Top 20 Boss themes from video games (Pt. 1) · 3:51am Feb 26th, 2014
This is a little something that was inspired by my friend and fellow writer, Chrono_Ryono. I enjoyed his list so I figured I'd make one of my own. When it comes to "Top ___" lists I'm very hit or miss. I find a lot of them to be boring or repetitive. That said, if this sort of thing doesn't interest you, fair enough. I've got more content on the way in CotM and am working on a scary/spooky story as we speak. That should be pulling into the station and making it's debut whenever I get a break from exams. That aside, putting together this list was a very enjoyable trip down memory lane as I compiled a list of all the games I've played throughout my life with this hobby. If you have any comments or experiences with these games and themes, please share!
#20
Spyro the Dragon - Toasty
Spyro the Dragon. A true classic series on the original playstation, and one of the games I still play to this day to completion when I'm feeling nostalgic. This game had some of the coolest background and loading screens just before dumping you into the level. This music is the first boss theme of the game. It begins subdued as you progress through the level, then it picks up as the drums kick in. As you play, you start to realize something, it's the same jingle from the title screen! Spyro's little theme! As a kid, I loved that, and I still do. The boss itself for this level was something funny. An imposing scarecrow-like figure with a jack-o-lantern head and scythe. However, keep after him and you realize it's just one of those sheep you roast to replenish your health. Only this one found some cojones and stilts to try and fight you. Too bad it didn't turn out like he planned. Another thing worth mentioning here is that the soundtrack was composed by Stewart Copeland, the drummer for the punk rock band The Police. I'd say he did a great job.
#19
Ace Combat Assault Horizon: Legacy - Grey Wolf
A remake of Ace Combat 2, this game took elements from Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War and added them to experience. The most notable addition being various ace squadrons all with their own intro sequences and logos to fight as boss battles. This particular music comes from the engagement with Beast Squadron. The first encounter with Beast Squadron pits you against five of their F/A-18E Super Hornets. Immediately after engaging you they surround you in circular formation. Every time you lock on to a member of their flight they outmaneuver you while another dives in for a shot. To defeat this you must fly out of their targeted airspace and lure each aircraft into a one-on-one fight. Doing this defeats them, but their leader, Sergei Brynner vows that they will return to finish the job. Ace a fan of Ace Combat games, if an enemy says something along the lines of "We'll be back, you can count on it!" you should probably take their word for it.
Beast Squadron keeps their word and shows up once again to challenge you above the Comona Islands, a location from Ace Combat 4. This time however they have learned from their past fight with you and have adjusted their strategy. Now they appear in one flight of four F-15S/MTD's along with an additional flight of four F-15S/MTD's that appear later in the engagement escorting two F/A-18E's equipped with jamming pods. This fight can prove challenging if you let them surround you and don't deal with the jamming craft. It's quite easy to be overwhelmed. The aggressive guitars in this song along with the slowed tempo near the middle build tension as you fight the battle. It was a fun engagement to have, not to mention each of the aircraft they fly are American.
#18
Demon's Souls - The Fool's Idol
Ahh the Soul's series. These are my favorite games of all time, so you'll be seeing more music from these games as the list gets closer to #1. The Tower of Latria was home to the study of spells and Sorcery in the world of Demon's Souls. The land of Latria was ruled over by a Queen, a monarch that was beloved by her people. Once things went south and the demons invaded, it is thought that this demon took the form of the queen to give false hope to the soul starved prisoners held within the tower. The spooky subdued boss music is a hallmark of the Demon's Souls soundtrack compared to the next game in the series, Dark Souls. The boss fight is simple enough... at first. The fool's idol clones herself throughout the parish you fight her in, it's your job to figure out the real one. However, she places paralyzing runes around the floor that stun lock you for several seconds, and in a game like Demon's Souls, the game only needs a fraction of that time to kill you. Once you defeat her, you are free to ascend further up the tower... unless... Oh yes, there is a catch. Early on in the level there is an old man who sits above the boss area. He vows to not cause you any harm or grief, that is until you fight the boss. If he is not dealt with, he will resurrect the boss and you will have to perform the fight again and again until you kill him. Welcome to Demon's Souls.
17
Golden Axe - The Battlefield
Fantastic side scrolling hack and slash game on the Sega Genesis. This track proves you can make a great melody and theme using simplistic instruments and tones. The game itself brings back fond memories of playing it at my late grandmother's house during the summers. The bosses themselves were unique, ranging from more powerful versions of regular enemies coming at you waves, to larger heavily armored enemies. I remember dying a lot to the special colored red knights with enormous swords.
#16
Megaman and Bass - Boss theme
The Robot Masters. Those infamous eight bosses from the megaman series. I've fought many of them, and I have to say that ones from this game were the absolute hardest. Their patterns were different and they were all more aggressive. I recall them having more patters than other bosses as well. Burner Man was by far the most difficult, but also the most enjoyable to fight. The game's English port wasn't that great, but I still enjoy the boss music. There is something epic about the way the theme repeats and builds on itself. It's made even better by how hectic some of the bosses are by how fast they switch their patters. I've died more in this game that I have in any other regular Megaman game.
Ah, Megaman & Bass, good times. That game stands out for featuring one of my favourite video game songs of all time - King's Fortress.
Golden Axe
Yeah, those knights could be a royal pain in the dick, but almost every enemy in the game is positioned in such a way that you can easily (cheaply) take them out. I might actually record a playthrough and link it here specifically to
show offdemonstrate this.1880544 You mean that move where you jump up and either kick them or bash them with the pommel of your ax/sword?
There was a running charge attack too, if I remember correctly. Yeah they could all be cheesed. But I didn't do that all the time as a kid... nope...
1880617
Just recorded a playthrough of Golden Axe, start to finish. ~19 minutes across two Youtube parts. I'll embed both here when they're up. They're not perfect by any means, and I take some pretty embarrassing hits. I still don't have a solid strategy for the last boss either.
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