Has there ever been a particular boss battle in a game that has stood out for you? If so, for what reason, and in what game? I suppose I'll start:

-Link vs. Ganondorf (WindWaker) - While it's tempting to list off every final battle in LoZ (OoT and LA are also particularly awesome boss fights), this one clinched it for me. Mostly due to the environment; I mean, the whole world (sort of) is flooding, and it's even better than a dramatic battle in a rain storm. Ganondorf also gets the most brutal death in the series, too.

-Samus vs. Dark Samus (Metroid Prime 2) - Yeah, the battle's timed, but like the above, it's in the middle of what could be considered an apocalypse. Adding to that, you pretty much have to Dark Samus's own weapons against her; I think I liked this battle because of the challenge.

-Kyle Katarn vs. Kell Dragon (Dark Forces) - Probably not exactly a boss fight in its traditional sense, but I really liked this fight. Right off the bat, at the start of the level, you have to kill a man-eating lizard with your bare fists. I certainly felt like I accomplished something when I beat the thing for the first time (keep in mind I was about 3 or 4 at the time, too).

-Kyle Katarn vs. Sariss (Jedi Knight) - One of the more challenging boss fights, but I still love this one. This is probably due to the fact that the battle takes place on a plateau, and, when you use your imagination, it could look like something dramatic from a movie. The picture from the novel adaption (click me!) also helps.

I'm no doubt forgetting a few, but feel free to list your favorites, too.

Ping wrote: -Link vs. Ganondorf (WindWaker) - While it's tempting to list off every final battle in LoZ (OoT and LA are also particularly awesome boss fights), this one clinched it for me. Mostly due to the environment; I mean, the whole world (sort of) is flooding, and it's even better than a dramatic battle in a rain storm. Ganondorf also gets the most brutal death in the series, too.

I definitely agree with that one. Such an awesome fight. You've pretty much said everything there is to be said about that one.

Not sure if you can count the Champion in any of the Pokemon games, but I would at least. Especially recently, while I was completing my playthrough of Heart Gold. I was battling Lance, and it was VERY tough this time around (as he was much stronger), and it came down to my Mewtwo vs his Charizard and Dragonite. I was some how able to clutch that and it felt so great.

Thire wrote:
I definitely agree with that one. Such an awesome fight. You've pretty much said everything there is to be said about that one.

Not sure if you can count the Champion in any of the Pokemon games, but I would at least. Especially recently, while I was completing my playthrough of Heart Gold. I was battling Lance, and it was VERY tough this time around (as he was much stronger), and it came down to my Mewtwo vs his Charizard and Dragonite. I was some how able to clutch that and it felt so great.

That actually reminds me of the battle against Red: you certainly feel like you've accomplished something. Much to my annoyance, I found out that his Lapras knew Psychic, which did not bode well for my Vileplume. I was somehow able to win by keeping Feraligatr (or was it Ampharos?) alive constantly against Charizard.

-4 Players vs Guilty Spark (Halo 3) - Easiest boss ever. I have to laugh every time I do this and someone or a couple people get pushed off the edge by him.

@Ping: Yeah, Link vs. Ganondorf was an amazing boss fight, it's one of the reasons WW is my favorite LoZ game.
@Silva: Lol, Spark is such an awful boss fight it's hilarious. Good thing for the absolutely amazing driving sequence afterwards.

-Hero vs. Lucian (Fable 2) -I dunno, it's just such a comically anticlimactic boss fight that I love it.

-Ness vs. Giygas (Earthbound)- Giygas is my favorite boss because of the creepyness-level, which is quite an achievement for a SNES game.

-Link vs. Bongo Bongo (Zelda OoT) -BONG-bongbongbong BONG-bongbongbong BONG-bongbongbong W-What is that thing??! Is that it's headless neck or its eye? WAAAAAAH

-Link vs. Majora's Mask (Zelda MM) - Majora fascinates me. The fight is in a very very strange place, Majora is insane, I love it. Great ending for one of the best games ever.

