History Main / HighAltitudeBattle

* ''WingCommander'' 3 and 4 subvert this, in that they are space combat games that require the player to ''descend'' into the sky (i.e. atmosphere) of multiple planets to accomplish plot-critical objectives. Needless to say, these special levels as a rule are much tougher than the conventional space battles seen elsewhere in the series.

* The last levels of ''SuperMarioLand'' and final battle with Tatanga have Mario flying through the sky in an airplane.

* The Touhou series has some of these: stands to reason, since all of the characters are flight-capable. Just to name a couple of examples: ''Scarlet Weather Rhapsody'' features a battle in heaven, and another one just after that in the upper atmosphere. In addition, ''Undefined Fantastic Object'' revolves around a CoolAirship.

** It's sort of vaguely implied/assumed to be the power of the Keyblade. Sort of an EleventhHourSuperpower thing. Most of Sora's other powers come from his Keyblade anyway.

*** And nothing helps you [[PeterPan think happy thoughts]] like having the love child of Satan and [[{{Godzilla}} Gojira]] looming over you with "Night on Bald Mountain" blaring in the background.

*** You can't let yourself be limited by common sense in Gensokyo! Besides, considering Gensokyo is a place where "if people outside don't believe it, it exists here," it could very well be possible that there's atmosphere in space.

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Common with SkyPirates

** ''FinalFantasyVI'' had two particularly memorable iterations of this trope. The first [[spoiler: when the party goes to attack the Floating Continent, and has to contend with the Imperial Air Force (which is explicitly given the acronym IAF which is ''never used again'') culminating in a battle while ''falling'' against a boss. Then, later, the party must fight Doomgaze as a randomly encountered enemy on the airship in the World of Ruin to get the Bahamut esper.]]

** It also has several segments where you're required to do something in the air. Two of the levels are part ground, part IndependenceDay-like missions that involve you sending air units (jets, bombers, etc) to destroy the enemy's air support. Unfortunately, after the battle up there is over your air units are stuck in that location. One of the later levels isn't necessarily this trope, but still requires you to destroy a satellite in space with ground-to-orbit missiles.

* The final boss fight of ''{{Kirby}}'s Adventure'' for the NES takes place in free fall, and for some reason you can't use your flying or hovering abilities. You have a little over a minute before you hit the ground.
** In ''Kirby Super Star Ultra'', you fight Kabula the zeppelin in the airspace of Mt. Dedede, with an UnexpectedGameplayChange to [[UnexpectedShmupLevel a shoot-em-up]].
*** Kaboola actually appeared in the first game in the series. A mint leaf gives you the power to repeatedly spit out air puffs. An infinitely lasting version is what Kirby eats before he takes on the blimp.

* The ''{{Halo}}'' series has several air combat sequences, and the second level of ''HaloReach'' is [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE!]]

* The ''{{Halo}}'' series has several air battles where you pilot a Banshee, Hornet, or Saber, and the second level of ''HaloReach'' is [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE!]]

* The ''{{Halo}}'' series has several air battles where you pilot a Banshee or Hornet, and the second level of ''HaloReach'' is [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE!]]

* The ''{{Halo}}'' series has several air combat sequences, and the second level of ''HaloReach'' is [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE!]]

* Happens in {{Drakengard}} on occasion. IIRC, the entire first game's bosses were this trope, and the sequel had a majority of the land-based bosses.

In which the hero of a video game has to go up in the sky and defeat the enemy. It can be as simple as a dogfight between planes/airships, or as complex as fighting enemies at a flying fortress in an all-out war. If the heroes and their opponents have the power of {{Flight}} to achieve this, this will lead to AirJousting.

* The Symbiote Vulture boss battle in ''Spider-Man: Web of Shadows'' cranks this trope to epically extreme levels as, considering the fact that you're Spidey, the battle takes place high above New York and quickly becomes a warzone when SHIELD troops arrive... and there is '''no ground'''. Therefore, you'll have to swing across hovercrafts and use air combos and web strikes on the Vulture and his mooks to keep up in the sky. Speaking of which, the game's final mission and boss is on the SHIELD Helicarrier.

** ''Metroid Prime 3'' has an entire High Altitude Level: the Skytown/Planet Elysia area is exactly as high-altitude as the name suggests, and you do fight a boss there ([[spoiler:Ghor]]). Of course, the main boss for that area, like the main boss for every planet, is fought at the Leviathan's landing site.

* In an epic variation of this trope, the first encounter with Meta-Ridley in ''{{Metroid}} Prime 3: Corruption'' is set in a shaft ''sixteen and a half kilometers tall''. You [[CrowningMoment/VideoGameBosses fight him in free fall]] and must defeat him before your altitude reaches 0.
** ''Metroid Prime 3'' has an entire High Altitude Level: the Skytown/Planet Elysia area is exactly as high-altitude as the name suggests, and you do fight a boss there ([[spoiler:Ghor]]). Of course, the main boss for that area, like the main boss for every planet, is fought inside a Leviathan.
*** Actually, two planets don't have you entering Leviathans at all, though there is involvement with Leviathans on both planets anyhow. On Norion you don't enter a Leviathan, but you do spend a significant amount of time trying to get things working so it can get blown to bits before it hits the surface. It ends up doing so and you never set foot inside. Same goes for the final planet Phaaze, where you do spend a considerable amount of time trying to kill a Leviathan fetus, but not actually fighting inside one. The other three planets do indeed, however, have their main bosses fought inside Leviathans. But the Meta Ridley fight as well as the Aurora Unit 313 fight are not in Leviathans.

* ''[[ManaSeries Secret of Mana]]'': Possibly a subversion as the final fight is you on a flying fortress [[spoiler:being attacked by a dragon.]]
** ''Seiken Densetsu 3'' has one of the God-Beasts fought atop Flammie. Really.

* The last levels of ''Super Mario Land'' and final battle with Tatanga have Mario flying through the sky in an airplane.
* The Palace of Winds boss battle in ''The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap'' takes place who-knows-how-high in the air with Link ''riding'' the boss! How he gets off afterward is unclear.
** ''Twilight Princess'' had the City in the Sky, and a slightly less ludicrous boss battle involving a ColossusClimb on a flying dragon.
* In Wild9 you have 2 free falling stages where you slam the enemy into the walls or signs/debris that you pass

* ''PhantasyStar'' 1 and 4 had this (2 and 3 may have also, but ThisTroper never actually finished them). In 1 and 4, you had to fight an evil king and [[spoiler:the same evil king 2000 or so years later.]] Inside of his castle. On a ''flying island''. In order to even get to the island in Phantasy Star 1, you had to ride your TeamPet and fight a dragon in mid-air.

-->''Your chance comes when the whirlwind lifts the pirate ship. Finish it in the sky!''

* Fron the YugiOh anime we have Kaiba's duel with Allister.