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So what makes a good, bad boss? Why are they so important to the
structure of an action or adventure driven title? In my opinion I see
bosses as the pinnacle of challenge in a specific point of the game and
by confronting the player with this skill proving, strategic and action
driven sequence a formidable test is delivered. Ultimately, if the
player can overcome and conquer these tests then an accomplished sense
of relief, satisfaction and most importantly confidence can be
instilled. This process is vital for the drive of the game as it helps
keep the players interest and emotions invested. With every boss that
is defeated a small step is taken towards reaching the final goal and
eventually, the last boss.
Without further delay, I present to you my ten personal favorite boss fights throughout the years...
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10. Contra III: The Alien Wars, Alien Airship
"Let's attack aggressively"
I
can sum Konami's Contra series up with two words, MERCILESS ACTION!
Contra III, originally released for the Super Nintendo in 1992 - is no
exception.
This battle begins as your rude dude takes to the sky by grappling onto the massive missile located underneath your ascending helicopter,
seems reasonable enough. Look out! A rocket pack wielding samurai alien
attacks! Take him out and soon after the missile is fired (with you
still attached, of course) and you begin your assault on the Alien
Airship. So here you are, suspended in mid-air by jumping from one
missile to another while simultaneously dancing with the devil and
trying to destroy the two shield generators on the airship which are
respectively located at the top and bottom of the flying fortress, the
same shield that your rockets are continuously exploding upon forcing
you to constantly be moving. Not to mention that you're also dodging
the airships own projectiles.
After finally destroying the
shield generators the exposed core of the airship can be taken out and
this boss is cooked. All these factors jumbled together make for a very
intense and awesome missile surfing boss fight, just don't say I didn't
warn you.
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9. Mega Man II, Dragon
Don't ask how he stays afloat with those itty-bitty wings
... It's not our place to question the future.
Capcom
released Mega Man II in 1989 and as it turns out was an excellent
predecessor to the first game. MMII is considered by many to be one of
the best, if not the best in the series - it still stands as my
personal favorite. MMII introduced many features that would become
standard for all of the sequels, including the classic set of eight
robot masters, the ever helpful 'Energy Crystals' (E-Tanks), a password
feature and assist items.
Amongst a fantastic assortment of
bosses is the Dragon who appears on the first stage of Dr. Wily's
fortress. While it may not be the hardest boss in the game it creates
an excellent sense of tension for the player by suddenly rising from
the depths with a robotic roar and chasing Mega Man as he attempts to
hop across several small platforms, one small slip and it'll cost you a
life. After a few moments of this frantic scrolling race the screen
comes to a halt and Mega Man has only three small platforms to face of
against the robo-menace as he spews out fireballs, this also makes for
a lip-biting battle. Fortunately for us, the Dragon is rather weak and
with a few well placed buster shots and some careful jumping this boss
is scrapped.
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8. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Granfalloon
When orgies attack!
Konami just seems to be good, no wait, make that exceptional
at creating engaging and exciting boss fights time and time again.
Maybe it's a coincidence or perhaps they have game designers that
deeply emphasis boss battles... Either way, they've made this list
multiple times and rightly so.
SOTN was unleashed in 1997 and
instantly became a huge success due to the addition of some amazing
elements never before seen in a platformer, breathing new life into an
old genre. Everyone of the dozens of bosses possess equally as much
style and conceptual creativity as the rest of the game but amongst the
long list of baddies one stands out by invoking a sense of bizarre
awesomeness more than any other, Granfalloon. A massive, pulsating
floating sphere made up of... Get this... Hundreds of sickly, pale
human bodies, which are constantly being 'shed' off, falling to the
ground in droves to slowly attempt an attack. As the player strikes the
beast, eventually large chunks of bodies will begin to collapse, the
unfortunate souls scream as they fall to their doom. With each section
removed from Granfalloon, large flailing
pink tentacles can begin to be seen and if caught off guard the player
can be zapped by a large beam shot from these strange appendages. Once
the middle section is removed the core of the Granfalloon is exposed,
revealing a demonic fleshy organ... This is where you strike and soon
enough the monster will perish into a blaze of hellfire, back to the depths from whence it came.
