Dr. Crusher Presents: The 30 Days of Sonic the Hedgehog (sponsored by PowerVerte)-Fin, PAGE 150

[Semi-colon e]

Favourite first bosses once again won't be very original for me.

 

Ghost Rex, Rush Adventure

 

In hindsight, it has the Rush 1 problem of waiting around to actually hit it and it's definitely one of the weakest bosses in the game. But holy shit the first fucking boss is a giant robotic T-Rex! What a great way to start the game. The scale of it and how it starts to use both screens unlike the Rush 1 bosses really set the scene, especially as all the badniks were miniature prehistoric things. Then the first boss comes along and it's massive.

 

Chaos 0, SA1

 

Just comes out of nowhere. The game immediately starts with a boss, except it's like "who is this, what are his attacks, where's he gone now I've beaten him?" I always really liked this because it's instant action and instantly mysterious. It may not be the most grandiose fight, but it really sets the stage and shit gets real very quickly. I like it when games do actiony openings, and this is a really good one with great (for the time) presentation, especially how it's at night and it's all dramatic and raining. Unleashed's awesome opening should have had a boss straight away as well, it would have been insane.

 

Green Hill's boss

 

Yeah, the wrecking ball is iconic and not as done to death as the zone itself. It's not really a particularly awesome boss now but it's a nice first boss and it is the first one of the entire series and deserves mention.

[MamboCat]

Hmm... favourite first bosses?

 

1) Sonic 1's Wrecking Ball

Because it's an absolute classic and I love the way it looks in the new StealthTax version; ever so slightly stretched out, and you can't smack Robotnik until he's already got the wrecking ball out.

 

2) Sonic and Knuckles' Gauntlet through the Woods

As I mentioned before, Mushroom Hill Zone's boss (not counting the mini boss is OK, right?) is one I enjoy because it's running through the woods, avoiding traps and chasing Robotnik (or Eggrobo in Knuckles' case). It's rather exciting for a first boss!

 

3) Sonic 4 Episode 2's Tentacles of Doom

Oh look, it's the pillars from Aquatic Ruin Zo..... oh.

The first time I played it I laughed my ass off.

 

4) Sonic Unleashed's Egg Beetle

Again, chasing stuff is so damn fun... but this time it looks bloody glorious in HDEEEEEE!

 

5) Sonic Generations' Race with Metal Sonic

More a rival battle than a boss, but still... it's an awesome recreation of the Sonic CD chase. Love the remix of Stardust Speedway's music as well... and to top it all off, Classic Sonic doing an awesome roundhouse kick to Metal's face! YEEEEEEEEEEEAH!

[Ducktor Naldush]

Day 4 Favorite First Boss

 

Ok, I'll make this short and quick:

 

Sonic The Hedgehog (Mega Drive)

Wrecking Ball!

It's an iconic boss battle, just like Mario fighting Bowser on the bridge, or Simon Belmont defeating Dracula for the first time. Sure, it's easy as heck, but if you want to get out unharmed, you've gotta know how to scramble this egg! It requires good timing and a good control of the character. Just like  a first boss should be, if you ask me.

 

 

Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast, Gamecube)

Chaos 0

Ah, the 3D dimension! You're gonna kick Eggman's butt not only in lenght and height, but also in depth! So, it's only logical to begin this adventure with Sonic fighting a water monster! No, just kidding, I love this boss fight. It's a good way to make the player accustumed to the new controls. Also, this guy can stretch its limbs to attack you from lampposts! Werehog, eat your heart out!

 

Sonic Adventure 2 (Dreamcast, Gamecube)

Big Foot

I may not be the biggest GUN fan around, I just  don't like the idea of an army controlled by the government in a Sonic game, but this boss is a great way to reinforce the atmosphere of the game; you're chased by a clearly daltonic law for a crime you didn't commit. A law that can use giant flying robots. The best kind of law, actually. But, eh, Sonic has made a career out of thrashing robots. And once you get the Bounce Bracelet, this guy becomes a complete joke. A funny joke, but a joke nevertheless. Moving on.

