Board 8 > ExTha vs. KamikazePotato vs. Leonhart4 - The Topic

(+) Yeah! (+)

@KamikazePotato
@LeonhartFour

I'm tired of having to jump back and forth between your two topics to discuss things. We need it all in one central hub.

Anyway, this is gonna double as my contest analysis topic.

Day One:

Dante > Cuphead

I would've expected Dante to do a little better here and I think this less than stellar performance against Cuphead proves he's in trouble a few rounds from now. Glad Leon talked me off of him.

Lightning > Chloe Price

Obvious result except for the percentage. This actually a decent showing from Lightning unless Chloe is just absolutely worthless. Which is possible.

Chun-Li > Spyro

Thick thighs save lives. Spyro holding up decently well. I think if his trilogy had come out he may have flipped this or at least made it a match that went down to the wire.

Ganondorf > Neku Sakuraba

And in one match, my Ganon and Zelda division winner picks both feel pretty solid. Good lord, I hate this site sometimes. Poor Neku.
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Chloe is absolutely worthless.

I wouldn't make much out of this Ganon/Neku result, honestly. This is almost exactly what he got on him in 2008.

People will say Neku has reason to be stronger now, but eh, he's still just Neku.
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Chloe > neku
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Yeah I'd at least wait til we see a golden era FF character in action before declaring Zelda the division winner
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haloiscoolisbak posted...

Yeah I'd at least wait til we see a golden era FF character in action before declaring Zelda the division winner

One couldn't even make the entry to the champions bracket
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Day Two:

Vivi > Who Narukami?

I think Vivi is coming back down to Earth after 2013. This match is still a joke though.

Aya Brea > Victor Sullivan

I changed this last minute based solely on the fact that I enjoy the idea of a character with one game from 1998 getting a win in 2018. Could easily be wrong, but Drake is fodder and Sully is likely to be much worse. Also is a definite Guy McDude

Tidus > Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong is the original choker!! This match will tell us where Square and Nintendo are headed pretty early on. If DK smokes Tidus here, I think we're in for a (sigh) year of Nintendo dominance. If my boy Tidus holds up and wins this, well I think it tells us less but it will make me feel good about my other Square picks coming up.

Leon S. Kennedy > Dragonborn

RE2make on the horizon and Resident Evil should be in an upswing after the good reception of 7. Also, Mr. Scott is probably the face of the franchise. I got burned to high hell by Dragonborn in 2013 so I hope Leon fucking crucifies him.
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Aya Brea has three games!

Drake isn't fodder either. He passed the fodder line test by beating Pac-Man!
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Day Three: (formatting this now)

Zero > Primrose

Duh.

Zidane Tribal > Knuckles the Echidna

Zidane is my boy. I like Knuckles too and have been listening to Pumpkin Hill since October started, but Zidane is fantastic and FFIX is a better game than literally any Sonic title. I have a hard time calling Zidane old Square, but they held up really well in the last contest and his game just got announced for a remake on the Switch. There was also a rumor leak that we have a new Square rep coming to Smash. I rank Zidane as second most likely to be that rep and he would be such a dope addition. Even if he were to get announced for Smash, this is his only winnable match, Zero cleans him either way.

Master Hand > Noctis

I actually did a lot of research for this. I went around to most of my circles and asked how people felt about Noctis vs Lightning. The results were overwhelmingly "meh" for both of them with a slight lean toward liking Noctis' design better. On the FF reddit, Noctis only performed slightly better than Lightning in general, which means the general FF fanbase doesn't like him much better than her. That is BAD for him.

When it comes down to it, I remember how snakebit I felt when Master Hand beat Kuja and I'd given it a ton of thought. I didn't want to be on that end of the handjob again, if you will.

Monika > Wario

I flipped back and fourth on this about five times. In the end I succumbed to Monika-fear. Rallyfear? Whatever. This one I went with Monika because I didn't want to be snakebit by the rally and it's really hard to see anyone feeling strongly enough about Wario. He was my boy in Brawl but aside from that, does anyone care?

I won't be too broken up if I get this wrong because it means the Monika rally won't overwhelm the contest, but I couldn't justify picking Wario and getting it wrong. Simple as that.
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LeonhartFour posted...

Aya Brea has three games!

The third one is probably the worst thing Squeenix has ever released, so it doesn't count for much.
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I didn't say they were all good games! Only the original game is good.
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I literally thought there was only one Parasite Eve game.

Either way, my pick stands. Drake is HIGH END fodder, then.
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ExThaNemesis posted...

I actually did a lot of research for this. I went around to most of my circles and asked how people felt about Noctis vs Lightning. The results were overwhelmingly "meh" for both of them with a slight lean toward liking Noctis' design better. On the FF reddit, Noctis only performed slightly better than Lightning in general, which means the general FF fanbase doesn't like him much better than her. That is BAD for him.

