Boss Remix: Difference between revisions

 

See also [[Battle Theme Music]]. May overlap with [[Crowning Music of Awesome]]. Common when we have a [[Theme and Variations Soundtrack]]. Not to be confused with a remix that is [[Crowning Music of Awesome|totally boss.]]

{{examples}}

 

** ''[[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' did this with its [[Nightmare Fuel|creepy]] final dungeon music.

**** And [[What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?|bongos!]]

** In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker|Wind Waker]]'', the "stormy night" theme was a combination of the the overworld theme and Ganondorf's theme.

** ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks|The Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks]]'' has a remix of {{spoiler|Cole's theme}} for the first phase of {{spoiler|Malladus' beast form}} followed by an epic remix of the {{spoiler|[[Magic Music|song used to weaken him]]}} in the second phase, which itself is a remix of the game's main theme.

*** Also, a panicked remix of Zelda's Lullaby, when {{spoiler|Zelda tries to get her body back and fails repeatedly}}.

*** The [[Theme Music Power-Up]] during boss battles in ''TP'' is a remix of the Hyrule Field theme. Also, some bosses(especially Stallord) use remixes of "Dinosaur Boss Battle" from ''Ocarina of Time''.

* The boss fights against [[Brainwashed and Crazy]] Richter Belmont in ''[[Castlevania: Symphony of the Night]]'' and Richter's ghost in ''Portrait of Ruin'' are both set to remixes of Richter's theme from ''Rondo of Blood''. Also used in ''Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow'', where the stage music "Heart of Fire" from the old NES game was turned into an [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiSo9yL59Pw awesome boss theme].

* In ''[[Ratchet and Clank Up Your Arsenal]]'', the battle theme for Courtney Gears is a remix of her music video "Death to Squishies".

* ''[[La-Mulana]]'' is all over this trope. Each boss theme contains elements of the music for the area in which they are located. Also, the final battle is a remix of the Surface theme with parts of the Guidance Gate thrown in.

* ''[[Kid Icarus: Uprising]] has [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2Sdk8OtwUI Boss Theme 2], which plays during the battle with Medusa {{spoiler|and Palutena later on}}. It has part of the underworld theme from the original game, as well as [[Ominous Latin Chanting]].

** Also, {{spoiler|Hades'}} [[Leitmotif]] is remixed into both the music for several levels and his battle music.

 

* In the original ''[[Devil May Cry]]'', the final battle with Nelo Angelo incorporates sections of Sparda's theme, heard in the game's introduction.

* In ''[[Onimusha]] Dawn of Dreams'' Munenori Yagyu has his own battle theme. During the final battle against Jubei it becomes a remix of Jubei's and his own theme.

* In the third installement of ''[[God of War (series)|God of War]]'', The final boss battle with Zeus has [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzRYCz3CV2o this song] that contains sections from [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPRftE8qtVA Zeus Wrath Divine] from the first God Of War and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L09rqYVFxTk The Isle Of Creation] from God Of War II. Both remixed themes appeared in final boss battles of their respective games.

 

* In the arcade version of ''[[Double Dragon]] II'', Willy's battle theme is a sinister remix of the title theme. The final battles of ''[[Double Dragon]] 1'' and ''Super Double Dragon'' [[Theme Music Power-Up|reused the title theme straight]]. The main boss theme in the NES version of ''DD II'' is a remix of ''DD 1 Arcade'''s boss music. Inversely, Burnov's theme from the arcade version got used for the Trap Room level in the NES version.

 

** As is the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jWJqfzT13U Boss Rush], where it is a remix of [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYYU-rJz5tM Melee's menu theme]. It's not as intense as [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eobF6lsrYUs the Melee Battlefield's own boss remix of the theme], though.

** One of the alternate songs on ''Brawl'''s Final Destination stage is [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L01GZq2SOY8 a boss remix] of ''Melee'''s opening theme.

** Going far back to ''Melee'' itself, its Final Destination stage offers us [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCSqOCVQJT0 a boss remix] of [http://www.protoman.com/Music/Music/Super%20Smash%20Brothers/45%20Credits.mp3 the first Smash's credits theme]. A [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRbTASwCb3U special arrangement for Giga Bowser] also exists.

