Design a Boss | HIVER

†
Est. 2004
The First and Original Legend of Zelda Boss Concept and Contest Thread

ICE, ICE BABY

Hello, people. Today is January 10 2011, and Design a Boss | HIVER is coming to a cool and frosty end. Many of you were excited about getting results sooner, though judging took longer than expected. We apologize for the wait, and we hope to make it up to you with the exciting conclusion of this round of Design a Boss.
For the first time, boss ideas were based on a given theme. Many were inspired by the promising aspects of Skyward Sword and the cool months of winter to design exceptional bosses based on ice.
The Conclusion will start off with Honorable and Mentions and then proceed to the Winners of Design a Boss | HIVER.

LEADING CONCEPTS

5.

Spoiler:  

Meclupus by The Eternal

Beyond the harsh and cold nature of this boss, there is a petrifying allure that promises to be its own demise. The Magic Mirror introduces exciting mechanics that would allow the player to both maneuver lighting and bring forth a doppelganger. Clever use of the mirror and exploiting the Hero's duplicate is crucial for defeating Meclupus, a beast that is conveyed in an intriguing manner. Among the proposals of rather impossible bosses, Meclupus stands out as a dangerous challenge that any Legend of Zelda fan would welcome.

Originally Posted by Vynrah

What I was visualizing was really quite stunning.

Originally Posted by IGNIS

Writing's exceptional, making every paragraph of the entry compelling.

Originally Posted by Sakume

Simple, but engaging.

4.

Spoiler:  

Slomukl by Mandrag

Associated with the deadly aspect of winter, this aberrant creature sets up a battle that employs edge. To approach this boss, you must rely on a clever and rather witty partner to make the process of mutilating this terrifying monstrosity a pleasure. While dissecting the creature, players would appreciate the boss's rather disturbing features which would allude to other Legend of Zelda titles. The challenge would make good and clever use of the basic items and mechanics of Skyward Sword.

Originally Posted by Vynrah

Enjoyed the mythology/story infused aspect of the dungeon and battle.

Originally Posted by IGNIS

Definitely edgy and witty... an intricate yet very nice boss and battle.

Originally Posted by Sakume

A lot of effort put into this boss... enjoyed reading the extra tidbits that were actually fun to read.

3.

Spoiler:  

BlonBlons by TheGoldenSage

Many participants seized the opportunity to design something around the deadly and harsh aspects of winter, but this boss idea stands out as pleasantly chilly.
It involves an exiled candy man in search of perfection, and he poses a sweet challenge. His rules involve nothing more and nothing less than candy, and that's when things get exciting. Consuming the given candy trips Link into a creamy wonderland where surprising effects can be cleverly used and maneuvered with the Wiimotion+ to succeed in BlonBlons' challenge.
Congratulations to TheGoldenSage for providing this round of Design a Boss with a sweet challenge.

Originally Posted by Vynrah

Very cute and refreshing... I could envision everything very well.

Originally Posted by IGNIS

Fun to read and go over, and it's an idea that can really be imagined without trouble.

Originally Posted by Sakume

Very cute idea. I enjoyed the read and it was refreshing and new. ^^

2.

Spoiler:  

AMY by Sam

To design this boss, a captivating interpretation of winter was used. The idea is narrated with absorbing detail around a strategical boss that would challenge the player in a bitter environment.
Fought as a mysterious figure, the boss holds a key essence captive that allows it to move about in this deadly weather but also threatens the rest of the land to succumb to those icy winds if it were to take full possession of it. The Hero would take on the challenge by borrowing a similar essence that would similarly provide a protective barrier for this cautious and intriguing battle, and he would be rewarded with a pleasant revelation and perhaps a hint of love.
Congratulations to this participant for submitting a truly absorbing and clever boss concept.

Originally Posted by Vynrah

I absolutely loved the writing... narrative-style was unbelievably refreshing. Really overall enjoyed this boss.

Originally Posted by IGNIS

The narrative approach makes it an appealing and fresh entry. The battle narrows down to something that works and looks simple, but the way it was conveyed makes it look like a graceful boss idea.

Originally Posted by Sakume

New and exciting...

1.

Spoiler:  

GENERAL GECKOLD by Catch

Exceptional boss designs capture energy and convey a clear idea of a boss battle that is not only fun and clever, but manage to convince a reader that it can work.
This design involves a tactical duel that demands energy and focus. The player would get the opportunity to accept this challenge when traveling through the depths of the wintry land in hopes of acquiring more protective garb. An interesting character offers him that and more if Link could deal with the scaly general that torments his life.
Upon accepting the challenge, basic Skyward Sword mechanics come into play and allow for precise use of the sword with Wiimotion+.
To manage a stab through the boss's thick ice armor, its tongue must be carefully removed. The distressed boss would then lose all its temper and demand a straightforward sword duel. To counter, the player must force Link to put all attention on its eyes while making sure not to get him lost in them. Upon careful examination, and with the aid of Link's trustworthy partner, the boss's eyes give away a chance to strike successfully and eventually emerge victoriously.
General Geckold would surely stand out as a challenging and exciting boss if he were to appear in the upcoming Legend of Zelda title. Many LoZ fans express the desire to engage on 1:1 sword matches and often praise the challenge offered by foes like Darknuts or OoT's Dark Link, and this lizard really sounds like the greatest duel solution.
Congratulations to this participant for nailing a design that goes beyond a 1:1 duel and for claiming the top spot of this exciting round of Design a Boss. A fresh copy of Skyward Sword will be shipped to you as soon as it launches!

