Every Monday (or perhaps Thursday in some cases) the LeftStickRight team will take on a different topic surrounding news or interesting topics about games or the gaming industry and open it up for discussion. Our three editors will give their perspective and you are welcome to give your own. Agree? Disagree?

The topic this week is: What is your most memorable final boss battle in a game this generation?

Also note that this particular feature may contain some End of Game Spoilers. You’ve been warned!

Tim’s Take

Some may balk at this, but the battle that’s left the biggest impression on me so far this generation is Bowser in Super Mario Galaxy.

It may not be considered too difficult in general standards, but style makes up for what is lacked in hardcore substance. Bowser has always had a bit of a split personality, his appearances in games ranging from “nasty, vile supervillian” to “sorta nasty lug who will team up with you again Mario but this is TOTALLY the last time, OK?” It’s honestly part of why I love the character, but it can undermine him somewhat, too.

That’s why, when Bowser first showed up in Galaxy, I had to take a step back. His intimidating-yet-not-ridiculous size, evil eyes and rustling firestorm of a mane made me think, for the first time since Mario 64, that Bowser really wanted to kick my ass.

Sure, the “hockey puck” element of knocking Bowser around in the final battle was too whimsical, but when he was on his feet he was doing all he could to pound, impale and fry you. And while New Super Mario Bros. Wii ultimately provided a giant, more evil-looking Bowser, it turned the last battle into a survival trial more than a fight and, frankly, it didn’t have as much personality for me. Galaxy gave us back a definitive badass Bowser and I’m hoping to see more in Galaxy 2.

Ian Y’s Take

have some conflicting feelings about this week’s question, mainly because I can’t remember any final boss fights in entirety (a bad sign). So instead, here are some of my favourite final boss fight moments from this generation.

Resident Evil 5: Final boss fight, chop chop!
The image of Sheva repeatedly stabbing Wesker right in his dirty glowing chest/heart/core thingy is one I that will stay with me for a while.

Bayonetta: The hamster ball of doom!
The final boss fight in Bayonetta was an interesting one. Basically you’re trapped in a giant sphere fighting something the size of a small apartment building. And if that wasn’t enough, it occasionally turns you into a helpless little girl leaving you with no option but to dodge enormous fists intent on crushing you. Fun Times!

King of Fighters 12: Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
KOF 12‘s final boss fight is memorable because the final boss just didn’t show! I had to settle with shoving my psycho-balls right into Joe Higashi’s face (yeah, that’s right).

Ian H’s Take

The scariest thing about this question to me is just how few boss battles I actually remember at all. Once I’m able to recall most game’s final moments I’m usually reminded how underwhelming the whole experience ones. Even games that I really enjoyed like Uncharted 2 and Gears of War 2 had lackluster endings for me. While there were some notably powerful endings like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the one that is pretty well etched into my mind from this generation is actually Dead Space.

It wasn’t so much the quality of the final battle. If you’ve played Lost Planet or even Resident Evil you’ve faced bosses not unlike this one. What struck me initially was the visual fidelity of the whole experience. There was a grandeur in that moment that I actually paused and soaked in just before I was in immediate danger of losing my life. It wasn’t particularly challenging, but the scale and the moments leading up to the fight made it all the more satisfying a finish to me.

That said, I will likely have the final fights in God of War 3 in my brain for a while just based on how many times I died while attempting them. I lost count after hour one.