History Main / FinalExamBoss

* The final stages of the ''VideoGame/WarioWare'' series use all the different microgame styles you've learned, though they do give a call in advance so you're not completely on your toes. ''Get It Together'' ends on [[spoiler:a TrueFinalBoss battle against Pyoro]] that uses every [[spoiler:non-Pyoro]] playable character, with each stage of the fight being uniquely suited to each character's abilities.

*** Zant not only has you use almost every dungeon weapon in your bag, but even clues you in by changing the environment to that of the dungeon where you first used it. And still manages to make the solutions creative.

* The Rebel Flagship, the FinalBoss of ''VideoGame/FTLFasterThanLight'', employs every possible tactic against you that the dozens of enemies you've already ploughed through have used, spread out over three stages, while breaking a few rules itself.

* Beating Wizeman in ''VideoGame/NiGHTSJourneyOfDreams'' requires use of all three of the Personas you acquire in the game.
* ''VideoGame/EOEEveOfExtinction'': [[spoiler:Agla]] cannot be damaged unless you use a Legacy weapon of the corresponding color they change into.
* In ''VideoGame/MegaManPoweredUp'', the Normal and Hard versions of the Wily Machine use the Robot Masters' attacks against you, requiring you to fight back with the weapon of the Robot Master it is strong against. However, Time Slow is useless against the Wily Machine when it is in Super Arm mode (it could only be harmed by Time Man's projectiles, and they're only available if you actually play as Time Man), but fortunately the Wily Machine doesn't attack during this state. Wily himself does sometimes throw a hammer at you. Which can be very easily dodged.
* The final battle against Omega in ''VideoGame/MegaManZero3''. The initial phase is very similar to the first time you face him (in the intro, to be specific), but faster and adds new attacks. His Fusion Omega form is all about mastering the dash-jump. And lastly the GrandFinale against Omega [[spoiler:Zero]], which tests EVERYTHING you know from dashing away, dodging his attacks and either blasting him to oblivion or slashing him to ribbons.

* ''VideoGame/{{Furi}}'': The DLC's {{Superboss}} uses similar attacks from the other bosses in the game, in order of boss appearance for each phase. His final phase is just him using nearly every move he used from the whole fight until his invulnerability wears off.

* ''VideoGame/JetForceGemini'': During the final battle, Mizar borrows several attacks and patterns from previous bosses in the game, requiring you to remember how to tackle them. He launches meteoric rocks and places himself from a distance like the Mechantids, uses electric attacks and red-colored {{Shockwave Stomp}}s like Fet Bubb, hovers from one side to another to attack Juno more closely like Lurg did against Vela in its second phase and, during the final phase, resumes the stationary sequence of attacks like he did in the FinalBossPreview in his fight against Lupus.
* In ''VideoGame/BattleChefBrigade'', Mina's final challenge is a SequentialBoss gauntlet against three members of the Brigade, with each battle taking place in one of the three hunting areas, and the theme ingredients belonging to the strongest monster in the region. The number of judges increases with each trial -- one, then two, then three -- with their favorite flavors encompassing almost all possible gem combinations. The head judge, [[spoiler:Chairman Kamin]], requires a carefully-balanced meal containing an equal number of high-level Fire, Earth, and Water gems.

* ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'': [[spoiler:Henry]] is the pinnacle of real difficulty. You have to manage to learn how to Dark Step, emergency evade, and slash the hell out of him. He manages to be completely fair, despite his various unblockable attacks and his dreaded yet awesome OneHitKill, plus the BossRemix "We Are Finally Cowboys" blaring in the background. The game actually makes sure that you're (hopefully) at the top of your game by [[spoiler:requiring you to attain all beam katanas before facing off against him.]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'': Yami manages to work in a use for every single Celestial Brush technique in the game, even if it has to make up completely new functions in some cases,[[note]]For example, the Crescent technique normally just turns day to night, but in this battle, it summons Susano/Nagi to slice the boss vertically. Fitting, since the sword he wields is powered by moonlight.[[/note]] and the one and only Brush Technique that the SequentialBoss battle didn't require, and is otherwise useless in combat ([[spoiler:Sunrise]]), is its [[AchillesHeel ultimate weakness]] in its final form.
* ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'':
** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy'':
*** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'': The eponymous final boss requires you to use all of your beam weapons against it in the first form, and all of your visors against it in the second.
*** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeHunters'': The first form of Gorea requires you to use all six of your beam weapons against it in a game of ElementalRockPaperScissors if you want to fight [[TrueFinalBoss the second form]] and get the good ending.
*** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'': The second form of the Emperor Ing requires the use of the Morph Ball and the Power Bombs to gradually break the carapace of the chrysalis. The third and final form subtly changes colour to reveal its weakness to either the Dark Beam or Light Beam (and by extension their Super Missile forms), though the Annihilator Beam will hurt it in both situations.
*** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'': Gandrayda is a shapeshifter that cycles through the forms of several bosses you have already fought (as well as a couple standard mooks, and Samus herself). Each form must be dealt with using the correct weapons.
** ''VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns'': The Queen Metroid requires you to use virtually every upgrade to win. On top of having to use careful free-aiming of missiles to hit it in the mouth, you also have to use the Space Jump and Spider Ball to avoid its very widely-reaching attacks, with the Spider Ball also helping you avoid being blown into an electrified wall at one point. You can also speed up the fight by performing a Melee Counter on it, then latching onto its tongue with the Grapple Beam to pull it down and give you an opening to Morph Ball into its mouth and plant a Power Bomb in its stomach. [[spoiler:This helps hide the fact that it isn't the final boss]].
** ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'': [[spoiler: Raven Beak is a Chozo general armed with the peak of his race's technological might]]. To fight and evade him optimally Samus has to use nearly ''everything'' her arsenal has. One attack is best beaten back by super missiles, storm missiles are excellent for unloading damage on the boss in the tiny openings given as he flies, his speed requires use of both the flash boost and space jump to safely evade, the melee counter can be used to force big openings sooner than they would come naturally, and in the last phase power bombs can be used to outright neutralize the miniature suns that otherwise turn the fight into a periodic space jump evading nightmare. Truly a fitting boss to close out the saga of Samus and the Metroids with.

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'':
** Mr. Freeze in ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'' is invulnerable to frontal attacks and has a deadly freeze ray, plus he hunts you relentlessly through the area you fight him in. To take him down, you need to use every single different attack and gadget Batman has, because Freeze keeps activating countermeasures to stop you from performing the same trick twice. Curiously, this boss fight takes place near the middle of the game, rather than the end. On NewGamePlus, Mr. Freeze is even able to jam Batman's Detective Mode if the player leaves it on for too long.
** Every battle with the eponymous character of ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight'' tests you on some facet of gameplay. The first battle with him in his tank tests your skills with the Battank. The [[spoiler: Excavator]] tests your skills with driving and avoidance, and the stealth duel forces you to battle enemies who cannot be seen with your detective vision.
** Also in ''Arkham Knight'', [[spoiler: the Riddler's mech]] tests your combat skills with and without a partner. While he is optional, he can only be fought after obtaining 100% completion, so he is the true final exam.

* The final boss of ''VideoGame/IttleDew'', rather than attacking you directly, puts you in situations that force you to use your Fire Sword, your Portal Wand, and your Ice Wand effectively. The boss goes through fewer phases if you make it to the end with only two of the three tools, but is no less difficult for it.
* [[MasterSwordsman Sword Saint Isshin]] from ''VideoGame/SekiroShadowsDieTwice'' is one hell of a final exam: Counting the fight against [[BigBad Genichiro]] right before, he has the highest number of phases in the game at a whopping ''4'' healthbars, and as you whittle him down he'll begin to use every type of attack in the game against you: slashes, swipes, grabs, ranged attacks, and [[ShockAndAwe lightning]], forcing the player to use all of the specific counter moves they've learned throughout the game. On top of the game's already generally high difficulty, it's little wonder that he's considered one of, if not THE hardest final boss in [=FromSoftware=] history.