Originally Posted by Vynrah

Very well thought out and written, really enjoyed this and the mechanics of the fight. Also really enjoyed the premise/story surrounding the battle, I think I would go out of my way to fight this guy.

Originally Posted by IGNIS

Written in a way that conveys an optional and very possible boss. The strategy of looking at the eyes for countering and the incorporation of a basic SS mechanic (pinning objects like hearts to walls with arrows) makes for something really great. Aftermath really did seem rewarding.

Originally Posted by Sakume

I LIKE this. The battle is well-written, well-thought out, detailed, and sounds enjoyable. The way the eyes tell which way he'll swing his sword is ingenious in my opinion and I also like the way his tongue attack decreases in range the more you cut it.

CONCLUSION

So concludes Design a Boss | HIVER ! 'Twas another successful round of Design a Boss that once again gathered awesome Legend of Zelda boss ideas, and now with a wintry mix.
The goal is always to provide the LoZ community with something exciting, and all you guys made it happen with the exceptional boss concepts that were submitted to the thread.


The contest opened up with the collaboration of R-w@n of ZU who made a great promotional video for the event. Calypso of ZU helped me get a hold of R-w@n and helped on getting some of the great turnout as well.
Million thanks go to Vynrah and Sakume who went through 48 awesome boss entries to help on getting the results. Final scores were tight and show how pretty intense this round of DaB was. Everyone who was part of this did an awesome job. People who entered gave us more insight on what someone can look forward to in Skyward Sword and more.
Thanks again for making all of this happen, and we'll see you all soon!

Design a Boss: HIVER | The Soundtrack

Spoiler:  

Music lets you elevate your imagination and enhance your creativity. This round of Design a Boss will have a playlist or soundtrack of unique music for participants to feel free to check back and see what's playing. Hopefully, some of the tracks can inspire participants to submit the best boss design they can think of.
If you have suggestions for the soundtrack, contact me.
Design a Boss: Hiver | The Soundtrack Playlist

Example and FAQ


Design a Boss Concept Example

Spoiler:  

The following is an example of a boss concept written by Hey! Listen! of Zelda Universe. Edited by IGNIS.

----- A -----

Blinded Behemoth
● Rukkus ●



//THE DUNGEON//
Rukkus makes his home in the Temple of Silence, located deep within the darkest recesses of the mountains. The temple is designed to remain completely silent as well as very dark with some areas completely engulfed in shadows. There are beings inside that will attack at the first sign of any sound. The Cane of Phantom Sound is the item that Link must recover from the dungeon to remedy this problem. He uses it in the dungeon to distract the enemies whenever he has to make necessary sounds. Like flipping switches, moving boulders, etc. to solve puzzles and open doors to new areas.

The way the cane works is, you swing the Wiimote when the item is equipped, and when you swing it in a direction, you'll first hear a high sounding note on the Wiimote speaker. Afterward, you'll hear a low-sounding note on the TV speaker. So it sounds like a sound traveled from you to far off in the distance.
So he can use it to make it sound like there is a noise in the distance, thus distracting the enemies in the dungeon from attacking him while he does whatever he needs to do.


//DESCRIPTION//
The last of it's kind, Rukkus is a huge and towering beast with a tough skin resembling that of cooled lava, long pointy ears set slightly at an angle, a short stubby tail and one huge eye that fills its entire head. It's clothed in the tattered remnants of an old shroud of some kind, giving it a slightly humanoid appearance. Or perhaps maybe more like that of a giant troll of some kind. One of the more frightening features of the creature is its mouth, which appears to be small when closed, but it can adjust to an abnormally large size when open to breathe fire... or just to eat someone who looks tasty and is standing in its way.

Lurking in the catacombs of the Temple of Silence, once it could use it's large eye to see in the darkness as clear as day. But legend says it has been blinded by a past warrior who was unable to kill it. Although now handicapped, legend also tells that Rukkus may have developed an acute sense of hearing.



//BOSS ENCOUNTER//
Shortly after unlocking the boss door, Link enters a small room with a skeleton clad in armor, leaning against a stone wall near the entrance to a long hallway. Held in its hand is a piece of cloth. Link reads it...

I'm sorry... I... failed. It was too much for me alone. I managed to make it out of there alive, but I fear I won't make it any further. You, who are reading this, take note-- you must not let it gaze on you... that is its...

Links' partner comments: "Is its what? Well, I guess he didn't finish. Come on Link, let's press on!"

Link enters a long hallway that is lit by lanterns. As he traverses further down the hallway, what was a faint sound of wind becomes louder as wind picks up, the lanterns adorning the walls flickering wildly the further he goes until they are no longer lit. Link then enters pitch black darkness at the end of the hallway. At first, all you hear is the sound of wind whistling through an empty, large cavern. But then a loud roar breaks the silence as the monster, Rukkus rises from hole in the center of the cavern, breathing fire onto the air allowing you to see the cavern for a split second. Then the monster breathes fire straight at Link, who blocks the attack with his shield. This being the only source of light in the room, Link now has his first glimpse of the monster, whose single eye is now fixed in a permanent wince. Link's partner comments shortly after the cut scene:

"Remember what that poor guy back there said, you can't let it gaze on you! Well this should be no problem then considering its eye is blinded!"



