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[SundownKid]

That could definitely count as a boss. However, I don't agree that a boss can be less challenging, otherwise it would lose its definition as a boss and simply be a "story event". The Wikipedia article calls a boss a "challenge". That doesn't mean, however, that it can't be challenging in a different way. But, steamrolling a certain enemy doesn't automatically make it a boss just because it's more important than the rest.

[FK in the Coffee]

Something I was just thinking about,

Maybe bosses don't really have to be humanoid characters s long as you have a definite spike in excitement, difficulty, energy, whatever; this could be considered a boss-ish part of the game.

For instance,

Oh no! The train you're on top of has fallen off the track and you're falling down the mountainside! You're platforming like a crazy person and there's heavy debris coming at you! Ah omg! This is hard and intense and not typical gameplay! I could pass out! 

And then when you beat that part you settle back into your seat, breath a sigh of relief, and pat yourself on the back.

Do you think that can count as a boss? 

I'd say so.  Like that Giant Troll boss in Castle Crashers where you ride the deer; I'd consider that a boss.

[tsameti]

Okay. You're probably right. That's more of an 'anti-boss'.

[Player 3]

Did anyone else play Earthworm Jim 2 and find Bob the Killer Goldfish to be a great encounter? Yea. That's right.

Hardest fight of the game, in my opinion.

Anyway, bosses are the types of enemies that need to be different, unlike me, who is the mocking parrot on this thread, repeating everything else because I agree with it.

[baconman]

Labyrinth Zone Act 3 would agree with that scenario. -.o

Personally, I think boss encounters are all about learning and exploiting a weakness or two, and having the raw power and coverage to punish you outside of that rather freely. A good boss will also have strategic defense as well; a fitting reaction to your attempts to exploit that weakness. Whether that makes the boss easier or harder depends entirely on the designers' intent (they want the player to win quicker now that they have it figured out, or they want to push the player harder). Good weaknesses are often the result of taking a fundamental mechanic, and a creative application of using it. It's amazing how valuable the skill of ducking is to this day.

Finally, a little touch of "unlikely balance." Maybe a highly skilled or lucky player *should* be able to bullhead their way through, provided they can withstand the punishment involved; but at the expense of their abundance of health or power-ups.

[baconman]

Also, lame bosses come as a result of being totally narrated, and the ever-growing acceptance of the "simon/bop-it" mechanic as a valid means of "fighting" it.

Good boss encounters focus on skills you're given to use already. A flashy finish is a cool touch, even if automated, but the whole fight needs to be more than window dressing.

[sublinimal]

I think the first and foremost reason to include bosses is to confirm that the player's mastered what he's been taught recently. The presentation follows from there.

That's why a good boss shows as a step in the game's difficulty curve. It's like studying during the level and taking a test at the end. When you pass, you move on to the next level - not just as a gameplay location, but also in terms of difficulty and plot. Themed level design supports this way of thinking.