There is a predominate feature that can be linked to any forms of media; a climatic battle. It is what you'd expect from your heroes back-packing on long perilous journeys in order to bring stability back to the world, it's their calling, the very reason for their existence. But for every hero there is a villain, a worthy foe(s) which stands against everything they believe in, and wants nothing more then to see their demise, a test for everything learned by the hero on his/her long grueling adventure, and the opportunity to put it into practice, a system which video games know all too well. Find a weak spot and apply yourself three times, fire endless ammunition until dead, boss battles have always required a particular combination across stages that become more challenging as progression is made. But some folk are not taken in by simplicity like that, and I believe these three are just some of those, the bosses who have made a name for themselves with their own unique approach to the battlefield; and won't be drawn in by the idea of being defeated in the usual fashion.
Number 3: The Colossi – Shadow of the Colossus
Platform elements within virtual space usually takes place atop the ground in which you trend, but Team Ico took that aspect one step further, atop the giant bosses of the colossus. In order to take down the sixteen, you must guide Wander atop the beasts using your climbing ability, and reach the glowing symbols placed in strategic positions upon the creature, you would then proceed to drive your sword into the colossi leading to their death. As challenging as that sounds, the true difficulty comes from reaching these points in the first place; making your way from A to B while avoiding colossi attacks was a truly marvel concept, and one that has made Shadow of the Colossus a classic piece of gaming.
Number 2: Bowser – Super Mario 64
After capturing the princess once more and taking control of the castle, Bowser lay in wait for the wee mustachio to confront him once again, but little did we know that he was back, and to a much larger scale than previous. The only way he could be defeated now was to grab him by the tail; spin him round to build momentum, and with a cheeky 'so long' from Mario, throw him to the edge of the floating arena where bombs were conveniently placed. This sent the evil mastermind being blown back in from the resulting explosion; and facing him three times as the arena becomes increasingly difficult to cope with made this one of the toughest Bowser battles to date. A truly unusual but iconic confrontation.
Number 1: Psycho Mantis – Metal Gear Solid
He reads your memory card and tells you the games you’ve played, he demonstrates his telekinetic abilities by vibrating your controller randomly, he even blackens your television screen; all this before the battle had truly begun. Psycho Mantis played with your mind and he made sure you knew it, his ability to avoid your attacks made him a boss to be reckoned with; but unknown to him you had an ace up your sleeve that would thwart his cheating ways. Plugging your controller from one port to the other confused the mind-reader, and thus lead to his humiliating defeat as your mind was now unreadable, an innovation way ahead of it's time.
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