* The final level of ''VideoGame/NordAndBertCouldntMakeHeadOrTailOfIt'', "Meet the Mayor", incorporates wordplay puzzles from some of the previous levels (like the homophones from "Shopping Bizarre" and the {{Literal Metaphor}}s in "Buy the Farm" and "Eat Your Words").

* El Toro in ''VideoGame/WrathOfTheBlackManta''. He only has 4 life boxes, but he can only be hurt by specific ninja arts… in order. If you use the wrong technique, he immediately regenerates to ''full'' life. More annoyingly, this happens even if you use the right technique, but from the wrong side of the screen!

* In ''VideoGame/LaMulana'', the Mother has five forms, and each form must be defeated with a different main weapon, of which you have five of. In the remake, it qualifies as this, but in a different way. Sure, now it doesn't matter which weapon you use against her in each form, but she makes up for it in her final form, which gains new attacks based on the signature attacks of each guardian as certain amounts of damage is dealt to her.

* [[EvilSorcerer Dark Corvo]] from ''VideoGame/BillyHatcherAndTheGiantEgg'' summons shadow clones of previous bosses to attack the player.
* In ''VideoGame/DisneyPrincessEnchantedJourney'', the battle with Zara has you using all of the abilities you've learned, as well as a mini-game.
* The first phase of the FinalBoss in ''VideoGame/MegaManX8'' has him using all eight of the Maverick bosses' {{Desperation Attack}}s on you. While they're mostly the same as in their original fights, Avalanche Yeti's lasts for much longer and Burn Rooster's is now ''permanent'', leaving you with much less room to dodge the other attacks.

* The first two ''VisualNovel/ZeroEscape'' games have this in the form of their final escape sequences (the Study in ''VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors'' and the Q Room in ''VisualNovel/VirtuesLastReward''). Both rooms consist of the hardest puzzles in the game re-envisioned and a unique puzzle based on the overall concept of each game.

* ''Videogame/TheBindingOfIsaac: Afterbirth+'': The TrueFinalBoss is a particularly thorough one of these, testing you for ''every'' boss from the Basement to the expansion-added levels and even {{Optional Boss}}es. [[spoiler:This is because Delirium essentially ''is'' all the bosses at once, being an extremely unstable shapeshifting mass that randomly switches between the forms of every boss, using their attacks as he switches between bosses at an increasingly hectic rate]].

* The True Destroyer in ''VideoGame/RomancingSaGa3''. However, completely optional if you kill the Abyss Devil Lords beforehand.
* The final boss of ''VideoGame/WildARMs3'' has a grand total of ten forms, most of which require the use of one specific spell in your repertoire. Then again, the Clive/Finest Arts trick deals so much damage that it can bypass any other trick you might be having trouble with through sheer brute force.
* A literal example is from ''VideoGame/UltimaIV''. Rather than fighting an overt evil, the game is about mastering the world's code of moral virtues and behavior. At the bottom of the final dungeon, rather than a tough boss, the player is quizzed on the virtues.

