Board 8 > Could you perfectly predict our first Character Battle if you warped to 2002?

(+) Yeah! (+)

THIS IS FOR REMEMBERING EXACTLY HOW 2002'S CONTEST WENT!
Predicting how 2002's contest would go today is not the intended discussion, but have at it or whatever else if you want.

If you time-warped to 2002 with the information you have in your mind right now, could you get a perfect bracket in our very first Character Battle?

North Division

(1) Mario
(16) Servbot
(8) Spyro the Dragon
(9) Morrigan
(5) Terry Bogard
(12) Aya Brea
(4) Donkey Kong
(13) Bub
(6) Alucard
(11) Tails
(3) Duke Nukem
(14) Iori Yagami
(7) Pikachu
(10) PaRappa the Rapper
(2) Cloud Strife
(15) Fox McCloud

East Division

(1) Lara Croft
(16) Chop Chop Master Onion
(8) Ryo Hazuki
(9) Guybrush Threepwood
(5) Crono
(12) Simon Belmont
(4) Dante
(13) Q*Bert
(6) Kasumi
(11) Aeris
(3) Gordon Freeman
(14) Tina Armstrong
(7) Knuckles
(10) Akira Yuki
(2) Solid Snake
(15) Squall Leonhart

South Division

(1) Pac-Man
(16) Goemon
(8) Abe
(9) Kyo Kusanagi
(5) Scorpion
(12) Kazuya Mishima
(4) Max Payne
(13) Dirk the Daring
(6) Bomberman
(11) Kane
(3) Jill Valentine
(14) Kirby
(7) Strider
(10) Raziel
(2) Link
(15) Little Mac

West Division

(1) Sonic the Hedgehog
(16) Pitfall Harry
(8) Tidus
(9) Claire Redfield
(5) Samus Aran
(12) Ken Masters
(4) Ryu
(13) CATS
(6) Mega Man
(11) Ms. Pac-Man
(3) Serious Sam
(14) Mr. Driller
(7) Sephiroth
(10) Gabe
(2) Crash Bandicoot
(15) Ulala
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Answers can be found here -- don't cheat, we're going by the honor code!

http://board8.wikia.com/wiki/Summer_2002_Contest
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Sad to say yes
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Apparently I would be done Day 2 for thinking Spyro would easily beat whoever Morrigan is
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Oh and if I were warped back to 2002 with no knowledge I doubt I would have foreseen how powerful Cloud and Sephiroth would be. I love FF7 as well but it certainly seems strange that it's characters are stronger than Nintendo icons, as back then I saw it as kind of a niche game not many people were aware of. Like my mother would know who Mario is but I can't think of a single person from my personal life who could name Cloud. I guess this is a board of hardcore gamers though.
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Nope

LMAO those seedings
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I missed 5, with Jill > Kirby (wtf??) and Crono > Snake being the big ones.
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no
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Probably. It's really just a matter of remembering the outcome of a few matches here and there that would probably flip today. Kirby vs. Jill would be easy to flub, for example.

Merely having Link win with most other answers correct would easily win the contest overall.
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Nah, even though I was here the entire contest, I forget some results.
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I got 100% correct

It was actually pretty easy since MOST of the matches would go the same way today. The most difficult/surprising results in the bracket are memorable because they're surprising - they either resulted in major memes (Tina > Gordon), or they're generally famous matches/results in their own right (Samus > Sonic, Scorpion > Pac-Man, Morrigan > Spyro) or they can be worked out if you think about the history of the contest and what happened (Crono > Snake for instance - you know that Crono has to meet up with Mario, otherwise that might have been a tricky one to call. I also remembered that Link > Mario was the final so Mario > Cloud was an easy pick)

The only matches that made me really stop and think were Abe/Kyo because that match left absolutely no footprint on contest history in any way and neither character has appeared in a contest since, but I guessed and got it right, and Jill/Kirby, which I was able to remember from thinking that Kirby should have had a shot and indeed he almost pulled off what was an "upset" at the time, but I could easily see misremembering Kirby > Jill just because that would be an easy pick today

I would have missed out on seven points because of four matches:

Kyo > Abe
Strider > Raziel
Serious Sam > Mr. Driller
Samus > Sonic (biggest closest miss of mine -- legendary when it happened, and yet I forgot who won)
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HaRRicH posted...

I would have missed out on seven points because of four matches:

Kyo > Abe
Strider > Raziel
Serious Sam > Mr. Driller
Samus > Sonic (biggest closest miss of mine -- legendary when it happened, and yet I forgot who won)

Serious Sam > Mr. Driller was another easy one for me because of remembering Mega Man blowing out Serious Sam in round 2

Strider/Raziel is probably a tough call sorta but I just took Strider without a second thought and I was right

By the way, it's interesting to note that these are the ONLY matches I would predict differently if the contest were run today:

Gordon > Tina
Kirby > Jill (and also over Bomberman of course)
Mega Man > Sephiroth (maybe)
Cloud > Mario (maybe)
Snake > Crono
Samus > Mega Man (??? total tossup here)
Snake > winner of Mario/Cloud (maybe)

Only two different results that don't involve noble niners up against each other, and I'm not 100% sure of any of those anyway aside from Snake > Crono. Everything else I would predict exactly the same, although some matches like Spyro/Morrigan and Abe/Kyo are probably worth discussion

Paratroopa1 posted...

