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A boss is an enemy-based challenge (or computer-controlled opponent) which is found in video games.^[1] A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle.^[2] Boss battles are generally seen at the climax of a particular section of the game, usually at the end of a stage or level, or guarding a specific objective, and the boss enemy is generally far stronger than the opponents the player has faced up to that point.^[3]

Contents 1 History 2 Characteristics 3 References 4 External links

[edit] History

The first interactive game to feature a boss was dnd, a 1975 computer role-playing game for the PLATO system.^[4][5] One of the earliest dungeon crawls, dnd implemented many of the core concepts behind Dungeons & Dragons.^[5] The objective of the game is to retrieve an "Orb" from the bottommost dungeon.^[6] The orb is kept in a treasure room guarded by a high-level enemy named the Gold Dragon. Only by defeating the Dragon can the player claim the orb, complete the game, and be eligible to appear on the high score list.^[4][7]

The first arcade game to feature a boss was Phoenix, a fixed shooter developed by Taito in 1980.^[8] Phoenix includes five levels ("Rounds") which pit the player against swarms of alien birds. During the first two Rounds, the player is assaulted by the pigeon-like "Scouts", whereas the more formidable "Soldiers" are introduced in Rounds 3 and 4. On disposing these enemies, a giant mothership appears in the fifth and final Round.^[9]

[edit] Characteristics

Bosses are "super-powered" in comparison with regular enemies, and are usually found at the end of a level or area.^[10] Most games also include a "final" boss, which is usually the main antagonist in the story, at the very end of the game. Some well known final bosses are Bowser (Mario series), Doctor Robotnik (Sonic the Hedgehog), and Ganon (Legend of Zelda). While most games include a mixture of boss opponents and regular opponents, some games have only regular opponents and some games have only bosses – for example, Shadow of the Colossus for the PlayStation 2 has no enemies other than bosses.^[11]

[edit] References

[edit] 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