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Amazing music in boss fights

L

Look! The Pie!

Member
Glad to see some of my picks have already been posted. I'm just gonna share a few lesser known tracks (or at least those which don't tend to crop up too often in these threads)

Rocket Knight Adventures - Boss Theme
Lunar: Eternal Blue - Boss Battle
Breath of Fire 3 - Donden (Dragon War bosses)
Wild Arms 2 - Battle vs Lord Blazer
Suikoden 2 - The Chase (Luca Blight battle)
Wild Arms Alter Code F - G's Roar (Golem bosses)
Suikoden 5 - Determination (Tragic Battle)
Suikoden Tierkreis - Clash with the Librarian (Archivist battle theme)
Final Fantasy XIII - Saber's Edge
Silent Hill Homecoming - Scarlet
Dark Souls - Four Kings
Dark Souls 2 - Executioner's Chariot
Bloodborne - Living Failures (I know it's been mentioned a few times already, but it bears repeating. This is the shit, and doesn't get half the recognition it deserves compared to the rest of the (admittedly brilliant) OST.)
 
L

LotusHD

Banned
Granjinha said:
every single boss theme from undertale, jesus crhist what an absolutely incredible soundtrack
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That game singlehandedly revived my interest in video game music. Before I would listen and love it of course, but now I finally go out of my way to actively create playlists and what not.
 
W

Wichu

Member
Kwame120 said:
Primal Dialga Battle Theme, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of SkyThe only problem with this piece is that it uses music soundfonts from the DS era, imagine how it'd sound with live instruments.
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The Pokémon Mystery Dungeon has really great final boss music, but it's much better in context as the composers like to weave in various themes from throughout the game.

Some more boss themes from the series (or at least the entries I've played):

Palkia's Onslaught!
Defy the Legends
Legendary Boss Battle (Rock Version)
Showdown with a Volcanic Entei!
Dark Matter (Second Battle)

I thought some of the boss themes in Tokyo Mirage Sessions were pretty jamming:

Quest Battle
Event Battle

Finally, more Kirby love. I haven't played much of the series, but I still love the final boss themes:

C-R-O-W-N-E-D
Moonstruck Blossom
Vagrant Counting Song of Retrospection
 
V

Vitet

Member
PeakPointMatrix said:
Final Battle with Bowser - Super Mario Galaxy

I hope Odyssey lives up to the epic-ness of the Galaxy score.
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My pick is for the Final Battle in SMG2. It starts from the same point but then surprises you with a different modulation and then, after an awesome ostinatto, it evolves to a crazy epic orchestral orgasm with the brass taking turns with the SMG original motif and the woodwinds doing crazy rides through all of their instrument range while the choir and the strings melts all of it together.

Too good
 
B

Bane

Member
Bayonetta - In choice Between Good and Evil

FFXIV - Heroes (story spoilers in video) and Steel Reason

Asura's Wrath - Symphony no. 9 This one's a cheat as it's existing muysic but I thoght it was implemented really well. And on that note:

Killer is Dead - Chosen by the Moon A great modern take on Sympnoy no. 9.

Chrono Trigger - Battle with Magus

It's already been mentioned but I want to bring more attention to Dancing Mad. One Winged Angel gets a ton of attention, and deservedly so, but it's criminal how unnoticed this one is. It really goes places and feels like three pieces in one.
 
S

Strimei

Member
ColossalLazy said:
Ace Combat Zero - Zero

The best
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While one of my favorites, nothing can top Ace Combat 04's Megalith -Agnus Dei (with a bit of Rex Tremendae). I get chills every time.

God I'm so happy for another AC game.

Anyway, some others:

-Iudex Gundyr, Dark Souls 3. I absolutely love the Abysswatcher's theme too but there's something epic and threatening in Gundyr's theme.
-Big Dark Souls Spoilers here theme. You likely know which one this is. Its such a melancholic song for the fight.
You're expecting some big, awesome theme for the final boss, and its just this sad piano as you fight an insane husk of a god, to put him out of his misery.
-I'll Face Myself -Reincarnation, Persona 4 Golden. I really wish it had polled better and gotten a remix for Dancing All Night. What a pity.
-Shin MItsuou Tensei, also Persona 4 Golden. An excellent remix to the song and fitting for the boss battle. If anything, I love this remix more than the original/reincarnation versions.
 
M

Mr. Nice_Guy

Member
I feel in love with Bravely Default's final boss theme

The way it incorporates the themes that play during each characters special move them into the song right before the finale of the piece, which you've memorized by this point seeing as the party buffs last the length of each characters theme. It's one of the coolest ideas I've seen in a boss theme, and tied in close to an idea I had regarding multiple characters theme's, so that was an added cherry on top for me.