This
fantastically obscene idea alone should be given some kind of medal.
The Granfalloon is by far the most horrifically wicked of all bosses
I've ever encountered.
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7. Resident Evil 2, Sewer Crocodile
"Come give momma a kiss"
Resident
Evil 2 was released upon the public by Capcom in 1997 and consisted of
everything from the original plus so much more. More monsters, more
weapons, more gore and violence... and best of all, more terror! Some
of the scariest, adrenaline pumping, nail biting moments
of the game were completely factored around boss battle's. These
instances are a perfect example of Resident Evil's ability to throw the
player into a desperate life or death situation.
After exploring
the surface of the zombie infested Raccoon City your chosen character
will eventually make their way down into the sewers. After searching
the creepy, ambient tunnels you'll find a large trash compactor filled
with nasty water, it's quiet though... too quiet. In a matter of
seconds a huge set of teeth come thrashing out from the cesspool as
your character is knocked backwards and stunned. A roaring, monstrous
crocodile slithers around the corner looking at you like lunch. Seeing
as how the beast blocks one end of the tunnel the player must retreat
back the way they came, running for dear life and maybe (if brave
enough) flipping around to face the beast with short bursts of small
arms fire... it does little to hurt the giant.
The walls of the
cramped corridors shake and dust falls from the ceiling as the monster
approaches. Then a small red light is spotted, it's a large gas filled
canister attached to the wall. A quick press of the action button and
the canister falls to the ground with a clank... Starting to get the
idea? Backing up into a corner the only thing to do now is sit back and
wait for your shot... The crocodile lunges towards the canister and
scoops it up into its massive jaws... You raise your gun, wait until
it's just a few feet away and then you fire... BOOM!
A loud explosion goes off as the top half of the crocodiles jaw blows
off taking most of the head with it. The lower gaping jaw rests on the
concrete floor, tongue still intact, bloody. He ain't getting up again...
Out of all my favorite RE bosses the confrontation with the giant sewer crocodile has the most explosive results! Eh? Eh!?
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6. Half-Life 2, Strider Battle
The only thing the striders are really missing
are those old Playskool plastic roller skates!
While
some may argue that a strider is not technically a boss character,
personally I believe they more than qualify for the position. Seeing as
how they match several of the criteria for creating a boss fight
scenario, such as: appearing only in pivotal sections of the game,
being able to take a massive amount of damage before being destroyed,
each come standard equipped with a wicked death-ray and the fact that
they stand four stories tall, resembling the alien tripods from War of the Worlds.
Valve did a fantastic job of instilling a sense of vulnerability when
confronting the striders because of this intimidating presence.
The
only chance Gordon Freeman has at destroying one of these towering
monsters is to place several laser guided missiles into the beasts
carapace, while simultaneously avoiding the deadly accurate bursts of
fire from the strider. To make matters even more hectic there are many
instances when striders attack in groups, keeping the player on the
edge of their seat, completely in-tuned to the frantic action. Finally,
at long last, the beast will collapse with a deep bellow and crash to
the ground. It's as satisfying as slaying a dragon... I'm assuming.
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5. Super Metroid, Crocomire
What's wrong Croco? Don't like molten lava?!
Falling
into a dire situation was never so much fun! After descending through a
horizontally placed 'floor-door' Samus is confronted with quite the
dilemma, to the left she has a wall of impenetrable spikes and to her
right she has the crankiest, ugliest, meltiest boss this side of Zebes,
Crocomire! A huge Norfair dwelling creature with a very nasty temper
and a flare for the hotter things in life. The battle begins as Samus
begins to pummel Crocomire with missiles and charged beam shots, with
each hit the gaping maw of the monster is revealed and once a
projectile makes its way into its mouth it stumbles backwards.
