At the end of a video game character’s journey, the final bout needs to be epic. However, there are ways that a boss can leave a lasting impression whether it’s through difficulty, a change in graphics or even voice acting. G3 takes a look at some of the best final bosses of all time.
Boy, he sure looked shorter in the last game.
Bowser- Super Mario 64
Seeing him in 3D was a game changer. In all of the other Mario Bros. games, he looked to be twice the size of our beloved plumbers. Yet, in Super Mario 64 we see a behemoth of a monster. It was like looking down the barrel of a gun, if the gun had spikes everywhere and shot fire from its mouth. His attack pattern is simple enough, but there was something about Bowser in Super Mario 64 that gave video games a larger scale especially since 3D made the world that much more immersible.
I bet most of you saw this screen a lot when you were children.
M Bison- Street Fighter 2
M. Bison was so infuriatingly difficult I nearly broke my SNES when I fought him for the first time. I thought I was pretty cool for beating most of the game with E. Honda’s super cheap thousand hand slap, but Bison wasn’t having any of that crap. In fact, M. Bison made me, my brother and my cousins look like fools so many times because he dispatched us with ease. That was M. Bison’s main staying power in Street Fighter 2: he was so difficult that it forced you to be a better gamer. Or it just made you quit gaming all together.
Not only is he the dumbest A.I. ever, he’s also the funniest.
Wheatley- Portal 2
Wheatley makes the list not because he was difficult or experimental or even innovative. The only reason he’s on the list is because he’s drop dead funny. During the final fight, Wheatley just spits out second after second of gold and it makes the hectic ending downright a treat to play. The fight isn’t death defying or action packed, instead I found myself wanting to hear more and more of Stephen Merchant’s voice acting.
Also, I’m sure he’s mad at whoever decided to name him Blue.
Rival- Pokémon Red/Blue
After the Elite 4, you think you’re unbeatable. And then you have the most triumphant 5 seconds in video gaming, until it is revealed by Dragon trainer Lance that your rival is the champion. A hallway walk later and you’re face to face with the same guy who has been bugging you throughout the entire game and now it’s time to show him who is the real Pokémon master. Rival make the list because he represents perseverance and maturity, at first he teases you and jokes about your slow pace, but in the end he admits defeat and shows some level of grace.
