Hero style or villain style for final boss music?

[Emmett L. Brown]

Are any of the final boss themes truly heroic or simply on edge?

The ones that are just orchestral remixes of the game's main theme are definitely heroic through-and-through, because you're playing as the person whose name is in the title.

 

But I really like your observation of how much of Open Your Heart is building up the monster and the threat you're facing. It really helps that although you've been hearing the music from Open Your Heart throughout the whole game, it's only when you're facing Perfect Chaos that you get to hear the whole intro, detailing how bleak the circumstances are, which gives the Sonic-complimenting lyrics you did hear from the intro FMV a whole new perspective.

[Jolt_TH]

. Sonic and the Black Knight and Generations changed this trend, but I think with Generations they just wanted to avoid a main theme so as to make it seem more nostalgic.

.

Generations doesn't really have it's own theme anyway does it?

[Tani Coyote]

Generations doesn't really have it's own theme anyway does it?

 

That was what I was saying. It had no main theme, just a copy of an older theme, and so had no final boss theme to derive thereof.

 

...I'm picturing a boss remix of the classic menu theme now.

[ArtFenix]

Speaking of villain style of music.. I made this). I'm not into dubstep but I think it fits very well!

 

I still hate that stupid game..no, I'm not about 06.

Edited February 11, 2013 by ArtFenix

[Spin Attaxx]

Meh, the original theme was better to be honest.

[The Pit of Mystic Cave]

I think SA2's hero theme worked so well because the player wasn't really acquainted with "Biolizard" until the final story segment. Sonic and Shadow were obviously in the spotlight for the ending. Sonic 1 2 3&K, on the other hand was about a central villan, who has been present since the end of the first zone. The player has a stronger connection with Robotnik; therefore, he definately deserves the vilian theme.

[Dr. Crusher]

I'm happy to see some others giving the Time Eater motif credit, since I too agree that it was a refreshing change despite how short or simplistic it might have been.

 

To answer the thread, I prefer the villainous themes for the most part. Call me old fashioned and generic, but as with my feelings on regular levels and bosses, I like my music to fit the surroundings and/or enemies, so having "Look how super I am" music hasn't ever went that well with me personally aside from very few exceptions. If you really want to add something "heroic" in there, I'd say it's more clever to try and integrate that with the villainous theme, as if giving a musical representation of the clashing between the protagonist and antagonist in the situation, which is how I view Supporting Me... or at the very least you could make a dark reprise, hence my fondness for Perfect Dark Gaia's theme despite following the typical end-of-game-remix-of-the-main-theme route.

 

Of course, variety is the spice of life. So you have the endgame-types like Doomsday Zone and Nonagression Zone, but then you have Wrapped in Black, which is techno but still very ominous. Then there's Deep Core Zone, which is more of a personal sort of tension, a means to fill your adrenaline up. And then there's the final X-Zone boss of Advance 1, and the Genesis version of 3D Blast's Final Fight, which are a drastic change of pace, and are instead slower and more somber. Further over there, there's Final Fever, which basically sounds like Robotnik forced Beethoven to make a tune at gunpoint.

 

While I have nothing against the likes of Solaris Phase 1 or Nega-Wisp Armor Phase 1 (I love both of those, far more than Solaris Phase 2), it really must be stressed - as others here have said - that the seemingly obligatory orchestra is not the only choice you have for musical wonders. Regardless of things like limitations or even length, you

Edited February 15, 2013 by Dr. Crusher

[The Weeb with No Name]

Starting off villainous, steadily leading into heroic as you overcome.

[Kuzu]

Starting off villainous, steadily leading into heroic as you overcome.

 

I know what you're referring to...

[Tani Coyote]

Starting off villainous, steadily leading into heroic as you overcome.

 

The usual recipe, and tried and true for about 8 years!

[Kuzu]

The usual recipe, and tried and true for about 8 years!

 

He's probably talking about this specifically:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_ghYuPzvqE

 

Minor spoilers a lert.

[The Weeb with No Name]

I know what you're referring to...

 

Yeah, same kind of idea.

 

Color's final boss music had a pretty good stuff to work with but the execution was just plain off. The music took a gigantic turn for the heroic midfight with nothing particularly special happening in the battle to justify it. It felt rather jarring.

 

The best way to handle it is to have very incremental transitions as the fight goes along rather than a huge thematic turnaround right smack dab in the middle of the fight, unless the fight itself takes just as much of a dramatic turn to go along with it.

Edited February 18, 2013 by Jayhawker30

[Emmett L. Brown]

 

Sonic Rush Adventure's true final extra boss has a great example of mixing both styles together. It's villainous overall, but every time you defeat a phase of the boss and push it back the music switches to being heroic. Great pacing.

[Tara]

Starting off villainous, steadily leading into heroic as you overcome.

Actually, it would be cool to see a boss theme where the music descends into villainy and then sporadically turns heroic again towards the end.  Like so:

 

Start: Moderately heroic.

Phase 1: Boss gets harder, music becomes more villainous

Phase 2: Boss gets even harder, music becomes more and more villainous

Phase 3 (Optional): Boss gets even harder, music is downright dismal.

Phase 4: Player is very close to defeating the boss, music sporadically gets heroic and triumphant.

End: Extremely triumphant, heroic, etc.

 

It would also be interesting if they implemented what they did with Pokémon Black/White, where the music is normal when you have sufficient health, but when you're really low on health, it becomes really intense and ominous.  As the Sonic series doens't really have a meter-based system, however, that might only work for the Super Sonic stages when you're low on rings.

Edited February 19, 2013 by Akito

[Chaos Incarnate]

I could go either way on this, honestly. As long as I get a well composed, powerful piece of music that gets me pumped to beat the game, I'm all good. My favorite final boss themes are big arm( original) and Solaris phase 2. Big arm sounds incredibly villainous and catchy, while Solaris phase 2 is a fantastic orchestral remix of his world that somehow manages to sound neither heroic or villainous.

[BlueMist]

I would have to say villainous music as IMO it makes it more epic and builds up tension