* Silver, the [[spoiler:penultimate]] boss in ''VideoGame/{{Silver}}'', requires you to use all the magic you've acquired to destroy an object that is holding his power. Yes, even the Healing orb and Time orb, which normally have no offensive power on their own, can hurt that thing.
* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'':
** Most games tend to have at least one boss like this in each game, but the requirements for each one are not necessarily as specific as many other examples. For example, in ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga'', the final boss of the game requires you to smash orbs floating around it to destroy the boss. These orbs are each resistant to different elements, and the boss acquires said resistances from any orbs that are still standing. You don't need EVERY spell in the game, but you do need a good variety. The most common version of this in the series is a SequentialBoss, where the boss has a set pattern of abilities, and you must plan for all of them. In true ThatOneBoss fashion, some of these bosses require to you get hit at times to avoid enraging them, like [[ThatOneBoss Trumpeter]] in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne''.
** [[spoiler:Nyx Avatar]] in ''VideoGame/Persona3'' has you go through each arcana one at a time; while it's not necessary to know what works for each Arcana, it certainly helps.
** And beyond [[spoiler:Nyx]], there is the secret boss, [[spoiler:Elizabeth]], whom you have to fight with ''only'' your main character, and who, like you, can change Personas, thus switching her weaknesses and defenses. You ''better'' know the traits of each of her Personas, and you better learn the partner of her fight and be equipped with a good variety of Personas yourself if you expect to win.
* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'': Lavos's first form has shades of this, in the form of a BossRush you can heal between stages of. Do you remember how Magus's Barrier Shift trick worked? Or which hand to kill first on Giga Gaia? Oh, you'd better not have forgotten what dinosaurs are weak to. However, none of the bosses have scaled at all, so it's pretty likely you'll just brute force most of 'em with the benefit of dozens of levels. There's a bit of FridgeLogic there, too, as [[spoiler:Lavos evidently took its DNA from the strongest creatures on the planet… who were promptly thrashed by the heroes. Also, at least one boss shows up from the future. And is a robot]].
* ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'': [[ChekhovsGun At several points in the game, you see colors flashing in sequence. Note the order. It is also the order required before using the eponymous item.]]

* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
** In ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory'', the final boss makes use of all the brothers' (and Bowser's) defensive actions (as series tradition). Another example is the game's {{Superboss}}. [[spoiler:Bowser X]] is the final battle of the BossRush and temporarily disables any special attack the brothers can use after being used once. Add in a ''turn limit'' on the fight, and that means the player is required to be proficient with just about every special attack.
** The {{Superboss}} of ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam'', [[spoiler:Bowser Jr.]] pulls a similar trick to the previous game's ultimate boss; he steals special attacks as well.
** In ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPaperJam'', you face all seven Koopalings at once before fighting the final boss. The first four (Wendy, Roy, Ludwig and Larry) are fought in pairs and function exactly like you fought them earlier in the game. The last three (Iggy, Morton and Lemmy) are new and their only method of attacks are to use two chase attacks and one attack which involves using Paper Mario as a trampoline to deflect a Chain Chomp back at the group. Failing to execute any of these attacks correctly when fighting the last three Koopalings results in an instant death.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
** In almost all of the main series games, you have to go through a cave called Victory Road before getting to the Pokémon League. This cave usually makes use of all of the HM moves that you acquired throughout the game.
** The champion's team in each game is also stronger and features more variety in typing and strategy than the gym leaders and Elite Four members before them, forcing you to utilize your whole (hopefully balanced) team more over just sweeping the opponent with one or two Pokémon with [[ElementalRockPaperScissors type advantages]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'':
** At the end of a True Pacifist Run, [[spoiler:you engage in a BossRush against all your friends in the form of Lost Souls, and you have to ACT to SAVE them. They use similar attacks to their earlier boss battles, albeit extremely easy to avoid]].
** [[spoiler:One of ASGORE's trademark attacks is his blue/orange trident sweep, which is unavoidable if you don't remember how blue and orange attacks work. Many of his other attacks are similar to Toriel's as well, albeit harder to avoid and more damaging.]]
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'':
** ''A Realm Reborn'' has you fighting the Ultima Weapon, which uses attacks from Ifrit, Titan, and Garuda as well as its own attacks.
** ''Heavensward'' has the final boss(es) use attacks that are similar to the ones used by the bosses in the Crystal Tower raids that took place during ''A Realm Reborn''.
** The final boss of ''Stormblood'' uses attacks from nearly all the primals from ''A Realm Reborn'' as well as its own attacks.

