what do you count as having "Beaten" a boss?

[jeebortjoobert]

Had a conversation recently with someone who beat a tough boss in another crabs treasure by using the gun and they felt they hadn't "beaten" the boss, it made me reflect on lots of dark souls bosses where people don't feel you've "beaten" a boss unless you do it solo, so what do you feel counts as "beating" a boss or level? is using glitches valid? do we have to beat them in the intended spirit the developer's intended? would using cheats to cut out grinding for levels mean it doesn't count or is that a valid accessibility and time saving feature?

 

[mrrgrrgrr]

As long as they're dead and I'm not, I'm calling that a win no matter what method I used.

For example, I'll always use the pause trick to beat the Yellow Devil in the first Mega Man game. I have no shame.

 

[gwardojones]

If it ain't breathin', it's beaten.

Adding limits to challenge yourself is one thing, but when that health bar depletes, even if I used a cheesy method, that's a win. The devs have complete control over their world. If they failed to remove something that I was able to exploit for an easier win, that's on them--that or they left it in so people who weren't looking to kill themselves for the win can still move forward.

Though, if you're using tools not originally intended by the devs, that's a whole other kettle of fish. That said, I DO use turbo mode to race through JRPG battles and grinding. Do I feel like I've had the "true" experience? Nah. But I've been playing JRPGS for 30 years and don't have a whole lot to prove anymore. I enjoy not having to wait for battles to load, or wait to finish fights that I know pose no threat. I'm enjoying JRPGs a lot more now than I have for years.

At the end of the day, if you enjoyed yourself, I don't think it really matters, so long as you're not encroaching on someone else's fun. If you want to suffer, that's your choice. But if someone else just wants to see the credits roll, I say let them get there however they want.

 

[jeebortjoobert]

As long as they're dead and I'm not, I'm calling that a win no matter what method I used.

For example, I'll always use the pause trick to beat the Yellow Devil in the first Mega Man game. I have no shame.

Nice! that's a classic glitch, for me its entering he shadows of yharnam fight in bloodborne, one can enter the boss room in such a way that the boss doesn't realize the fight started and stands motionlessly as you hit them until you win lol

 

[ArchienineZXAdventArchienineZXAdvent's icon]

To beat a boss, you have to beat the boss regardless of what method you use

 

[UnboundByJunk]

I usually just try to avoid using cheese methods as much as I can in most cases. Sometimes when I do beat bosses in games by cheesing them, I would try going back and fighting them without using the cheese. Obviously, there are exceptions to this in some games, but that's the general rule of thumb I got. It's really just vibes that determine whether or not I'm satisfied with my actions.

 

[plaindillo]

Honestly, yeah. Whatever method used, if it dead it dead. I do believe however that there's such a thing as cheating and going outside the bounds of intended methods.

I think of video games as a real life game in many ways. There's a set of rules, and it takes skill, luck, brain capacity, whatever you have in your arsenal and whatever the game requires from you.

Your job is to win the game with the ruleset you're given. I feel personally that winning by cheating means you didn't really do it but I'm also not here to judge people over how they play their video games of all things

 

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

The second they stop getting back up, they are beaten in my eyes.

 

[UnboundByJunk]

I think of video games as a real life game in many ways. There's a set of rules, and it takes skill, luck, brain capacity, whatever you have in your arsenal and whatever the game requires from you.

Yeah, even tho I can be a lazy mf sometimes and go abuse save states in some games, I still like the feeling of satisfaction of getting better at a game.

 

[rugal]

i count it as beaten if its killed without using any bugs. gliches. cheat codes. save stats

 

[lestagio]

It's beaten when it's dead, dammit!

I've seen all of the FromSoftware-sexuals who literally will claim that using game mechanics is "cheating". In Elden Ring, you are given summoning ashes to summon different spirits. This is a literal game mechanic and yet there's many people over on the cesspool of Reddit who will claim that using them is cheating... I like Fromsoft games as much as the next guy and I'm no stranger to difficulty, but Christ, does it really empower you that much to not use game mechanics?

