1. Chrono Trigger (1) 2. Resident Evil 4 (3) 3. Super Mario 64 (4) 4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (5) 5. Super Mario World (8) 6. Super Mario Bros. 3 (6) 7. Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow (2) 8. Super Smash Bros. Melee (7) 9. Super Mario Galaxy (12) 10. Final Fantasy X (10) 11. Metal Gear Solid (9) 12. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (13) 13. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (14) 14. Final Fantasy IX (15) 15. Super Metroid (11) 16. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (17) 17. Final Fantasy VI (19) 18. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (16) 19. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (21) 20. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials & Tribulations (18) 21. Final Fantasy VII (NR) 22. Batman: Arkham Asylum (24) 23. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (NR) 24. Mario Kart 64 (NR) 25. Paper Mario (23)
Dropped out: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (20), Mega Man 2 (22), Portal (25)
Also receiving votes:
39 - Half-Life 2 31 - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night 25 - Star Fox 64 23 - Metroid Prime 22 - Super Smash Bros. Brawl 22 - Tales of Symphonia 19 - Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest 13 - Sonic Adventure 2 8 - Okami 7 - Mega Man 2 6 - Final Fantasy VIII 5 - Portal 4 - Skies of Arcadia 4 - Sonic 3 & Knuckles 3 - Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door 3 - Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 1 - Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Our highest voter turnout of the year for the Top 25 rankings means Chrono Trigger ends up with the highest point total of the year so far. The voters considered Mario World's beating of R/B/Y impressive enough to vault it into the top 5 this week. Despite losing last week, FFX holds steady at #10, and Batman actually moves up two spots despite its loss last week, partially because it managed to impress despite losing and partially because so many other games around it also lost. Mario Kart 64 also makes its Top 25 debut this week.
549 - Chrono Trigger 515 - Resident Evil 4 492 - Super Mario 64 468 - The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 432 - Super Mario World 429 - Super Mario Bros. 3 428 - Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow 411 - Super Smash Bros. Melee 332 - Super Mario Galaxy 307 - Final Fantasy X 297 - Metal Gear Solid 286 - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 275 - Super Mario Galaxy 2 260 - Final Fantasy IX 224 - Super Metroid 211 - Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 202 - Final Fantasy VI 179 - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney 142 - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 141 - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials & Tribulations 81 - Final Fantasy VII 72 - Batman: Arkham Asylum 65 - Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island 62 - Mario Kart 64 55 - Paper Mario 39 - Half-Life 2 31 - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night 25 - Star Fox 64 23 - Metroid Prime 22 - Super Smash Bros. Brawl 22 - Tales of Symphonia 19 - Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest 13 - Sonic Adventure 2 8 - Okami 7 - Mega Man 2 6 - Final Fantasy VIII 5 - Portal 4 - Skies of Arcadia 4 - Sonic 3 & Knuckles 3 - Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door 3 - Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 1 - Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
--
"Stay with me until the end. Please." "Not until the end. Always."
There are seven total matchups this week which are either:
1) Battles between two ranked games. 2) Matches featuring good opportunities for a non-ranked game to upset a ranked one.
They are:
BioShock vs. Final Fantasy IX (Day 80) The World Ends with You vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials & Tribulations Paper Mario vs. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Day 81) Super Mario Galaxy vs. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Day 81) Super Metroid vs. Portal (Day 82) Mario Kart 64 vs. Resident Evil 4 (Day 83) Super Mario Bros. 3 vs. Final Fantasy VI (Day 84)
Anything else major this week?
--
Currently Playing - Mega Man 2 Hopefully Next Up - Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Brood War
If Sonic Adventure 2 beats DKC this week and gets a win over a mainline Mario title next week, there's no way anyone can deny it a top 25 spot after that...!
Eh, I'd say that there's a bigger chance of FFVI going 3 for 3 in its next three matches than going 0 for 3. Hey, let's look at FFIX's schedule!
The game is currently 1-0 against other members of the RPI top 30, wonderful. Not only that, but that win over FFT is looking worse and worse. SOMETHING is going to expose FFIX, and what better than FFVI? Of course, unless BioShock works some serious magic this week, FFIX will still be undefeated against stuff outside of its own franchise...just like Super Mario World!
Also, I found out earlier that Super Mario 64 has faced no fewer than five other members of the RPI top 30, and is 4-1 against such competition, with the only loss coming from none other than the "defending champion". By contrast, Chrono Trigger has only faced two other members of the RPI top 30.