Gordon > Tina

After this contest? I mean...I think I'm with you, but I'm not ready to rule the original verdict out.
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HaRRicH posted...

Paratroopa1 posted...

Gordon > Tina

After this contest? I mean...I think I'm with you, but I'm not ready to rule the original verdict out.

nah, this is an easy pick

Almost, I missed Jill > Kirby and thus Jill > Bomberman technically, and for some reason I thought Aya beat Donkey Kong
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please turn this into a Sporcle quiz
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Yeah I would. It's not that difficult as long as you remember a few landmark matches occurring. For instance Crono vs Solid Snake or Mario vs Cloud you might hesitate on if you didn't know of the Crono vs Mario feud, but it's a lay-up knowing that. Helps that a lot of the weird results feature characters I have a fondness for. Kyo Kusanagi has a win in this contest never forget. Strider has a win in this contest never forget. Scorpion in the divisional finals never forget. And Kirby lost to Jill friggin Valentine of all people never forget (though with a different feeling than the other three).

I think the only one I had to think about was Serious Sam vs Mr Driller. The guess was correct there.
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man, I haven't looked at these weakling r1 results in like 10+ years. I will definitely get some wrong..



bold + italics > bold > italics > plain text

(1) Mario
(9) Morrigan
(12) Aya Brea
(4) Donkey Kong
(6) Alucard
(3) Duke Nukem
(7) Pikachu
(2) Cloud Strife


(1) Lara Croft
(8) Ryo Hazuki
(5) Crono
(4) Dante
(11) Aeris
(14) Tina Armstrong
(7) Knuckles
(2) Solid Snake


(1) Pac-Man
(9) Kyo Kusanagi
(5) Scorpion
(4) Max Payne
(6) Bomberman
(3) Jill Valentine
(7) Strider
(2) Link

(1) Sonic the Hedgehog
(8) Tidus
(5) Samus Aran
(4) Ryu
(6) Mega Man
(3) Serious Sam
(7) Sephiroth
(2) Crash Bandicoot

(1) Mario
(5) Crono
(2) Link
(7) Sephiroth

edit: ha, I just assumed that DK lost the Aya matchup because I have zero memory of that match, or Mario/DK, and everyone always talks down DK
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RoseChevalier posted...

please turn this into a Sporcle quiz

I tried this angle first! Sporcle gave me a few too many infinity-error-pop-up-boxes though and I kicked it to the curb. Leonhart made this years ago though about naming 2002's entrants:

https://www.sporcle.com/games/Leonhart4/allthecharacters
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Almost. I had Cloud > Mario, then Cloud > Crono. I knew there was a Mario vs Crono rivarly but didn't know it was from here, and assumed Cloud was invincible.

Most matches are obvious if you read B8 posts and some I got from having read the wiki before.

Some were fodder vs fodder matches I got by sheer luck. Like... Strider vs Raziel.

WitcherGeralt posted...

Apparently I would be done Day 2 for thinking Spyro would easily beat whoever Morrigan is

That's actually a pretty iconic match! And it got repated in 2013 (Spyro lost again).

While Sporcle is on the mind, don't forget to pour one out for the Sporcle-makers no longer with us -- Kazbar made one for naming all of GameFAQs's contest entrants that weren't in the Rivalry Rumble:

https://www.sporcle.com/games/Kazbar/gfaqscontest

GFK was basically SporcleKing at one point too:

https://www.sporcle.com/user/grapefruitking/quizzes/
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Shonen_Bat posted...

I missed 5, with Jill > Kirby (wtf??) and Crono > Snake being the big ones.

Cutesy things were garbage in early years, while Crono was a monster.

HaRRicH posted...

I would have missed out on seven points because of four matches:

Kyo > Abe
Strider > Raziel
Serious Sam > Mr. Driller
Samus > Sonic (biggest closest miss of mine -- legendary when it happened, and yet I forgot who won)

I read something in the wiki a couple days ago about how Mr. Driller was some legendary turbofodder so I went from there.

>Pikachu beaten by Fox
>Cloud losing to Mario
>Crono defeating Snake and becoming the entire boards Spirit of Vengeance, whom THE ENTIRE NEXT FIVE CONTESTS would end up revolving around
No, Im pretty sure the zeitgeist there is something that the current day could never hope to recreate. Only real thing that wouldnt change is Samus beating Sonic, and there wouldnt be a blowup about it, either.
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transience posted...

ha, I just assumed that DK lost the Aya matchup because I have zero memory of that match, or Mario/DK, and everyone always talks down DK

This almost got me too but Aya Brea vs Mario feels like a match I'd remember existing.
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Lopen posted...

transience posted...

ha, I just assumed that DK lost the Aya matchup because I have zero memory of that match, or Mario/DK, and everyone always talks down DK

This almost got me too but Aya Brea vs Mario feels like a match I'd remember existing.

