Poll: Boss Title

[Gamer137]

The majority of the gaming population call the hardest and most story critical enemies as bosses. It has been around for decades. After playing MGS3 and leaning about the character named "Boss" and seeing her name on the health bar, it got me thinking. Do you think that "boss" is a good title for these special enemies, or do you think it should be changed?

I personally enjoy the title. It can fit any special enemy no matter which game you are playing, and is a big part of gaming terminology. You can call Bowser a boss. You can call Fountaine a boss. From platformers to shooters and everything in between, the title just fits.

 

[meatloaf231]

It's not a good idea to use the word "boss" unless the game is talking about a supervising employee. It just breaks the immersion.

"I just did (epic thing), and now have the (epic artifact), and am going to (big scary dungeon place) to defeat the Boss."

 

[Amnestic]

If it wasn't boss, it'd be commander, leader, special monster, or something equally grand sounding. Having it as boss is nice, short, and is pretty universal when people are talking about different games. Most, if not all, gamers, know what a 'boss' fight is.

Maybe it's simply because we haven't had any other options that are viable, but I think Boss is more than an adequate title.

 

[The Iron Ninja]

It's a bad idea to call it a boss within the game itself (breaks immersion and all that)

 

[Reload92]

Its become a part of gaming culture, no matter how much you dislike it people are still gonna call tough enemies "bosses" and locations in the game "levels".

That said I still use the terms boss and level because it is a good way to get my point across quickly without delving into character names and location names.

 

[Crunchy English]

"Boss" is just one of those artifacts of gaming that isn't going anywhere. Resident Evil, Megaman, Zelda, Mario, Kirby, Metroid, Sonic, Etc. Lots of the best games in those series were defined not by their heroes but by their boss fights. Megaman's entire premise was built on it. And where would Metroid be without Ridley showing up at least once?

Some of the things I think of as a "Boss" don't even really fit the mold.

The knife-fight in RE4 is my favourite example. That sequence is more cinema than play and really just a series of quicktime events. But it's a major point in the story and has a lot of extra tension and excitment. Ergo,to me and my friends it's a boss.

It's completely unavoidable and will always be.