--
Currently Playing - Mega Man 2 Hopefully Next Up - Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Brood War
Also, I found out earlier that Super Mario 64 has faced no fewer than five other members of the RPI top 30, and is 4-1 against such competition, with the only loss coming from none other than the "defending champion". By contrast, Chrono Trigger has only faced two other members of the RPI top 30.
Here's a different way to look at it. Chrono Trigger is 2-0 against the RPI top 10 (and this weeks ranking Top 10 as well). Super Mario 64 is 0-1.
Though that is from my memory as the spreadsheet won't load for me right now. I can't remember if any of SM64's other top 30 opponenets are in the top 10. Either way, CT still has a better record against the most elite opponents.
-- (Maniac64 at work) [Browncoat] ~Board 570901~ All the proteins, vitamins, and carbs of your grandma's best turkey dinner, plus 15% alcohol.
3. Super Mario 64 (4) 5. Super Mario World (8) 6. Super Mario Bros. 3 (6) 9. Super Mario Galaxy (12) 13. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (14) 23. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (NR) 24. Mario Kart 64 (NR) 25. Paper Mario (23)
The return of Mario 8
--
BOP Results: http://charmander6000.webs.com/GotD%20BOP.xls Congratulations to Black Turtle for winning the guru contest.
muddersmilk posted... Also, I found out earlier that Super Mario 64 has faced no fewer than five other members of the RPI top 30, and is 4-1 against such competition, with the only loss coming from none other than the "defending champion". By contrast, Chrono Trigger has only faced two other members of the RPI top 30.
Here's a different way to look at it. Chrono Trigger is 2-0 against the RPI top 10 (and this weeks ranking Top 10 as well). Super Mario 64 is 0-1.
Though that is from my memory as the spreadsheet won't load for me right now. I can't remember if any of SM64's other top 30 opponenets are in the top 10. Either way, CT still has a better record against the most elite opponents.
SM64 is actually 3-1 against games in this week's top 10 and 2-0 against games in the RPI top 10.
What an absolutely appropriate top three in the RPI. The top two have not lost to anything yet, and the #3 has only lost to the defending champion.
--
Currently Playing - Mega Man 2 Hopefully Next Up - Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Brood War
charmander6000 posted... 3. Super Mario 64 (4) 5. Super Mario World (8) 6. Super Mario Bros. 3 (6) 9. Super Mario Galaxy (12) 13. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (14) 23. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (NR) 24. Mario Kart 64 (NR) 25. Paper Mario (23)
The return of Mario 8
Well the Mario series (even if only the mainline platformers are counted!) is the only video game series that I really consider myself to be a big fan of (although here's hoping that Final Fantasy joins it SOME day).
--
Currently Playing - Mega Man 2 Hopefully Next Up - Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Brood War
Dude, that was Arkham Asylum's best match all contest. Almost defeating a highly-regarded Final Fantasy holds more worth in my eyes than a narrow loss to Mario Kart 64, narrow victories over The Thousand-Year Door and Donkey Kong Country, and getting 57% or whatever it was on FALLOUT 3, which is not exactly the strongest of opponents.
--
Currently Playing - Mega Man 2 Hopefully Next Up - Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Brood War
Batman only kept it close because a large percentage of people anti vote any final fantasy no matter what its opponent. In my mind LttP is the best one loss game as far as quality wins and realistic chance to win it all. I would be interested to see it matched up with any Super Mario Bros game and think it would win.
Chrono Trigger Resident Evil 4 Super Mario Bros. 3 Super Mario World Super Mario 64 LoZ: Link to the Past LoZ: Ocarina of TIme Pokemon RBY Super Smash Bros. Melee
I think that's everyone with a realistic chance at winning at this point.
--
BOP Results: http://charmander6000.webs.com/GotD%20BOP.xls Congratulations to Black Turtle for winning the guru contest.
But there's always going to be that game that comes out of nowhere and makes a deep run in the tournament. Happens every time.
Although the original Games was a bit more predictable than either Characters contest has been as far as that goes, but I don't think anyone would've really thought FFVII had a realistic shot of winning or even getting to the finals.
LeonhartFour posted... But there's always going to be that game that comes out of nowhere and makes a deep run in the tournament. Happens every time.