*looks at today's results*

I think he can manage.
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ExThaNemesis posted...

I literally thought there was only one Parasite Eve game.

Either way, my pick stands. Drake is HIGH END fodder, then.

low midcarder

Respect the Pac-Man Fodder Line
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Day Four:

Yoshi > Shantae

alright

Velvet Crowe > James Sunderland

I wish this was Pyramid Head. I'm stoked for Inviso that James got into the contest but I wish it was somewhere where we knew exactly what his result was gonna be. I have zero clue about Velvet Crowe but she's anime looking and I think that'll be enough for blurry ass James to have no chance. I'd love to be wrong though.

Pikachu > Scorpion

We will learn very early on whether we have to have the PokeFEAR or not. I'm not sure what Scorpion is expected to get on the .rat based on 2013, but if he outperforms that I think we'll have a lot of Sora and Tifa pickers feeling very happy.

If the Rat thunderbolts the fuck out of him, well, we're in trouble.

Kratos vs. John Marston

Isn't this on the release day of RDR2? It's irrelevant to this match because Kratos curbstomps either way, but I'm just wondering who Red Dead fans would vote for in the other matches. James Sunderland? IDK.
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LeonhartFour posted...

*looks at today's results*

I think he can manage.

I think Kuja could do this to Chloe.
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I actually took Master Hand over Wario

Not feeling quite as good about taking him over Noctis now, but my thinking was that no one actually gives a shit about Wario and will just vote for him because he's Nintendo.
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ExThaNemesis posted...

I think Kuja could do this to Chloe.

Maybe Kuja now.

keep in mind how bad FFIX was in 2005

Crono tripled Zidane
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also if the Hand beats Noctis, Wario (or Monika) will beat him

nobody really cares about Wario but nobody actually cares about Master Hand at all so I can't imagine him having an SFF advantage over anyone, not even Sandbag
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ExThaNemesis posted...

If the Rat thunderbolts the fuck out of him, well, we're in trouble.

Yes yes let the fear flow through you
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I mean, I don't care much about Master Hand, but I care about him more than freaking Wario!
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I'd say there are enough WarioWare and/or Wario Land fans out there to get him over Master Hand at least

Wario beat Captain Falcon in an LFF situation back in 2007 if nothing else
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Day Five: AKA where shit starts to get real.

Sora > Ryo Hazuki

It's amazing to me that Ryo continues to get into contest. God bless you, Shenmue fans.

I really need a Sora god stomp here. I need it in the worst way considering how far I have him going. We need at least one KH trailer between now and his second round match for me to feel confident, especially if the rat comes out and crushes. Please, Sora. I've underestimated you in contests before and been burnt for it. Let me correctly estimate you this time.

PKMN Trainer Red > Neptune

All three of us, KP, Leon and myself are predicting the Pokemon fall back to Earth. This match won't tell us as much as the rat vs Scorpion will, but I'm banking heavily this contest on Pokemon benefitting from Undertale bullshit last contest, and just a general disinterest in Pokemon this time around. Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee has been received poorly and for good reasons. I don't think there's any chance of a new mainline game being announced during the contest but it would be my luck.

Cecil Harvey > Crash Bandicoot

This could be a match where I put absolutely zero thought into it and it comes back to burn me. I've never played either of their games. I know nothing about either character. I just went with FF. Oh well.

Big Boss vs. Ridley

It's a shame Ridley didn't get a remotely winnable match in R1 coz I think aside from Snake and Cloud, he's the one that could benefit the most from getting in Smash. Big Boss has to be one of the most satisfying up-swings in contest strength we've ever seen. He's such a wonderful character and MGS3 is one of the greatest achievements in the history of gaming. What a thrill.
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LeonhartFour posted...

I'd say there are enough WarioWare and/or Wario Land fans out there to get him over Master Hand at least

Wario beat Captain Falcon in an LFF situation back in 2007 if nothing else

I agree that if Wario is there he'll beat MH based on Nintendo Heirarchy alone.
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ExThaNemesis posted...

It's amazing to me that Ryo continues to get into contest.

He hasn't been in since 2004!

It's nice to have him back though so he can get tripled by high midcarders again!
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You've never played a crash Bandicoot game extha???
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Wreath posted...

Yes yes let the fear flow through you

Trust me, it's already palpable. I'm sweating, and will be until we see some concrete proof of the Poke Decrease.
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Wreath posted...

You've never played a crash Bandicoot game extha???

I never had a PS1 and after that, I never cared. Why would I?
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you're not missing much by never playing a Crash game

but if Cecil loses to Crash we should just dub him CHNW
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ExThaNemesis posted...

Wreath posted...

