Awesome Boss Battles in Gaming Part I

And now it is time for a completely and totally unoriginal feature. It's another ongoing feature at Gaming Rocks On, Awesome Boss Battles, AKA, some of my personal favorite boss battles in video games. Different battles are here for different reasons. Some of the bosses you'll see here are incredibly easy, others, not so much. Bosses or final bosses, it doesn't matter. Either one is fair game as far as I'm concerned.

Serris - Metroid Fusion (GBA)

Unlike the previous 2D game, Super Metroid, boss fights are plentiful in Metroid Fusion. One of the earlier bosses in the game, Serris is a sea serpent and a very quick one at that. The only weak point on Serris is it's face but the beast moves so fast that getting a clear shot can be difficult. You're forced to be alert at all times and watch every corner of the screen because Serris can attack from the fore, the rear and even below at lightning speed. Even with Samus' ability to hang from certain ceilings, Serris can still assault her from the high ground. All of this can can be very overwhelming, especially to new players, but it also makes for one of the most exciting boss fights you'll ever be in.

Bowser in the Sky - Super Mario 64 (N64)

The first fight with Bowser in Super Mario 64 was quite easy. Grab hold of his tail, swing him into a bomb and you saved the day. The second time, Bowser mixed things up by bringing more speed to the battle along with using his massive weight to tilt the whole arena. But even with those tactics, Mario still sent him packing. In round 3, Bowser is done screwing around. It's a lot harder to grab him by the tail, he breaths much more fire than ever and he's all around much more vicious. Still, taking him by the tail is by no means impossible and landing those first two hits is pretty simple. Oh, did I mention you have to throw him into three bombs this time instead of one? Well, you do. Tossing him into a third bomb, however, will not be child's play. You see, after you hurl him into the second bomb, pieces of the battle arena begin to fall away and when all the parts crumble, you're left standing on a huge star, thus making Bowser fly into one of the bombs a lot more challenging. It may take you some practice before you send the King of Koopas into that last bomb, but when you connect with that last blow, it's totally worth it.

Magma Dragoon - Mega Man X4 (PS, SAT)

There are a lot of cool-looking bosses in the Mega Man X series, but Magama Dragoon stands out for a few reasons. He's got one of the best designs. His attacks are very much Street Fighter based. And he's the only boss that can be fought with Ride Armor if you choose to use it. Reploids have been going maverick since the first Mega Man X but the reason Magma Dragoon, a member of the 17th Unit (which is X's squad, by the way) starts wrecking stuff makes the fight all the more interesting. By Sigma's urging, Dragoon sunk the Sky Lagoon, killed hundreds of innocent people and reploids all for the chance to fight X and Zero. He turned on his friends just so he could face two worthy opponents. Wow.

Seven Force - Gunstar Heroes (GEN)

Here's one that should surprise no one. If you're doing the stages in order, Seven Force is the boss of stage 2. Piloted by former Gunstar Hero, Green, the transforming mech known as Seven Force can take on seven different forms. The forms are Soldier Force, Tails Force, Tiger Force, Urchin Force, Crab Force, Eagle Force, and Blast Force. Each form has it's own special attacks. The Blast Force takes on the appearance of a pistol that reloads after a few shots. To make the fight even more challenging, each form has it's own vitality, so defeating one from does not end the fight. The difficulty you play on determines just how many forms of Seven Force that you'll see. Playing on easy will show three forms, playing on normal will get you five forms, and playing on Expert will get you all seven deadly forms. Since the battle takes place in a huge mine shaft, and you're riding anti-gravity mine carts, you can take to the ceiling if need be. But some forms are fought in a vertical shaft like the Urchin and Eagle Force and room to maneuver in these quarters is tight. Seven Force is so popular a boss that variations of it have appeared in other Treasure games like Alien Soldier and Astro Boy: Omega Factor.

Harrier - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2, XB)

Raiden's exploits on the Big Shell were staged to be similar to Solid Snake's mission in Shadow Moses, including a battle against Liquid in a Hind D. But where Snake only had to worry about keep himself alive in that fight, Raiden had his own safety as well as that of Snake and Octacon to consider. High atop the Big Shell, Solidus flies in a Harrier Jet. Raiden receives a Stinger Missiles to defend himself and Snake and Octacon but he's still vastly outmatched by the Harrier. The Kasatka Snake and Octacon are flying in also places them at a disadvantage when compared to the Harrier's superior speed. If Raiden dies, it's game over. If the Kasatka is shot down, it's game over. So you've got two life bars to keep an eye on. You can use chaff grenades to jam the Harrier's radar but you risk getting turned into Swiss cheese or worse whenever you stick your neck out to do so. Note that using a chaff grenade also jams your own radar. At the same time, scrambling the Harrier's radar is the only way to ensure a fair fight, if it can be called such. There are places you can go for cover, but Solidus is one trigger happy dude and will gladly shoot a barrage of missiles at you whenever the opportunity presents itself. Of the numerous boss fights in Metal Gear Solid 2, this one is pretty high on my list.

Part II