Boss fights are quintessentially epic and intimidating. The good ones are, anyway. When identifying the champion of boss design in 2011, how do you choose between games like Dark Souls, which woos the brave with gruesome brutality, and Zelda: Skyward Sword, which showcases the next evolution of classic boss design that has been honed throughout the course of a quarter century?

On that note, you can't mention classic boss design without recognizing Terraria for its considerably refined bosses, in spite of their understated presentation. We lauded Outland for many of the same reasons as well. There was no shortage of contention among the team as big names like Gears of War 3 fell on the cutting-room floor. It's worthy of high praise, but with stiff competition like the nightmarish Shadows of the Damned, even the mighty Delta Squad is fallible.

Feelings were hurt and egos damaged, but we all agreed that 2011 has been a hallmark year for boss fights.