What are your thoughts on Boss Pokemon?

[Strain42]

By that I mean (for the sake of this discussion) just non-legendary Pokemon that you have to capture/defeat in order to continue the plot of any Pokemon game.

Stuff like Snorlax and Marowak's Ghost (well obviously this one can't be caught), Sudowoodo, the Red Gyarados, Kecleon, Hypno, you get the idea.

Do you like to catch them, do you ever use them?

I'm personally a fan. I wish the Pokemon games had more stuff like this. I know the game is about using the Pokemon you like, but I do occasionally like Pokemon that feel kinda like actual party members rather than just random animals I've scooped up (while you don't fight it, I guess something like Jasmine's Steelix would apply)

So yeah, what are your thoughts?

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

I think it's awesome and I wish they use them more often.

It breaks up the same routine you go through, the whole 'explore town', 'train pokemon', and 'fight gym leader' flow.

I thought the Red Gyarados battle was awesome.

 

[Strain42]

You're right, lemme go ahead and change that.

 

[Brendan Stepladder]

It's only annoying when you only get one shot, especially in the earlier generations, when breeding is more annoying or non-existent. Trade-only Pokemon are even worse...

 

[hannahdonno]

I think they all awesome, but there is nothing worse than being confronted with a boss Pokemon unprepared and unable to capture it, as most of them are one off encounters. Turn off and on again and find you haven't saved for ages

 

[Auron225]

I like it, it adds variety. I kinda wish though there would be more of them that are impossible to catch for whatever reason, but are really really hard to beat! Since catching them is almost always an option, I always try to and it doesn't really feel like a boss fight if I could beat them without any bother but the trick is to beat them within an inch of their lives and throw pokeballs til they give up!

A few fights that need my entire team and/or a good strategy in place to win would feel more satisfying than catching them. I guess thats what the Gym leaders are for but a giant Pokemon that kick the crap out of my team are far scarier than a Gym battle. The closest thing they have to this atm are Gym leaders with one big scary Pokemon, like Jasmine's Steelix (as the OP said).