Although the original Games was a bit more predictable than either Characters contest has been as far as that goes, but I don't think anyone would've really thought FFVII had a realistic shot of winning or even getting to the finals.
Weird considering FFVII was a 2-seed, but you're right, no one was giving it much of a chance. Probably because FFVII is usually the one being upset (FFVII/AC 2003, anyone?)
--
If you are reading this signature, then you are wasting a great deal of your time.
LeonhartFour posted... If Sonic Adventure 2 beats DKC this week and gets a win over a mainline Mario title next week, there's no way anyone can deny it a top 25 spot after that...!
Agreed. This looks like SA2's chance to prove it has some sort of legit strength--or to prove that its record is nothing but a product of a weak schedule. DKC1, while not nearly as strong as its sequel, has some quality wins, Earthbound being somewhat of a quality opponent and two wins against Pokémon games being nice (even if they are the two weakest), and Sunshine...well, like I said, it's hard to get a great read on Sunshine because all of its wins are against fodder and all of its losses save one are against high-caliber games.
--
Ulti (in one of his Post-Contest Analyses): God of War turned a 5 hour deadlock into a total laugher Anagram: Oh God, Tidus and Yuna were involved?
LinkMarioSamus posted... Dude, that was Arkham Asylum's best match all contest. Almost defeating a highly-regarded Final Fantasy holds more worth in my eyes than a narrow loss to Mario Kart 64, narrow victories over The Thousand-Year Door and Donkey Kong Country, and getting 57% or whatever it was on FALLOUT 3, which is not exactly the strongest of opponents.
Wasn't Fallout 3 like undefeated or something going into that match? I distinctly remember thinking that it was a top 25 contender, and then it went out and got upset by something.
...no, wait, that was Assasin's Creed II that upset it, and that was an undefeated game at the time as well. Still, Fallout 3 is 10-3. Not exactly horrible, even if it doesn't have great SOS.
Janus5000 posted... beating GTA:SA by one vote gets you 12 more points confirmed
It's more like "winning your 12th straight gets you 12 more points". Only Chrono Trigger and Resident Evil 4 have longer active winning streaks, albeit against far tougher competition.
--
Ulti (in one of his Post-Contest Analyses): God of War turned a 5 hour deadlock into a total laugher Anagram: Oh God, Tidus and Yuna were involved?
Sonic Adventure 2 is so lucky. It has won so many matches against weak/mediocre games that people will be voting it into the Top 25 by Week 15, despite it not proving itself against anything that's likely to make the final tournament.
I will not support this tomfoolery!
--
If you are reading this signature, then you are wasting a great deal of your time.
I think alot of these games will eventually show they are weaker than ranked...I think FFX is stronger than it appears and games like Phoenix Wright will plummet. I also think RE4 needs a strong test against a LoZ or Mario game to gauge where it really stands.
Resident Evil 4 was already tested against Mario Galaxy.
SA2 is ranked 40th in the RPI. Out of the top 50 this is the game that seems most out of place.... huh, only 1 loss and its faced nothing but jokes. That explains things then.
Does anyone else think the voters were too reactive based on one week when there's now 13 weeks completed? Only 5 points for Portal and only 7 for Mega Man 2....? Well, those two logically didn't make it, but then there's the fact the Yoshi's Island has replaced DKC2 when Kong Quest won head-to-head handily a little while ago. Yes, DKC2 lost to a game that's never been ranked, but MK64 lost to Aria of Sorrow and I would say MK64 is a worthy contender....! I would say RBY dropped a bit too far as well. Okay, I'd better stop now.
On a clearly positive note, MARIO KART made it! Hallelujah! I can rest easy this week.
I'll make a lame attempt to rank those games charmander posted as far as the chance of winning: Chrono Trigger > Super Mario Bros. 3 > Resident Evil 4 > Super Smash Bros. Melee > Super Mario World > Pokemon RBY > LoZ: Link to the Past > LoZ: Ocarina of TIme > Super Mario 64. I figure Mario 3 has the best shot at overcoming its season losses during the tournament.
--
"Ah, a party! We haven't had one of those. So...what is a party?" "Well, you drink punch and eat CAKE! ...I think."
Something that struggled to overcome Mario 3 is not going to defeat Chrono Trigger, thank you very much. Nor does it really deserve to (although I'm perfectly fine with whoever gets emerges victorious, but then again there aren't many results that I'm all that upset with - SA1 > Civ4 is the only one that comes to mind).
