Hopefully this will turn into a weekly article covering boss fights, for now I am going to try to do it twice a month

You've fought your way along side FBI agents through the gold refinery. You've seen agents ground into piles of flesh and bones. You've gazed upon horrid creatures from beyond the depths. And now you are closing in on Jacob Marsh. Your lead. Your fall guy. Entering a hot, hazy room, you notice Agent Hoover in a cage hovering over a vat of molten gold. Besides him you set your eyes on your man, Jacob Marsh. He pulls a lever and the cage descends. Hoovers pleas set you into action. Leveling your rifle at Marsh, you let loose a few rounds. Grazing the bastard, he reels back and makes his escape. You hurry to the control panel and stop the cage in time. Now for both Hoover and you, it's personal. Hoover no longer cares to take this...man... in alive and he gives you full permission to shoot to kill. Making your way to the Electrolysis Maintenance area, you sense something stalking you, but you continue on. You reach the door, knowing that he lies right behind it. Making your way through you're greeted by an unpleasant "thwack". You wake in a daze, eyes blurry. You can make out a grotesque figure. Its him, Marsh, his voice croaks unintelligibly. Hes hard to understand, but you piece together something about the power of the Order of Dagon. You hear machinery moving, slowly picking yourself up. Then a sudden blinding flash. The machine blasts the depths below with a jolt of electricity. Your eyes re-adjust, only to see Marsh getting away. But that's not the only thing they see. From below a giant black mass stretches from the water to the ceiling. Eyes form and disappear on its surface. Great tentacles thrash about. Gaping maws gnash and chatter. This must be what you heard whispers of in Innsmouth... the Shoggoth!



As a fan of Lovecrafts work, this battle for me is fanboy giggle inducing. Seeing what I have only imagined, now before my eyes, is just amazing. For everyone else this battle proves its greatness as a test of sanity. This isn't your normal boss fight where you whittle down your foes life bar, in fact your weapons will not damage this beast in the slightest. This challenge is a test of your ability to keep it together. The games Insanity effects coming into full force during this confrontation.

I'll admit that the first thing I did when I started this fight was just...stare. I couldn't believe it. Here I was, face to blobbyness with a Shoggoth. Thinkin' to myself, "How the hell can I beat that?! I could barely take down a few Deep Ones." Then I noticed the screen going blurry. I ran behind a stack of crates nearby. I just stared at the floor in disbelief. "How do I do this?!" I thought. All the while hearing is shrieks in the background. I pop out from behind the crates, gazing at it again, trying to figure out how to get by it. I think I see my opening, make my move...and am met by tentacle to the face. "Well the catwalk isn't the right way." Retreating back to safety behind my new best friends.

I pop out again, watching it. I notice a pattern. I duck back behind my crates, wait for the sound of the tentacle switching paths, then break for it! I can hardly see, my vision blurring, moving around like waves, mumbling to myself about dying. I only make it halfway to the ladder before I succumb to insanity. I raise my .357 to my head and pull the trigger. Painting the wall to my side with fragments of skull and brains.



After the loading screen I am met by the hulking beast again. I again make my dash to the nearby crates, making sure not to look at it for to long. I listen for my cue, and rush the ladder, looking away from the horror the entire time. . . . Success. I climb down the ladder. Without looking up at it, it all seems safe, down below the vat. I walk down the path below, feeling safe as one can with a horror from beyond the stars trying to mutilate them. I was to cocky. It hears me below and swipes at me as I make my way up a ladder on the opposite side, my screen goes red with blood. I still make it to the top of the ladder. Once again, insanity takes hold, my vision skewed. I back myself into a corner opposite the thing and just stare at the ground. My vision bouncing around like some spastic, blurred, and once again, the mumbling. But this time, this time I get a grip on myself. I look up from my corner, only to see a panel reading "Vat Pump". Reaching for it, I'm only greeted, once again, by a tentacle to the face. This time killing me.