 

Sonic And The Black Knight (Wii)

King Arthur

Sonic fighting the king of legends? In my Wii game? The Storybook series was weird, but I loved it. This fight is also a great way to get your hand on the new  controls and a nice appetizer for fights to come. Also, did I mention that the music used for this fight is SO good? Because it is.

[spinny]

Favourite first bosses, go!

 

 

Green Hill Zone - Wrecking Ball (Sonic the Hedgehog)

 

Once again, it's iconic and the boss that started it all, Sonic's very first encounter with Eggman. It's pretty simple to most these days for obvious reasons, but if it's your first time, it has a strangely challenging feel to it.

 

 

Station Square - Chaos Zero (Sonic Adventure)

 

It's an amazingly climactic boss fight for the very beginning of the game. It reveals a very large plot point that's carried throughout the game but keep it very subtle at the time. Plus, awesome music and amazing visuals... guards shooting after already realizing their weapons are useless, but hey, Sonic Adventure.

 

 

Plant Kingdom - Ghost Rex (Sonic Rush Adventure)

 

Another one of SRA's flawless points, its bosses. Rush Adventure has easily some of the best bosses in the Sonic franchise and this one is no exception. Granted, it's a little more straightforward than later bosses (one little downside), but it's still a pumpin' boss fight overall. The music especially helps. BEAT KICKS THE BEAT KICKS THE ROCKIN

 

 

Stardust Speedway Bad Future - Metal Sonic (Sonic Generations HD)

 

The Sonic CD fight done right. I was never really a fan of the messily-designed race that you had with Metal in Sonic CD, and this one takes that but turns it into an actual fight rather than a race. Also, that remix of the JP Bad Future music, even though I much prefer the original, it's still awesome.

[Jolt_TH]

Day 4: favourite first boss

This is a bit easier, but not by much

Chaos 0

This boss is soo good as an opening boss, it has the tension cranked all the way up to 11, the game jumps you straight into the boss, not even a stage first, that's new! I really love the design and his attack patterns can be quite hard to dodge for a beginner player, he's easy but not a pushover.

Metal Sonic

I'm not sure if it counts as a boss battle or a rival battle but I really love this fight. It's an excellent recreation of CD but turned into more of a fight between the two. It's really well animated and the beginning and ending cutscenes are amazing. Plus I LOVE the remix!

Big Arm

I count this as the first boss in generations 3DS as the "rival fights" are really just races. Anyway although this boss is stupidly easy it looks really cool and I like the new attacks it's been given. Mostly though, it's the Cashcash remix that makes it for me. It fits so well with the boss and gets you all pumped up.

[Kuzu]

Missed yesterday, will not miss today's adventure:
 
 

Ragna's favorite bosses.

 

 

 

First off the bat, Chaos 0. What I liked about Chaos was the air of mystery surrounding him, you didn't know what or who this little shit was, but he was fucking things up and you knew he had to go down. 

 

 

Second is, Egg Cerberus. (NO, YOU CAN'T LIKE SANIC 06 MAN) yea well, I just did. I liked the Egg Cerberus, if only because of how different its design is from typical boss fights, and Eggman's machines in general. Its not a simple "Hit until its dead" mentality like most of the series`bosses tend to be, but you actually have to use the environment around you to damage it. It was unique and refreshing, and kinda something I wish the series would tackle more in the future.

 

I will also echo the SRA T-Rex as well, because its a motherfucking T-Rex...that breathes fire. The music and everything was just perfect about it.

[TearForFear]

Favourite first bosses, uh?

 

In no particular order:

 

Zazz - Sonic Lost World

Since the player doesn't know what to expect from a tipical Boss Level in SLW, it can be quite thrilling to ear Zazz screaming out of nowhere in the middle of the level. Where are you Zazz? I know you're here, come out? Uh, nothing? Okay, maybe I imagine things...

Then at one point you see that... Majora's Mask Moon's Little Sister in the background, watching you while Zazz keeps yelling his death threats.