//THE BATTLE//
STEP 1 - Rukkus will breathe fire in short bursts, providing the only source of light in the room. Link can use his shield to block the fire from hurting him. Otherwise Link is in complete darkness and unable to see. He must run up a path that lines the cavern wall and circles back around to the other side, along the path are lanterns he must light with a Deku Stick. After all are lit, he can see Rukkus in the room allowing him to know where he is. But be wary, the cavern is very windy so Link only has so long before all the lanterns flames are blown out-- it's impossible to attack it in complete darkness. In addition, if Link doesn't light all the lanterns, he can still see, but the room will become darker and darker when each one goes out, so to not light them all reduces the amount of time he has to act. Take note also that, anytime the Rukkus roars, the shock-wave is so intense that a few rocks from above will fall-- Link must dodge those. This doesn't happen that often at first, and occasionally, some rocks that break open will reveal hearts that Link can get.

STEP 2 - Now that Link can see, he'll note that Rukkus never turns his back to Link. You can go in any direction, but he'll always face Link and do his fire breathe attack. This is where Link must use the dungeon item, The Cane of Phantom Sound.

So Link swings The Cane of Phantom Sound, and Rukkus hears it and turns around to attack the other side of the dungeon room. This is the moment where Link must equip his sword and slash the monster's tail. It will SCREAM in pain, and the monster's scream is just as loud as it's roar. It causes rocks from the ceiling of the cavern to fall and all the lanterns to burn out.



Link fools the Rukkus into thinking he is behind him!

STEP 3 - REPEAT the process just mentioned above a second time.

STEP 4 - After Link does all that a second time, Rukkus changes his attack up a bit. Now when he blows fire it's much longer and more continuous. Link must run away from it and up the pathway, which will light all the lanterns as the monster's fire breathe follows, right behind Link. Remember, he only has so long before the windy cavern blows them all out and he is in pitch black darkness again. Once they are all lit and he can see the monster again, he must use the Cane of Phantom Sound, and the monster will turn around. But as Link approaches to slash its tail this time, it raises an ear... becoming wise to his tactic... it turns around quickly, knocking Link's sword out of his hand and breaking it into pieces. Link's buddy tells him something like:

"Oh no Link! How can we ever defeat this thing without a sword-- wait, what's that?"

The camera zooms in on the source of Rukkus' blindness. An ancient sword of some kind stuck in it's giant eye. "If we can get that sword out of its eye, we could slay it with it!"

STEP 5 - Link once again runs from the fire breath and up the pathway, letting the fire light the lanterns in the room so he can see. Since Rukkus never turns his back to you, Link simply traverses up the pathway around the edge of the dungeon again (Rukkus won't breathe fire at first-- there will be a slight delay giving him time) and when he gets level to the face. Link pulls the sword from the monster's eye. You will lock onto the sword and then repeatedly have to push the A button on the controller to pull it. If you take too long and don't press the A button fast enough, the beast will reel back, and you'll have to try again. The first attempt won't work, it will only come out halfway-- Rukkus will let out a huge scream as Link tries to take out the sword... the scream is so loud it causes rocks to continuously fall from the ceiling for the rest of the battle as the cavern begins to cave in on itself. Link must now dodge falling rocks too! Not only that, but the pathway around the cavern to light the lanterns has broken apart at one point higher up, so he must swing across using his whip or hookshot when lighting the lanterns again. Keep in mind he is also running from the monster's fire breath at this point to light them, adding a bit to the challenge. On his second attempt, however, Link is able to pull out the sword completely, and he acquires a new item!

You've acquired the ANCIENT SWORD OF LIGHT! This item was used in a battle long ago to blind this beast! It seems to hold some kind of power. You can feel it as you hold the blade in your hands.

STEP 6 - After removing the blade from its eye, the beast screams louder than before, and even more rocks fall, making all the lanterns go out. Its winced eye now opens with the sword removed, and it glares angrily, with a yellowish eerie glow to its bloodshot eye, directly at Link. Link's partner says:

"Uh-oh! It looks like that sword being stuck in its eye kept it from being able to see! Maybe removing it wasn't such a good idea. Now what do we do?" ... then ... "Wait, the sword seems to be doing something!"
The sword glows a bright and shimmering white that illuminates the entire room. The monster reels back in pain from the bright light and shuts its eye tight. Link's partner adds, "we'll blind you yet!" From here on out, no lanterns are needed.

You will have to sheathe your sword to use the Cane of Phantom Sound. When you do, the light in the room will go out and you will have a limited time to use the cane before the monster can see out of its eye again, and its much more deadly when it can see. Its eye will slowly open and blink. If you wait too long, the monster's attack will take a LARGE portion of your hearts-- you don't want to let that happen, especially if you are already close to death. Use the Cane of Phantom Sound while dodging the falling rocks and hit the beast's tail for the final time to defeat it!