Alright, once again. I'm starting to get it now. So I make my way to the pump, doing my damnedest to not alert the creature of my location. I reach it, dash towards the pump switch, just to fake it out. It slams a tentacle towards the switch, missing me. As it pulls the mass away from me, I quickly make for the switch. I hear its cries of anger as it's pulled through the drain, only to resurface further down the catwalk in another vat. I trace my steps back to the top of the chamber and watch. I look for a pattern, making sure to take the time to regain myself between looks. I feel confident, crouching and moving slowly, I make my way down the path, I can feel as I pass only a few feet from it, but I remain unharmed. A ladder, I move down it as fast as possible and continue on, crouching, watching. Eventually I make my way to an office, I see on a desk a replacement fuse. Suddenly a crash through the office window. It stretches towards me, only to come inches short. I wait for it to retreat, and then dash for the fuse. I know how this works now. I make my way back from the office, always watching, a tentacle hitting me lightly on a ladder. I make it to the catwalk again. I grow impatient and just run. My backside is met by a slam, but I live, getting as far away as I can, then I get to my first aid. All patched up, I replace the fuse and hit the switch.

I see the thing retreat as the electricity courses through its mass. I breath a sigh of releif and uneasily make my way through the room. I have won...for now.

Puzzle bosses are always interesting. This one stands out because of the insanity effects. Taking to long to see what you're doing or where you need to go can ultimately make you do yourself in. Definitely one of my favorite boss fights.



*Please leave suggestions for future bosses to cover, I think I have the next one planned out.*

Bang Shishigami! Vigilante of Love and Justice! (for full effect, play video)



You stand staring into the star-lit night, a gentle breeze caresses your face, you notice a faint sound coming your way. You turn around only to see a man slowly floating down towards you. He lands, throws back his cape, introduces himself as BANG SHISHIGAMI, then he kicks your ass to his own theme song.

Bang Shishigami is one of the most entertaining characters I have experienced in years. In this world where dark, gritty, generally hulking, bad asses reign supreme, Bang is a breath of fresh air. Bang is a man who fights for his country, justice, and his dreams. Of course he is a bit oafish and generally acts before he thinks, but that's one of his charms.

Bangs' town was destroyed by the Librarium on an assault led by Jin. As he selflessly defended the town against the onslaught alongside his comrades, he told his fellow ninja to defend the people because they are what made their country, then sped off to defend his master from the hand of Jin, destroying anyone that may cross his path along the way. Upon meeting Jin, he gets his ass handed to him. With his home town/country destroyed, he leaves for the 13th hierarchical city of Kagutsuchi.

When I started playing Blazblue, I didn't think much of Bang, he wasn't my style. I went straight for Rachel and Arakune, they relied on traps and mind games, Bang was somewhat defensive and more of a poke character. But as I progressed through the story mode, he grew on me. Gushing about his love for Litchi, his Tick like rants about justice, the way he shrugs off losses as lessons for those that he fought, down to the way that everyone underestimates him. He comes across Rachel at one point and she just brushes him off, but after you defeat her, she beams about how determined he is.

But really, it all comes down to his FuuRinKaZan *taken from Dustloop.com* FuuRinKaZan aka the most awesome thing ever (214214 D) - Bang gathers his energy followed by a hot-blooded cut-in. He then leaps in passion and shouts the name of the attack as the symbols erupt onto the screen. Bang's raw manliness then goes off in music form as a special JAM Project theme for the rest of the round... This is the point that I decided Bang had to be my main. The awesomeness, the manliness, THE BADASSERY! It was epic. The song pumping, teleporting all around, I felt myself instantly sprout a beard out of the sheer godliness of the move. When your enemy hears this theme, the just quit. Its done, over with, kaput.

Bang is my main of choice because he fumbles around making an ass out of himself, but still manages to be a super badass even if by one move and his determination. Bang sets himself apart from the stock edgy, gritty, tragic heroes by being someone just, light-hearted, funny, and epic all at the same time. He has his own theme song for balls sake!