Crocomire volleys back with slashes from its giant claws and by spewing
plasma loogie's, if the player is unable to land a critical strike
inside Croc's mouth the creature will begin to march forward, forcing
Samus to retreat. The battle plays out like a glorified tug-of-war
until Samus forces the monster further and further back. Soon a thin
looking bridge can be seen behind Crocomire, and underneath bubbles a
lake of fiery lava. Each strike and the beast steps closer towards the
bridge until finally one last well placed hit puts Crocomire directly
over the weakened structure... Within moments the bridge collapses and
the beast plummets into the pool of molten rock, screaming and
desperately trying save itself but escape is not an option. Samus
stands over the boiling enemy as it raises out of the lava only to
collapse once more, soon the very flesh begins to melt away from the
bone and finally, with one last scream of agony the monster sinks below
the depths as a massive skeleton.
The music settles into an
ominous tune and all is quiet in Norfair. Samus makes her way back to
the spike wall when suddenly the screen begins to violently shake, the
boss music kicks in and the wall shatters into pieces! Towering above
Samus is the massive skeleton of Crocomire! How much abuse can this guy
take!? And as soon as the unrelenting boss appears, Crocomire's frame
finally gives way and collapses into a pile of giant bones. Finally the
beast is dead and if it was anything like my first experience with this guy, the player will just want to do it all over again.
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4. God of War, The Hydra
Ahhh! I lost my contact!!
Nothing starts of an action packed blood bath like the slaughtering of a giant, mythological Greek monster! I cannot think of anyone
who is more appropriate to go head to brutal smashing head with these
creatures of lore more than Kratos... When the merciless Spartan
warrior is in the heat of battle it's hard to tell who the real monster
is.
Right from the get-go God of War throws the player into the
fire, well technically speaking it's the ocean... Kratos begins his
masterpiece of a journey by making his way through the hull and deck of
an ancient ship which sits upon a torrential storming ocean. Along with
the sea-sickness all kinds of fowl demons swarm the boat wreaking
havoc. Surprisingly this chaotic frenzy makes for an excellent tutorial
level because of the superb design that went into leading the player
into the world of God of War. I believe that by studying this
beautifully expansive but strictly linear gameplay blueprint of GoW,
future and present designers could pick up on a few tips.
Kratos
murders and disembowels his way through the level only to be
temporarily side-tracked by a massive hydra, which smashes through the
hull of the boat to attack. After beating back the sea-monster several
times over throughout the level the main Hydra shows itself, towering
higher than the ships own mast.
Along with the giant momma hydra
there are also two, 'regular' sized hydra head stalks that appear on
either side of the big'n. First things first, the two little guys need
to be taken out to make way for the real deal. As Kratos slices and
electrocutes the snappy hydra heads eventually one will collapse into a
pile of nearby crates, Kratos must then jump and climb the stacked
boxes to reach a platform with a big, sharp anchor hanging directly
over the stunned monster. If not reached in time the hydra will regain
its strength and the process will have to be repeated but if Kratos
reaches the platform before this, the anchor drops with a thud impaling
the hydra and pinning its neck to the ships deck. The trapped monster
screams and squirms in pain. This same pattern is then repeated on the
other smaller hydra until both are fully disabled.
Kratos can
now make his way to the main hydra by climbing a rope net to the top of
the ships mast. The colossal monster greets our anti-hero with a
piercing roar and begins its attack by striking with its tooth filled
mouth and bellowing in attempt to knock Kratos off the platform. If
these attacks are not dodged or blocked in a timely fashion a chunk of
life will be depleted.
After enough of a beating the beast will
be stunned just like its friends and when this event occurs a specific
button sequence must be followed to further the battle. These
interactive cut-scenes make for some really
fun eye candy. Kratos swings and attacks the hydra like a graceful
trapeze artist... Killing a hydra. After each of these events the
monsters head is smashed into the mast post weakening the beam until
eventually it snaps like a pool-cue, exposing a razor sharp impaling
device. Hooray! Only one more button sequence needs to be performed to
put the monster out of commission. The monster sits stunned for the
final time, Kratos leaps into the air and pulls the beasts head down
towards the wooden spike. The Hydra fights back but after mashing the
circle button like a crazy person the monster gives out as his head is
forced into the shattered mast. With brutality you could only come to
expect from GoW the beast is pierced from the inside of its mouth,
through its head and out its left eye socket, trapped and screaming
bloody murder the whole time as its forced down the mast, until finally
all life is expelled from the sea terror... Just another day for Kratos.