//AFTERMATH//
After the battle has been won Rukkus will let out one last ear piercing shriek, and Link will cover his ears in pain! The entire cavern caves in on itself and buries Rukkus in rock as he falls to the ground dead. Sunlight from outside shines through a hole in the opening of the cavern and lights the spot where Rukkus once stood. Now buried in rock with only its hand and part of its head peeking out, Link can climb to the top of the rock pile to claim his prize to then warp back to the outside of the dungeon. Oh, and get a new heart piece too, of course.


//CLOSING COMMENTS//
Hope you guys enjoyed it, I had fun making this up. I called the monster "Rukkus" because it's a play on words. Like to make a ruckus, a loud noise. Also I imagine this boss battle using a lot of cool lighting effects, so that it would be a very beautiful spectacle to behold during battle. I used the Wind Waker art style in my picture. I made just because it's my favorite. I purposefully did NOT show Rukkus in the image because I wanted to leave that up to the reader's imagination more than anything. The picture is there to give you an idea of the "arena" with the pathway, lanterns and the Cane of Phantom Sound and how it would look in use to make more sense out of my boss battle description.

----- ω -----

The above example example has one of the more important aspects of a good concept. The boss design is well conceived and written in a way that gets to the point. The concept is well presented with separation of paragraphs that regard the boss's description, its encounter, battle, etc. The concept is also adorned with different fonts and titles that make it easier and more enjoyable to read. One of the most important things is also coherence when trying to achieve originality, detail, and effort in your design.

Users are urged to emphasize the importance of using the Wiimotion+ and how a boss can be managed in a Skyward Sword and WINTER-themed environment.
Also keep in mind that the above example does not necessarily relate to either Skyward Sword or a WINTER theme. Participants must make an effort to satisfy the theme.

FAQ
(Most of these questions were only intended to be asked)

Spoiler:  

Q: Are entries restricted to a word limit?

A: YES. The limit is 3000 words.

Q: What if I go over?

A: You will be notified before judging commences.

Q: When's the deadline?

A: Deadline was December 12, 2010.

Q: How many concepts may I submit?

A: ONLY one (1).

Q: How do I higher my chances of winning?

A: There are many ways. A really good one is by EDITING your entries before they are judged.

Q: Do we NEED to attach an image to our boss?

A: NO. If you do, it can be ANY image. If you decide to attach an image from google, give proper credit, and it should be fine.

Q: How do I suggest music for the Design a Boss | HIVER Soundtrack?

A: Send me a visitor or private message for me to think about it.

Q: What if I have more questions?

A: Post your comments or concerns on this thread or send me a private message. There's plenty of space for the FAQ.

Useful Links and Resources

Spoiler:  

Entries need to satisfy the theme of ICE/WINTER and need to be based on what is known of Skyward Sword to convey a boss suitable for a SS environment. There are plenty of known things about SS that may help you better understand what kind of game it will be and what it could contain.

Everything You Need to Know About Skyward Sword » Zelda News - Zelda Universe

→Moved

Spoiler: Welcome, Concept, Rules, Prizes, etc.  

Welcome to Design a Boss! This is the place where you share your great ideas by designing a boss or boss battle. Six years of brain-storming, sharing, participating, and having fun.




Design a Boss

This thread has become a storm of great ideas and bizarre concepts of what Legend of Zelda bosses really should be. The thread simply started as time killer and a way to see what others had in mind for future bosses. The thread became hot immediately, and I began a contest to make it a more exciting thread in which more people would participate and add more detail to their concepts. At first intended to see what others wanted in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (back then referred to as LoZ'05,) the thread now has a new meaning: We contemplate the meaning of Boss and the Zelda universe to design dynamic battles and present a possible challenge concept for Legend of Zelda enthusiasts.


Concept

Fighting a Boss is essential in the Legend of Zelda. It is an art and a great accomplishment to slay what lies deep in the dungeon or temple. Once slain, love is spread and virtue is granted. But what makes the fight such a great art? Can you design such a challenge for the hero? And how can the hero succeed?


Rules

-Entries are required to satisfy the theme of ICE/WINTER and be based on the next Legend of Zelda title, Skyward Sword.
-Entries are limited to 3000 words.
-You may submit 1 entry ONLY.
-Entries are posted on this thread.
-Avoid in-depth criticism or harsh comments towards submitted concepts.
-Have fun


Judges
IGNIS
Vynrah
Sakume



How We judge

*Mechanics: Introduced as the newest criterion during the last round of Design a Boss, the mechanics of a boss concept are judged to determine how feasible the boss and its battle is.

-Originality: If the boss is original, its chances of winning are higher. Do NOT compare your concept to other things that are already out there such as villains from a movie, a boss from another game, etc.

-Detail and Description: The boss battle needs to be clear. If we can get an good picture in our mind on how you are fighting or seeing a boss, then it gets a high score on detail. Try to make your entry a neat one, too.

-Effort: We've been basing ourselves on "effort" for the past contests. Effort involves presentation, detail, and other things. It does NOT mean you need to submit a concept that took hours to make.

-Grammar: We try to disregard grammatical mistakes here and there, but if it gets overwhelming, the chances of winning may be low.



Prizes

1st Place: (1) Pre-order of the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword‡ Detailed Boss Illustration
2nd Place: (1) Wii Virtual Console or WiiWare Title
3rd Place: (1) Wii Virtual Console or WiiWare Title





Deadline for Design a Boss | HIVER: December 12, 2010


________________________________________________

†. Design a Boss | HIVER promotional video by R-w@n . RwanLink/ Royal Studio.

