Bowser (right), a recurring boss in the Mario series of games, as seen in Super Mario Bros. (1985)

A boss is an enemy-based challenge found in computer and video games. Bowser, also known as King Koopa, is a Video game character and the main antagonist of Nintendo 's ''Mario'' series. The Mario series is a series of highly popular and acclaimed Platform games by Nintendo, featuring Nintendo's mascot Mario and in most of the is a Platform game developed by Nintendo in late 1985 and published for the Nintendo Entertainment System, a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Events Notable releases Brøderbund releases Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, the first game of the prolific A personal computer Game (also known as a computer game or simply PC game) is a Video game played on a Personal computer, rather A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. ^[1] The appearance of a boss halts the game's progression until the player is able to surmount the enemy. A fight with a boss character is referred to as a boss battle. ^[2]

Overview

A boss is a computer-controlled opponent whose purpose is to tax skills that the player has accumulated over the course of the game. ^[3] A common characteristic of boss battles is that they cannot be won without some semblance of a strategy. Bosses have appeared in some shape or form within nearly every genre of video games, with the exceptions of sports and simulation games. See also [[Game classification]] Video games are categorized into Genres based on their Gameplay interaction A sports game is a computer or Video game that simulates the playing of traditional Sports Most sports have been recreated with a game including A simulation game is a Game that contains a mixture of skill, chance, and strategy to simulate an aspect of reality such as a Stock The concept first originated in role-playing games and continues to play a dominant role in them. An electronic role-playing game is a broad genre of video games. Beginning with the fourth generation of video games, bosses have been increasingly given larger roles within narrative-driven games, usually as archetypal villains. In the History of computer and video games, the fourth generation (more commonly referred to as the 16 bit era) began on October 30, 1987

The concept of a boss battle is a very malleable one. It may involve fighting multiple enemies, or a series of obstacles which function collectively as the 'boss'. Single-player fighting games consist entirely of one-on-one duels against opponents of increasing difficulty, culminating in a battle against the ultimate fighter. A fighting game (also referred as a versus fighting game, competitive fighting game, tournament fighting game or head-to-head fighting game) Other bosses are unique in that they appear multiple times before they can be defeated. An example is Resident Evil's Nemesis, a character who repeatedly stalks the player throughout the game, yet can never be permanently 'killed' until the end of the game. Resident Evil (known in Japan as) is a Survival horror Video game series and Media franchise consisting of Comic books novelizations The action-adventure game Shadow of the Colossus consists of little more than a series of boss battles, with sixteen giant enemies to defeat. Shadow of the Colossus, released in Japan as, is a Japanese developed action-adventure Video game developed and published by Sony Computer ^[4][5] The creator, Fumito Ueda, attributed this design to his own enjoyment of boss battles and his desire to reach them quickly. is a video Game designer born in Tatsuno, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan in 1970 ^[6]

Despite being an optional boss, Final Fantasy VII's Omega Weapon is more difficult to defeat than the game's final boss. is a Console role-playing game developed by Square (now Square Enix) and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the IMPORTANT NOTICE As per the usual policies we have decided to consolidate the bestiary into this succinct page

Given the limitations of console role-playing games, it is often possible for players to triumph over each boss by simply engaging in repetitive level grinding. A console role-playing game is a video game genre that has its origin rooted in Video game consoles and includes game mechanics and frequently settings derived Grinding is a term used in Computer gaming to describe the process of engaging in repetitive and/or non-entertaining gameplay in order to gain access to other features within For this reason, an optional boss (commonly known as "superboss") is frequently hidden within role-playing games. These enemies are not necessary to encounter or defeat, yet can easily justify as bosses in their own right; many are deadlier than their requisite counterparts. The intent of such an unbalanced level of difficulty is to challenge players who have mastered the battle system. Role-playing battle systems is a systematic set of rules to determine how battle should flow in an Role-playing game. In several games of the Final Fantasy series (V, VIII, and X), the player earns a congratulatory certificate for defeating the reigning superboss. is a Console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) in as a part of the Final Fantasy series is a Console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for Sony 's PlayStation in 1999 as part of the is a Console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) and the tenth installment in the Final Fantasy series These items have no practical use above serving as bragging rights. ^[7]

History

The mothership from the video game Phoenix

The first interactive game to feature a boss was dnd, a 1975 computer role-playing game for the PLATO system. A mother ship is a vessel or aircraft that carries a smaller vessel or aircraft that operates independently from it Phoenix is a popular Shoot 'em up Arcade game created and manufactured by Amstar Electronics (which was located in Phoenix Arizona) in dnd is a Computer role-playing game. The name dnd is derived from the abbreviation "DND" (D&D from the original Role-playing game Events In Fall, Magnavox discontinues the original Odyssey Video game console. A computer role-playing game ( CRPG) is a broad Video game genre originally developed for personal computers and other home computers PLATO was the first (circa 1960 on ILLIAC I) generalized Computer assisted instruction system ^[8][9] One of the earliest dungeon crawls, dnd implemented many of the core concepts behind Dungeons & Dragons. A dungeon crawl is a type of role-playing adventure in which heroes navigate a Labyrinthine environment battling various monsters and looting any treasure they may Dungeons & Dragons (abbreviated as D&D or DnD) is a Fantasy Role-playing game (RPG originally designed by ^[9] The player took on the role of a lone knight, whose objective is to retrieve an orb from the bottommost dungeon. Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. ^[10] The orb is kept in a treasure room guarded by a high-level enemy called the Gold Dragon. Treasure (from Greek θησαυρος Thesaurus, meaning "a treasure of the chest" is a Cognate) is a concentration of riches often one The dragon is a Legendary creature of which some interpretation or depiction appears in almost every culture worldwide Only by defeating the Dragon could the player claim the orb, complete the game, and be eligible to appear on the high score list. ^[8][11]

The first arcade game to feature a boss was Phoenix, a fixed shooter developed by Taito in 1980. An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in businesses such as Restaurants Pubs Video arcades and Family Entertainment Phoenix is a popular Shoot 'em up Arcade game created and manufactured by Amstar Electronics (which was located in Phoenix Arizona) in A shoot-'em-up (also known as shmup) is a Video game genre of Shooter game in which the player controls a vehicle or character and fights large The is a Japanese developer of Video game software and arcade hardware wholly-owned by RPG publisher Square Enix. Events Notable releases Mattel releases the Intellivision Video game console. ^[12] Phoenix has five levels in which the player must survive against swarms of extraterrestrial birds. Extraterrestrial life is Life originating outside of the Earth. During the first two Rounds, the player is assaulted by the pigeon-like "Scouts", whereas Rounds three and four pits them against the more formidable "Soldiers". Upon disposing of these enemies, a giant mothership appears in the fifth and final Round. A mother ship is a vessel or aircraft that carries a smaller vessel or aircraft that operates independently from it ^[13]

References

External links

• Top 5 boss battles at MSNBC
• Top 10 Video game Bosses at Gamespot
• Retro Junk - Top 10 Bosses of the 2D Era at Retro Junk
• The 20 Greatest Bosses in Video Game History