Finally the bastard comes out -riding the moon- and the real fight begins, accompanied by one of the most elecrtifying boss music ever.

In a sense, this fight is the Deadly Six's business card. And it fulfill its purpose perfectly.

 

Egg Beetle - Sonic Unleashed

Bonus point for being the very first boss of the Modern Era (if I'm not mistaken). This mech looks so amazing: his design, his colors...

Yeah, those too.

And the fight in general is so fast you almost feels the air in your face and you're not sure if you can blink or not.

 

Chaos 2 - Sonic Adventure

It's the first boss in Knuckles' Story, so it does count. Right?

I like this boss battle more than that with Chaos 0 mostly because of the setting. I mean, it's Knuckles and Chaos brawling in a restaurant/ball room with chandelier and all!

[StaticMania]

Favorite First Bosses:

 

Mushroom Hill Zone's(Forest Running Boss):

I've always liked the concept of running bosses, and I realize that I like them even more when done right. As the first real boss of Sonic&Knuckles, I thought that a running boss was a really cool and unique way of having a boss battle. Since its the 1st boss, its pretty easy with a simple pattern of spikes that you dodge by jumping over or rolling under and small instance of timing to avoid getting hit by Eggman's jet booster fire. Its easy, but its still a fun boss fight in its own way and I like how the machine is pair shaped for some reason, its like I'm questioning whether or not it was intentional.

 

Sonic Rush Adventure's(Ghost Rex):

A giant mechanical "Ghost" T-Rex...that is literally one of the last things I would've expected from a Sonic game boss, let alone the 1st boss of the game. What I like about this boss in particular for not only being accompanied by one of the greatest Sonic Boss themes ever is that the boss is also quite challenging...I mean you could legitimately die on this boss if you aren't careful. It has a relatively simple pattern, but the thing that can actually get to you is how fast it reacts after it prepares to attack. Its still pretty easy, but it actually provides something noteable of actual difficulty for a 1st boss in a Sonic game.

[Dr. Crusher]

Robotnik can get his weak ass shit out of my face.

 

But Robotnik and maybe Nega made the Ghost Rex.

 

 

A lot of people are tired of the idea of Eggman losing control to some crazy monster he's trying to command, but it was a new concept when it happened in this game.

 

Chaos is different because due to his revealed-to-be sympathetic backstory, said betrayal feels more like a heartfelt King Kong situation, as opposed to the typical and undesired "haha I'm better than you" situation like with most other examples.

 

(To me. It feels like that to me.)

 

I may not be the biggest GUN fan around, I just don't like the idea of an army controlled by the government in a Sonic game,

 

If it makes you feel better, G.U.N. generally leaves a bad taste in my mouth as well.

 

Granted, it's a little more straightforward than later bosses (one little downside)

 

Well to be fair, it is still the first boss we're talking about. Of course it's not going to be as complex as later ones.

[TheOcelot]

Drill Eggman:

 

 

 

After Sonic 1, I find it iconic when you see Eggman land in the Drill machine. It feels like an "I'm back, okay hedgehog lets continue where we left off" kind of statement. There is no hiding under platforms this time, like you got with the Green Hill zone boss. You either jump or take damage. The music is more menacing and fast paced. I bet I wasn't the only one who got caught-out when Eggman shoots the drill at Sonic after the seventh hit. I swear that drill killed me the first time I tried to beat the boss, and as a result I never forget it. Also, when you defeat the boss I always feel obliged to jump up and avoid the wheels from the wreckage even though they don't do any damage. A fun first fight.

 

 

 

 

 

Fire Breath:

 

This fight is far more dangerous compared to Sonic 1 & 2's first bosses. The platform to the far left breaks creating a death pit which can catch you out, and Eggman shoots fire balls at Sonic which can be tricky to avoid (even more so with Knuckles) unless of course you have the fire shield. You see the boss approaching in the background before the fight even begins, which creates tension.

 

Then when you have defeated the boss, the animal capsule approaches from above (instead of being on the ground) which was unexpected, and Knuckles gives you a helping hand....