** Cruel Brawl has [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDRqkpOQL30 its own boss remix of Brawl's main theme], [[Wasted Song|only played in that mode]].

 

* In [[Perfect Dark]], [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs9gCBVSKLk#t=1m05s final battle's music] features the game's main theme.

** In ''[[Perfect Dark]] Zero'', the music for the second and last fight against Maihem is a combination of the game's main theme and Maihem's theme. The music for the final showdown begins with a remix of the original ''[[Perfect Dark]]'' theme.

* Not technically a boss music, but in ''[[Turok (series)|Turok 2]]'', the River of Souls theme is an extended remix of the [[Title Theme Tune]]. There's also a more frantic remix of the title theme in the sound test, as if it were meant for a boss battle, but it doesn't appear anywhere in the game.

 

* In the ''[[Time Crisis]]'' series, Wild Dog's battle theme is an intense remix of the series' main theme. The second game rearranges "Deadly Fight"(Diaz's theme) for the final battle with the [[Doomsday Device]].

* In ''[[The House of the Dead (series)|House of the Dead]] 2'', the Magician's theme is remixed with an [[Ominous Pipe Organ]] intro.

** The Magician's theme itself is a remix of the series theme.

 

* ''[[Zone of the Enders|Zone of the Enders: The Second Runner]]'' has "Air Fight," played during an [[Video Games/Awesome|epic battle]] between Jehuty and the BAHRAM fleet (and one of few [sane] times you can use your [[Wave Motion Gun]] in combat). It's a rearrange of the opening song, "Beyond the Bounds."

 

* ''[[Donkey Kong]] 64'' used a fast-paced (synth) orchestral arrangement of the level's theme (many could qualify as ambient in their standard rendition) for the boss of each stage. "Boss remix" has been used as a descriptor for fan made arrangements done in such a style.

** The boss theme and Klubba's theme in ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' 2 are both remixes of the title theme.

*** In the first game, the Final Battle soundtrack is a combination between Gruntilda's theme, game's main theme, ''Rusty Bucket Bay'' and ''Mad Monster Mansion''. In ''Banjo-Tooie'', also, the final battle is a new melody, but features Gruntilda's theme. ''Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts''' challenge music is also a remix of Gruntilda's theme, and the scrapped [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4jlk2x3Om0 final challenge music] (which is part of the game's soundtrack) is an epic combination of Grunty's theme remix and ''Banjo-Kazooie main theme''.

* In ''Wild9'', the last level has the same music as the first, only in a lower key and extended.

** In the former, the leitmotifs for the four villains are constantly rearranged for their cutscene and boss battle appearances. This is retained for Eggman in the latter.

** The [[Final Boss]] themes for the [[Sonic the Hedgehog (video game)|first]] and [[Sonic the Hedgehog 2|second]] Genesis games were remixes of their respective main boss themes.

** ''[[Sonic 3 and Knuckles|Sonic & Knuckles]]'' remixed ''Sonic 3'''s Act 2 Boss theme for its Act 1 bosses.

** The fan-made [[Sonic Robo Blast 2]] inverts this: the theme for the fourth zone is a remix of the boss theme.

* The Battle Windows/Computer Virus in ''[[Kirby]] Super Star'' has an 8-bit version of the main boss theme.

** In ''Kirby Super Star [[Video Game Remake|Ultra]]'', Dyna Blade, Wham Bam Rock and the remake-exclusive Wham Bam Jewel have a boss remix of the Castle Lololo theme from the first ''Kirby'' game, ''Kirby's Dreamland'', instead of the usual boss theme. In the same game, Masked Dedede also has a different arrangement of regular Dedede's theme.

* The Wily Stage boss theme in ''[[Mega Man 3]]'' is a faster remix of the "Wily Stages 5 & 6" theme.

** Bass's Boss theme in ''[[Mega Man 8]]'' & his shop theme in ''10'' are remixes of his ''7'' theme.

** ''Super Ghouls and Ghosts'' follows suit, although the boss remixes for levels 3 and 5 were obviously switched for some reason.

* The miniboss themes from ''[[Yoshi's Island]]'' are remixes of their introductory theme musics, probably to fit the fact that all but one are ordinary enemies turned huge by [[The Dragon|Kamek's]] magic (the one that didn't had Kamek ''shrink'' Yoshi and Baby Mario instead, who both then get eaten by said boss).

