Do you have a favorite ‘boss fight only’ game?

Furi made me curious

Having played through part of Furi recently (it’s fun!), it really got me thinking — how many games basically only feature boss fights? I’m not talking about ones that have the old school “boss rush” side mode that you can unlock after beating the game proper, but a full-on “this entire game is bosses” commitment.

The first thing that came to mind is the glorious Punch Out!! series. One of the most memorable moments of my entire life was fighting King Hippo as a kid on the NES, or Narcis Prince on the SNES for the first time, sans guides or help. It was just me and them, one-on-one, the AI against my wits. Many games have matched that feeling with amazing fights (like Vergil in Devil May Cry 3), but not in the same manner as these types of experiences.

There’s several other major examples that have found a large degree of success, like Shadow of the Colossus, and select shoot ’em ups like rRootage. Oh, and some of you might count fringe games like the No More Heroes series, which feature short level interludes, but mostly focus on major encounters. Enough of my pontificating though, share your picks!