Summary
Sand Landis a new video game adaptation of the classic manga by the great lateAkira Toriyama. One aspect of this game that truly stands out is its action, as it is divided between vehicular combat on a variety of machines and hand-to-hand combat, in which the player controlsBeelzebubdirectly.
The game does an excellent job at balancing both styles of play, which is highlighted during its frenetic boss fights. From gigantic desert-dwelling beasts to dangerous humans who are also efficient at using war machines,Sand Landhas some unique and interesting boss fights, and that’s quite unexpected for an adaptation like this one. This is a ranking ofthe best bossesin the entireSand Landadventure.
10The Swimmers
A Group Of Wacky Characters
TheSwimmersare some of the most bizarre and memorable characters from the originalSand Landmanga. So it was only inevitable that they would end up being one of the first bosses of the game.
The fightstarts off with a fun platforming section in 2Din which Beelzebub has to avoid the boulders that the Swimmers are throwing at him. Then it switches to a brief brawl against Papa. While this is not a particularly challenging opponent, this is one of the earlier melee battles in the game, so it also gives the player a good taste of how most encounters are going to work throughout the adventure.
9Cargo Airship
Reenacting One Of The Manga’s Most Intense Moments
While most ofSand Land’scampaign consists ofnew content that Akira Toriyama specifically created for this game(and it’s anime adaptation), some of the earlier moments of the playthrough are taken straight from the original manga, and the initial encounter with General Are’sCargo Airshipis a perfect example.
This is not a boss fight where the player will be able to go all in and attack directly. Instead, it’s better to position the tank behind the rocks and hide until a projectile can be launched. This results in a really intense tactical encounter that stands out from the other bosses in the game.
8Defense System
Half Puzzle, Half Boss
Unlike most of the enemies inSand Land, theDefense Systemis mostly stationary and instead relies on the environment and its drones to damage the player’s vehicles. This is a fight in which it’s important to pay attention to the surroundings and the other enemies, not just the boss itself.
It can be quite tricky at times, but it ends up being a surprisingly challenging and fun battle. A second encounter against the Defense System near the end of the story even adds a new element: a bunch of explosive mines that can be thrown back at the machine with theBattle Armor, which is really satisfying.
7Rosetta’s Tank
An Emotional Encounter
GeneralRosettamay be one of the most complex characters inSand Land.She isAnn’schildhood friend andBred’sdaughter, so she’s conflicted because she’s not even sure if she’s fighting on the right side of the war between Sand Land and Forest Land. It’s a fascinating dynamic, which turns her into a really tragic boss.
Rosetta drives a giant armored tank, so this battle is not so much about firepower, but rather about resistance. Players will have to avoid her projectiles and never stop attacking back if they want to deal enough damage to the machine. It may be slow-paced, but defeating Rosetta is an important turning point for this game’s narrative.
6Insect Man Brigade
Beelzebub Embraces His Demonic Power
Similarly to the Cargo Airship, this is another memorable boss fight that reenacts one of the best moments from the original manga. The encounter between Beelzebub and theInsect Man Brigadewas the climactic final battle of that story,and the game does a very good job at representing this amazing fight.
The Insect Men are intimidating and resilient, but defeating one alone is not that hard. The problem is when Beelzebub has to fight several of them at the same time, but this leads to an amazing moment: Bel unleashes the full Power of Darkness and the player takes control of his most powerful form. This way, each Insect Man can be taken down with just one hit, and it feels really great.
5Epi’s Mech 3.0
Taking Down A Very Annoying Character
General Epiof Forest Landis arguably the most despicable character in all ofSand Land, and even though he’s fought several times throughout the adventure, he always manages to come back with a strongerJump-Bot.As such, the final battle against him near the end of the story is the hardest one, but also the most satisfying one.
Epi will jump around with his powerful mech, avoiding Beelzebub’s attacks and launching powerful projectiles against the player. He even sends in his soldiers to fight for him. This battle is all about patience and good timing, because eventually defeating Epi for the final time feels truly amazing.
4Kraken
Using The Hovercar At Its Full Potential
In a game where most of the bosses are either humans or giant machines, having to fight a giant organic monster is a breath of fresh air. Luckily, the battle against theKrakeninside the Cardamo Lake Ruins is pretty good in and of itself. This entire dungeon was designed around the use of theHovercar, and this boss is no exception.
The Kraken is a tricky opponent that will try to hide under the water and use its tentacles to damage Beelzebub’s Hovercar at unexpected times. If the player makes good use of this vehicle’s features though, it won’t take long before the Kraken is defeated. This is a fun fight, and for players who really enjoy it, it can be replayed inone of the game’s many side quests.
3Battleship Defender
An Action-Packed Clash Between Robots
Most of the battles inSand Landrely on projectiles, but this fight is different because it’s all about close combat. TheBattleship Defenderis meant to be fought with the recently acquired Battle Armor, so the game expects the player to fight it up close and personal. To make things even better, this is one of the best robots that Akira Toriyama ever designed.
This setup results in one of the most intense, challenging, and memorable segments of the entire game, as the player will have to keep a close eye on the Battleship Defender, avoid its sword & tail attacks, and approach it at the right moment in order to strike back.This feels like a boss battle from an entirely different action game, and that’s a good thing.
2Muniel
An Epic Final Boss To Conclude The Game
As one of the main antagonists, Beelzebub has to fight the angelMunielseveral times, but he seems to be a pushover in most of his initial encounters. That is, until the final battle of the entire game, where he’s powered up byAquaniumand he shows his true colors.
The first phase against regular Muniel introduces a few new tricky abilities, like teleportation and a bubble shield that Bel will have to quickly break out of. But the second phase of this battle is where Muniel truly shines. As he absorbs more and more Aquanium, he becomes a hulking giant that can only be taken down by vehicles.This climactic final boss utilizes both combat systems of the game perfectly, and it concludesSand Landin a fulfilling way.
1Bred’s Robot
The Most Epic Boss In The Game
Supreme Commander Bredis definitely the most interesting antagonist of the two main ones in the game, since he has a really cool design and a tragic background. He’s a cyborg who’s not entirely sure if he’s fighting for a good cause. So he is already a character that the player will look forward to fighting during the entire adventure, and the ensuing battle against Bred and his giant robot does not disappoint.
This is a really challenging fight. Bred can deal a lot of damage with his punches, missiles, and lasers, and hitting him when he goes airborne can be quite tricky. The player will have tomake good use of every single vehicleif they want to defeat him efficiently, and eventually doing so is extremely satisfying. Not to mention that Bred’s subsequent redemption makes this epic boss fight even more worth it.