I try to beat bosses using whatever tools the developer gives me. That said, I will use the "glitch" of rapidly pausing and unpausing in Mega Man 2, on the fourth boss in Dr. Wily's Castle (it's the one with the cannons on the walls that shoot beams at you and you have to destroy them with crash bombs). It's a difficult fight as it is, and it's very hard to dodge the bullets getting shot at you unless you rapidly pause, which allows you to avoid them generally. Learned that trick from Counselor's Corner in Nintendo Power and I've never forgotten.

 

[TruthandConsequence]

When you whoop that ass of course lol.

On a side note, am I the only one who hates Boss Checkpoints? Games like God of War, and the newest Doom DLC have checkpoints in the middle of boss stages and I hate that. The boss should be naturally challenging, not ride on the player brute forcing their way through thanks to a checkpoint put right at the hardest section of a boss.
LET ME LEARN THE PATTERN DAMNIT!

 

[lestagio]

On a side note, am I the only one who hates Boss Checkpoints? Games like God of War, and the newest Doom DLC have checkpoints in the middle of boss stages and I hate that. The boss should be naturally challenging, not ride on the player brute forcing their way through thanks to a checkpoint put right at the hardest section of a boss.
LET ME LEARN THE PATTERN DAMNIT!

It depends on where the checkpoints are. There's certain boss fights that are ages long, and maybe a checkpoint in the middle is good. But if it's a standard boss fight, maybe of 2 phases, there's no reason to have checkpoints.

 

[TruthandConsequence]

It depends on where the checkpoints are. There's certain boss fights that are ages long, and maybe a checkpoint in the middle is good. But if it's a standard boss fight, maybe of 2 phases, there's no reason to have checkpoints.

I mean, I get why they are there, but I just prefer a straight through boss fight. Keep trying until you beat them. It makes me feel like I cheated sometimes. Specifically Revelations for Doom The Dark Ages has one boss that has a checkpoint on their third stage, and it just felt like a cop out instead of letting the player learn the patterns. Especially with that game being inspired by bullet hell games too why would they design it like that. That DLC was heat though.

 

[ct9983]

If a kid rides a bike with training wheels; they've still ridden the bike. just an easier version of it.
I say that if you beat a boss, by any means, you've beaten the boss. just maybe with training wheels on.

 

[lestagio]

I mean, I get why they are there, but I just prefer a straight through boss fight. Keep trying until you beat them. It makes me feel like I cheated sometimes. Specifically Revelations for Doom The Dark Ages has one boss that has a checkpoint on their third stage, and it just felt like a cop out instead of letting the player learn the patterns. Especially with that game being inspired by bullet hell games too why would they design it like that. That DLC was heat though.

I need to get to TDA and that DLC. I bought TDA 6 months ago or so and refunded it because it was freezing. Should check if it's patched now, lol. That does suck if they just put checkpoints in the third stage like that. I know that maybe some people don't want to spend so much time on a fight, but... really?

 

[TruthandConsequence]

I need to get to TDA and that DLC. I bought TDA 6 months ago or so and refunded it because it was freezing. Should check if it's patched now, lol. That does suck if they just put checkpoints in the third stage like that. I know that maybe some people don't want to spend so much time on a fight, but... really?

It's not like it's a long fight either. Took me 4 5 minutes tops. They have a lot of game settings, maybe there's one to turn off boss checkpoints? I haven't messed with the crazy settings yet, but if they don't have that that sucks. And with what happened to id recently it might not get added either.

 

[R_Zero]

cheezing counts as far as im concerned, unless if you have used cheats like you said to overpower beyond what you could in the game by that point so the boss becomes trivial. Then its i guess less commendable

 

[CSmith327]

Does my ex manager at Hardee's count when I left him battered in the back alley where I used to work? Pretty sure that counts as beating a boss.

lol jk jk

 

[RageBurner]

Winning by any means necessary short of external cheating methods; even in game exploits can lead to funny results.

I remember a bug in Mega Man X8 that happened once and I was never able to replicate:
When entering Optic Sunflower's room the camera bugged out somehow, focusing on the shutter. I wasn't sure if I was inside the boss room or not, but the life gauge loaded and I was able to kill it without really fighting it, since the attacks connected.