--
Currently Playing - Mega Man 2 Hopefully Next Up - Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Brood War
Just as long as we are as anti-Nintendo as reasonably possible all season, CT will be fine. =P It doesn't seem to be working well right now.... personally, I think we should stop voting for all the Nintendo games except Mario Kart 64, and then vote THAT over everything. I am sure you will all agree. ;)
--
"Ah, a party! We haven't had one of those. So...what is a party?" "Well, you drink punch and eat CAKE! ...I think."
Suikoden V (Patriot Time Portals Conference) (6-8) – 24 (57.14%) Jet Force Gemini (Smash Trigger Conference) (5-9) – 18 (42.86%) --Suikoden V gets a solid win over Jet Force Gemini.
Gunstar Heroes (Cult RPG Galaxy Conference) (4-10) – 21 (46.67%) Mortal Kombat II (Patriot Time Portals Conference) (3-11) – 24 (53.33%) --It's pretty remarkable the number of bad games with abysmal records Gunstar Heroes has lost to now.
#23 Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (Brawl for Broke Conference) (12-2) – 40 (81.63%) Gitaroo Man (Thousand-Year World of Sunshine Conference) (0-14) – 9 (18.37%) --Yoshi's Island keeps Gitaroo Man winless with a quadrupling.
F-Zero GX (Patriot Time Portals Conference) (8-6) – 28 (62.22%) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Games of the Decades Conference) (2-12) – 17 (37.78%) --CoD4 may be modern, but it's no match for futuristic.
#12 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Patriot Time Portals Conference) (12-2) – 39 (76.47%) Halo: Combat Evolved (Smash Trigger Conference) (4-10) – 12 (23.53%) --This probably is pretty similar to how the match would go in a Games Contest, too!
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (Smackdown Hotel Conference) (10-4) – 23 (45.10%) #8 Super Smash Bros. Melee (Fanservice Conference) (12-2) – 28 (54.90%) --Mario RPG puts up a very respectable performance on Melee, and I'd like to point out that CT's margin of victory was twice as large as Melee's.
Sonic Colors (Games of the Decades Conference) (5-9) – 16 (34.78%) The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Zelda Overload Conference) (9-5) – 30 (65.22%) --Link's Awakening gives Sonic Colors a rude awakening.
Super Street Fighter IV (Nintendo Objections Conference) (2-12) – 29 (65.91%) Gears of War 2 (Zelda Overload Conference) (0-14) – 15 (34.09%) --SSFIV finally gets its second win while Gears 2 continues to search for its first.
Max Payne (Games of the Decades Conference) (2-12) – 9 (19.57%) Skies of Arcadia (Tanooki Blitzball Conference) (11-3) – 37 (80.43%) --Skies of Arcadia brings the pain to Max Payne.
Mega Man X (Fanservice Conference) (10-4) – 30 (62.50%) Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (Smash Trigger Conference) (7-7) – 18 (37.50%) --Mega Man X gets to release some pent up anger on Marvel vs. Capcom and gets its 10th win. While we're at it, MvC2's loss means Smash Trigger is the first conference to accumulate 100 losses!
Sonic CD (Sonic Overload Conference) (3-11) – 18 (37.50%) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Twilight Barrel Galaxy Conference) (10-4) – 30 (62.50%) --Hey, didn't we just see a Zelda game beat a Sonic game?
Devil May Cry (Tanooki Blitzball Conference) (3-11) – 18 (37.50%) Super Mario Sunshine (Thousand-Year World of Sunshine Conference) (6-8) – 30 (62.50%) --Hey, didn't we just see a match or two with this exact same score?
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (Cult RPG Galaxy Conference) (12-2) – 31 (73.81%) Legend of Legaia (Thousand-Year World of Sunshine Conference) (1-13) – 11 (26.19%) --Path of Radiance continues on its path to victory.
--
"Why must we always choose between certain death and probable death?" "I'm in an epic battle to the death, FIGURE IT OUT YOURSELF!"
