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Upbeat Boss Battle Music

LaydinJinn

LaydinJinn

Member
Oct 31, 2017
339
Growing up playing early JRPGs like FF and DQ, I was always used to the grim, stressful, and sometimes even terrifying boss battle music. Those games would of course then turn it up a notch for final boss battles (Dancing Mad, or any DQ final boss music).

Then came the videogame soundtrack masterpiece that was Final Fantasy XII. There are many things to love about the soundtrack, but I ADORE the frequent use of major keys in the battle music to feel triumphant and to me elevates the epicness of the fights itself even more so than the usual compositions in the minor keys.



Apologies for Ashe's butt...blech

Even the final boss battle that started in the minor key transitioned to a major key starting at 30:20. I remember the first time in the fight I was on the brink of a party wipe, and usually I would probably just give up and reset. But I remember being so in awe of the music and thought there was no way I will wipe to this music, and pushed through to victory by throwing everything I could to stay alive. It was one of the most memorable boss battles of my gaming experience.

Final Fantasy XIV has some really amazing ones too, like the Stormblood 4.0 final boss



And the Eden's Promise Raid last floor from the latest Shadowbringers patch 5.4



This is probably my favourite schtick for video game soundtracks. What are some of your favourite examples? Please share!
 
Instant Vintage

Instant Vintage

Unshakable Resolve
Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,983


Still remains one of my favorites. It never fails to get me hyped.

Also:



There's no way this thread can happen without this video. LOL
 
Zen_Master

Zen_Master

Member
Nov 15, 2020
279
I really like how Skies of Arcadia dynamically adjusted its music based on how well you were doing in the battle. In the example below, the music adjusts to an ominous tone at about 1:24 as you're about to lose and then at 1:54 it changes again to a more hopeful tone as you take the upper hand:

 
Tetsujin

Tetsujin

Unshakable Resolve
The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
3,464
Germany
I really like the final boss theme from Sonic Colors. First phase is all dramatic but in the second phase you get an upbeat orchestral version of the theme song. Quite a few Sonic games like to do this actually.

 
blamite

blamite

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,551
One of my favorites from FFXIV that haven't been posted yet, this fight was probably the highlight of Stormblood for me:
 
Gunny T Highway

Gunny T Highway

Unshakable Resolve - One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
16,997
Canada
I love threads like these. Because it gives me an excuse to post one of my favorite JRPG tracks of all time.
 
Hoa

Hoa

Member
Jun 6, 2018
4,295
End
Of
The
Raging
Waves

One of my favorite Yuzo Koshiro tracks ever. Made grinding the Sea boss battles exciting inEO3.



And then he remixed it in EO4 and it was great



then again in EO5 and made this ABSOLUTE FREAKING BANGER! Can't believe he somehow made it even better than it already was.

 
Woylie

Woylie

Member
May 9, 2018
1,849
Yesterday I was listening to the Pokemon Colosseum soundtrack for the first time in years, and was struck by how different the boss music is compared to similar tracks from the main games.

While the rival tracks tend to be upbeat, I feel like more recent games fall back on sort of generic electric guitar stuff for the villanous team battles - Colosseum's feels surprisingly low-key where I think a newer game would throw in some metal guitars or something.

 
Nali

Nali

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,649
Twilight of the Gods drives FE Echoes' finale from climactic up to genuinely unforgettable:




And while Kirby's boss themes are always upbeat, they don't dip into major keys much. But the one time they did, it was the linchpin of HAL's efforts to blow everyone's minds when Robobot's insane half hour sequence of final bosses goes properly nuts and doesn't look back:

 
Kangi

Kangi

Profile Styler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,948
This boss tune from OMORI is like the lovechild of DDR and Paper Mario. Fitting for one of the only bosses that uses the happy emotion to make you wonder if you're here to fight or just dance




And of course, this one from Undertale which doubles as a boss fight song AND a game show song. So very, somewhat distressingly chipper

 
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