** Inverted with [[Big Bad|Bowser]] at the end of the first game however, where the final confrontation against him is actually set to ''techno music'', but after he is defeated the first part of his battle theme plays again, but this time 14 more notes are added before the choir, (his final boss theme starts with the choir) and then the Sun in which Mario and Bowser fought inside for the final battle collapses and implodes, destroying the entire universe in the process. The final boss theme as a whole (including the 14 notes before the choir at the start) can be heard in the game's official soundtrack, however.

** There's also Squizzard's battle theme from ''Galaxy 2'', which features a remix of the Fire Flower theme.

* In [[Psycho Waluigi]] the final boss theme against {{spoiler|Psycho Iris}} is a remix of the Waluigi Pinball theme mixed with {{spoiler|Psycho Iris's}} theme. It sounds creepy and quite frantic, perfect for the character that you're fighting against.

 

* ''[[Grabbed By the Ghoulies]]''' boss theme is a remix of game's main theme.

* The final battle in ''[[Baldur's Gate|Baldurs Gate]]''.

* ''[[Skies of Arcadia]]'' has an arrangement of the main theme [[Variable Mix|when you are winning]] the final battle.

* ''[[Persona 3]]'' has a boss remix of the main theme as you fight the final boss. And a battle rendition of {{spoiler|''The Poem for Everyone's Souls'', aka The Velvet Room}}, for the penultimate boss fight.

** In ''The Answer'' portion of ''[[Updated Rerelease|Persona 3 FES]]'', the final battle theme "Darkness" is a boss remix of the ending theme, "Brand New Days."

** ''Persona 3 Portable'' has "Danger Zone," the female protagonist's boss theme, which is a remix of the game's new opening theme, "Soul Phrase." The normal battle theme, "Wiping All Out" is something of a battle remix of "Soul Phrase" as well. In fact, a good deal of the female protagonist's new BGM consists of arrangements of "Soul Phrase"- similar to how several pieces of the male protagonist's BGM consist of "Burn My Dread" arrangements.

* Typically occurs in the ''[[Paper Mario (franchise)|Paper Mario]]'' series, as before each boss encounter a [[Leitmotif|theme that is specific to the boss]] plays, which is then remixed for the battle. This is most obvious with bosses whose themes play multiple times before the actual fight, such as Bowser, Grodus, and Count Bleck.

** Not to mention "The Other Promise," used for the fight against Roxas in the second game's [[Updated Rerelease]], [[Soundtrack Dissonance|though it's just as]] [[Tear Jerker|melancholic as his normal theme.]]

** {{spoiler|Xion's final form}} in ''358/2 Days'' has a remix of said character's theme that is somewhere between "The Other Promise" and your usual ''Kingdom Hearts'' boss theme in its pace.

*** Vanitas' two battle themes are remixes of {{spoiler|Ventus' theme, which in turn is an arrangement of both Roxas' and Sora's themes, with a hint of Xion's.}}

*** "Dismiss", the theme of the [[True Final Boss]], is a remix of "Fragments of Sorrow", this time incorporating aspects of {{spoiler|Terra's theme, Aqua's theme}}, and "Destati" into it.

*** "Forze dell'Oscurità" is a combination of the battle themes for Ansem and Xemnas, and is appropriately used for the battle against No Heart, {{spoiler|the Keyblade Armor of their original joined incarnation}}.

* In ''[[Parasite Eve]]'', [[Big Bad|Eve]]'s boss battle theme, "Influence of Deep", is a remix of her [[One-Woman Wail|opera singing]] from the start of the game, with techno music, some instruments and an [[Ominous Pipe Organ]] tossed in for good measure.

* The ''[[Tales (series)]]'' has a fondness for this.

** [[Tales of the Abyss]] does this more than once. The final two battle themes both contain arrangements of the menu music, and Finish the Promise includes (quite fittingly) a rather epic quotation of the Grand Fonic Hymn.

*** Further back than those, [[Tales of Symphonia]] had 3 battles with remixes of character themes. The End of a Thought, which played during {{spoiler|Lloyd's one-on-one duel with Kratos}}, It Can Waver And Fight, played during most fights with the [[Big Bad]] (as a remix of his theme), and Final Destination, the final boss theme, which is another remix of the Big Bad's theme.

