Boss time-out

A "boss time-out" refers to a situation where a boss or mid-boss flies off the screen when it continues to survive for a certain period of time. Some games, such as Ikaruga, feature an invincible boss that must be timed-out in order to win, forcing the player to rely on their dodging skills and pattern recognition. In most other games, boss time-outs typically exist in order to prevent the player from earning unlimited amounts of points from boss milking.