-The Lone Wanderer vs. Stanislaus Braun (Fallout 3) - Technically not a boss I suppose, but the entire Tranquility Lane part is so epicly creepy and surreal, I had to mention it here...




Guess I like it creepy and weird.

Red vs. Green/Gary/Blue (Pokemon Generation 1)
Green is easily the hardest fight in Red, Green and Blue. He assembled a team with 6 separate types (something most people didn't understand back then) and had the highest level Pokemon in the game besides Mewtwo: his starter at level 65. The music for the fight is one of my favorites, even more than the Gold and Silver Champion battle.

Ness vs. Giygas (Earthbound)
As Emp said, a really creepy boss fight. I love how the fight starts with an 8-bit track, and then is like "this isn't your dad's final boss battle," turns into metal, then Giygas reveals his true form and hellz quite literally breaks loose.

Megaman vs. Dr. Wily (MM 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 10)
Getting to this point after killing all of the robot masters in the game twice really gets you pumped for the fight. These fights also have some of the best battle themes, pushing 8-bit sounds to the limit. Also, he has a Skull Dinosaur and Skull Pirate Ship in the most recent games.

Lucas vs. Spoilers (Mother 3) The Knights vs. The Necromancer
The best fight in Castle Crashers. Necromancer brings back every single enemy type in the game to attack you at once and then finally fights you himself, all while his awesome boss music plays.

Dash Rendar vs. IG-88 (Shadows of the Empire): Before the battle even begins, you're scared out of your mind and adrenaline starts pumping. Hiding won't help; IG-88 will find you. Off in the distance you can hear his mechanical moving noise and his electronic/alien babbling sound as he comes nearer and nearer to you. So what if you have the higher ground, IG-88 with his freakish spring-loaded legs will reach you. Eventually you'll have to face your fears and face IG-88 head on if you are to go on to the next level.

Hmm....

I'm gonna say most of the Boss battles from the Donkey Kong Country series (1 & 3, since sadly I have not played 2), not because they're particularly challenging, but they're just fun.

As far as the hardest boss fight, that'd go to Typhon from Titan Quest... I mean, basically you get to deal (depending on how good your character is) roughly 100 damage to an opponent with several thousand health every 30 seconds or so... In the meantime, he's throwing comets and lifesteal spells at you... Idk, I guess he's not that hard, but it just takes SO LONG.

Forgot a few

Chell vs. GlaDOS (Portal) - GlaDOS is epic. The sarcastic, dark but funny remarks she makes are really cool. Granted, the fight itself isn't that great and Imma let her finish but GlaDOS is one of the best bosses ever.

Starkiller vs. Kleef (TFU wii & PSP) - Kleef is an evil Gungan. An evil Jar-Jar. I didn't know that would work, complete with the silly gungan accent and all (Mesa... prepared...) but it did. Again the fight itself wasn't so great, Kleef was.

Link vs Igos du Ikana (MM) - The whole game is awesome, but I especially loved the gloomy, barren, lifeless Ikana. The fight with the king being a highlight of it. You're fighting an undead cursed king of a doomed kingdom, who at the end realises what's happened to his kingdom.

will probably think of more soon

Bah I misspelled Giygas, thanks fuzzle

AQT wrote:Dash Rendar vs. IG-88 (Shadows of the Empire): Before the battle even begins, you're scared out of your mind and adrenaline starts pumping. Hiding won't help; IG-88 will find you. Off in the distance you can hear his mechanical moving noise and his electronic/alien babbling sound as he comes nearer and nearer to you. So what if you have the higher ground, IG-88 with his freakish spring-loaded legs will reach you. Eventually you'll have to face your fears and face IG-88 head on if you are to go on to the next level.

Ah, I remember that. IG-88's....sounds was pure nightmare fuel for me. It's actually made easier when you find the temporary invincibility power-up.

