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In Metal Gear Solid it could take over an hour to get to the first boss. For Dark Souls it's the end of the tutorial, or you can go balls deep and tackle it before you even pick up your first weapon. Didn't Kingdom Hearts have the first boss right at the start of the game?
When do you like the first boss to show up? How is timing of the first boss important? What made your example(s) awesome and memorable?
I think it should be at the end of each level because it gives you time to level up, pick up items and items intended to beat the boss, the higher the level the stronger the boss and fight will be (Escobert and I are playing dark souls along with our 8 yr old). Playing dark souls right now and I accidentally jumped into the painted world and man are those engorged zombies such a bothersome. I think my most challenging and memorable boss fight was with the gaping dragon. I could not summon anyone but Solaire and he did not do much for me but I was able to beat it on my own and it was such and epic and glorious win for me.
I feel it should be at the end of the tutorial at least so your not trying to figure out the controls while getting destroyed by a boss.
I suppose it ultimately depends on the pacing the game wants to achieve for itself, but I think a good milestone is probably within the first three hours of gaming, at a maximum. If the game uses a mission format, then having a boss at the end of the first mission (which often doubles as the tutorial) is a good idea.
I like how Dragon Age: Inquisition set it up: the first mission teaches you the basics of game-play as you travel through the valley fighting demons. Then at the end, the boss demon appears which tests you (at varying levels of difficulty depending on what difficulty you've set) on what's you've learnt. I think that's a good set-up.
Kingdom Hearts 'kinda' has the boss right at the start. There's one or two fights with shadows, then you're fighting the Darkside, though not before you're told the basics of combat, so it isn't *right* at the start, but it basically is pretty much at the start. I think it worked well enough; you don't actually have to win that battle.
Before you even start the game. You buy the game and while it's installing BAM Boss fight
Depending on how many updates have to be installed before you start the game, that can count as a boss battle in and of itself.
Depends on the game, actually. My feeling is that the story or type of game should dictate such things. I generally don't like Tutorial bosses since they are gimmes unless it's like Souls series, where said boss is there to teach you that you will actually have to put those skills you learned to serious practice. Even then, I feel the Wake-Up Call boss should always be early.