 

It's a more complex battle with Eggman moving - behind the waterfall - to different locations, forcing the player to move and change their tactics. All in all a fantastic entrance by the good doctor. Also has one of my favourite boss music tracks <3

 

 

 

 

 

 

Egg Cerberus

 

Yes, I'm not joking!

 

 

 

As much as I dislike Sonic 06, I always had a thing for the first boss which takes place in a large arena. I find it to be slightly intimidating being charged at by a dog like machine which is fucking enormous, and I think the idea of grinding on top of it to be really cool. Okay, yes that boss is far from perfect, but I felt it was a good impression for a first boss fight. It felt more epic than the first bosses in the previous 3d games. The music also makes it feel dramatic.

[spinny]

Well to be fair, it is still the first boss we're talking about. Of course it's not going to be as complex as later ones.

 

That's why I still gave it a bit of slack regardless of that, if I was being really cruel it wouldn't have been up there because of that :U

[azoo]

I'm gonna try not to number things from now on since I got too many favorites.. kind of regretting numbering my last entry, lol.

 

But wow, I am SO glad people are mentioning Egg Beetle a lot. 

 

Because I mean..

 

 

 

Seriously, this was the most exciting first boss I've ever played. The way this boss plays out is very cinematic but also very controllable, making like this perfect combination that is just too much awesome to properly describe or give justice, but I'll try anyway.

 

That *thunk* you can feel when you send Eggman's mecha flying and tumbling across the path in front of you; that intense rush when you realize that you're doing intricate dodging when moving at mach speed, when you're able to time your moves just right and everything works out so well.. MAN OOooOOooo this boss gives you the ride of your life.

 

And the best part? The daytime bosses past this are even better. 

 

Honorable mentions: Chaos 0 (for being an easy enough boss to get Sonic in 3D for the first time), Advance 1 Hammer Boss (the pinch mode it has used to scare me so bad when playing and that's awesome), SCD's Spring thing (best joke boss :V )

[Chooch]

Favorite first boss? Probably the Egg Beetle from Sonic Unleashed to be honest. Most of the memorable bosses in Sonic games are much further in the game. The boss battle at the end of Green Hill in the original game naturally comes to mind, but Egg Beetle is probably the only first boss in a Sonic game that really wowed me upon my first playthrough.

 

The Egg Beetle is pretty intense. The combination of the music, dynamic camera angles and Mike Pollock's line delivery really help. The sense of impact upon successful attacks against it as well as the wildly fast pace of the entire thing really give you the sense of two super powers facing off against each other. The entirety of Unleashed has that massive scale really. That's why I like it so much.

[PickleBrows]

Day 4: Favorite First Bosses

 

Can't really say I have any though if I had to pick one I'd probably go for Unleashed's Egg Beetle. It's a fast paced chaser boss that offers a nice amount of excitement. A nice touch is the music track which transitions into The World Venture from time to time, adds an extra layer of epicness.

 

I'll also give props to CD's Pink-o-Matic (yes, I named it). It's a complete shambles of a boss fight but I'll be damned if I didn't get a laugh out of it when I realised it's weak point for the first time.

[Rusty Spy]

Day 4: Favorite First Boss

 

Hardly anything to say about this one. I'll have to go with the Egg Beetle, simply because it's by far the most exciting first boss. Definitely a good introduction to the games wild ride.

 

Also, "YOUR MANNERS ARE AS BAD AS EVER!"

[Covskin]

How cheeky would it be to say Zero, as he's the first and only boss for Amy in Sonic Adventure? Too cheeky, I know. I want to save that boss for later anyway, haha.

 

 

First off, I want to give some more love to the Scorpion Robot from Spinball. Not the greatest of games, but its a robot that really looks menacing. Like all first bosses there isn't a massive element of danger, but it can be tricky to position yourself into that hit box. But once you do, seeing Sonic bounce around at such speed, you really get a sense of the damage you're causing. Not many give you that almost visceral sense.

 

Mushroom Hill Zone's running boss get's a mention too, as we hadn't seen a boss like that before. If you don't have a Fire Shield, you can get hurt by the backward thrust jets, which is easy to do if you focus too much on the spiked barricades.

