The first arcade game to sport a boss fight was Phoenix, which was released in 1980. While most people were probably playing Space Invaders, I was playing Phoenix on my Atari 2600. Boss encounters have come a long way since the days of yore, displaying wonderful variety and imagination. The last five on my list go far to demonstrate just how unusual these encounters can be.
!! Spoilers Ahoy !!
5. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus – Ms. Ruby: And now for something totally different. The bosses in Sly Cooper are mostly of the indirect or puzzle kind, each requiring a different approach. Ms. Ruby, the Voodoo Priestess Alligator is especially unique, mixing a rhythm game into a boss encounter. It's a load of fun to “Dig that Voo doo”.
4. Shadow of the Colossus – Phalanx: I would be remiss to create a list of favorite bosses and make no mention of a game that consists of nothing but grand scale boss fights. Phalanx is a gigantic flying serpent, held aloft by sacs filled with lighter than air gas. Since it doesn't attack, it takes well fired arrows, frantic riding, and well aimed jumps on your part just to get a hold of the thing. Frankly, I always felt like a jerk knocking this graceful beast out of the skies. Of course, being a jerk didn't stop my loving every minute of it.
3. Pikmin 2 – Empress Bulblax: We go from normal sized dude fighting giant enemies to tiny dudes fighting, er, giant enemies. Both Pikmin titles have great boss fights but I picked the Empress to represent. I'm not sure why she sticks in my mind other than I think “Termite Queen” every time I see her. This grotesquely bloated and pulsating monster is one bad momma, sending waves of her own offspring after you. But what kind of mother squishes her own kids?
2. Metroid Prime 2 Echoes – Quadraxis: If you know anything about me, you knew this one was coming. Both Echoes and Prime overflow with high caliber bosses that are challenging, fun, and require thought to take down but Quadraxis takes it to the limit. I have a real soft spot for this mechanical monstrosity. Quadraxis demands that you really work Samus' arsenal of weapons and tools to destroy it. Besides, it just looks dern cool.
Of course, this guy makes it look so easy :P
1. Super Mario Galaxy – Bowser: Bowser is all grown up for his second appearance on my list. Frankly, he's not a tough guy to beat but the Bowser fights in Super Mario Galaxy are a blast to play and the music is fantastic. Actually, it's the music that really seals the deal for me on my choice of Bowser on this list. That epic track adds so much to the aura of grandiose combat that it deserves its own mention. Now that's the way to score a battle.
Related Links:
Top Ten: Favorite Bosses part 1
The Ten Greatest Classic Mega Man Levels, Part 1
GameTrailers' Top 10 Most Difficult Games