Poll

Which of these boss roles is most important to a game?

Prologue Boss
1 (4%)
First Boss
1 (4%)
Second Boss
0 (0%)
Middlin' Boss
2 (8%)
Recurring Boss
5 (20%)
Penultimate Boss
2 (8%)
Final Boss
11 (44%)
Secret Boss
3 (12%)

Total Members Voted: 25

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Author Topic: Which boss is the most important?  (Read 9442 times)

Fifth

  • Quadruped
« on: July 15, 2007, 09:01:25 PM »
So, what boss is the most important to games in general?  A strange sort of question, perhaps, but I'd like to think that each particular boss role has its own place and quality that's important to a game's flow, and to the player's enjoyment and interest.
So what kind of boss is the most important?

Is it the prologue boss?
Maybe he hasn't got such an important role... maybe he doesn't even exist.  The prologue boss can often set the mood for the game or for boss fights in general.  He can be there to teach the player how to play, or might simply be a hook (something big and flashy that makes the player go "whoa", but ultimately unsubstantial).  On the other hand, is such a boss even necessary?

Is it the first boss?
The culmination of the player's first trials through the game, the first boss is often an easy sort of test, to make sure the player knows what he's doing, and to provide closure on the first leg of the game and direction for the beginning of the story (if there is one).  Easy or hard, you can't dispute that a first boss is pretty important.  And let's face it, even if the game's only got ONE boss, it's got a first boss.

Is it the second boss?
I'd like to think that the second boss holds more importance than people give him credit for.  To me, the second boss can often be more of a hook than the prologue boss.  It's the time when you trust the player enough to give him a challenging experience, one that'll catch him off-guard, shake up his nerves a bit and hopefully give him something to remember.

Is it a middlin' boss?
Different games go at different lengths, and oftentimes most of the game's bosses will lie somewhere between the two extremes.  Obviously, each boss here has to not only hold his own as a level boss, but find some way to be memorable.  The worst kind of boss is the one you forget immediately after fighting.  But then, maybe one of these bosses will hold the story's big twist...?

Is it a recurring boss?
You know the type.  The ultrosian pest who pops up just when you don't need him and gives you trouble.  Far from a requirement (and maybe not even a full boss), this guy gets merit for his tenacity.  And if he's well-done, you're SURE to remember him.  But still... is he of any importance?

Is it the penultimate boss?
This is the boss that occurs right before the last boss.  Sometimes he's the fast-paced challenge to balance out the siege that is the last boss.  Sometimes he's meant to be a phony last boss that you're supposed to fall for.  More and more nowadays, several bosses are cramming themselves into this "penultimate" position.  I guess it's supposed to be more dramatic if the challenge lasts longer, but I think that too many of 'em, one after another, can end up cheapening the significance.

Is it the final boss?
The big BANG! at the end?  The climax of the game?  None can refute the importance of such a position, but maybe it's that irrefutability, that'll put another boss above him, in terms of importance.  I mean, ya GOTTA have a last boss.  Leave him out and the game will feel... incomplete.  He's important, but he's... expected.  And, again, if the other bosses don't hold their sway, the players might lose interest before even MAKING it to this guy.

So, bosses' roles in a nutshell.  But who ends up holding the importance?  Is it the guiding battle that teaches the player?  Is it that pivotal fight where the player is hooked?  Is it the final clash at the end?
Go forth and cast thy vote.
Go Moon!

« Reply #1 on: July 15, 2007, 11:14:08 PM »
I think the final boss is the most "important" in the sense that people expect it the most (even if the game has no other bosses) but the first boss is truly the most important to the overall game experience as it shows you what to expect from other bosses and hints at how the game is going to be broken up, section-wise. And like you said, many people don't see the end boss in today's long games but most every player sees the first boss. Of course, people often didn't see the end boss in old games either, because they were generally so difficult...

God of War II definitely wins the Best Prologue Boss award.

Ultrosian is a magnificent adjective.
« Last Edit: July 15, 2007, 11:25:08 PM by Lizard Dude »

« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2007, 07:49:40 AM »
Is it the penultimate boss?

Bowser and Eggman seem to fit the role of a penultimate boss nowadays. Think about it; Eggman usually goes for the whole "I'm gonna create this thing and I'm gonna rule the world with it" plan to destroy Sonic, but he usually fails and the "thing" or "plan" goes nuts and fills in the final boss role as the ultimate villain/boss/immortal being (e.i Chaos, Ultimate Life/Biolizard, That Dark Hedgehog thing from Sonic 2006, blah blah blah). But you still have to fight Eggman at some time or another (usually 2nd to last), the ultimate nemesis to the hero Sonic. Since Eggman usually comes back to the next game with a whole new plan, it kinda makes him more important than the final boss he's usually "controlling", creating, whatever.

Bowser, not so much, but he's had a fair share of games where he was 2nd to last (SPM, PM: TTYD).