Yes yes let the fear flow through you

Trust me, it's already palpable. I'm sweating, and will be until we see some concrete proof of the Poke Decrease.

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Day 6: The best laid plans of Blocks and Men.

Alucard > Princess Peach

I literally couldn't remember how strong Alucard was and thought this was winnable for Peach for a while. But it's not, when you look at the stats, Alucard is pretty legit. Thanks for the help here KP and Leon. I'm sure Alucard planned for this.

Yuna > Godot

I also had Yuna winning this division very briefly when brackets came out because I was foggy on the stats. She's not that strong but strong enough to easily win this one.

Kefka > L-Block

Can you imagine going back to 2008 and telling someone that you were gonna pick Kefka over L-Block. You'd be laughed off the board. I originally had the Block here, but a combination of Leon, KP, and Yoblazer (listen to The Show) convinced me that Kefka's results last contest were more than legitimate enough to give him the win here. Also there's diminishing returns for joke characters, I think, and even among them, Block is old news. This is going to be a nightmare if I get it wrong though, because I've got Kefka in the division finals. It would be so fucking fitting for him to choke here for absolutely no reason though.

Bomberman > Kazuma Kiryu

I did think this would be one where we'd slaughter the casuals but I'm guessing Bomberman gets a lot of picks just based on people knowing him. I'm not totally convinced this match is a lock though. The latest Yakuza games got reviewed really well, and no one gives a shit about Bomberman. I'm putting this as a tossup. I had Kiryu winning for a week or two. I think KP's analysis talked me off of him.
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the most Kefka thing in the world would be for him to lose to Bomberman in round 2
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FlyingForever posted...

ExThaNemesis posted...

Wreath posted...

Yes yes let the fear flow through you

Trust me, it's already palpable. I'm sweating, and will be until we see some concrete proof of the Poke Decrease.

Trust me bro, I picked Charizard long before anyone else did. That pick almost won me a contest, but then I went back to the well in 2013 and it burned me. Now I'm on the other side of the fence.
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LeonhartFour posted...

the most Kefka thing in the world would be for him to lose to Bomberman in round 2

Uwa ha ha ha!
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Day 7: 2B or not 2B

2B > Cayde-6

It's a shame 2B didn't draw one of the stronger seeds. I'd have been all over Rosalina beating her. But as it stands, her design and Nier's positive reception oughta be enough. I think aside from MHA, Nier:Automata was the most cosplayed shit at Otakon this summer. Hot girl with sword is enough for me to pick her over whatever the hell Cayde-6 is.

Shadow the Hedgehog > Ness

Alright, this is the pick I most regret now that we've gotten started. I banked quite a bit on Shadow getting announced for Smash, and he probably needs it... within the next week in order to win. He definitely needs it if my Shadow > 2B upset special is gonna come off. Either way, I've come up with a term for the ailment facing characters like Shadow and Sephiroth. The Edgy Affliction.

Any character that was perceived as "dark and cool" when we were kids is now seen by most people as trying way too hard, ergo: edgy. I think Shadow and Sephiroth have kind of fallen off the same cliff. They both were at their strongest in the same year and their declines mirror one another. Sephiroth had MUCH higher to fall from of course, but you get my point.

That said, even with The Edgy Affliction, Shadow could be strong enough to beat Ness, and I think whoever wins this match beats 2B next round.

Charizard > Terra Branford

Y'all picking Charizard to do great things will have some fear put in you if Terra holds up well here like I think she's going to. That said, Charizard could do what the Rat does and turn up the heat on me, Leon and KP pretty early with a dominant display here. Either way, I think Charizard has a one win ceiling here because...

Bowser > Gordon Freeman

...Bowser is gonna get revenge for their result all those years ago. The argument has been made that without HG/SS, Bowser wins their first encounter and I can honestly buy that. Bowser's gotten a buttload of exposure recently and even though I think the idea of Bowsette boosting him is LUDICROUS, Mario Odyssey has been universally raved about. I am talking too much about the next round in these two matches but that's because Bowser wrecks the shit outta Gordon with ease.
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Pokemania is going to ruin this contest. If any of the noble nine lose to a pokemon, then GFAQs is super lame and has lost all sense of what makes video game characters interesting.

I think Terra's going to do really well and scare people who have Charizard > Bowser

although Terra's profile pic she's going to have for her match kinda sucks
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trogita posted...

Pokemania is going to ruin this contest. If any of the noble nine lose to a pokemon, then GFAQs is super lame and has lost all sense of what makes video game characters interesting.

I hear ya brother
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trogita posted...

Pokemania is going to ruin this contest. If any of the noble nine lose to a pokemon, then GFAQs is super lame and has lost all sense of what makes video game characters interesting.

