One.


Hades - God of War 3



While most of the GoW bosses primarily shine through their over-the-top presentation, Hades is probably the most mechanically solid of them all. Relentless and intimidating, his patterns and phases are surprisingly deep and varied. Doesn't need to hide from his japanese-developed counterparts, as far as I'm concerned.

Honorable mentions: Hydra, Colossus of Rhodes, Barbarian King, Euryale, Sisters of Fate, Zeus (GoW2), Poseidon, Hermes, Hercules, Scylla, Erinys, Castor and Pollux.


Bloodborne:

Spoiler: show

Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower



Another great pattern-based action boss, this one excels at both mechanics and presentation, edging out the incredible competition. The Souls series is definitely the most remarkable one in recent memory when it comes to boss fights.

Honorable mentions: Tower Knight, False King Allant, Garl Vinland & Maiden Astraea, Iron Golem, Ornstein & Smough, Sif, Artorias, Manus, Kalameet, Nito, Four Kings, Gwyn, The Pursuer, Looking Glass Knight, Darklurker, Sinh the Slumbering Dragon, Fume Knight, Sir Alonne, Burnt Ivory King, Father Gascoigne, Vicar Amelia, Martyr Logarius, Darkbeast Paarl, Ebrietas, Micolash, Gehrman, Ludwig, Orphan of Kos. Whew.

Mister Freeze - Batman: Arkham City



Now this one just came out of nowhere. In a series which is known for bland and repetitive boss fights, suddenly this guy shows up and delivers a fantastic experience. The decision to have the player use stealth instead of relying on the combat system was the right one. The best part is how he progressively learns from his mistakes as the fight progresses, meaning that you can't use any strategy more than once. Clever and fun.

Honorable mentions: Yeah, right.


Quadraxis - Metroid prime 2: Echoes



A superb combination of gigantic puzzle set piece and traditional boss fight, Quadraxis requires you to utilise almost every move in your arsenal at different moments in order to beat him. A lengthy, tough, but incredibly rewarding experience.

Honorable mentions: Meta Ridley, Dark Samus (MP2), Boost Guardian, Chykka, Rundas, Ghor, Helios, Gandrayda, Omega Ridley.


The End - Metal Gear Solid 3



I can only echo your sentiment. Similarly to Quadraxis (yet very different in look and feel), the fight against the ancient sniper makes perfect use of all of the game's mechanics. The ingenuity and attention to detail are second-to-none. Tense and with a great sense of identity and authorial intent, this is the video game sniper fight to end all video game sniper fights.

Honorable mentions: Revolver Ocelot, Cyborg Ninja, Psycho Mantis, Metal Gear REX, Fatman, Metal Gear RAYs, The Fear, The Sorrow, Shagohod, The Boss, Laughing Octopus, Crying Wolf, REX vs. RAY, Liquid Ocelot.


Krauser - Resident Evil 4

(Couldn't find a decent pic, but here are two sexy gifs for the price of one!)


Further advancing the notion that human-sized enemies often make for the most interesting boss fights, this deranged commando proves himself to be one of the very best in a game full of great bosses of all shapes and sizes. After his spectacular cutscene introduction, the player must navigate throughout his brilliantly designed sand fortress before finally reaching him at the top. He lurks behind every corner and attacks Leon with a great variety of weapons. But what makes this fight truly remarkable is Krauser's hyper-sensitivity to knife attacks. And so in order to cause the maximum amount of damage, the player must get up close and personal (where Krauser is himself at his most dangerous), thus creating a fantastic risk vs. reward dynamic.

Honorable mentions: Mendez, El Garrador, Verdugo, Salazar, U3.


Bonus pic #1:

Shadow of the Colossus - Ensemble cast

Bonus pic #2:

THIS GUY

[ratsoalbion]

Bob Barbas.

Scrabrously satirical, imaginative, visually brilliant, scary and funny: http://m.uk.ign.com/wikis/dmc-devil-may-cry/Bob_Barbas

[gallo_pinto]

I really enjoy boss fights when they fit the spirit of the game, but there are games that I think benefit from not having bosses in the traditional sense. I wouldn't want them to go away entirely, but I've enjoyed the relatively recent trend of games feeling that they are not mandatory. All that being said, these are my top three.