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3. Shadow of the Colossus, Avion
The bigger they are...
I'm
not even really sure where to begin with Shadow of the Colossus...
Simply put, this title heightens video games to another level of
artistic respects by producing an amazingly unique and beautiful
experience, unlike any other I've ever played. It feels more like a
journey than a game. An epic adventure in a vast, desolate, lonely but
absolutely gorgeous world. I suppose that if you've already played this
game I don't need to explain the premise much, it speaks for itself.
The
fifth colossus is Avion, the massive flying creature made of stone and
earth who dwells in the skies above a large, pristine lake. Sprinkled
about the body of water are fragments of ancient structures, including
large perches for the bird-like titan to rest on. Avion's introductory
cut-scene shows its massive size as compared to Wander, the pale, young
protagonist. The colossus soars through the sky overhead with
magnificent grace, its wings collapse the air as it steadily comes to
land upon a large stone spire tower... There the beast will watch and
wait.
Wander starts atop a tower that peers over the blue lake,
Avion can be seen in the distance settled, seemingly content. Wander
will have to destroy the colossus to proceed further in his quest to
resurrect Mono, the sacrificed and apparently accursed young woman
behind our hero's motives. After jumping several stories from the
starting tower, Wander splashes into the waters below and begins
swimming towards a column of platforms that rise inches from the lakes
surface. Climbing out of the water, Avion can now clearly be seen, no
obstructions stand between the two combatants. Raising his bow, Wander
takes aim at the still beast, carefully predicting the trajectory of
his arrow, making sure not to under or over compensate and then
releases... The arrow soars through the air shrinking quickly into the
distance until it seems to disappear and suddenly the titan shrieks and
stirs, the arrow has struck its target. With one massive wing stroke
Avion lifts from its perch and proceeds to literally, dive bomb towards
Wander. Within seconds the speeding mountain is about to crush our hero
with its stretched out wings and at this critical moment wander quickly
springs up jumping directly into the titans furred body, grasping
tightly as it begins to soar into the sky.
Now the real battle
truly begins. Wander clings to Avion's thick fur and cautiously begins
to navigate over the soaring monster. With each step the beast is
constantly moving, flailing its wings to stay airborne and bending its
body vertically, all while Wander clinches on and begins the search for
the colossus's three weak points. The first is located on the very end
of Avion's landing strip sized tail, the second and third sweet spots
rest on the tips of the wings.
Falling off the monster is not
uncommon and after enough perseverance and 'grip power' Wander will
land the final blow on Avion. The creatures massive body collapses,
hitting the water like a glacier crashing into the sea. This colossus
has been slain but this exhilarating gaming experience is as alive as
ever.
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2. Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear REX
"Number 5 is alive!"
Metal
Gear Solid was the first game I played that really effectively
introduced a cinematic backbone to the playing experience. Just like
any good movie, MGS relied heavily on plot movement, character
development and the emotional connection created between the viewer
(player, in our case) and the experience. Not only was this new form of
'cinematic-based' gaming introduced but also included were a variety of
new gameplay mechanics that had never been fully explored. Calling on a
strong emphasis for situational discreetness, stealth and cautious
actions helped create a scenario that forced the player to keep their
cool and watch every corner for signs of danger. Warning: Not following
these MGS codes of conduct may result in a squad of terrorist soldiers
that search tirelessly for Snake and yes, they even look under boxes.
The boss fights in MGS r evolve around the same cinematic principles
as the rest of the game and by doing so, each boss character is
introduced to the player as a person with a history and their own
personal motivation. Associating the members of Fox Hound with unique
personalities creates a strong emotional sense between the game and the
player, invoking deep connections all the way from vengeance to
sympathy. A great achievement in video game history was reached the
first time we, as the player, actually felt bad for a character that
had just been killed by our hands. Even today this emotional
association is not easily reached in games.
The boss fight
between Solid Snake and Metal Gear REX ranks as one of the greatest (in
my humble opinion) because it indulges in all the climactic glory that
the Metal Gear series is known for delivering. To go into the glorified
details of this battle's story would take a bit too long for a top ten
list so lets just cut the chase...