1. Chrono Trigger (1) 2. Resident Evil 4 (2) 3. Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow (4) 4. Super Mario 64 (3) 5. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (5) 6. Super Mario Bros. 3 (6) 7. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (7) 8. Final Fantasy IX (9) 9. Metal Gear Solid (8) 10. Super Mario Galaxy (10) 11. Super Mario World (11) 12. Super Smash Bros. Melee (12) 13. Super Metroid (13) 14. Final Fantasy X (14) 15. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (15) 16. Final Fantasy VI (16) 17. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (17) 18. Batman: Arkham Asylum (18) 19. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials & Tribulations (19) 20. Tales of Symphonia (23) 21. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (20) 22. Mario Kart 64 (21) 23. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (22) 24. Portal (24) 25. Metroid Prime (26) Mega Man 2 (25) Paper Mario (27) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (30) Sonic 3 & Knuckles (28) Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (29)
Other than ToS somehow boosting 3 spots without playing, there isn't much of note. SMRPG fell from 32nd to 37th after its loss to Melee.
--
If you are reading this signature, then you are wasting a great deal of your time.
Mario RPG's got a pretty solid resume for a game with four losses: A 10 vote loss to CT, a 5 vote loss to SSBM, a 2 vote loss to SOTN, and although it got beat pretty badly by Paper Mario, that can be chalked up to SFF.
It's also got wins over TTYD, Earthbound, SSB, Persona 3, and MGS4. Yeah, none of those games are top 25 games, but they're top 50-ish.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (Smackdown Hotel Conference) (10-4) – 23 (45.10%) #8 Super Smash Bros. Melee (Fanservice Conference) (12-2) – 28 (54.90%) --Mario RPG puts up a very respectable performance on Melee, and I'd like to point out that CT's margin of victory was twice as large as Melee's.
Doesn't surprise me in the least. Even if SMRPG wasn't technically a Square game as well, I'd argue that it has more overlap with CT than it does with Melee--SNES RPGs and all. And it's pretty obvious that SMRPG is, at best, third-best in that category, behind CT and FFVI in some order. (I prefer FFVI, but both are very good.)
Sonic Colors (Games of the Decades Conference) (5-9) – 16 (34.78%) The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Zelda Overload Conference) (9-5) – 30 (65.22%) --Link's Awakening gives Sonic Colors a rude awakening.
Link's Awakening continues to quietly put together a case to make the tournament. After a brutal early schedule that saw it start out 1-4 with all losses coming against likely tournament games, it's won 8 of its last 9 with the lone loss being a very respectable 31-22 loss to then-#3 RBY.
Max Payne (Games of the Decades Conference) (2-12) – 9 (19.57%) Skies of Arcadia (Tanooki Blitzball Conference) (11-3) – 37 (80.43%) --Skies of Arcadia brings the pain to Max Payne.
The Top 25 contenders list is a bit cramped, but blowouts like this help Skies of Arcadia's case.
Devil May Cry (Tanooki Blitzball Conference) (3-11) – 18 (37.50%) Super Mario Sunshine (Thousand-Year World of Sunshine Conference) (6-8) – 30 (62.50%) --Hey, didn't we just see a match or two with this exact same score?
Sad thing is, this is one of the stronger opponents that Sunshine has beaten, even though most of its losses are to legitimately strong games and it actually performed fairly decently in its two matches against Zelda games (breaking 40% against Twilight Princess; almost avoiding a doubling against A Link to the Past)
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (Cult RPG Galaxy Conference) (12-2) – 31 (73.81%) Legend of Legaia (Thousand-Year World of Sunshine Conference) (1-13) – 11 (26.19%) --Path of Radiance continues on its path to victory.
PoR is another one with a nice record but somewhat questionable SoS. A couple of nice ones, though--Civ IV is 9-4 and Grim Fandango is 10-3--and the losses are to a pair of quality games in Skies of Arcadia and surging Super Mario World. If nothing else, it improves SoA's case.
--
Ulti (in one of his Post-Contest Analyses): God of War turned a 5 hour deadlock into a total laugher Anagram: Oh God, Tidus and Yuna were involved?
Even if SMRPG wasn't technically a Square game as well, I'd argue that it has more overlap with CT than it does with Melee--SNES RPGs and all.
Since when do people think of SMRPG as a Square game first? It has Mario in the game. The only overlap is SNES, and there have been examples of SNES duels not being SFF affected.
--
If you are reading this signature, then you are wasting a great deal of your time.
I decided to do something fun since we've been debating the worthiness of our top games based on their competition, and char listed the games he thinks are most likely to win the contest at this point. I decided to compile an RPI comparison between those games to see how it all looks. I'll post it in the next post so it can begin on a new page.
--
"Stay with me until the end. Please." "Not until the end. Always."