 

As for 3D, Generations' Death Egg Robot was a welcome sight. Obviously they had to nerf the difficulty, but the opening bears a decent resemblance to the original battle, then halfway through it turns into something completely different. Don't forget the music ramping up in intensity as well.

[Tori Himemiya]

PRESIDENT CROW'S DAY 4 OF DEFEATING WEK BOSSES!

It took me a while to figure out what first boss I like since they aren't that memorable to me as later bosses so I had to remember what bosses were there. So here we go!

STUPID LITTLE DRILL TANK!

Alright so. After the events of Sonic 1 and Sonic beat Eggman only for him to show up again. After seeing so many deadly robots from him, you'd expect him to pull out something so dangerous that can kill you off no problem. Eggman descends from the sky with a helicopter attachment and starts driving this drill tank, which is one of his best machines yet.

...Until he forgot Sonic could jump on him. Seriously this is one of the most pathetic fights ever since Sonic just needs to jump on him. He only "attack" he does is drive from side to side hoping Sonic isn't dumb enough to dodge. He does shoot his drill eventually but that's just a desperation move since its obvious his tank is falling apart. The fact that this boss is pretty easy makes it just so memorable. It gets the point where this boss is playable in MUGEN. And it does deserve its reputation and I'll always remember that stupid drill tank.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecns_W9q_s0

Zazz!

Well its less about the boss fight for me and more me liking the character in question. When you fight Zazz he uses the moon to fight but knocking him down will have him trying to charge at you. While I suppose the boss fight wasn't very memorable, its just so entertaining to watch Zazz trying to fight you. He's one of my favorite Sonic characters in years and he's pretty hilarious.

[DocAzure]

First bosses? Well, let's see here.

 

First up, we've got the...pincer...claw...guy? Egg Beetle, that's it. As much as I dislike Unleashed, this boss really showed off it's best aspects, sheer speed, you can actually feel when you've hit it. So insanely satisfying (if a little easy), I absolutely love just going back and doing this boss, it's actually one of the few things that make me want to play Unleashed again. Oh, and of course, that Eggman banter during the fight, "YOUR MANNERS ARE AS BAD AS EVER!".

 

Indeed, I'm only going to go for two, because usually first bosses in Sonic games are rather...forgettable, honestly. I don't want to say Chaos, for example, because it just felt...far too simple for my tastes. Anyway, enough hating, more loving. On a purely nostalgic level, I feel I have to say the Egg Albatross from Sonic Heroes. Yes, another game I don't really like. I found this boss to be pretty fun, you had options, you could choose WHERE you wanted to strike first. Sure, it usually just turned into body slamming the body with your power character...but where was the fun in that? It's design too, really very comical and silly looking, perfect for the feel of the game. I mean, that gaping mouth made me laugh pretty hard the first time it awkwardly hovered down. Perhaps that was unintentional, but regardless.

 

I look forward to the next one, Mr Crusher-man

[Dr. Crusher]

Indeed, I'm only going to go for two, because usually first bosses in Sonic games are rather...forgettable, honestly. I don't want to say Chaos, for example, because it just felt...far too simple for my tastes. Anyway, enough hating, more loving. On a purely nostalgic level, I feel I have to say the Egg Albatross from Sonic Heroes. Yes, another game I don't really like. I found this boss to be pretty fun, you had options, you could choose WHERE you wanted to strike first. Sure, it usually just turned into body slamming the body with your power character...but where was the fun in that? It's design too, really very comical and silly looking, perfect for the feel of the game. I mean, that gaping mouth made me laugh pretty hard the first time it awkwardly hovered down. Perhaps that was unintentional, but regardless.

 

I think you might be thinking of the Egg Hawk.  Understandable mistake though, since the Egg Albatross is basically just the Egg Hawk on a blimp.

[DocAzure]

I think you might be thinking of the Egg Hawk.  Understandable mistake though, since the Egg Albatross is basically just the Egg Hawk on a blimp.

