In video games, the moments before a boss battle can be really intense. The music playing during these big fights can make them even more exciting or less fun. Boss battles are like the biggest test for players, where they have to use all their skills from the game. The music chosen for these battles can make players feel helpless or like heroes. It’s a crucial part of creating the mood and tension for the showdown. Let’s explore the world of video game music and discover the top 10 boss battle songs that make the fight to the end even more thrilling.
“Los Endos”, Mr. Bones
Mr. Bones may not be the most popular game in the world, but it gained notoriety as one of the leading titles on Sega Saturn. Ronnie Montrose is the name behind the game, also known as a guitarist. Throughout his career, he worked with people like Van Morrison or Herbie Hancock.
Given his music experience, he also created “Los Endos”. The song starts when Mr. Bones has to face Count DaGoulian. The song starts on a low note and keeps going up in intensity until the finale kicks in, ready to provide a unique offbeat experience.
The only problem is gamers can only hear parts of the song rather than the whole track.
“Demise of the Ritual”, Shadow of the Colossus
The concept behind Shadow of the Colossus is fairly simple. Players need to find 16 monsters and destroy them. As you advance through the game, you’ll find monsters that become more and more difficult to slay. The last one is where the music kicks in.
Now, if you’ve played similar games before, you know the last theme song is meant to give you a feeling of battle. “Demise of the Ritual” by Kow Otani is different and sounds like a funeral song. It’s relatively slow and feels quite somber here and there.
“Dark Beast Ganon”, The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild
Breath of the Wild is considered a revolutionary release in the series, mainly because it brought back the unique mix of challenge and freedom from the first game. The game was slowly dying, showing no signs of improvement whatsoever, but this title brought it back.
The interesting part is you can go for the final challenge and battle Calamity Ganon whenever you want. You can skip other quests, too, if you feel like it. Either way, the confrontation will impress you with the amazing orchestral “Dark Beast Ganon”, a release by Manaka Kataoka and Koji Kondo.
“Gwyn the Lord of Cinder”, Dark Souls
Gwyn the Lord of Cinder is your last challenge in Dark Souls. Bringing back memories from more than 1,000 years ago, the world is expecting an unfortunate fate, yet players can change the outcome of this dark scenario.
The theme song is definitely unique and sounds like nothing you would expect from such a game. Often underrated, it adds pressure to the final experience of the game. Moreover, it feels like the perfect addition to such a fantasy world.
“Dancing Mad”, Final Fantasy VI
“Dancing Mad” carries Nobuo Uematsu’s genius approach and offers a sublime piece of music that adds to the overall experience. What makes it even special is the fact that no one would expect such a masterpiece to come through Super Nintendo.
Indeed, “Dancing Mad” isn’t the most popular song in the Final Fantasy series, with “One Winged Angel” from the next release gaining more notoriety. But if you think about it, this four part symphony is more complete than any other theme in the gaming industry.
Just wait until you reach the top, and the organ starts playing.
“Wrapped in Black”, Sonic Rush
Sonic’s adventures in the gaming industry have brought together plenty of reputable composers, many of them able to create unforgettable themes. But if one of them stands out in the crowd, that’s Hideki Naganuma’s “Wrapped in Black”.
The composer has come up with a unique style that can’t be observed in too many themes. It’s not just impressive with the sound, but also with the fact that this masterpiece comes from a DS cartridge. Avid players may recognize the song, but mainly because it features quite a few samples.
“8:02”, Furi
It’s pretty hard to describe Furi because it had a bit of everything. You had some good action shooting, but you also needed impressive melee capabilities to complete it. Throw in the amazing graphics and the music, and you will have the perfect action release.
The game featured quite a few boss fights, but one in particular stood out. And not just because of the difficulty, but also because of the music coming with it.
“8:02” is probably the best rated track for this release. However, if you bother to get the whole soundtrack, you’ll also find names like Carpenter Brut and Toxic Avenger, among others.
“Dance of Illusions”, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
This is the first release in the Castlevania series that came out on a CD platform. This means audio capabilities were also taken to another level. And fortunately, developers did an amazing job at picking just the right artists for this job.
Now, some players could be familiar with “Dance of Illusions”, mainly because the song was featured in quite a few Castlevania games. To most players, however, it brings back memories regarding the Symphony of the Night. That’s when the opening fight kicks in.
“Gangplank Galleon”, Donkey Kong Country
The soundtrack for Donkey Kong Country wasn’t produced by one composer only, but by a mix of different names, David Wise, Robin Beanland and Eveline Fischer. David Wise stands out because he came up with some of the best rated theme songs in the game.
His work can also be appreciated when fighting Gangplank Galleon, the big boss in Donkey Kong Country. The composer already had a reputation for bringing music to another level by pushing the SNES sound chip further and further, but this particular release makes the difference.
The song starts in a low manner, only to develop more and more throughout the fight until it becomes a hard rock track.
“Hopes and Dreams”, Undertale
The whole soundtrack for Undertale is amazing. Take Meglovania, for example, likely to be many players’ favorite. But then, you can’t go wrong with “Hopes and Dreams”. It just takes you through a series of emotional moments. It’s powerful and kicks in at the right time, as you battle Asriel Dreemur at the end.
Produced by Toby Fox, “Hopes and Dreams” is one of his most personal pieces of work. If you take a minute to listen to it carefully, you’ll notice connections with quite a few characters in game, only to remind you of all the connections formed throughout your adventure.
Final words
While checking out the best boss battle songs in video games, we found that each song had its special vibe that made the battles more thrilling. From the sad tunes of “Demise of the Ritual” to the grand orchestral music of “Dark Beast Ganon”, every song made the game experience more intense and exciting. These awesome boss battle tracks didn’t just make the fights more fun; they also stuck with players, showing how music can make gaming moments truly unforgettable.
