Just what it says. Spoiler any spoilers if needed. I’ll toss a few.
The final boss theme from MGR’s Bladewolf DLC has really grown on me. Lots of clever irony as you fight a lunatic American patriot who thinks he’s doing good for another country while not understanding a single thing about them. Sounds very heroic and blood pumping, offset by the dissonance in the lyrics.
Yakuza 4’s Majima battle theme is probably my favorite of them all. Love how it captures the chaotic nature of the fight (since you face Majima with the slowest character in the series) while also nailing the initial personal impact in the story.
I had a big dumb smile on my face as I actually said “wait is that” when this started playing at the end of Shadow’s campaign. Absolutely perfect way to close off that game, and the lyrics even feel more appropriate now then in any of his previous adventures.
Also want to give a shout out to Didnapper 2’s absurdly good OST. The default boss theme is good, but the rival theme that plays when you finally meet back up with the woman who set the events of the game in motion after countless humiliations and finally getting to go on the offensive, only for this to start playing really hit me hard. The theme rocks hard (that guitar) but also really captures Zhara’s intensity, obsession, and overwhelming power. Legit one of my favorite moments in any game, period.
Oh man I have too many of these. I’ll post the ones that have been on my mind lately.
My all-time favorite battle theme is the original Mass Destruction from Persona 3. I remember renting this game and being interested but confused by the opening, but then I heard this battle song for the first time and immediately wanted to play the whole game through. I have listened to this for dozens of hours and I could listen for dozens more. I think inherently the idea of scoring the battle theme for a group of high school students with more trendy, forward-facing music is brilliant. It certainly sold the concept to me when I first played.
In terms of boss themes, there are so many amazing ones, but the one that will forever stay with me is Giygas’s theme from Earthbound. This music still gives me goosebumps. That whole fight has stuck with me ever since I first experienced it. Earthbound has an amazing soundtrack full of catchy tunes and excellent atmospheric/ambient tracks, but none of them quite like this. For a while, I thought this was the only song quite like this, but I recently watched the Twin Peaks movie Fire Walk With Me and Angelo Badalamenti’s Circumference of a Circle reminded me of this song. I know Twin Peaks was influential on a lot of Japanese works in the mid-90s and 2000s but I don’t know of any direct ties to Earthbound. Still I wonder if there wasn’t some influence here.
aaaaaaa such a banger - the vocal percussives and then the way the other instruments come in on the second loop is so great. Wind Waker’s music is phenomenal. The title screen still gets me misty-eyed thinking of days past.
The Doomsday Zone from Sonic 3 & Knuckles. It’s one of the best pieces of 16bit music that ever was.
For a more recent example I’m a little obsessed with Black Knife from Deltarune Chapter 3. It’s the boss at the end of a bit of a silly chapter that signifies that playtime is over.
Somehow the Deltarune music keeps one-upping itself each chapter. It is incredible to me. I remember years ago when I played Chapter 1 I was completely entranced by Rude Buster (I still am, heck it’s probably my second favorite battle theme right under Mass Destruction) but the recent chapters’ music has been so so good. I of course loved remixes/arrangements like Ruder Buster and Vapor Buster, but Black Knife was the standout for me too. It has this sort of nauseating, somber feeling. Such a great moment where the tone pivots and the stakes seem to skyrocket.
There’s just not really been anything in the previous games remotely like Black Knife and it hits like a truck, just like the boss itself. Truly great.
Problem: If you have an outrageously camp RPG with an already extravagant soundtrack, how can you surpass the standard you already set for one of the hardest boss fights in the game?
Solution: Have the boss sing his own theme!
I almost didn’t post this, because it’s such a sheer joy to realise what you’re listening to in the context of the game
My classic favorite from childhood is the Sinistral (i.e. “final boss”) music from Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals. The track is officially just called “Battle 3.” All 3 battle tracks are excellent.
Yesss this is my favorite track from SMT IV. The first time you hear this in the Minotaur fight is so intense (made even better bc the Minotaur has an incredible design). This is peak SMT music - a great blend of electronic, metal, and more traditional intruments.
YESSSSSSSSSS. FUCK YES. The minotaur fight was such a good first boss. I’ve always loved that SMT doesn’t try to hold your hand and explain how the game works. It just tosses you into the game and makes your learn weaknesses and shit.
