There are few things in gaming quite as satisfying as a well-designed boss fight. Coming up against a major, hated villain can make players feel such joy upon defeating them. Other times, they are mechanically interesting, challenging, or terrifying, which can push people to their limits.

Bosses break up the gameplay, heighten the danger, and are inherently engaging when done right. When done wrong, they ruin Halo 2, but that’s a different article altogether. Here are a few bosses that developers and gamers might want to pay attention to.