By Samson Lancaster – Editor-In-Chief
This is a comprehensive list of some of the most memorable Final Boss Battle themes from my gaming history. This list includes only FINAL Boss battles not mini-bosses or standard bosses. The tracks are from original scores/soundtracks and are in order from least to most impressive.
10. Castlevania “Final Battle 01: Nothing to Lose” (NES) – 1986 Kinuyo Yamashita and Satoe Terashima
Classic, just classic, that is all.
9. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time “Final Battle Against Ganon” (N64) – 1998 Koji Kondo
Not as memorable as most, but still one of the more epic of Zelda battles. Ocarina of Time is still one of my all time favorites and it delivers when it comes to this final battle music.
8. Ghouls’n Ghosts “Loki/Lucifer” (Sega Genesis/Mega Drive) – 1989 Tamayo Kawamoto
This game was hard as hell, and the Final Boss was the epitome of this. This is a very traditional terror inducing track.
7. Wolfenstein 3D “The Ultimate Challenge” (PC) – 1992 Bobby Prince
Who better to be a final boss in a war against nazis, than Hitler himself? This music is almost patriotic, but I would say it represents more of an allied front. Hitler did have the best death in this game. “Eva, auf Wiedersehen…”
6. Super Metroid – “Mother Brain” (SNES) – 1994 Kenji Yamamoto and Minako Hamano
This seriously had the makings of a horror flick. Frankly Mother Brain was pretty horrifying to be quite honest. I think what was even more epic was the escape after you defeated her.
5. The Legend of Zelda “Ganon Dungeon” (NES) – 1986 Koji Kondo
One of the OG final boss battles, the very first time you battle Ganon in the Zelda Series. Though Koji used this music both for the dungeon and the final battle it still rings true as one of the first notable final boss battles!
4. Final Fantasy VI – “Dancing Mad” (SNES) – 1995 Nobuo Uematsu
What is more creepily epic than an insane clown bishonen? This sounds like a spooky circus opera, I don’t know if you can get more twisted than that? Kefka Palazzo was truly an epic psychopath, enough said. Probably the second most memorable FF Final Boss Battle for me.
3. Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen “Wave of Darkness” (SNES) – 1993 Hitoshi Sakimoto, Masaharu Iwata and Hayato Matsuo
You have seen this game a few times in my previous lists. Nothing can deny how epic this game is, was and ever will be. The final battle truly was a tough fight, unless you saved all your tarot cards…
2. Super Mario RPG – “Fight Against Smithy” (SNES) – 1996 Yoko Shimomura, Koji Kondo and Nobuo Uematsu
I have never played any other Mario boss battle that was as epic as Smithy. There is a certain Final Fantasy feel to this battle as he has more than one form or stage. I love this music, I really did want it to last forever. This somehow is upbeat and dreadful at the same time, I’m certain the synth street organ has something to do with it.
1. Final Fantasy VII – “One Winged Angel” (Playstation) – 1997 Nobuo Uematsu
Such a sense of dread Nobuo instills with this cacophony of epic proportions. Who else finds this to be the most memorable of all Final Fantasy Final Battles? How can you harmonize chaos? Just ask Uematsu-san.
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