Difference between revisions of "Boss trick"
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| − | + | [[Image:Super Metroid - SNES - Screenshot - Mother Brain.png|thumb|256x256px|Just a few missiles and the boss will be defeated, right?]] | |
| − | Personally, I much prefer a boss tease where you have to actually fight the fake boss before the real boss shows up. Whether you have to defeat the fake boss or simply survive long enough doesn't matter as much to me, but the bait-and-switch style of immediate replacement is not nearly as exciting. | + | A '''boss tease''' is a common mechanic in gaming where the player is tricked into thinking they're about the fight the boss, or they've just defeated the boss, only to have a bigger badder boss show up. |
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| + | Games handle this in different ways. Personally, I much prefer a boss tease where you have to actually fight the fake boss before the real boss shows up. Whether you have to defeat the fake boss or simply survive long enough doesn't matter as much to me, but the bait-and-switch style of immediate replacement is not nearly as exciting. | ||
==Definition== | ==Definition== | ||
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There are generally three ways to handle a boss tease: | There are generally three ways to handle a boss tease: | ||
# The real boss appears ''after'' the player defeats the fake boss. | # The real boss appears ''after'' the player defeats the fake boss. | ||
| − | # The real boss appears ''during'' the battle with the fake boss. | + | # The real boss appears ''during'' the battle with the fake boss. Usually after you've done a set amount of damage to the fake boss, have survived for a set length of time, or have sustained a set amount of damage. |
# The real boss appears ''before'' the player even gets a chance to fight the fake boss. | # The real boss appears ''before'' the player even gets a chance to fight the fake boss. | ||
| + | |||
| + | There is a distinction between a boss tease and a boss that is simply fought in multiple stages. While the distinction is subjective, a boss tease works under the principle that the player is tricked into thinking they have won, while a multi-staged boss occurs without trickery. | ||
==Examples== | ==Examples== | ||
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! Title !! Released !! Replaced !! Notes | ! Title !! Released !! Replaced !! Notes | ||
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| − | | ''[[Bionic Commando (NES)|Bionic Commando]] || 1988-07-20 || Before || The story in the NES port treats Generalissimo Killt like he's the primary boss, but he's taken out by the real boss before you get to fight him. | + | | ''[[Bionic Commando (NES)|Bionic Commando]]'' || 1988-07-20 || Before || The story in the NES port treats Generalissimo Killt like he's the primary boss, but he's taken out by the real boss before you get to fight him. |
|- | |- | ||
| ''[[Cave Story]]'' || 2005-01-04 || Before || Just as security robot is activated, he's smashed, and you have to fight Balrog instead. | | ''[[Cave Story]]'' || 2005-01-04 || Before || Just as security robot is activated, he's smashed, and you have to fight Balrog instead. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | ''[[Mega Man II]] || 1988-12-24 || After || After you defeat a multi-staged Dr. Wily, there is a twist. | + | | ''[[Mega Man II]]'' || 1988-12-24 || After || After you defeat a multi-staged Dr. Wily, there is a twist. |
| + | |- | ||
| + | | ''[[Contra]]'' || 1987-02-20 || After || Upon reaching the alien's lair, a giant alien head appears, but it turns out to only be a miniboss. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | ''[[Contra]] || | + | | ''[[Super Contra]]'' || 1988-01-08 || After || Stage 6 ends with a multi-faced alien boss, but, when you kill it, you discover it was only the babies! |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | ''[[Super | + | | ''[[Super Metroid]]'' || 1994-03-19 || After || This game has a couple with the large metroid and the initial tease with Mother Brain. |
|} | |} | ||
Revision as of 10:24, 7 October 2019
A boss tease is a common mechanic in gaming where the player is tricked into thinking they're about the fight the boss, or they've just defeated the boss, only to have a bigger badder boss show up.
Games handle this in different ways. Personally, I much prefer a boss tease where you have to actually fight the fake boss before the real boss shows up. Whether you have to defeat the fake boss or simply survive long enough doesn't matter as much to me, but the bait-and-switch style of immediate replacement is not nearly as exciting.
Definition
There are generally three ways to handle a boss tease:
- The real boss appears after the player defeats the fake boss.
- The real boss appears during the battle with the fake boss. Usually after you've done a set amount of damage to the fake boss, have survived for a set length of time, or have sustained a set amount of damage.
- The real boss appears before the player even gets a chance to fight the fake boss.
There is a distinction between a boss tease and a boss that is simply fought in multiple stages. While the distinction is subjective, a boss tease works under the principle that the player is tricked into thinking they have won, while a multi-staged boss occurs without trickery.
Examples
This is a list of games that are important to me which feature a boss tease. For all games, see the category.
| Title | Released | Replaced | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bionic Commando | 1988-07-20 | Before | The story in the NES port treats Generalissimo Killt like he's the primary boss, but he's taken out by the real boss before you get to fight him. |
| Cave Story | 2005-01-04 | Before | Just as security robot is activated, he's smashed, and you have to fight Balrog instead. |
| Mega Man II | 1988-12-24 | After | After you defeat a multi-staged Dr. Wily, there is a twist. |
| Contra | 1987-02-20 | After | Upon reaching the alien's lair, a giant alien head appears, but it turns out to only be a miniboss. |
| Super Contra | 1988-01-08 | After | Stage 6 ends with a multi-faced alien boss, but, when you kill it, you discover it was only the babies! |
| Super Metroid | 1994-03-19 | After | This game has a couple with the large metroid and the initial tease with Mother Brain. |
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