This already happened when squirtle took a dump on cloud so
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Wreath posted...

This already happened when squirtle took a dump on cloud so

and Mewtwo beat Sephiroth
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ExThaNemesis posted...

Wreath posted...

This already happened when squirtle took a dump on cloud so

and Mewtwo beat Sephiroth

Glorious times
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Day 8: Making the Wright picks.

Phoenix Wright > Chris Redfield

It has to be so satisfying for those who picked up Ace Attorney and hawked it to Board 8 to see Phoenix come into his own as a solid contest mid-carder. It's a long time from the days of Objection memes and rallying for him. Now he's in MVC. Now he has an anime. He's still Board 8's darling though. He has more than enough to handle Chris, and if it was somehow close is there any doubt in your mind that Board 8 wouldn't push him over the edge? I think not.

Ike > Joel

It's weird that TLOU characters don't have last names. Anyway, there's been a lot of discussion about Ike being the face of the FE franchise now. I've never played a FE game but I'm still partial to Marth but that's come I'm a Melee fan. Ike wins this with ease either way and I think he's going to beat Phoenix next round, too. That will be a fun match because FE has a big enough B8 fanbase to see some decent arguments if it's close.

Isaac > Estelle Bright

I had to double check to make sure this was Golden Sun Isaac and not Binding Isaac before I made this pick. Golden Sun is such a GameFAQs game. I doubt anyone on other sites knows who the hell Isaac is but he's oddly decent on here. Should win this match easily.

Kirby > Guile

You are now imagining Kirby's adorable voice shouting SONIC BOOM.
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Wreath posted...

Glorious times

stop bullying me in my own topic pls
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plenty of people know who Isaac is

he's an Assist Trophy after all
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It's not like half the noble nine are 'interesting' characters anyway. A lot are just iconic main characters of amazing games/series
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Day 9: If Squall wins this division I'll play FFVIII

Squall Leonhart > Hat Kid

How TF we get in Hat Kid but not Skull Kid? Who even is Hat Kid? Why does Squall draw easy R1 matches?

Leon will enjoy Squall hitting over 80% in a match, I'm sure. Me? Whatever.

Garrus Vakarian > Ramza Beoulve

Poor Ramza. My ties to him are only because he was in the first match I ever saw here (losing to Kirby in 03). He's had zero luck since then. I actually had him winning this at first before both KP and Leon showed me the error of my ways in that Garrus isn't totally worthless.

The Boss > Metal Sonic

If The Boss loses this match we're cancelling ZenOfThunder.

Zelda > Ezio Auditorium Digorno

Dead last on the list of rematches people wanted to see is: this one.

It will show just how much BoTW has done for Zelda and will be an early indicator of her chances against Squall/Aeris. I don't know if I'd call her the favorite right now but Ganondorf isn't dissuading me from that pick at the moment.
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ExThaNemesis posted...

Day 9: If Squall wins this division I'll play FFVIII

welching incoming

ExThaNemesis posted...

Why does Squall draw easy R1 matches?

because he gets good seeds

I mean Sephiroth has the easiest division in the contest
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Yeah well I think he earned that considering he got DEMOTED FROM THE NOBLE NINE
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taaag
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well yeah I think Bacon deliberately gave him an easy division to compensate for him getting left out of the auto-byes
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Day 10: Nerf THESE. You know what I'm talking about.

D.Va > Aloy

My only explanation for D.Va's terrible seed is that she split noms with Tracer and the rest of them. I would have put money on at least 3 Overwatch characters getting in. Only one, and with a 14 seed confirms my belief that it's just not a GameFAQs type of game. Fortunately for D.Va, neither is Horizon: Zero Dawn. I think D.Va's eye-catching... design, will be enough to get her this victory and if anyone is gonna get rallied, it's her. I'm warning you guys if D.Va takes the contest over, you are gonna get so sick of hearing the word Nerf.

Fox McCloud > Jill Valentine

Close match on paper and I just went with my gut here. Jill tends to choke in matches that are debatable and if it gets close I see no reason for her to not do it again. Fox has every reason to just be naturally stronger anyway. I love Jill and all, but yeah, I never even thought about this one before taking Fox.

Shovel Knight > Captain Toad

KP made a really good point that the Captain in his name could actually hurt Toad here. I don't know. This is another one that I kind of regret. I like Shovel Knight's design but how many people have actually played it? That said, does anyone care about Toad? Please tell me they don't.

I don't like this division at all.

Aeris Gainsborough > Waluigi

Wah.

I think the biggest reason I didn't consider the Waluigi rally is ZenOfThunder's passionate dismissal of him on the Show. His spitting rage wasn't as convincing as the argument that half of Waluigi's rally pool is sick and fucking tired of hearing about him. Plus Aeris is bae.
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