Boss (video games): Difference between revisions
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==Miniboss== |
==Miniboss== |
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A miniboss, also known as a middle boss or midboss, is a boss smaller and usually weaker than the main boss in the area or level. Some well known minibosses are Dark Link ([[The Legend of Zelda]] series), Vile ([[Mega Man X]] series) and Bowser Jr. ([[Mario (series)]]). Minibosses are sometimes encountered later in the game as normal enemies. |
A miniboss, also known as a middle boss or midboss, is a boss smaller and usually weaker than the main boss in the area or level. Some well known minibosses are Dark Link ([[The Legend of Zelda]] series), Vile ([[Mega Man X]] series) and Bowser Jr. ([[Mario (series)]]). Minibosses are sometimes encountered later in the game as normal enemies. Sometimes a boss battle is composed of many minibosses at the same time. |
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==Final Boss== |
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Usually the main antagonist of their respective games otherwise a force which said antagonists look for their schemes, or a force not known until the end of the game. The Final Boss is the last obstacle that a player must overcome to finish the game (excluding optional bosses). As of today games, most of the final bosses have multiple phases or battles that must be fought in a row, without rest and with the life the player drags from their previous battle, making the major difficulty of defeating final bosses that they must play with care every battle which are normally 2-3 battles in a row. Sometimes a final boss may not have multiple battles, but rather a long and difficult stage that most be beaten before facing the final boss. Apart from this the final boss is overall the most difficult boss in the game's storyline (excluding optional bosses). Some Final Bosses have different mechanics than other bosses to be defeated, for example Sephiroth (from [[Final Fantasy VII]]) in his first form required 2 parties to fight him at the same time and must be alternated to defeat this form. Another Final Bosses have capacities which either deal enormous damage to the player, or either shield them from most attacks, etc. To defeat them patience is most of the time required. |
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==SuperBoss== |
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A SuperBoss or MegaBoss is an optional boss the player can challenge after either defeating the Final Boss of the game and/or performing certain tasks. A Superboss is by default an extremelly powerful boss, most of the time much more than the Final Boss. While some games can feature multiple Superbosses the strongest superboss is often called the "True" Superboss. Superbosses most of the times don't have a different change in the gameplay to defeat them, but rather the difficulty of superbosses relies on their high durability and powerful offensive which can defeat a player easily even if they have maximized their status, which not only requires patience but also different strategies. Most notable superbosses include Ultima Weapon and Omega Weapon (from the [[Final Fantasy]] series) Gabriel Celesta and Ethereal Queen (from the [[tri-Ace]] games) Bass.EXE (In the [[Megaman Battle Network]] games). |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 05:12, 5 March 2010
A boss is an enemy-based challenge (and a computer-controlled opponent in such challenge) which is found in video games.[1] A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle.[2] Boss battles are generally seen at the climax of a particular section of the game, usually at the end of a stage or level, or guarding a specific objective, and the boss enemy is generally far stronger than the opponents the player has faced up to that point.[3]
History
The first interactive game to feature a boss was dnd, a 1975 computer role-playing game for the PLATO system.[4][5] One of the earliest dungeon crawls, dnd implemented many of the core concepts behind Dungeons & Dragons.[5] The objective of the game is to retrieve an "Orb" from the bottommost dungeon.[6] The orb is kept in a treasure room guarded by a high-level enemy named the Gold Dragon. Only by defeating the Dragon can the player claim the orb, complete the game, and be eligible to appear on the high score list.[4][7]
The first arcade game to feature a boss was Phoenix, a fixed shooter developed by Taito in 1980.[8] Phoenix includes five levels ("Rounds") which pit the player against swarms of alien birds. During the first two Rounds, the player is assaulted by the pigeon-like "Scouts", whereas the more formidable "Soldiers" are introduced in Rounds 3 and 4. On disposing these enemies, a giant mothership appears in the fifth and final Round.[9]
Characteristics
Bosses are "super-powered" in comparison with regular enemies, and are usually found at the end of a level or area.[10] Most games also include a "final" boss, which is usually the main antagonist in the story, at the very end of the game. Some well known final bosses are Bowser (Mario series), Doctor Robotnik (Sonic the Hedgehog), King DeDeDe (Kirby), Dr. Wily (Mega Man series), and Ganon (Legend of Zelda). While most games include a mixture of boss opponents and regular opponents, some games have only regular opponents and some games have only bosses – for example, Shadow of the Colossus for the PlayStation 2 has no enemies other than bosses.[11] In games such as Duke Nukem 3D, the first boss even reappears throughout the game as an uncommon enemy, however they are weaker than the original.