‡. Many participants live outside of the U.S and may have a different format of consoles in their region. The copy of Skyward Sword will be shipped as soon as it launches in the participant's region, and it will also be shipped in its appropriate region format.

List of Entries

Spoiler:  

1. Everest by Fulcon

2. Asornak Keese by LinkForeverAwakened
3. Borlos by Koipen
4. Vipryce by RamboZelda
5. N/A
6. FLARECHO by ZeldaLinkGanonfan300
7. Flash Freeze Demon of the Snow by partyboy3543
8. The Snowstorm by NIMPAK
9. Tetraniv by The_Hyrulean_Link
10. FROSTCLAW by Dark Valoo
11. Glacie by N&Z13
12. Chillord by Zarco
13. Stonhielo by xXHeroOfTimeXx
14. Aurue by Papahl
15. Hailia by Sage of Mirrors
16. MENTOR OF ICE by xl9
17. GENERAL GECKOLD by Catch
18. Borealis by Lish
19. Dark Link by PeterGerri
20. Erros by ReillyBoy9
21. Slomukl by Mandrag
22. N/A
23. BLIZZOTUN by jgreekboy
24. Rinkitsu by WWfangirl
25. HIRVELOS by Ftimis
26. Alfidon by Willow

27. Pranzo by LordPacci
28. Cleosoto by amrole
29. BlonBlons by TheGoldenSage
30. Gitzo by The Migmeister
31. VIGOR by 17Ganondorf
32. Armostachio by PenguinPuff
33. Sombora by Erchino
34. Chromos by Clockwork Wolf
35. AMY by Sam
36. O N E I R A by AdspA
37. Halflight by Connex
38. Sir Edward by The 10th Rider
39. Ryorko by Navi Forever
40. Synnel by Katalyvos
41. Tigahlesh by skyward angel
42. N/A
43. Glarugon by lugeasilver
44. Morozhar by Kostya Razruchityel
45. Arktosimia by Strong Bad
46. Meclupus by The Eternal
47. Freyzarok by twilightindark
48. Ivehemifus by Panther Caruso
49. Vakhru by Ara Agnerian
50. Glaceos by NickRad
51. GLACON by SkywardKevin

So, just to be sure I didn't misread all that, you're deciding against the winter theme?



And, out of curiosity, what's that song?

Originally Posted by Mandrag

So, just to be sure I didn't misread all that, you're deciding against the winter theme?



And, out of curiosity, what's that song?

As of now, the rule is:

Entries are required to satisfy the theme of WINTER and be based on the next Legend of Zelda title, Skyward Sword.

The boss needs to be based on ice/winter. I gotta make sure to stress that it's still a vague theme. Like I said before, the boss could be some giant troll in flames on top of an iceberg. I also added that entries need to be based on SS. We know quite a bit about the game now, so it's safe to base a concept on SS as best as one can.
It's all subject to change, though. If a lot of people complain about the theme, I can get rid of it. Right now, I think it's a good idea.

As for the first track, it's an excerpt from a live orchestra. I can VM you more details when I find out more about them.

Dadgum you, Lloyd! I had another Super Original and Futuristic concept I wanted to share, and now my concept has to fit to Skyward Sword?!? BLASPHEMY! MY CREATIVITY SHALL NOT BE BROUGHT DOWN!

Ah, well. I have another idea. *pulls note from idea book*

Originally Posted by Fulcon

Dadgum you, Lloyd! I had another Super Original and Futuristic concept I wanted to share, and now my concept has to fit to Skyward Sword?!? BLASPHEMY! MY CREATIVITY SHALL NOT BE BROUGHT DOWN!

Ah, well. I have another idea. *pulls note from idea book*

Anything's possible, even in SS. You can definitely pull off some mechanical/industrial/high-tech boss in an icy, SS environment. We're looking for creativity, so don't be afraid to give it a shot.

Originally Posted by IGNIS

Anything's possible, even in SS. You can definitely pull off some mechanical/industrial/high-tech boss in an icy, SS environment. We're looking for creativity, so don't be afraid to give it a shot.

Ah, but the boss will continue to look good after the game comes out if it matches the theme of the game (or tries too).

Anyway, I never did get that PM from you regarding your thoughts on my last entry...

Originally Posted by Fulcon

Ah, but the boss will continue to look good after the game comes out if it matches the theme of the game (or tries too).

Anyway, I never did get that PM from you regarding your thoughts on my last entry...

I really regret not being able to share my feedback. At this point, I can only tell you that I may get to that soon. As for this round, I may add to the FAQ that there is no guarantee of receiving in-depth criticism from the judges for people who did not make it to the top 5 spots.

Originally Posted by IGNIS

I really regret not being able to share my feedback. At this point, I can only tell you that I may get to that soon. As for this round, I may add to the FAQ that there is no guarantee of receiving in-depth criticism from the judges for people who did not make it to the top 5 spots.

It's okay, I just wanted to know if it was ever coming. Also, my entry comes for this round...

COMES FORTH!

