Daryl Baxter: top related news

Intro by Rob Leane, RadioTimes.com gaming editor: “When I first read Daryl Baxter’s new book, 50 Years of Boss Fights: Video Game Legends, its first chapter made a real impression on me. Rather than simply kicking things off with an obvious gaming boss like Bowser or Dr Robotnik, Baxter went all the way back to 1974 to get exclusive insight from the makers of gaming’s first ever boss. It’s from a game that younger readers may not have heard of, but it sent massive ramifications into the nascent gaming industry of the time, and its impact is still being felt today. In fact, it feels quite fun to be talking about this at the same time that present-day players are diving into Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, which you could call the pinnacle of boss battles (certainly in terms of difficulty, at least). The book goes on to touch on loads of memorable bosses from the decades that followed the idea’s inception, charting a progression from 1974 to 2024, one gruelling encounter at a time, with heaps of insight from the ingenious creators of the bosses. Read on to discover that first chapter for yourself!”