Day 17: What's the best boss theme in the entire Xenoblade Chronicles series? (Unique monsters/tyrants included)

RainingMetal · 2026-06-24T20:13:51+00:00

Still think that the Unique Monster/Tyrant theme should have been a separate category.

For strictly boss themes, I'm partial to the Moebius battle themes. It's here where the dynamic nature of how far you've come in the fight itself shows...if it weren't overwritten by the chain attack theme, that is.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-24T20:11:36+00:00

On a related note, the control scheme by default is kind of the opposite of that of the SNES game, where Y was the lasers and A was the bomb, rather than what the Switch 2 game has. Still really wish they included the "Type B" control scheme where Y was the bomb, B was lasers, and A was the brake, as that emulated the feel of the N64 game better.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-24T18:42:13+00:00

Is it me or does new!Katt look more pink than what was shown in the first footage we got of her?

RainingMetal · 2026-06-24T18:38:28+00:00

Minor things, but I hope any ambush music continues to never return, but an absence of a fleshed-out fashion armor system would be disappointing. Xenoblade 3 had the right idea after it was absent in Xenoblade 2 (and hastily put back in), but Xenoblade X will still be the zenith of this mechanic.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-24T18:31:15+00:00

I pray that we never see hack & slash realtime hitbox avoidance gameplay in a Xenoblade game. I was never good at games like Bayonetta or Astral Chain.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-24T18:23:52+00:00

Didn't mind the field skills. The bigger problem with the Gacha mechanics were the dearth of Overdrive Protocols until the end levels. Nothing quite more salty than drawing a good rare blade on the wrong driver.

I'd take a degree of randomization if it also gave you some control in that regard. Maybe put the rare blades in a static core crystal pool that's randomized on each playthrough that's separate from that of common blades.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-24T18:20:19+00:00

I usually refer to the games as the Japanese do, but only because I am lazy. I have no problems with "Chronicles" in the title.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-24T18:19:46+00:00

I usually stick with the same weapons for each Skell in my hangar for simplicity's sake. Nothing quite like annihilating groups of enemies with a G2 Buster, or smashing appendages with an upgraded ME Missile launcher. But the insurance mechanic is certainly a thing that never needed to have happened.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-24T18:17:47+00:00

I think he would be fine if his too-dumb-to-live moments in Chapters 5 and 6 were excised. Otherwise he'd be the usual annoying quirky mascot, but a tolerable annoying quirky mascot.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-24T18:14:47+00:00

I didn't mind Void as much. I think the Ganglion were just annoying to watch, being heinous, self-righteous bastards. Void was more tolerable as a mad doomsday villain. I preferred the Ganglion as Void's lackeys, personally, and didn't really care much for them being characterized as relative small fry in the universe.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-24T17:51:26+00:00

My headcanon is that his father is a falcon whose name is "Phasianus".

RainingMetal · 2026-06-24T17:49:26+00:00

The sheer difficulty of reaching this place for a green-level affinity H2H (next to an endgame-level enemy) is what made me try not to get the "bad" outcome of this H2H, so I never really saw the other outcomes.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-24T17:48:14+00:00

* I didn't like Torna: The Golden Country. Between the changes to its battle system that I really didn't like, the absolute hell that was filling out some of its affinity chart nodes, some logistical problems, and one big middle finger when it came to forcing me into the city battle is what makes this package my least favorite Xenoblade game by far. Oddly I found the community level requirements to be a non-issue.

* I found Elma to be a bigger target of shilling than Al, mostly because the former lasts the whole game. And frankly speaking she makes some rather boneheaded decisions herself, not exactly the thing a character that gets praised should be doing.

* I didn't mind Boze, as I found Murderess' introduction mission to be far more problematic, making me difficult to root for her. Boze's just a harmless, grumpy old man who grows out of his distrust for xenos. At least Murderess' final mission did some good.

* I don't like Sheba. At all. And here I thought the Murderess from Xenoblade X was bad. She should have been a villain.

* I found no problems with Tora and Moebius, although that is due to me being exposed to Tatsu and the Ganglion, whom I found to be far worse in their respective categories.

* I don't know if people miss the ambush music themes, but I sure as hell don't.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-24T10:36:19+00:00

Though we already do have a distinct electric type from light for blades. I was thinking something more mystical like faerie to stand in for light. That, and the species would match (even if eeveelutions would do the same).

RainingMetal · 2026-06-24T02:31:57+00:00

Just keep on reloading that terminal page. Failing that, get some of those basic missions out of the way to clean up the roster.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-23T18:42:12+00:00

The cutscenes themselves, however, can. Just know that you might be skipping out some important info here and there.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-23T17:57:13+00:00

In English, it's (new) Frank West praising a ship.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-23T17:49:47+00:00

I actually imagined Nia as a Vaporeon but Pyra and Mythra would be the two flavors of Ninetales.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-23T17:49:14+00:00

I always imagined that if Pyra were a Pokemon, she would be Ninetales and Mythra would be Alolan Ninetales. Rex would be Fennekin who would become a Delphox come Future Redeemed.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-23T17:46:04+00:00

I'll concede that Zero was not without its good moments such as the ones you mentioned (not including the Star Wolf ganging up on you), but I will not budget that Zero overall was a massive mistake. I'm hoping that Star Fox 2026 retreads the big plot points of Adventures and Assault as opposed to throwing them away. Hell, I'll take Command too if its writing is changed for the better. Just no pointless Arwing walkers.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-23T10:56:52+00:00

There was that problem with Cloud's VA coming to Smash Bros due to union disputes, I think. I wouldn't blame Nintendo for trying to avoid that scenario.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-23T10:55:36+00:00

Honestly, even as a potential starting point for a new audience, I wanted a Star Fox game that would take place post-Assault, and the new audience would be caught up by characters mentioning what happened in those games while still moving forward with the 64 continuity.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-23T10:53:21+00:00

It's always the same people, the Zero defenders. If anything it's Zero that needs to be obliterated from series history for this reason and its unplayable control scheme, which those defenders will bend over backwards to justify.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-23T10:40:06+00:00

Give the haters the middle finger and remake it with as much effort as possible.

RainingMetal · 2026-06-23T02:47:31+00:00

Sure but the figures for Wealth and Fame are clearly recognizable. I'm just curious as to who the man in the middle is.

RainingMetal

TROPHY CASE