Special Achievement

Best Boss Fights

Bosses can be a serious pain. They stand waiting for you at the end of a level, fully rested and raring to go, and you have to figure out how to counter their many moves while landing attacks of your own. It's a fine "how do you do" after making your way through a particularly nasty level, and only a few games make these deadly encounters truly memorable. Developers can't just stick an all-consuming beast at the end, or you'll be frustrated, and presenting you with a weak-willed pushover is hardly rewarding. The best games show an understanding of how well-designed bosses can make a game truly great by making these adversaries a joy to challenge.

Editorial Nominees

Editors' Choice Winner

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Readers' Choice Voting

Info Title Vote
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Demon's Souls

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Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

 Vote
Info

Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?

 Vote
Info

Wolfenstein

 Vote
Info

Ninja Blade

 Vote
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Shatter

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Info

LIT

 Vote
Info

Batman: Arkham Asylum

 Vote
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Bit.Trip Void

 Vote
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Splosion Man

 Vote

20 Comments

  • Racer850

    Posted Dec 27, 2009 7:28 am GMT

    Batman AA had some fantastic boss fights.

  • Tomrock101

    Posted Dec 23, 2009 6:08 pm GMT

    Wolfenstein. I love the boss fights.

  • x-2tha-z

    Posted Dec 23, 2009 6:02 pm GMT

    Why are people voting for Batman? The boss fights in that game weren't very good.

  • Nuggetol

    Posted Dec 23, 2009 6:25 am GMT

    @Flameberge: I actually voted for Ninja Blade, that game actually makes the bosses interesting (if they are a bit annoying).

  • Flameberge

    Posted Dec 22, 2009 3:03 pm GMT

    Are people voting for Batman, because its the only game out of that list they actually bought? Lol, its Boss fights were the worst and most annoying part of the game, especially the Joker and Poison Ivy battles. Double especially for the joker fight actually Was a pretty crap note on which to end the game...

  • sambob530

    Posted Dec 22, 2009 10:15 am GMT

    Dunno, Ninja Blade had some good ones.

  • andy_lyall

    Posted Dec 22, 2009 2:49 am GMT

    Wow, readers are voting for Batman. Did nobody else play the killer kroc level? Or even Bane? Or Poison Ivy? Or.... every other boss fight in that game. It's credit to the quality of the rest of the game that it's still incredible despite the bosses. Demon's Souls wins that for me mostly because of the overwhelming scale of them. They're terrifying the first time you reach each one.

  • HavQ-san

    Posted Dec 21, 2009 4:32 pm GMT

    Prinny or Mario. Definitely the most fun, yet entertaining boss battles ever.

  • myungish

    Posted Dec 20, 2009 1:59 pm GMT

    batman's bosses were too easy. especially the final one...

  • linkyshinks

    Posted Dec 20, 2009 6:58 am GMT

    Mario & Luigi 3's were great.

  • TheClown24

    Posted Dec 20, 2009 12:49 am GMT

    arkham asylum had shocking boss fights, it was the one thing which brought what otherwise was a great game down

  • chocolate1325

    Posted Dec 19, 2009 8:00 am GMT

    Mario and Luigi Bowser Inside Story many cool boss fights I found Batmans a little dissapointing espically the final boss.

  • efc91

    Posted Dec 19, 2009 1:09 am GMT

    Batman

  • English-Lion

    Posted Dec 18, 2009 8:40 am GMT

    Batman: Arkham Asylum!
    Best Boss Fights YES!
    And good fun playing to!

  • MarioGirl64

    Posted Dec 18, 2009 6:10 am GMT

    BIS's bosses were very fun but a little too easy.

  • viper_najem

    Posted Dec 18, 2009 4:52 am GMT

    OK. Batman is a great game with average boss fights... How is it rated so high? Are people dumb or what? (Don't answer that). The boss fights in Demon's Souls are so brutal and awesome they make Batman look like a leper Robin wannabe... Seriously now! This sucks...

  • DanteKilla

    Posted Dec 18, 2009 3:53 am GMT

    hmm..fair enough with killer croc not being that fun. But i had a whole lot of fun with scarecrow. But i had to vote batman. Iv only played batman and shatter and the batman bosses are alot better than shatters=D

  • Joeker96

    Posted Dec 18, 2009 3:23 am GMT

    Batmans bosses are just average, your telling me you've never had to beat a boss by running him into a wall before? I went for Ninja Blade, the bosses are massive and they're all varied.

  • eastwoodmaniac

    Posted Dec 18, 2009 2:06 am GMT

    I saw Batman again and my heart just sank. People seem to be voting for the games that they like rather than how well they fit into the award category. Shame, cos Demon's Souls bosses are truly the most terrifying and impressive I've ever come across.

  • JustPlainLucas

    Posted Dec 17, 2009 9:07 pm GMT

    Sorry, but I disagree here. Batman's boss fights, although fun, weren't that great to be winning by a landslide. I honestly had more fun with Bowser's Inside Story's bosses than Batman's.

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Table of Contents

Winner Reveal Schedule

  • Dec 21
    Special Achievement
  • Dec 22
    Dubious Honors
  • Dec 23
    Genre Awards
  • Dec 24
    Platform Awards
  • Dec 25
    Game of the Year

Readers' Choice winners are announced Jan. 27, 2010