A giant, death wielding
bipedal robot capable of launching nuclear weapons from any location on
Earth is now in the hands of Liquid Snake, one the most sinister rogue
agents alive. The only thing standing between him and the end of the
known world is one man, Solid Snake. Snake was literally, born to fight
and as one of the worlds greatest 'tactical espionage' soldiers now
only he can stop the mechanical monstrosity and save the world. One
man, one robotic terrorist and only one victor... Que dramatic music.
The
reason why this battle is so magnificently epic is because it truly is
the culminating event that the player has invested everything into.
It's almost as if the fight is earned, as Solid Snake and the player
sneak and fight their way through Shadow Moses Island for the entire
adventure, from start to finish. The fight with Metal Gear REX delivers
the amazing climactic finale that the experience and journey
undoubtedly deserve by maintaining the authentic and powerful cinematic
and emotional immersion consistently throughout the entire game leading
all the way up to the showdown against REX.
When it comes down
to it, this title has to be played and absorbed to fully understand why
the cinematic values are so crucially important to the cellular make-up
of MGS... As well as what the potential for an interactive experience
can amount to when executed efficiently.
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1. Mother Brain, Super Metroid
Since
I've started this site I've come to realize just how much Super Metroid
has influenced me throughout the years. I've picked up considerable
aspects of creature design, creative processes and linear problem
solving thanks to this one, lone title. It's as if my young brain had
soaked up as much as possible from Super Metroid, teaching me lessons
that no institution ever could and the results are apparent every day
in my creative life. Along with being first on this list,
Super Metroid was also the first game I chose to profile and review...
The obsession factor is obvious and with due cause.
If you've
already played through Super Metroid than maybe you understand why this
one is at the top of my list, in fact it's at the top of many of my
lists. Aside from being my favorite game of all time it has also become
one of my greatest influences and it seems to act as almost an
embodiment of my childhood... A link to the past if you will. All the
reasons why I love games and why I've chosen to dedicate myself to this
art form is because of the qualities this title has carried and taught
me throughout the years.
As for myself, this is why games are
not only a means of entertainment but also an equally important factor
to our very nature. The human condition relies on the pleasures and the
experiences we receive from having fun... Whether it be in the form of
literature, film, music or Super Nintendo, the need for escapism by
entertainment is as crucial a necessity for mankind as the very oxygen
we breath.
Super Metroid is the tangible reason why I continue
to explore my own creative dreams. A crystal clear reminder that our
potential is as limitless as our imagination... And I owe it all to
Mother Brain.
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One of the more memorable boss fights that I've experienced, takes place in RE4, with Del Lago("of the lake" or something to that effect). I've been playing games since Space Invaders, and not much can compare to the exitement or anxiety of being out in the middle of a lake in a scrawny little boat, not knowing when that disgusting, fishy, monstrosity may come up to the surface to take you...
Glenn, I totally agree with you! When I first encountered the Del Lago I was blown away... It was an epic new way to pit the player against a titanic mutated salamander(?). I also can't forget the El Gigante, every time you fought against those guys it was such a rush! Resident Evil 4 still stands as one of the greatest games I've played.
But nothing beats fighting the Cobra Commander on GIJoe (for NES... not this new one, that probably will be crap near the NES one...), the fight is not exactly against a character, but against the stage itself, the commander sits on a chair near the left side of the screen, that chair keeps going up and down, thus obviously you need to jump to hit him, but that would be too easy, so he can throw grenades at you... But this is still easy! So the ground filled with chasms keep rolling toward the boss, if you stop you get trampled, if you misjump you fall down on the chasms, and to make thigns a bit more fun, there are a object on the right side of the screen that shoot projectiles at you, that when hitting you transform you into a small animal, making jumping the chasms harder, and making impossible for you to actually damage the boss for some seconds, extending this dangerous fight...
To name one I guess I'd mention the Cyclops in Titan Quest. Before him you met some "bigger" monster but nothing ten time your size and strength! You face it with an band of other warriors only to realize that when the Cyclops finally falls down, you are (usually) the only one left to celebrate.