* The final boss of ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'''s base game qualifies. During the first phase of the fight, [[spoiler: the Soul of Cinder utilizes various ''player'' styles and weapon types to attack you. After taking out its first health bar, it explodes... and [[VideoGame/DarkSouls Gwyn's theme]] begins to play, as the Soul of Cinder uses ''his'' moveset instead]].
* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' has the ClimaxBoss of Lostbelt 7, ORT, [[UltimateLifeform the Ultimate One of the Oort Cloud]], who presents a ''very'' unique take on this trope - not only is ORT the sole story Raid Boss you face, but ORT has two unique mechanics. Firstly, it changes class after each battle, giving it new weaknesses and strengths. Second, servants defeated by ORT are consumed by it, [[CharacterSelectForcing making them unusable in subsequent fights until the raid is almost finished]]. So not only is your mastery of different servant skills and strategies tested, but also the number and level of servants you have.

* ''VideoGame/GhostbustersTheVideoGame'': The Stylized version of the game (Wii, Playstation 2) makes the final boss a Final-Exam Boss. You will use all the various nozzles and weapon types available on your pack to finish him off.

* The "Hungry Festivities" challenges in ''VideoGame/CookServeDelicious'' play out like this: each challenge centers around a certain dish, and you're required to make one of every possible recipe for that dish while under intense time pressure. Needless to say, unless you've practically memorized said recipes, you don't stand a chance.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'', where the use of all three types of gels and redirection of bombs is necessary to beat [[spoiler:Wheatley]].

* The True Destroyer in ''VideoGame/{{Romancing SaGa 3}}''. However, completely optional if you kill the Abyss Devil Lords beforehand.
* The final boss of ''VideoGame/{{Wild ARMs 3}}'' has a grand total of ten forms, most of which require the use of one specific spell in your repertoire. Then again, the Clive/Finest Arts trick deals so much damage that it can bypass any other trick you might be having trouble with through sheer brute force.

** [[spoiler:Nyx Avatar]] in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' has you go through each arcana one at a time; while it's not necessary to know what works for each Arcana, it certainly helps.

* In ''VideoGame/MegaManPoweredUp'', the Normal and Hard versions of the Wily Machine use the Robot Masters' attacks against you, requiring you to fight back with the weapon of the Robot Master it is strong against. However, Time Slow is useless against the Wily Machine when it is in Super Arm mode (it could only be harmed by Time Man's projectiles, and they're only available if you actually play as Time Man), but fortunately the Wily Machine doesn't attack during this state.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap'': The first fight with Vaati requires the Gust Jar, you need the Bow for his next stage, and his final form requires the Cane of Pacci. The ability to multiply is also required for forms 2 and 3.

* VideoGame/TraumaCenter:

* During the final battle in ''VideoGame/JetForceGemini'', Mizar borrows several attacks and patterns from previous bosses in the game, requiring you to remember how to tackle them. He launches meteoric rocks and places himself from a distance like the Mechantids, uses electric attacks and red-colored {{Shockwave Stomp}}s like Fet Bubb, hovers from one side to another to attack Juno more closely like Lurg did against Vela in its second phase and, during the final phase, resumes the stationary sequence of attacks like he did in the FinalBossPreview in his fight against Lupus.

* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' has Xemnas, the final boss and its true test. You have to master Reaction Commands, managing your party, fighting him ''without'' your party and therefore without Drive Forms, fighting him when he uses all the Organization XIII weapons, managing without your [[spoiler:main character Sora]], and fighting him with backup Nobodies in one phase.
* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' has its final boss, Master Xehanort, as a long, multi-phase fight in which you have to use almost every combat ability to its fullest, including ''underwater combat''. Best exemplified in its final phase's desperation move, which is almost guaranteed death if you didn't get used to guarding.

* ''Videogame/TheBindingOfIsaac: Afterbirth+'': The TrueFinalBoss is a particularly thorough one of these, testing you for ''every'' boss from the Basement to the expansion-added levels and even {{Bonus Boss}}es. [[spoiler:This is because Delirium essentially ''is'' all the bosses at once, being an extremely unstable shapeshifting mass that randomly switches between the forms of every boss, using their attacks as he switches between bosses at an increasingly hectic rate]].

* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' has the ClimaxBoss of Lostbelt 7, ORT, [[UltimateLifeform the Ultimate One of the Oort Cloud]], who presents a ''very'' unique take on this trope - not only is ORT the sole story Raid Boss you face, but ORT has two unique mechanics. Firstly, it changes class after certain circumstances, giving it new weaknesses and strengths. Second, servants ORT defeats are consumed by the Ultimate One, [[ForcedCharacterSelection making them unusable in the campaign until the raid is finished.]]. So not only is your mastery of different servant skills and strategies tested, but also the number and level of servants you have.

* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' has the ClimaxBoss of Lostbelt 7, ORT, [[UltimateLifeform the Ultimate One of the Oort Cloud]], who presents a ''very'' unique take on this trope - not only is ORT the sole story Raid Boss you face, but ORT has two unique mechanics. Firstly, it changes class after certain circumstances, giving it new weaknesses and strengths. Second, servants ORT defeats are consumed by the Ultimate One, [[ForcedCharacterSelection making them unusable in the campaign until the raid is finished.
]]. So not only I your mastery of different servant skills and strategies tested, but also the number and level of servants you have.

* ''VideoGame/MarioParty9'': Castle Clearout is a puzzle minigame that appears in the Extras section of the menu that can be played with one or two players. Players drop groups of three colored marbles into a playing field, and must connect six marbles of the same color in order to eliminate them from the playing field. In the one player mode, players can play through 50 stages with the objective of eliminating marbles with stars on them, while in two player mode, the goal is to outlast the opponent. If the player creates a group of six marbles in the shape of a line, triangle, or hexagon, all marbles of the same color will be eliminated at once in one player mode, or extra marbles will fall into their opponent's field in two player mode.

* ''VideoGame/GhostbustersTheVideoGame'': The Stylized version of the game (Wii, Playstation 2)makes the final boss a Final-Exam Boss. You will use all the various nozzles and weapon types available on your pack to finish him off.

[[folder:Pinball]]
* ''Pinball/WeirdAlsMuseumOfNaturalHilarity'' has the "Running With Scissors" WizardMode, with tasks you with {{Speedrun}}ning through abbreviated versions of all of the game's main modes[[labelnote:*]]with the exception of "Harvey the Wonder Hamster"[[/labelnote]]. It gets bonus points for being a rare example of an actual FinalBoss in pinball, as [[NonStandardGameOver the game ends upon completing the mode]].
[[/folder]]

* Both of the ''Zero Escape'' games have this in the form of their final escape sequences (the Study in ''VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors'' and the Q Room in ''VisualNovel/VirtuesLastReward''). Both rooms consist of the hardest puzzles in the game re-envisioned and a unique puzzle based on the overall concept of each game.

* The final boss of ''VideoGame/{{Overcooked}}'' has you making four of the five types of dishes introduced throughout the game, first in stages, and then all at once. It also utilizes several other stage gimmicks, like conveyor belts and putting out fires.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Overcooked}},'' the Ever Peckish in the first game has you make one of every recipe you've made in the game so far. Your time limit is much more generous, but you also have to contend with the ''stage'' constantly changing to incorporate familiar hazards, too, such as conveyor belts. [[spoiler: The final recipe you make? A salad, which you haven't had to make since the first stage of the game.]]

* ''Pinball/WeirdAlsMuseumOfNaturalHilarity'' has the "Running With Scissors" WizardMode, with tasks you with {{Speedrun}}ning through abbreviated versions of all of the game's main modes[[labelnote:*]]with the exception of "Harvey the Wonder Hamster"[[\labelnote]]. It gets bonus points for being a rare example of an actual FinalBoss in pinball, as [[NonStandardGameOver the game ends upon completing the mode]].