Boss battles are typically seen as dramatic events. As such, they are usually characterized with unique music, and/or cutscenes before and after the boss battle. Recurring bosses and final bosses may have their own specific theme music, to distinguish them from other boss battles.
In some games, the final boss returns after being defeated, sometimes in a new form with alternate attacks, this can repeat a certain number of times before the player faces their final and most powerful form, after which they have beaten the game.
Some games also feature a sequence of consecutive boss battles as an extra challenge.
Miniboss
A miniboss, also known as a middle boss or midboss, is a boss smaller and usually weaker than the main boss in the area or level. Some well known minibosses are Dark Link (The Legend of Zelda series), Vile (Mega Man X series) and Bowser Jr. (Mario (series)). Minibosses are sometimes encountered later in the game as normal enemies. Sometimes a boss battle is composed of many minibosses at the same time.
Final Boss
Usually the main antagonist of their respective games otherwise a force which said antagonists look for their schemes, or a force not known until the end of the game. The Final Boss is the last obstacle that a player must overcome to finish the game (excluding optional bosses). As of today games, most of the final bosses have multiple phases or battles that must be fought in a row, without rest and with the life the player drags from their previous battle, making the major difficulty of defeating final bosses that they must play with care every battle which are normally 2-3 battles in a row. Sometimes a final boss may not have multiple battles, but rather a long and difficult stage that most be beaten before facing the final boss. Apart from this the final boss is overall the most difficult boss in the game's storyline (excluding optional bosses). Some Final Bosses have different mechanics than other bosses to be defeated, for example Sephiroth (from Final Fantasy VII) in his first form required 2 parties to fight him at the same time and must be alternated to defeat this form. Another Final Bosses have capacities which either deal enormous damage to the player, or either shield them from most attacks, etc. To defeat them patience is most of the time required.
SuperBoss
A SuperBoss or MegaBoss is an optional boss the player can challenge after either defeating the Final Boss of the game and/or performing certain tasks. A Superboss is by default an extremelly powerful boss, most of the time much more than the Final Boss. While some games can feature multiple Superbosses the strongest superboss is often called the "True" Superboss. Superbosses most of the times don't have a different change in the gameplay to defeat them, but rather the difficulty of superbosses relies on their high durability and powerful offensive which can defeat a player easily even if they have maximized their status, which not only requires patience but also different strategies. Most notable superbosses include Ultima Weapon and Omega Weapon (from the Final Fantasy series) Gabriel Celesta and Ethereal Queen (from the tri-Ace games) Bass.EXE (In the Megaman Battle Network games).
References
- ^ Burt, Andy (2008-4). "No More Heroes: The Killer Boss Guide", GamePro vol. 235., pg. 66.
- ^ Top 5 boss battles. MSNBC. Retrieved on 2008-03-25.
- ^ Thompson, Clive. (2006-05-08) Who's the Boss? Wired. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
- ^ a b Gary Whisenhunt, Ray Wood, Dirk Pellett, and Flint Pellett's DND. The Armory. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
- ^ a b dnd (The Game of Dungeons). Universal Videogame List. Retrieved on 2008-04-09.
- ^ The History of Computer Role-Playing Games Part 1: The Early Years (1980-1983). Gamasutra. Retrieved on 2008-04-07.
- ^ Dnd (computer game). Spiritus-Temporis.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-03.
- ^ Sterbakov, Hugh. (2008-03-05) The 47 Most Diabolical Video-Game Villains of All Time. Gamepro. Retrieved on 2008-04-28.
- ^ Phoenix. Arcade-History. Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
- ^ Thompson, Clive (6 May 2004). "Tough Love: Can a video game be too hard?". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
- ^ Roper, Chris (2005). "Shadow of the Colossus Review". IGN. Retrieved July 21 200.
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