Spoiler:  

Design a Boss Entry:


Everest


Looks: Everest is big. It's a living Ice Berg on the frozen mountain top. It stands about fifty Links tall. It's legs, arms and torso are (proportionally) very thick and made of pure ice and rock, with a huge pile of snow on it's back, forcing it to hunch over much like a gorilla. It's demonic head evokes the image of a dragon, with glowing, icy blue eyes and breath and black, stone-like scales.

Attacks:

Icicle Launcher: Everest launches tons to tiny icicles at Link in machine-gun fashion, each icicle doing a quarter-heart of damage. It only lasts for a short time, but if Link takes a full round, it does ten hearts of damage (OUCH!). The attack consumes one of Everest's arms completely. If Everest uses both arms, the round does twenty hearts of damage. The way to dodge this is to find cover or dash/roll around the stream of icy projectiles with a prayer.

Ice Catapult: Everest bunches it's arms together in a large ball, and puts it in it's mouth. Then Everest uses it's breath to launch it in the air. When it lands, it takes out a chunk of the boss area, but only does six hearts of Damage.

Ice Breath: A traditonal attack. Everest breathes in a wide arc in the direction of Link, which can freeze him in place. If it catches him in mid-air, he falls and takes a lot of damage by falling to the bottom of the mountain (this does not end the fight, as Everest pursues Link on the way down). Everest will use Link being frozen as an opportunity to unleash the Icicle Launcher or the Catapult, so the player should try to avoid it at all times. The Boss will also use it when he is disarms to give himself a chance to rearm himself.

Tooth and Claw: Self explanitory. Everest claws Link with its arms claws, causing three hearts of damage. A bite causes three hearts of initial damage, plus three more as the boss wags Link in it's mouth rapidly before spitting him out.

Arm Regeneration: Everest's arms regrow after an attack such as Icicle Launcher or The Ice Catapult consumes them. This takes about ten seconds from the moment the attack finished.

Link's Required Equipment:

Bow and Fire Arrows: Magically enchanted bow shoots flaming arrows, using the Wii Motion+ to aim. When the arrows hit something, it catches on magical fire, doing extra damage before swiftly going out. It also burns wooden planks away.

Hookshot: Grappling hook-gauntlet that pulls Link to specific locations. Useful for getting to new heights on walls or on ceilings.

Fairies: To keep alive during this encounter.

Rumoured Flight Mechanic: If Link can fly, he can use the ability.

Starting the Boss: Link jumps down to a frozen moutain which is experiencing a constant Blizzard. The actual ice dungeon should be around here somewhere, as well as whatever-town Link has to visit before going there, so we'll assume Link is exploring the area for heart containers. This boss is an optional fight.

Link climbs to the top of Blizzard Mountain, using his hookshot (or the flight mechanic if they feel so inclined) to get to several vantage points when he can't simply continue by climbing. There are multiple caverns, ledges and interconnected caves on the way up, and Link (if he's not flying) must make a route out of them to reach the top. Eventually, he comes to the top and finds a snow-covered peak with a dead dragon head on the top. He sees that it leads into dark and unexplored depths and decides to investigate.

Inside the Mouth, Link comes to a single room which is dully lit by a single torch lit by blue flame, with a plate on the floor in front of it. The plate clearly has a Fairy detailed on it. If the player has a fairy on him, he stands on the plate and uses a bottle with a fairy in it. The fairy goes to cirle the torch rapidly, and the fire quickly expands to fill the cave. If Link acts quickly and leaves, he can avoid damage. If he stays and watches the blaze, he is kicked out of the cave by an explosion and takes four hearts of damage.

On the outside again, the top of the mountain begins to raise itself onto a slope. After Link is forced off, he can hookshot back onto the side of the Mountain. If he fails, he either catches himself on a ledge and takes reduced (or no) falling damage, or he falls all of the way to the base, taking a LOT of fall damage. Or, he could use the game's flight mechanic (if there is one) to go down to safety.

How to defeat: You must use your fire arrows to extinguish the blue fire inside Everest's head. It takes three shots. Everest will use all of his attacks at the right (read: he uses tactics) time to kill the player.

On the Mountain: Link is on the mountain, and Everest is climbing the mountain, clinging to it like a gorilla would a tree. On the mountain-side, there are numerous small caves (similar to modern-day grottos, but there's no loading screen), platforms and ledges, which can be used as cover and ways to stay on the mountain. If Everest uses a double Icicle Launcher, he will flop on his back, hanging onto the mountain with his feet. This is an ideal time (but not the only time) for the player to hit Everest with a fire arrow, hitting him in the skull. But if the player can take the shot, he can take the shot, resulting in Everest reeling back or wretching and roaring in pain (making it harder to him him in the face for a brief time). The player will have to maneuver around the mountain as Everest rapidly climbs around it, trying to kill Link.

On the Ground: The ground provides a much more stable surface for Link to manuever on, and Everest has no leverage advantage over Link, possibly making it easier for Link to get a good shot. In order to get back up the Mountain if Link prefers, he will have to get past Everest and climb up to the nearest platform, with Everest attacking him all the way. If Everest uses the double icicle attack (or the catapult), he will remain standing, but remain almost weaponless for the time being. An ideal time to take a shot. If he his hit, he still wretches and roars.


