Large and In Charge

Video game bosses are significant for a number of reasons. And it can all be traced back to the basic principles of storytelling. Every protagonist needs an antagonist, the yin to their yang, the hero and the villain, good versus evil, and what other clichés you can conjure. This contrast is how the human mind defines right and wrong. And it's the first pathway to making sense of the digital worlds we passively occupy.

Let's examine a certain relationship between a pudgy plumber and a fire breathing turtle. The plumber is rotund and completely non-threatening in his red overalls. The fire breathing turtle... well he BREATHES FIRE! You don't have that ability unless you plan to do some harm. The turtle’s spiked shell, sharp claws and teeth scream itchy, pointy torture as well. 

Visual cues aside let us observe how they behave in the wild. The dastardly turtle has kidnapped a princess and whisked her away to his castle! Knowing that someone might try to rescue her, the monster commands his minions to cause a ruckus within the city. The cast of would-be soldiers haphazardly waddle about and float aimlessly through the sky. Which I'm quite sure the local mushroom men find quite annoying. Seeing the exploits of the fire breathing turtle, the pudgy plumber makes it his goal to free the princess and bring peace back to the kingdom! Sure he might have to stomp a few heads and set some butts ablaze, but it’s all for the greater good you see. Hey the turtle kind started it alright!

Now ponder this for a moment. What if the fire breathing turtle didn't exist? The plumber finds himself in a world with a princess and a kingdom made of mushroom men. I guess you could wonder the countryside. See the sights. Try the local cuisine. Maybe chat up the locals. Oh the excitement! Nah, that really sounds like a boring game (unless of course it’s Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon). 

A game without conflict is hardly a game at all. Obstacles, nature, and even other players can provide some sort of challenge. But everyone loves a good villain, that someone, that being, that entity that can be the face of despair, the target of your aggression. Besides who else will define the rules and shape the battlefield that binds you.
You can take a look at any number of games and use bosses as a barometer for how far you progressed. Let’s pretend Mega Man 9 is the last game you played. No it doesn’t matter what system you downloaded it on. Stay focused! You played Mega Man 9 right? Yep. Good. How far did you make it? Shh…keep pretending you did. Make up a number. What was that? Six bosses in!? That’s actually really good for a tough game like that. Guess what? I beat all nine robot masters, the castle bosses, and Wiley himself. BOOYAH!  Get your shizzle together son, cuz you ain’t got nothing on me. END SCENE.

I’m sure there are a billion reasons why bosses are so integral to game design. But in the end it’s a moot point. Games and bosses just happen to go hand in hand. And sure you might a game or two that stray away from that time tested logic, but a majority will always have some sort of boss.

-Iodine