In short, I guess I'm trying to say that in some games the penultimate boss is pretty darn important. He's sometimes the guy who comes back in other games to haunt our heroes. But there are some who really aren't; they could just be another minion to the final boss, or some crazy challenger looking to beat someone up.
« Last Edit: July 16, 2007, 07:53:22 AM by PaperLuigi »
Luigison: Question everything!
Me: Why?

« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2007, 06:36:58 PM »
I find recurring bosses annoying and unneccesery, like Resident Evil 4's El Gigante. Why should I have to fight him four times?
No Glorb, I think it was Chuck Norris.

Boo Dudley

  • This is not a secret page hint
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2007, 08:02:10 PM »
What about the secret boss? the character you meet up with after a arduous side quest. Egnigmatic and a loner, forgotten maybe. The do not go down without a fight though, sometimes the trickiest or hardest there is, maybe just plain amusing. What will you get in return? Who knows? Could be the very thing that makes the final boss so much easier.

« Reply #5 on: July 16, 2007, 08:26:20 PM »
Culex, The Master and Bonetail are all pretty tough bosses, all three of 'em done outside of the main quest.
« Last Edit: July 16, 2007, 08:28:11 PM by PaperLuigi »
Luigison: Question everything!
Me: Why?

« Reply #6 on: July 16, 2007, 08:36:58 PM »
God of War II definitely wins the Best Prologue Boss award.

Thanks for providing that link! I've been looking for that particular comic for a long time.

Now, before topic derailment continues, I have to say I have a hard time picking a favorite boss that fits any of those descriptions. Bowser has filled the roles of most of those, save for the recurring boss.

My favorite recurring boss would have to be Fawful from the Mario & Luigi games.
Kinopio is the ultimate video game character! Who else can drive a kart, host parties, play tennis, give good advice and items, and is almost always happy??

Kojinka

  • Bruised
« Reply #7 on: July 16, 2007, 09:51:49 PM »
Fawful is my favorite, but I thought Popple was more recurring than Fawful.
Regards, Uncle Dolan

N64 Chick

  • one ticked chick
« Reply #8 on: July 16, 2007, 11:05:11 PM »
I thought so too. As far as I can tell, Fawful falls under the prologue boss battle catagory and (to a certain degree) penultimate.
Fangirling over Luigi since 1999.

« Reply #9 on: July 17, 2007, 01:12:18 AM »
Fawful puts the ultimate in penultimate.
If my son could decimate Lego cities with his genitals, I'd be [darn] proud.

Glorb

  • Banned
« Reply #10 on: July 17, 2007, 04:07:04 PM »
To me, the only boss that really matters is the final boss. It can have you walking away, pumping your fists in fictory over a hard-fought battle, or it can leave you with a bad taste in your mouth, regardless of the quality of the rest of the game. However, some of the most awesome boss fights I've come across (Del Lago, the Kraid, Goro) have been middle-area bosses, so I suppose they're important too.

What about bosses like the Colossi? Since the whole game is made up of boss fights, and the final boss isn't the hardest, how would you categorize them?
every

« Reply #11 on: July 18, 2007, 06:42:09 PM »
Sidequest/secret/extra bosses are the best. They're not really tied to the storyline, but reaching them can be so much fun or incredibly complicated. Once you reach them, they're just plain hard to beat. Then once you do beat them, you almost always get an item that can come in handy in do-or-die situations.

Of course, it could be completely worthless if you reach them after completing the main game.
As a game that requires six friends, an HDTV, and skill, I can see why the majority of TMK is going to hate on it hard.

« Reply #12 on: July 18, 2007, 09:59:47 PM »
What did Feel the Magic do with its final boss?  There was a "last battle" and a "final battle"... I forget which one was last.  Or final.  Anyway, the real last/final battle is the most important.  It's like the last word in a line of poetry.
Today's actually... nobody's birthday!  Quick, hurry up and make a baby!

« Reply #13 on: July 18, 2007, 11:47:21 PM »
What about bosses like the Colossi? Since the whole game is made up of boss fights, and the final boss isn't the hardest, how would you categorize them?
I definitely had the most trouble on the final colossus, not really because of "difficulty" but because of not figuring something out for a long time.

What did Feel the Magic do with its final boss?  There was a "last battle" and a "final battle"... I forget which one was last.  Or final.  Anyway, the real last/final battle is the most important.  It's like the last word in a line of poetry.
I seem to remember epicly rubbing a towel on my head.

Suffix

  • Steamed
« Reply #14 on: July 19, 2007, 12:09:44 AM »
As enjoyable as I find middlin' bosses to be, I firmly believe that the final boss is the most important. I love not being able to expect what the middlin' boss is, but the anticipation of arriving at the final boss, be it Ganon, Metroid Prime, Bowser, or otherwise, is one of the most important things to such games.

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