Victory: The fire goes out of Everest's head. The rock and snow that sustained him crumbles, with the skull falling down, intact but dead. The player finds it more roomy, as there are several new holes inside. Also inside is a new heart container, the player's reward for killing it. The player will never know what Everest was, why he was there or why he was so hostile, but he will feel a new, grand sense of accomplishment as having bested such an impossible foe.

Note: Dying restarts the fight, just before the Fairy lit the torch. Also, I wanted this fight to be as free-form as possible, with a large and multi-faceted arena. I'm not sure how well I
suceeded, but I would like much critism.

That winter rule so was not there an hour ago. Me and my big mouth...


And don't lose heart, Fulc and others like Fulc; there's plenty of room for futuristic technology in SS.
Lost advanced technology is a huge fantasy staple that Zelda is no stranger to.

Alright, so there's already an entry since day 1. Let's hope to see more ideas soon.
If you guys are really looking for feedback, get to see what the others think via VM or PM. Let's try to only have a few comments regarding entries on this thread.

Jut added a new track to the soundtrack for you guys to check out later. Zarco let me know of a cool song to add to the playlist. If you guys would also like a song added to the soundtrack, let me know.

So it has to be about SS, huh? *sigh* ohh well, guess I got to go and start reading so I can fit my idea to it...

^
Emphasis on attack directions, easy spin-attacks, a vertical spin attack, the ability to jump forward without making an attack out of it in combat (and, I hope, the potential for aerial spin-attacks), inabity to roll while Z-targeting, manual shielding's, bow (no Z targeting), slingshot, bombs (now rollable), a grapply-type whip, potions are drank in real-time, and there's this nifty thing called the Beetle that flies like the seagulls in Wind Waker and it can carry bombs and stuff.
Oh, and you can charge up sword beams.

^ohh...so just the things from the E3 then? Phew, and here I thought I would have to go and read up on it and thus spoil myself. Thanks man!

That's all they've given us so far.

Originally Posted by Double A

BTW, I should mention that it never was made clear that pictures aren't necessary. You've used the previous winner as an example, and he used a picture.

I can make it clear somewhere on the OP. The example of Hey!Listen! is temporary-- I'm working on a more icy, Skyward Sword oriented boss myself to post. I'll then refer to the last round's winners as more examples.
The example I will post may still have a small picture, but I'll emphasize that it's not necessary or that it can by ANY image that can resemble the boss.

Originally Posted by Mandrag

^
Emphasis on attack directions, easy spin-attacks, a vertical spin attack, the ability to jump forward without making an attack out of it in combat (and, I hope, the potential for aerial spin-attacks), inabity to roll while Z-targeting, manual shielding's, bow (no Z targeting), slingshot, bombs (now rollable), a grapply-type whip, potions are drank in real-time, and there's this nifty thing called the Beetle that flies like the seagulls in Wind Waker and it can carry bombs and stuff.
Oh, and you can charge up sword beams.

I should also add that somewhere on the OP. I totally forgot there were sword beams in SS.

//THE DUNGEON//

Travelling through the Temple of Shadows, located inside the Illuminated Caves in the Everest Province, you battle many keese, chu-chus, and even dodongos in this icy and freezing environment. After travelling through most of the dungeon, you stumble upon a very large rainbow colored chu-chu. Don't be fooled-this isn't the boss. When the creature opens it's mouth and attempts to suck you in, quickly pull out a bomb. Toss the bomb into it's mouth with the Wii Remote, but be careful not to get sucked in yourself, or you'll lose half a heart. Repeat this once more, and the creature will explode, leaving a room full of gel, and more importantly, a new bag called the Pitch Bomb Bag.
The Pitch bag holds Pitch Bombs that explode normally, but when they explode make a high-pitched sound that paralyzes every creature in the room, and you if you're too close when it explodes. You can throw, drop, and roll them just like normal bombs.

//DESCRIPTION//

Deep in the Illuminated caves is the most frightening of all creatures in the bat family. One of two, the Asornak Keese is the largest non-fire keese in the world. It has a twenty foot wing span, and it's body is fifteen feet long. It has long, pointed ears. It has acute hearing, and a large nose for smelling even the most distant smells. It has no eyes, marking it blind. This particular room in the Illuminated Caves however, is not illuminated. This makes you blind as well.You need to throw, roll, and drop pitch bombs everywhere, because their explosions light up the room for several seconds. The sound from the pitch bombs distracts the creature. Because it thinks the sound is you, it flings itself to the ground.

//BOSS ENCOUNTER//

Link unlocks the boss door, and comes into a seemingly empty, dark room. After placing a pitch bomb, Link sees a giant, devistating creature in front of him. He rolls out of the way as it lunges towards him. It flies through the air, looking for Link. You need to be quiet, or it will find you.

//BATTLE//

You need to throw, roll, and drop pitch bombs everywhere, because their explosions light up the room for several seconds. The sound from the pitch bombs distracts the creature. Because it thinks the sound is you, it flings itself to the ground. Then it's your time to strike the paralyzed creature with your sword. The problem is, you can't see it. You must run towards where you last saw it, and attack it with your sword. Repeat this three times.
A cut scene will then occur, showing the creature fly through the ceiling, letting light and snow into the cave. You can then see a heart container in a small indentation on the wall. Run up the wall to get it.