3. Sif (Dark Souls)



Terrifying when you first face him, heartbreaking when you end up beating him. Great idea for a boss.

2. Ganon (The Wind Waker)





Getting this in just in time for the upcoming podcast. I think the Ganon fight in Wind Waker is the best boss fight in the Zelda series. Wind Waker has an awesome combat system and the final fight with Ganon takes full advantage. The narrative stakes at this point are high and the final moments of the encounter are brutal!

3. 5th Colossus/Avion (Shadow of the Colossus)



This is still my most thrilling moment in video games. The bird dives at you and you realize that you have to leap on it, grab hold and ride it through the air, stabbing it all the way. It was mind-blowing the first time I played it. Amazing boss fight.

[Combine Hunter]

I like this thread. I'll post my picks when I'm back home

[Sean]

A couple of mine have already been mentioned (Bob Barbas, The End, Sif), so, I'll just throw in the first few that come to mind:

Artorias from Dark Souls. I'll let Josh take that one, as he's much more elegant than I am at describing what's so great about this battle, but, the lore and difficulty of the fight put it on my top bosses list.

Lumen Sage from Bayonetta 2. I still haven't gone back and finished this game only because I refuse to believe it can get any better than that. My jaw was left on the floor after defeating him.

Revolver Ocelot fight from MGS4. The way the music from the entire series is integrated with such an epic fist fight is just a perfect way to end the story between Revolver and Snake.

[KSubzero1000]

Lumen Sage from Bayonetta 2. I still haven't gone back and finished this game only because I refuse to believe it can get any better than that. My jaw was left on the floor after defeating him.

[Todinho]

The fact I cant play Bayonetta 2 eats me up inside,I swear one of these days I'll just boot up a WiiU emulator and give that go.

[Mononoke]

Great topic! I've chosen a few too.


My go to favourite 'boss' in any game so far has to be Phalanx, the 13th Colossus for its majestic and awe-inspiring size and shape, it's beautifully rendered desert home and the fact you have to leap from Aggro onto its 'fins' in a most epic fashion only adds to its appeal.

No favourite boss list would be complete without some Dark Souls editions. The first is a Dark Souls III boss so thought the spoiler warning was appropriate.

Spoiler: show

Champion Gundyr, my favourite boss in Dark Souls 3 for the 'dance-like' moves required to take him down. He's less annoying than other similarly agile bosses yet still formidable.

My Dark Souls pick, the Four Kings, largely because of how unusual (at the time) their void arena was and because of how terrifying and inhuman their designs are.

Sticking with the fantasy theme, I present 'Grigori The Dragon' from Dragon's Dogma. A suitably epic final encounter with probably the largest dragon foe I've ever faced in a climatic conclusion to a pretty surprisingly good (gameplay wise) game.



These guys are from my fond childhood memories so I gotta include them.



Last but not least, one of the most memorable bosses in recent memory...



It's hard to forget that one!

[Combine Hunter]

Artorias (Dark Souls)



Artorias is everything that is great about Dark Souls in one encounter. The build up to the fight and the lore surrounding the character inject this moment with tragedy, that haunts you long after the fight. The art direction and animation of Artorias expresses so much about the character without saying a word. Finally, the fight its self one of the most challenging points in the game, but is an absolute pleasure to master. The way Artorias fights makes him "feel" intelligent and reactive, even though I know it's just a very successful illusion. Only Lady Maria comes close to this level of brilliance in the Soulsborne series.

Other bosses I love:

All of the Colossi (Shadow of the Colossus)
Colossus of Rhodes (God of War 2)
Lady Maria (Bloodborne)
Lumen Sage (Bayonetta 2)
The End (Metal Gear Solid 3)
Right Hand Man (Resident Evil 4)
Vergil (Devil May Cry 3 and DMC)

[Flabyo]

I find them a lot more fun to code than I do to play, for the most part.

i really liked the ones in Splatoon. They fit the general theme of the single player mode, which is to teach you all the traversal mechanics and weapon differences so that you have a leg up in the main meat of the multiplayer game. The final boss is one of the best I've played against in a long time. It fits a style that some call the "Final Boss Exam", where the boss is there to test everything you've learned in the game.

