If you missed numbers 4 and 5, that's fine, just don't go whining about how I somehow "missed" your blog. K/tnx. (Okay? Thanks.) For everyone else, we have the next two bosses lined up and ready. But believe me, picking something for number 2 was a heart-tear. Anyways, if you recognize the game title, but don't want to hear spoilers on said title, stop reading ASAP.
#3: Metal Gear Solid 4~ Old Snake Versus Liquid Ocelot
Once you're fighting your brother, you once again get to see exactly why the PS3 is no longer a graphical joke. You also can't help but feel the need to say "I want to see the 360 do this!" And with good reason! Quality that is far too close to CG and far too good to just "download". It has to seen in HD, in real-time, and not on your computer. You miss what PS3 owners are talking about if you do that. Period. Anyways, the graphical presentation was a grand bonus of course, but the real meat of the matter is that you're bought into the battle under the most dramatic (good) music and fight scene this generation has seen thus far, but apparently Kojima didn't want to end the "epic" feel of the fight just because the player took control. Oh no. It's far more than just randomly mashing buttons to hit Liquid. Forcing the player to master a near new control scheme on the fly had its rewards as every "good" hit you landed on Liquid naturally turned into a 1-2 second camera change, again showing off that the graphics were all real-time, and continued the fight as if you were kinda/sorta directing the very last battle yourself...again...kinda/sorta.
You could still die and only those youtube-MGS4-fanboys could perfect that battle. And lets not forget that Symphony loves when he can figure things out himself...and that's exactly what I did when I noticed the camera angle took a final change for you and Liquid to exchange final blows. It LOOKED like a cutscene, camera angle and all, but it wasn't! The boss fight was still on and just like The Boss battle from MGS3, you had to finish the fight after learning that you still control Snake's hands. In my entire gaming life, THAT, has never been done before, and quite frankly, if anyone mastered what was done here for an entirely different game, it would have my support. What kept this game from being number 2 or 1? Well, let's just say that you don't ruin my gaming experience by having QUICK TIME EVENTS during such a great fight! It ruins everything I just said!
#2: Shadow of the Colossus~ Delta Phoenix "Avion"
Most of you HAD to have know Shadows of the Colossus had to be somewhere on here, right? The big question was, which of the 16 Colossi was I going to pick from?
If you're wondering how an oversized bird actually beat out "TEH GREAT LIQUID", let me tell you. Both fights were unique to me, but come on... in terms of originality, SotC has it beat. From the moment I walked into Avion's lair and saw the beast, my heart instantly started beating in amazing fear. "How am I going to take out a flier"? I told myself. Up until I saw it, all of the bosses were slow and grounded somehow. Out of confidence of being surrounded by a cage, I shot an arrow at the beast and gave it an arrogant smile....before it flew near me and simply used its wings to blow a gust of wind at me. I flew off into the lake and started panicking. That thing was flying around and angry that I threw an arrow at it and I was blindly swimming -1mph, hoping to find some type of ground nearby. To my happiness, I found the famous square patch found floating on the water and climbed up it. After hitting the thing with my feeble arrows once more, I noticed that this time, it was aiming to tackle me down with it's entire body this time. I was too panicked to actually "look" at Avion. I actually jumped back in the water several times before my mind actually picked up that it had grass growing on it's wing...meaning it was climbable. I just had to jump at the right time...and in the right place. Naturally, I missed my chances several times, but man! What a heart-jumper that was to actually clench on to it's wing. And the moment I grabbed on, I knew I was going to remember this boss battle for a long...long time.
The new music played, (Heart pump) and Avion flew quickly through the area, having the wind push against poor Wander while he was trying to hang on for dear life, WHILE Avion was trying to force him off via air spins. Heart pumping. (It should be noted here that Wander is the predator here. Avion is just trying to live...apparently in peace.) God forbid you don't have the strength to hold on to the monster's wing...you're just out of luck and down you fall. In this battle, you had two ways to win... You could be like me on my first go and crawl your way to the wings and then the tail to stab all its weak points, or you could do what the pros do and use the game's gravity mechanic and drop from one wing to the other when Avion does those amazing flips in the air. For those who arn't used to playing gems or are too used to action games, none of this was done with Quick Time Events. You had to jump, climb, survive with your own skills and merit. This was the first time in my gaming life that I felt bad for killing a boss, not only because it was 100% innocent, but because the boss fight was actually a blood-rush for me. Think back to that one generic cutscene some of you may looooooooooove so much. Take that, and amplify it and that's how I felt.
Sand Tiger "Dirge", (The Sandworm) as well as Trail Drifter-Phalanx (Sand Dragon...it flies) were the ones I was debating over for 2nd place. Using the horse in a way most would expect to use it in those annoying quick time events was nothing short of gaming brilliance and it is a darn shame that most of you readers haven't experienced the thrill of riding a horse during a tense and quick boss fight and (manually) spinning around while you controled your horse, (manually) aimed your arrows at a boss' eye, and (again, manually), riding your horse up to a flying creature trying to fly upwards to the sky and aiming/jumping to the wing before the Colossus can take off.
Do you all seriously still wonder why I'm so hard on boss fights in other games? Or games in general? The last game is probably unpredictable, because considering my list, you would probably be lead to believe that this boss fight had to top SotC's AND Metal Gear Solid 4's boss fights. To be fair, the top boss fight is questionably the least original boss fight on this list, but the feelings and determination that followed before/during/after sure gave it top boss fight for me. So have fun guessing and I hope you all at least read the Shadows of the Colossus winner!