Moaradin said:
Wonderful 101 final boss theme

One of the best. Most uplifting final boss tracks that I've heard.
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Also this. Always this. I still can't believe how many things Wonderful 101 got right.
 
L

Laiza

Member
No thread about boss music is complete without Phantasy Star. Or at least the Online portion of it anyway. Never played the single-player JRPGs (sorry, old timers!).

From Seeing the Rough Wave, a track that I feel has yet to be matched in PSO2. That string orchestra!

You Have Nowhere to Go, as aptly named as you're going to get.

The first time you hear Cry, for Idola the Holy, there is no doubt in your mind that what you are about to face is a primal existential threat.

Jumping to PSO2:

Vanishing Sword, a.k.a. the Quartz Dragon theme nails the atmosphere of fighting a goddamn JET FLYING CRYSTAL DRAGON. The thing is bonkers fast and a real pain to fight for the first (and second, and third, and fourth) time.

la L'inno per il "IDOLA", a.k.a. Dark Falz Luther's theme is quite notable both for its unique soundscape and for how much it takes advantage of the game's music system. They actually have variations of the track for when he speeds up and slows down time, and it's very cool to experience in-game.

Borderless, a.k.a. the Phantom Battleship Yamato theme (yes really) is uniquely one of the only vocal boss themes in the entire series, and it WORKS. I love everything about it. Even the lyrics! Manages to make the fight feel hype as FUG, despite the actual emergency quest being piss-easy.

Chaotic Dynasty, a.k.a. the Dark Falz Dourumble theme. I don't really know how to describe it. It's just... perfect. Especially for the type of enemy that Double represents (i.e. a chaotic, yet playful, force unbound by logic or reason).

Unfathomable Darkness, a.k.a. the Profound Darkness theme. Besides being a wondrous final boss theme, it happens to also remix tracks from previous games - Ooze (from Phantasy Star 4) and "Idola" the Strange Fruits (from the original PSO Episode 3). It really manages to sell that feeling of a real final battle - even if, in the story, all you're doing is pushing back the darkness temporarily.

PSO2 at this point is so chock-full of music that it's kind of astonishing looking back on it now. It's approaching its fifth year of operation and there's no end in sight - along with no sign of any Western release any time soon. A shame, but I can deal. At this point I'm more waiting for PSO3 as I've kind of burnt out on PSO2, but it's nice to see that they're still supporting the game so heavily, even if I'm not 100% on board with their current direction.

I think a sequel (which is inevitable at this point, really) has a ton of potential.
 
ProgenitorCastle

ProgenitorCastle

Banned
PorygonVandal said:
Giga Baby Bowser theme from Yoshi's Island 2

Being 10, watching Baby Bowser turn Giga and then that songs starts, was hype as hell
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allintospace said:
I always think Dr. Robotnik's boss theme in Sonic 3 is slept on. It helped define boss music for me, love it to bits.
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roflwaffles said:
Honorable mentions go to:

Megaman X5 - X vs Zero theme
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Moaradin said:
Wonderful 101 final boss theme

One of the best. Most uplifting final boss tracks that I've heard.
Click to expand...

Bane said:
Bayonetta - In choice Between Good and Evil
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These are all great!

I'd add:

Sonic 3 Act 2 Boss FM Synthesizer ver.
Sonic 3 final boss /Sonic 3 final boss PC FM Synthesizer ver.
Sonic and Knuckles Doomsday Zone/Sonic and Knuckles Doomsday Zone PC FM Synthesizer ver.
Viewtiful Joe- Another Joe
Ico Entity
Shadow of the Colossus Grotesque Figures
Shadow of the Colossus The Opened Way
^^These last 2 are part of a set, the first one plays first and the 2nd kicks in when the weak point of the Colossus is exposed
Resident Evil REmake Final Fight
Super Mario 64 Bowser Theme
Megaman X4 Sigma 2nd
Clock Tower 3 The Time for Confrontation
Megaman 1 Boss Battle
Cocoron Boss theme
 
A

ActWan

Member
OniBarubary said:
There is literally no better boss music than Ludwig the Accursed -> Ludwig the Holy Blade in all of our Earth's history, from Bloodborne

I'm not kidding, as someone who generally was indifferent to Bloodborne's and most Souls soundtracks I will fist-fight anyone who did not hear this shit when fighting him and go "HOLY SHIT" and lose their mind.

This is easily the #1 Souls song that exists. Meet me with guns at dawn if you disagree.
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This. Freaking amazing
 
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