I'm really not a fan of the boss rush. I didn't mention that in my wind waker notes because I couldn't remember if it was that one or twilight princess that did it. It's the ultimate in lazy game design.

I like bosses where there's a clever strategy that wins it quickly. As poor as the ones in Deus Ex Human Revoluotion were, the fact you could punch the last guy out in one hit was pretty funny.

[Sellardohr]

This is a great topic!

For the longest time I couldn't think "boss" without thinking of Kefka from Final Fantasy VI. What I really liked about the end encounter was the tension in the way he was presented there, with all that angelic and twisted imagery, and the way he came to you way back in the beginning of the game, as an annoying buffoon. All the way down to the art, where your first fights with Kefka are against his in-world sprite, and your last is this nuts piece of art.

In his final incarnation he inspired awe, the exact same guy who inspired contempt and laughter at the beginning of the game.

The boss fight really told that story, as well as tying up the stories of the game's cast in that EVERYONE had to participate, breaking the pattern of every other encounter in the game.

[Todinho]

So having finnished New Vegas again It reinforced how much I like the character of Ulysses,if the game has any antagonist that's him and to me the real climax of the game lies with your confrontation with him at the end of Lonesome Road,everything from the buildup to the setting,the dialogue and the stakes gives this fight a gravitas that no other moment in the series has,let me explain:

Spoiler: show

The fight takes place atop two corpses,one the corpse of a home destroyed by ignorance the other the corpse of America destroyed by it's own pride,there stand two couriers one of the West the other of the East,one ignorant of his own history the other obsessed by it.Once again the fate of two nations and their small world hang in the brink of destruction by the nuclear fire that forged them to begin with.This is what Ulysses had been carefully planning all along, a way to wipe the slate clean of those doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past and one final confrontation with the Courier that both took and taught so much to him whether he meant it or not,even if Courier 6 is capable of persuading his nemesis of a better path,one that doesnt require blood,the countdown is already set and the facility shakes,meanwhile Ulysses final contingence arrives,a last plan in case he failed to stop the Courier, an army of the dead warriors taken by the Divide come down upon them and the two Couriers must unite as the temple crumbles around them to keep themselfs and the history they carry alive.

Got a bit melodramatic there but this encounter works on every angle,such a great climax and a perfect embodiment of everything New Vegas and the Fallout series is about beneath all it's wacky humor and retro futiristic aesthetic.

[Joshihatsumitsu]

My spoiler-free favourite boss (that I can think of on the spot) would be The Sorrow from Metal Gear Solid 3. The Metal Gear series is well known for its boss battles, and I hate to only pick one, but in the spirit of the thread I won't sit on the fence.

I first played through MGS 3: Subsistence (a 3 disc PS2 copy which I was happy to pay too much money for on eBay) a few years ago at least, and that particular boss battle was an interesting one, and not just in how it played out but also in the way it made me reflect on the decisions I made through the game up to that point, and how I felt about those decisions.

That's my non-sitting on the fence answer.

Side note: all this Bayonetta 2 talk resulted in me purchasing a copy... I hope you're all happy now! I am, or I will be once it arrives...

[KSubzero1000]

Side note: all this Bayonetta 2 talk resulted in me purchasing a copy... I hope you're all happy now! I am, or I will be once it arrives...

Second best character action game out there. Enjoy!

[Alex79]

Another vote for The End here, but also the flying thing from Shadow of the Colossus, which has you jumping on as it flys over the water. Most from that game really, aside from the stupid last one and the bull one in the cave with the fire torches.

[Stanshall]

Side note: all this Bayonetta 2 talk resulted in me purchasing a copy... I hope you're all happy now! I am, or I will be once it arrives...

Second best character action game out there. Enjoy!

After Bayonetta 1?

[eastmcduck]

One of my favorite boss battles continues to be Psycho Mantis from the first Metal Gear Solid. I'll never forget how much of a mind-f*ck he was the first time I faced him. He's far from the hardest boss I've faced, but definitely the most memorable. Most of my favorite boss battles come from the MGS series, but this one takes the cake. I miss the days of the original Playstation. I feel like devs had to be more creative to make up for system limitations, and the Psycho Mantis battle is a perfect example of that. I got legitimately stuck for a while on him. The internet wasn't nearly as useful for looking up solutions in 1998 either. We also didn't have texting yet. I had to walk to a friend's house to find out how to beat him. Oh, how I miss the 80's and 90's.