 

Indeed I was. Shows how long it's been since I've last played Heroes. 

[Pawn]

                        

 

 

 

This is a difficult one, but I'd probably go with Chaos 0 and the GUN mechs you face with Sonic and Shadow. As others have said, Chaos 0 was the first enemy you face in the main series that wasn't Eggman, one of his robots or another character like Knuckles. What is it? Why is it here? It's a god? It was super exciting just to be asking so many questions already. The same goes for the GUN 'bots, in that you don't know why they're after Sonic if you start with the Hero Story. It was great to see Sonic so recklessly defy them without a second thought. They were also interesting simply for being the first mechanical foes not to be built or piloted by Eggman.

 

Oh and playing as Shadow for the first time was awesome. Dat skating animation.

 

 

If I were to pick one of Eggman's though... it would be:

 

 

 

 

The ol' Jet Mobile. It was the first scrolling boss in the main series and an amusing one at that, as Eggman spends the whole time backing away from you before crashing into a tree.

[MamboCat]

Also, "YOUR MANNERS ARE AS BAD AS EVER!"

 

Oooh shit, yeah! I had forgotten like that. Eggman cursing Sonic like a disappointed parent(!)

[buba]

Question #4: What are your favourite first bosses?

 

My favorite first bosses? Well, those things are pretty damn forgettable excluding the ones from Sonic 1 and 2 since you where pretty much forced to beat them everytime you decided to play the games.

Looking at a list, I remembered this little gem: The Egg Turtle from Sonic Rivals.

 

 

You basically run around a circular field while the turtle rotates and when it decides to stop and pop out its head and tail you hit it. Hitting the tail will create a shockwave that damages both the rival and player, while hitting the head gives you one point. As it takes several hits, the turtle will start to spin faster, even while sticking out its head and tail. The first to score 6 points wins.

[Vertekins]

Egg Beetle in HD Unleashed was a notably great first boss.

 

It has a variety of attacks that use both the 3D and 2D plane well, has an overall pretty cool design, the boss is frenetic and fast-paced and the 'arena' is graphically lush and awesome, taking place around what is probably the biggest Baobab tree in Mazuri.

 

I also love Eggman's lines throughout the fight. He cackles when he hits Sonic and expresses fury whenever he gets hit and even begs Sonic to stop hitting him. He's back to being good old Dr Eggman, not the pussy he was in Shadow or the thoroughly charmless and boring serious business villain he was in '06.

[Indigo Rush]

Egg Beetle in HD Unleashed was a notably great first boss.

 

It has a variety of attacks that use both the 3D and 2D plane well, has an overall pretty cool design, the boss is frenetic and fast-paced and the 'arena' is graphically lush and awesome, taking place around what is probably the biggest Baobab tree in Mazuri.

 

I also love Eggman's lines throughout the fight. He cackles when he hits Sonic and expresses fury whenever he gets hit and even begs Sonic to stop hitting him. He's back to being good old Dr Eggman, not the pussy he was in Shadow or the thoroughly charmless and boring serious business villain he was in '06.

 

I think that may be it.

 

After Sonic 06 and Shadow, it feels like this is the first time I actually fought Eggman.

 

Like, I can't really express or explain it, but please pardon my terminology - 

 

I felt like I was fighting Dr. Robotnik again.

 

I know, it's petty, I know they're the same guy, but growing up I've always associated Robotnik with the classic era of bosses that were frustrating at first but piss-easy after you figured it out. The Egg Beetle is exactly like that - once you figure it out, he's wasted in under a minute.

 

But that banter is probably what does it. Sonic and Eggman talk like this is another walk in the park.

 

"Your manners are as bad as ever!" 

 

"Same as ever, all bark and no bite!"

 

It feels like a grand reunion after Eggman playing second fiddle to some monster of the week - it felt like Dr Robotnik was back with his latest insect-themed mechanical creation.

 

I mean I may be reading too much into it, but the Egg Beetle meant something to me on a personal level.

 

 

Besides that, the music was great, the pacing was intense, and overall it was a simple but fun boss fight.