** When fighting a Legendary Pokemon in FireRed/LeafGreen, the Wild Battle theme goes up a pitch.

** The Champion battle music from ''[[Pokémon Gold and Silver]]'' (and ''Heart Gold and Soul Silver'') is a remix of the main theme.

** [[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon]]: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky features a mix between the game's main theme and the [[Leitmotif]] associated with time itself for the final battle against [[Mad God|Primal Dialga]]. And it's [[Crowning Music of Awesome|awesome]].

** The original Champion Battle theme from Gen 1 gets remixed for the final Battle Subway fight in Gen 5. Practically a [[Recurring Riff]]. It might not count since Champion Battle is ([[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|obviously]]) a boss theme itself.

* ''[[Eternal Sonata]]'' has, of all things, a remix of {{spoiler|Frederic Chopin's Revolutionary Etude for the final battle against him.}}

 

* ''[[Axelay]]'' does this for each stage: The bosses' themes are darker and/or rearranged versions of the level theme, usually in a style that suits the boss. For example, the theme for the [[Humongous Mecha]] boss is more electronic than the stage music.

* Much of the music of ''[[Ikaruga]]'' [[Theme and Variations Soundtrack|is just remixes of]] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRZz1HugwNo Ideal]. But when you hear the same theme [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Zg6zCLg6cQ remixed] during a boss fight, you know something [[Nintendo Hard|nightmarishly difficult]] and [[So Cool Its Awesome|impossibly epic]] is about to happen.

* ''[[Ray Crisis]]'' selects a musical theme based on what level you start with, and all subsequent level and boss musics are variations of that theme.

 

* The theme for ''[[Ace Combat]] Zero: The Belkan War'', which appears in snippets and snatches here and there across the soundtrack, gets the full rundown in the final boss fight. A variant is "Alect Squadron" from ''Skies of Deception'', starts with a guitar solo and brings the titular piece in partway through.

 

* ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]: Twin Snakes'' contains a remixed version of Psycho Mantis' mind control music for his boss battle. Personally this troper's favourite boss battle music in a video game.

 

* ''[[Haunting Ground]]'' has an interesting version of this. Each of the three stalkers have their own [[Leitmotif]] when chasing you. During each of their boss fights, their particular motif is remixed with a sort of "template". This template remains the same for the first three three bosses, making their themes sound very similar. However, there is a part of the track that distinctively belong to the particular boss (e.g. Daniella's static interferences).

 

* Boss theme of the videogame adaptation of [[Terminator Salvation]] is a remix of Terminator's main theme.

* In ''[[Mega Man Legends]]'' when you face the final form of the big bad the music is changed to something completely different from the first forms theme. In the case of the first game the tempo was simply increased in the second game the theme was changed entirely.

* In the original ''[[Syphon Filter]]'', the themes for the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLq5LahJ748 battle with Aramov is a remix] of the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESNMQIjcAhQ&playnext=1&list=PL94CE657653E50A77&index=2 Subway] [[Battle Theme Music]], the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMmg-5HGxmc Chopper battle music] is a remix of [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECSk96UNpA4&feature=related Girdeux's battle theme], and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_uNB3PnKOc Rhoemer's battle theme] is a [[Theme Music Power-Up|powered-up remix]] of the main theme. Also, some of the "boss" themes in ''Omega Strain'' are remixes of previous [[Battle Theme Music|action themes]].

* The first phase of the [[Final Boss]] in ''[[P.N.03]]'' uses a faster, more sinister remix of the main boss music, but unfortunately it's a [[Wasted Song]], as the first form can be beaten in less than 15 seconds.

* Fighting an enemy you can recruit in ''[[Fire Emblem]]: Genealogy of the Holy War'' has a unique battle theme, a variation of (appropriately enough) the recruitment theme.

** Additionally, the Black Knight, Idoun, and Lyon all have a boss remix of their [[Leitmotif]].

** Even the first ''[[Luminous Arc]]'' has at least one boss remix. The final boss theme "Believe in Yourself" contains a partial remix of "Theme of Luminous Arc." "Existence" may have been remixed as well into the boss theme, but it's difficult to tell.

 

 

== [[Web Comics]] ==

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Score and Music Tropes]]