[KSubzero1000]

After Bayonetta 1?

Funny you should ask! But actually, no. After this bad boy:

I'm of the opinion that DMC3, Bayonetta & Bayonetta 2 are all natural evolutions of the initial concept first introduced with the original Devil May Cry. They follow the same basic design philosophy, which is that of offense-based, spectacular action with limited defensive capabilities and a clear focus on cool and flashy combos. The Hideki Kamiya brand, so to speak. And I consider Bayonetta 2 to be the best of that bunch, hands down. I respect the first Bayonetta a lot, but I think it is brought down by some very questionable design decisions and grating cutscenes. Bayonetta 2, on the other hand, fixes pretty much everything that needs fixing and is an absolute delight from start to finish.

Ninja Gaiden Black is a different beast entirely. It didn't create a new genre, it was released late in the life cycle of a console with a comparatively small user base, it received a gimped port on PS3 which changed a lot of things for the worse, its direct sequel is a broken mess of wasted potential, and the third entry is a complete abomination which probably killed the franchise off for good. So it really should not come as a surprise that this game is hardly on anyone's mind nowadays when compared to DMC or GoW or Bayonetta. But what I love about it is that it follows its own design philosophy. The game is not based around combos at all. You're not supposed to feel cool or omnipotent while playing it. No, the main theme in Ninja Gaiden is efficiency. The game is fairly difficult, has minor control quirks and takes a while to get used to. The enemies are smart, relentless and hardly leave you any room to breathe. Every encounter can be your last if you don't pay close attention, which puts you on the defensive and trains you to recognize and exploit every window of opportunity that presents itself. You instinctively learn the mechanics and the ins and outs of every weapon not by looking at a combo list, but by actually using them. The boss fights have no QTEs and are not particularly spectacular, but they provide an incredible feeling of satisfaction upon beating them. And once it finally clicks and you start getting into the metagame of trying to survive while being as fast, fluid and deadly as possible, that's when the game transforms into a work of art. In many ways, I consider it to be more of a precursor of sorts to Dark Souls rather than a DMC wannabe.

Another thing I really like about this game is how the different difficulty levels differ from one another. It doesn't just take the easy way out and bumps the damage modifiers up a few notches like most other games out there. Instead, the majority of the enemy encounters are completely revamped, as well as different weapon and item placements, which forces you to adapt your tactics significantly. You'll even face some brand new bosses! On a personal note: I've owned this game since 2007, and I've only finished every last bit of content on the highest difficulty earlier this year. That's longevity for you.

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.

Spoiler: show

Now, enough Tecmo shilling for one day. Time to get my paycheck.

[Joshihatsumitsu]

Side note: all this Bayonetta 2 talk resulted in me purchasing a copy... I hope you're all happy now! I am, or I will be once it arrives...

Second best character action game out there. Enjoy!

After Bayonetta 1?

Oh, Bayonetta the first (as it shall now be known in my house) sits proudly in my gaming shelf, a nice juxtaposition to all the other 360-blokey-first-person shooters in my Xbox library.

One of my favorite boss battles continues to be Psycho Mantis from the first Metal Gear Solid. I'll never forget how much of a mind-f*ck he was the first time I faced him. He's far from the hardest boss I've faced, but definitely the most memorable. Most of my favorite boss battles come from the MGS series, but this one takes the cake. I miss the days of the original Playstation. I feel like devs had to be more creative to make up for system limitations, and the Psycho Mantis battle is a perfect example of that. I got legitimately stuck for a while on him. The internet wasn't nearly as useful for looking up solutions in 1998 either. We also didn't have texting yet. I had to walk to a friend's house to find out how to beat him. Oh, how I miss the 80's and 90's.

While I don't quite miss the 80's and 90's as much, that boss battle is, even to this day, very much one of a kind. And with wireless controllers nowadays it is a slightly different experience, and it's a nice little time capsule of the hardware at the time as well.