The Top 5: Final Boss/Stage Themes
Posted by Felipe Diaz-Vera -
Friday, June 25, 2010 4:44pm
Ah, the final level. No matter how long you've been playing you are familiar with this situation. There is just one thing between you and the end of the game. And standing in your way is one more opponent. One more jump. One more song. And no, when I say one more song, I do not mean facing Lou in Guitar Hero 3 (although that cover of “Devil Went Down to Georgia” is awesome in it's own right). Whether it is playing Megaman 2 and hearing the music as you enter Dr. Wily's fortress, or when you are going against the Master Hand and Crazy Hand in Final Destination of Brawl. No matter what the circumstance, the final music is just as important as the final battle on it's own. There are many great choices, and everyone has their favorites. However, these are my favorite final boss/stage songs.
No. 5: Ruins of Sorrow from "Klonoa 2: Lunatei's Veil"
I feel that Klonoa 2 is one of the most under-rated platforming games in history. It might be the cute nature or the Japanese gibberish the characters speak, but the series never gained the following of other Playstation platformers like Crash, Spyro, Ratchet, Jak, or Sly. But the levels are a lot of fun and well designed. And it culminated in the final platforming level you do entitled “The Ruins of Sorrow”. While technically not the final level, it is the last regular platforming level you do, and at about 10 minutes long, it is quite a challenge. And what adds to this stage is the eeriness of the music. There is a rather simple beat that keeps trying and trying to stay afloat but everything from carnival music to just the atmosphere stops it from happening. I love this song.
No. 4: Untracked from "SSX: Tricky"
SSX Tricky is a fun game. And while I feel gameplay-wise, SSX3 is the best of the series, the sheer goofiness along with the repeated use of “It's Tricky” is hilarious. But when you unlock “Untracked', all the silliness seems to stop. You are dropped off in the middle of the bleak Alaskan Terrain. There are no marked jumps or arrows to point your way. No scores to match and no time to beat. It's you vs the mountain. The atmospheric techno used to accompany the stage is marvelous giving a great feeling of both being alone and an epic ride. And what was great about this game was that music never loops. It build along with your progress until you reached the bottom and the song ends.
No. 3: Launch Base Zone Boss from "Sonic 3"
Sonic's games have had many good and bad moments, but one thing that I feel has never been a disappointment is the music. From the Genesis days to the next gen appearances, Sonic music is quite superb. And one of my favorites is the battle you have on-board the Death-Egg in Sonic 3. The music has a odd creepiness feel to your battle with Dr. Robotnik. It starts slow, but quickly builds into a rampant pace to know that this means business. A great track.
No. 2: Devil Fight from "Tekken 2"
When I first played Tekken 2, I knew that Kazuya would be the final boss, since he and Heihachi had switched places. But after I had beat him, the game was not over. Suddenly, Kazuya morphs into the devil, and you are in a room of infinite dimension. And you are greeted with the sound of strings, a big change from the music you had been hearing up until that point. This fight is different. You were not fighting to win a tournament anymore. It was you vs the devil. And everything coming together made for one of my favorite fighting game moments ever. The music is a great mix of orchestral sounds and a hip-hop beat thrown in here or there.
No. 1: Final Bowser Battle from "Super Mario Galaxy"
Mario music is iconic. From the sounds of World 1-1 in the first game to the airships in 3, to Bowser's stages in Mario 64. So having said that, my favorite Mario Boss Fight song, and my number one song on this list is rather recent. Super Mario Galaxy is a tremendous game with fun levels and a great soundtrack. So when you face Bowser for the final time, you are hit with an epic orchestral song that mixes the classic Mario feel with that of a horror movie. While not the hardest boss fight around, the music is amazing. This song sounds like something that could be in a “Saw” movie and not be out of place. Everything fits so well in it's epicness that I cannot put anything else on top.