But yeah, I have to agree with you on this one.

The_Emperor wrote: Chell vs. GlaDOS (Portal) - GlaDOS is epic. The sarcastic, dark but funny remarks she makes are really cool. Granted, the fight itself isn't that great and Imma let her finish but GlaDOS is one of the best bosses ever.

I don't think there's much more I can say than QFT.

Twilight_Warrior wrote:

The_Emperor wrote: Chell vs. GlaDOS (Portal) - GlaDOS is epic. The sarcastic, dark but funny remarks she makes are really cool. Granted, the fight itself isn't that great and Imma let her finish but GlaDOS is one of the best bosses ever.

I don't think there's much more I can say than QFT.

Indeed. Can't believe I forgot that one.

Here's one I just did.
Link vs Dark Knut (Twilight Princess)
There's just something about a boss in Legend of Zelda where your only weapon is your sword and your tactics. Knight vs Knight. Utilize everything you've learned about swordplay. And once you finally lower his defenses, he casts aside his greatsword and pulls out a longsword and is much faster. The first one is technically a mini-boss, so it counts! even though you find them more and more in the final castle and in the cave of ordeals. I just love fighting this thing, I don't know why. It's also much better in my opinion than the same iterations found in OoT and WW.

Regret (Halo 2)
Mainly the people around him and beating up an old guy in his little hover chair that whines all the time is it...

Boba Fett (Shadows of the Empire)
Well you don't only fight Boba, but his ship as well... It's hard, but very fun

I agree about IG-88, though I was actually able to beat him (as opposed to my brother beating Boba for me)

AQT wrote:Dash Rendar vs. IG-88 (Shadows of the Empire): Before the battle even begins, you're scared out of your mind and adrenaline starts pumping. Hiding won't help; IG-88 will find you. Off in the distance you can hear his mechanical moving noise and his electronic/alien babbling sound as he comes nearer and nearer to you. So what if you have the higher ground, IG-88 with his freakish spring-loaded legs will reach you. Eventually you'll have to face your fears and face IG-88 head on if you are to go on to the next level.

seconded, but you are already fully pumpt of adrenaline while you are on the trains.....thanks to one of the best videogamesoundtracks ever iny my opinion. and the AT-ST is scary and boba, and the monster-dianoga of course!

the fight against GlaDOS is awesome too, especially when you play it the first time

edit:just remembered the fight against the hunters in hl2: episode 2, that one was really thrilling too

Bass in most Mega Man games.
His aura makes me tremble..... over 100 damage to break it each time it regenerates....
200 on the harder games.

Zack vs Sephiroth: Perhaps the first time one plays against Sephiroth's *human* combat abilities. Yeah everyone knows that Sephiroth is epic/donetodeathonepic so I won't concentrate on that. But how his sword swings around and jumps and flings you across the mako reactor room is terrifying, and devastatingly long range. He takes his sweet time WALKING to you, and unleashes a maelstrom of slashes. He teleports away and at ur position if pleases. The cutscene for his Octaslash limitbreak is an 'oh crap' moment everytime, easily dealing 10000+ dmg (max health available is 9999).

Unfortunately if it weren't for him summoning crystals that distract and attack u with spells, dispel barriers and heal him (and there are 4 of them) he is actually kind of a pushover. BECAUSE of those crystals though I lost continuously. His 'Heartless Angel' attack which also reduces HP to 1, is unblockable, and fatal if he teleports in front you after.....

I think that instead of IG-88 the first AT-ST in Shadows of the Empire was the most frightening. I don't remember how many tries it took me, it was sooooo long ago.

Shepard's Squad vs Giant Reaper Terminator-looking Thing (Mass Effect 2) - Face it, when you shot it and watched it fall into that unnecessarily deep pit, you didn't really think that was it, did you?




Too tired to think of my other favorites, though I definitely agree with Portal.