//AFTERMATH//

After defeating the creature and obtaining the heart container, you must walk into a portal, which has appeared in the center of the room. It teleports you to the entrance to the Illuminated Caves. If you look up, you can see the beast flying away, and crash into a distant mountain. If you go there later in the game, you can obtain a piece of heart.

NOTE-I realize that this boss is similar to yours. I had the idea of doing a blind boss that needs sound to kill it the whole time. I started writing mine, then about halfway through, I noticed how similar yours was. I was very disappointed. I decided to finish mine anyway, and post it, because I didn't want my hard work to go to waste.

In the design a boss competition do you have to use a specific item to defeat the boss?

Borlos

General
Borlos is a beast of Ice and Fire. It resides in Ashail temple, where it spreads its evil forces all around the temple. It resembles mostly a giant snake that fuses and defuses all the time, into Ice and Fire.

Temple
Ashail temple is a huge Ice crystal stuck in the ground, near the edge of the Burning mountains. The crystal is so big that it has spread coldness all around it. The temple itself is pretty simple: the main puzzle is directing Water and Lava flows so they cross in different parts of the temple, enabling you to use the rock they form as platform to move onwards. This is also a slight minigame: while running water on running lava, running water on still lava, or running lava on running water all form rock, Running lava on still water forms obsidian, a terribly sharp glass. While it is dulls after one strike if used on swords, it makes excellent arrowheads. The item of the temple is the second trio of elements: ice, fire and water. These can be used by firing them at the boss with your Korok Wand (Basically a dominion rod that shoots magical spells of different kind, evolves throughout the game). Ice freezes water, water solidifies lava, and fire melts ice.

Arena
Very simple: a platform that is made of ice and has pools of lava in it. It is also surrounded by lava where little pieces of Rock move. These pieces of rocks are standable.

Borlos
Borlos is a giant snake, about three times the length of Links tallness. He can split into two smaller snakes that can both attack Link simultaneously. The fused snake is like two sticks of dough twisted around each other: little bit fused but still mostly separate. He has some visible segmentation that comes into play in phase 2. His head has gaping mouth that can suck Link in, or blow ceilingshaking blizzards.

The fight
As you drop into the big ice chunk from the room above, you see movements in the lava: wrinkling and little sounds of hissing. Borlos rises up and starts to snarl at you. His main methods of attack for the whole fight are:

Fireball (fast fiery projectile, takes 1/2 heart),
Iceball (fast icy projectile, takes 1/2 heart),
Contact (1/2 heart),
Suck (His head starts to suck at you, 1 heart),
Ice spin (spins at you quickly when icy, 1/2 heart + freezing),
Fire spin (spins at you quickly when fiery, 1/2 heart),
Rock hurl (takes a rock and hurls it at you, 1 heart) and
Hailstorm (hard wins try to blow you off the arena, also drops some rocks and ice at you from the ceiling, 1 heart if you hit lava, 1/2 for rock / ice).
Fire breath (Fiery breath coming out of his mouth, 1/2 heart)
Ice breath (Icy breath coming out of his mouth, 1/2 heart + freezing)
Lava splatter (Tail whips lava around. Lava can melt ice, 1 heart)

Phase 1
The key to defeating him at the first phase is attacking him with opposing forces: shoot the fire snake with water, and the ice snake with fire. Because you cannot use the L-targeting and the snake moves quickly, this may be quite the hassle. However, simple shooting won't defeat him. It only removes his protective aura of ice/fire Instead, you must hit him with your sword (One hit is enough). You can block him using your metal shield: wooden ones burn away if touched by fire. You must be fast though: if he dives into lava or comes to the ice, he regains his protective aura, so be fast. Use the floating rocks in the lava for your advantage.

Phase 2
Phase 2 is different from phase 1. For starters, Borlos moves much faster than before. He also is immune to spells now. What you must do instead, is to use your mallet and hit him in his head while he is fused. If this is too hard, you can use your bait to lure him. Swordbeams stun him too. You can also deflect him with your shield as you did before.

After you have hit all 4 parts, he dies, leaving you with lovely heart container, and lovely Dins pearl.

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Authors notes
What troubles me these days is the increasing amount of complexity in bosses. If you take, for example, the armos knights in aLttP. They were very simple: just hack them or hit with arrows. Now compare that to Skeldritch.

This ended up somewhat more complicated than I originally thought, but I don't think this is too bad. The two phases are both very simple and offer variety. The arena was made to be as simple as it could be done; no fancy mirrors, carvings, elaborate conventions or other things. Simple lair with ice platform and floating rocks.

The fight is very free: due to the pseudorandom (As you know, randomness could result in Borlos just going in circle for the whole battle) movements of Borlos, and the considerable (Not large, think Gohmas lair in WW) size of the arena, walkthrough cannot guide you through. The movements of Borlos also affect the movements of the rocks around the arena. This is also a small playground: you can defeat Borlos by standing in one spot for the whole fight, although it is hefty difficult. You can also try to skate around the iceblock all the time.

Because of my poor drawing skills, I didn't go into too much illustrating. The point of being a simple giant snake comes across well enough I think.

I picture Borlos being maybe the fifth boss of the assumed game. He is pretty tough to hit, and damage can add up very quickly (every attack can knock you into lava). The name Borlos comes from Aurora Borealis. Icy fires.

Excuse me for my bad grammar: I'm from Finland and English isn't my first language.

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