History Main / BossOnlyLevel

* In ''VideoGame/{{Castlevania}}'' for the NES, stage 12 is a short corridor leading to a BossBattle, and stage 18 is the famous stairs leading up to an antechamber to the FinalBoss room. The {{MSX}}2 version turns these into considerably longer levels.

* The Stadium, the last level of episode three in ''VideoGame/{{Duke Nukem 3D}}''; a duel against the Cycloid Emperor on a football stadium.

* The ''SonicTheHedgehog'' series ''loves'' this trope. The trend started with [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog the first game]] (which has the Final Zone), and ''really'' took off after [[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles The Doomsday Zone]], with the final bosses of most games take up their own level, usually played [[EleventhHourSuperPower while in]] SuperMode.
** Exaggerated in pretty much every ''Sonic'' game since ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdventure Adventure]]'', which all give bosses their own levels.

* In ''FreedomForce'', the last battle against Time Master is just him and his time clones.
* Exaggerated in ''VideoGame/{{Gauntlet}} Dark Legacy'': each of the realm bosses gets a level to themselves.
* The only opponent in Episode 1 Level 9 of ''VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D'' was the boss, Hans Grosse.
* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Brawl'' does this in the Adventure Mode, with "The Ruined Hall" and "Battleship Halberd Bridge". "The Canyon" can be considered [[PlayingWithATrope a variation]], since the level only contains a MultiMookMelee.
* ''{{Bayonetta}}'' does this with the Four Cardinal Virtues (similar to the SevenHeavenlyVirtues...but as angelic monsters), although one of them has a few enemies before the boss fight.

* The Rank 10 and 7 stages in ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle''.
* ''SuperMarioBros'':
** The first ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' has Bonefin Galaxy.
** Boss Blitz Galaxy in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2''. Also a case of BossRush.
* ''VideoGame/DarkCloud'' does this with most of its boss fights.
* In ''VideoGame/MegaManX 4'', the [[DuelBoss duel]] against [[HonorBeforeReason Colonel]] is one of these if you're playing as X. (If you're playing as Zero, you get a cutscene instead.)
* PlayedWith in the first ''MarioVsDonkeyKong'': while clearing the Mini-Mario Levels always leads players to facing Donkey Kong, after the first battle in any given world the Boss Battle itself is freely accessible afterwards, although not going through the MM levels first "punishes" the player with four HitPoints instead of the "usual" six, as it would be the case if all six Mini Marios are rescued.
* In the original ''CrashBandicoot'' trilogy, bosses have their own separate levels, presumably in order to avoid BossDissonance. It worked.
* Famously, the third level of ''RType'' is essentially one long battle against a giant alien spacecraft.
* The final boss of ''WarioLand 3'' is this.
** All the bosses of ''4'' as well.

* The final level of ''KidIcarusUprising'' is a long, multi-stage boss fight.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' features the [[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace Hill of Despair]], where you fight the final boss, [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere Necron.]]
* ''DonkeyKong'':
** The bosses in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'', with the exception of the final one, are housed in otherwise empty levels.
** Indeed, the original ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' trilogy did the same.
* ''Gundemonium Recollection'' and ''Gundeadli Gne'' do this in their final levels.
* Almost all of the bosses in the first AmericanMcGeesAlice are like this. Only the Red King and [[DualBoss Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum]] avert this.
* The final mission of ''AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar'' is just one extended SequentialBoss battle that still takes longer to beat than a typical campaign mission.
* The Sky Temple in ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime 2: Echoes'', as well as the Leviathan Seed regions in ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption''. These are a first for the ''Metroid'' series, as the bosses often reside at the end (or central part) of large zones.
* The Tower of Babel (a fight against the Cyberdemon) and Dis (Spider Mastermind) from ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}''.
* The Lair of Chthon from the original ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}''. No points for guessing what boss you fight in there.
* The Stadium, the last level of episode three in ''VideoGame/{{Duke Nukem 3D}}''; a duel against the Cycloid Emperor on a football stadium.
* The final level in ''BatmanDoom'', featuring a duel against Bane in [[spoiler:the ruins of your Batcave]].

* Zone M / Titanic Lance in ''[[{{Darius}} Darius Gaiden]]''. Special in that Zone M is right in the middle of the game, and Titanic Lance is generally agreed to be harder than most of the final bosses.

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* ''DarkCloud'' does this with most of its boss fights.

* Zone M / Titanic Lance in ''[[{{Darius}} Darius Gaiden]]''. Special in that Zone M is right in the middle of the game, and Titanic Lance is generally agreed to be harder than most of the final bosses.

* This often features on final stages in ''DevilMayCry''.

* The final level in ''BatmanDoom'', featuring a duel against Bane in [[spoiler:the ruins of your Batcave]].
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A SubTrope of BossGame, where ''every'' level is a Boss-Only Level. Compare BossRush, which is a level devoted to ''several'' previously-fought bosses.

* The Sky Temple in ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime 2: Echoes''. This is a first for the ''Metroid'' series, as the bosses often reside at the end (or central part) of large zones.

* The Tower of Babel (a fight against the Cyberdemon) and Dis (Spider Mastermind) from ''VideoQuake/{{Doom}}''.

* The Stadium, the last level of the original ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'', a duel against the Cycloid Emperor on a football stadium.

* The only opponent in Level 9 of ''VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D Episode 1'' was the boss, Hans Grosse.

* {{Bayonetta}} does this with the Four Cardinal Virtues (similar to the SevenHeavenlyVirtues...but as angelic monsters), although one of them has a few enemies before the boss fight.

* The final boss of {{Wario Land}} 3 is this.

* The Rank 10 and 7 stages in ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle''.
* Boss Blitz Galaxy in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2''. Also a case of BossRush.
** The first ''SuperMarioGalaxy'' has Bonefin Galaxy.

* The bosses in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'', with the exception of the final one, are housed in otherwise empty levels.

* Later chapters in ''RadiantSilvergun'' consist of nothing but boss battles.

This trope has become increasingly more common in recent platformer games. A SubTrope of BossGame, where ''every'' level is a Boss-Only Level. Compare BossRush, which is a level devoted to ''several'' previously-fought bosses.

This trope has become increasingly more common in recent platformer games. Compare BossGame, where ''every'' level is a Boss-Only Level, and BossRush, which is a level devoted to ''several'' previously-fought bosses.

* ''ShadowOfTheColossus'' is nothing but these types of levels.

!!Examples:

* ''ShadowOfTheColossus'' is nothing but these types of levels.

* The final level of the original VideoGame/EccoTheDolphin is devoted to the battle with the [[BigBad Vortex Queen]].

* Almost all of the bosses in the first AmericanMcGeesAlice are like this. Only the Red King and [[DualBoss Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum]] avert this.

* The ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' series ''loves'' this trope. The trend started with [[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles The Doomsday Zone]], and ever since then the final bosses of most games take up their own level, usually played [[EleventhHourSuperPower while in]] SuperMode.

* In the Playstation ''VideoGame/Spider-Man'' game, the chapter "Rhino's Rampage" consisted solely of a boss fight with Rhino.

* In the Playstation ''SpiderMan'' game, the chapter "Rhino's Rampage" consisted solely of a boss fight with Rhino.

Examples: