The Sequential Boss trope in video games refers to bosses with multiple forms or phases during a battle. This trope is often used to increase the difficulty and length of a boss battle and add variety to the gameplay. Games often parody this trope by making the multiple forms of the boss humorous or absurd, such as in Earthbound, where the final boss is a giant, sentient hamburger.
The boss battle can also parody the trope by making the multiple forms easy to defeat or having the forms vastly different from one another. Here's a look at a few games that mimic the trope differently.
9 Asura's Wrath
Asura's Wrath is an action video game with an episodic narrative structure told through cinematic cutscenes. The game is known for its intense boss fights that play out like mini-movies, with cutscenes that last for several minutes each. The boss fights are divided into segments and often involve QTEs, where the player has to time their inputs correctly to perform moves and defeat the enemy.
The boss battles are set in different environments and have varied difficulty levels, providing a challenging experience for players. However, sometimes they feel almost hilarious due to how absurd they are.
8 Chibi Knight
Super Chibi Knight is an action-adventure web game developed by PestoForce. It features a cute chibi-style hero who embarks on a quest to save the Kingdom of Oukoku. The game offers a mix of platforming, puzzle-solving, and RPG elements. Players can upgrade their character, collect weapons and items, and interact with NPCs to progress in the story.
Super Chibi Knight features bright, hand-drawn graphics and a charming soundtrack. It has received positive reviews for its fun gameplay, captivating visuals, and engaging storyline. Additionally, it parodies the sequential boss trope when the final boss explodes, and players must fight its remaining eye.
7 BloodRayne
BloodRayne is a third-person action-adventure video game developed by Terminal Reality and published by Majesco Entertainment. It was released in 2002 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. The game is set in the 1930s and follows the story of the titular character, Rayne, a dhampir (half-human, half-vampire) who works as a vampire hunter for a secret organization.
Players control Rayne and navigate through a linear story with a mixture of hack-and-slash combat, platforming, and puzzle-solving elements. The game received mixed reviews upon release and was criticized for its camera control, repetitive gameplay, and outdated graphics. Hence, not many remember that it creatively parodied the sequential bosses trope by making the Nazi cyborg boss come back to life after defeat only to collapse back into death.
6 Kingdom of Loathing
Kingdom of Loathing (KoL) is a browser-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) first released in 2003. It has a comedic and absurdist take on fantasy RPGs, featuring stick figure graphics, humorous writing, and wacky class options such as the Disco Bandit and the Pastamancer. Players embark on adventures, battle monsters, and gain experience to increase their stats and abilities.
The Kingdom of Loathing has a deep item system, with various weapons, armor, and consumables to collect. KoL also has a strong player community, with active forums, player-run clans, and player-made content. The game parodies the sequential boss trope multiple times, as the main character references it by saying, “How many times do I have to kill you? This battle has taken over a half an hour and there's no save point!"
5 The Binding of Isaac
The Binding of Isaac is a top-down dungeon-crawler game with procedurally generated levels and over-the-top boss fights. Players control Isaac and must navigate through increasingly challenging levels, fighting off hordes of grotesque enemies and facing off against bosses that are equal parts hilarious and grotesque.
The boss battles in The Binding of Isaac are over-the-top in terms of their difficulty and the bizarre imagery they employ over multiple phases. Some bosses resemble everything from giant poop monsters to mutated fetus creatures. Despite their challenges, the boss fights are a highlight of the game and are a major reason why The Binding of Isaac has become a cult classic among rogue-like game fans.
4 Cuphead
Cuphead is a 1930s cartoon-inspired run-and-gun video game developed by Studio MDHR. The game is known for its challenging and over-the-top boss fights that often require players to dodge projectiles, memorize attack patterns, and react quickly. Boss fights come in multiple forms, from singular to multi-phase battles. Each boss is visually stunning, featuring hand-drawn animations, jazzy musical scores, and imaginative designs that bring the classic 1930s cartoons to life.
Cuphead's boss fights are a defining feature of the game, requiring skill, patience, and perseverance to defeat, making it a beloved classic among fans of challenging and rewarding games. At the same time, they also provide a great laugh due to how absurd some of the boss forms look.
3 God Of War 3
God of War 3 is an action-adventure game released in 2010 for the PlayStation 3 console. The game is the final installment in the God of War series and follows Kratos, the protagonist, on his journey to defeat the Greek gods. One of the most memorable boss fights in the game is against Hades, the god of the underworld.
In the game, players must defeat Hades using their combat skills, quick reflexes, and strategy to dodge his attacks and strike back with their weapons. The boss fight is intense and features stunning visuals, making it one of the most iconic moments in the God of War franchise. Moreover, it also subverts players' expectations by allowing players to pummel Hades into oblivion by making him much weaker in his 2nd beaten-down form.
2 Contra: Shattered Soldier
Contra: Shattered Soldier is a 2002 side-scrolling action video game developed and published by Konami. The game is a part of the Contra series and continues the original Contra game. Players control the game's protagonist, Bill Rizer, as he battles against alien forces in a series of missions.
Contra: Shattered Soldier features fast-paced action, challenging boss battles, and multiple weapons. However, it’s true final boss form is severy disappointing and easy, considering that players have to earn an S rank against all phases of Relic of Morai’s boss to unlock it.
1 The Family Guy Video Game!
The Family Guy Video Game! is a 2006 action-adventure game based on the animated television show. It features the show's main characters in various missions and parodies popular video game tropes.
The Family Guy Video Game ends with a final boss fight with the recurring character of the Giant Chicken, a nod to the typical sequential boss fight. However, instead of fighting in a single form, the player must defeat the Giant Chicken in multiple states, each with its own unique attack pattern and humorous twists. The fight adds to the overall comedic tone of the game, parodying the typical boss fight while still delivering a challenging experience for players.