Can you remember either of Mega Mans pwnages?
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i remembered everything. the first division gave me some moments of hesitation but everything else was pretty easy.

as far as how i would have actually predicted it back in 2002, i think i would have done okay. would have gotten all the division winners except Sephiroth and i probably would have had Link winning. first couple rounds i probably would have missed a bunch and i know i would have had Samus and Snake losing much earlier (probably first round for Snake, second for Samus).
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definitely not

i'd get the "big" matches but maybe not all of them

i might come close
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Even immediately after doing this exercise I was only able to get 60/64 on the sporcle quiz, haha. (Max Payne, Dirk the Daring, Goemon, Pitfall Harry)

You know what match in 2002 sort of blows my mind? Tidus/Claire. It's like, one of the only first-round matches that seems like it could actually happen in 2018, and yet I don't have any memory of it. It's like one of the least memorable matches of the first round.

I'm also really amused that in theory there was a possibly for Ryu/Ken in round 2 but it just got blown up by Samus, and also that Samus's path went through Ken and Ryu both which I don't remember at all

Yes, I got them all with a couple of guesses. Meanwhile, I can barely remember recent contests. We used to have contests every year and I was pretty engaged with the board then so I guess making those brackets and following discussion helped me remember it.
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Paratroopa1 posted...

You know what match in 2002 sort of blows my mind? Tidus/Claire. It's like, one of the only first-round matches that seems like it could actually happen in 2018, and yet I don't have any memory of it. It's like one of the least memorable matches of the first round.

I think there was supposed to be something weird about that match, too...like the poll was down awhile or something.
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I doubt it. I didn't get here til 2003.

North Division

(1) Mario
(9) Morrigan
(12) Aya Brea
(4) Donkey Kong
(6) Alucard
(3) Duke Nukem
(7) Pikachu
(2) Cloud Strife

East Division

(1) Lara Croft
(9) Guybrush Threepwood
(5) Crono
(4) Dante
(11) Aeris
(14) Tina Armstrong
(7) Knuckles
(2) Solid Snake

South Division

(1) Pac-Man
(9) Kyo Kusanagi
(5) Scorpion
(4) Max Payne
(6) Bomberman
(14) Kirby
(7) Strider
(2) Link

West Division

(1) Sonic the Hedgehog
(8) Tidus
(5) Samus Aran
(4) Ryu
(6) Mega Man
(3) Serious Sam
(7) Sephiroth
(2) Crash Bandicoot

(1) Mario
(4) Donkey Kong
(6) Alucard
(2) Cloud Strife

(1) Lara Croft
(5) Crono
(11) Aeris
(2) Solid Snake

(1) Pac-Man
(5) Scorpion
(14) Kirby
(2) Link

(1) Sonic the Hedgehog
(5) Samus Aran
(6) Mega Man
(7) Sephiroth

(1) Mario
(2) Cloud Strife

(5) Crono
(2) Solid Snake

(5) Scorpion
(2) Link

(5) Samus Aran
(7) Sephiroth

(1) Mario
(5) Crono
(2) Link
(7) Sephiroth

(1) Mario
(2) Link

Link
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I only missed DK vs Aya since I also assumed DK was a choker.
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FUCK. I got everything right except Ryo vs Guybrush.

That's pretty good for not having been here, just remembering the history of it all.

You should make Sporcle quizzes for all of our contests! I'd love to see how I'd do.
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Paratroopa1 posted...

Tidus/Claire. It's like, one of the only first-round matches that seems like it could actually happen in 2018, and yet I don't have any memory of it. It's like one of the least memorable matches of the first round.

Yeah I don't remember it at all, nor do I even remember Tidus facing Sonic, but I did know Tidus must have easily won because I recall Tidus being respected as a competitor for many years to come and that just doesn't happen if he loses to Claire.
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OH SHIT, I got another thing wrong. Jill Valentine beat Kirby?!?!?!
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No wonder TJF was such a legitimate thing back then. Tina > Gordon, Morrigan > Spyro and Jill > Kirby.
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How come it took until 2006 or so for Tifa to get in, but only 2003 for both Vincent and Aeris?
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Lopen posted...

Paratroopa1 posted...

Tidus/Claire. It's like, one of the only first-round matches that seems like it could actually happen in 2018, and yet I don't have any memory of it. It's like one of the least memorable matches of the first round.

Yeah I don't remember it at all, nor do I even remember Tidus facing Sonic, but I did know Tidus must have easily won because I recall Tidus being respected as a competitor for many years to come and that just doesn't happen if he loses to Claire.

yeah i remember he did well against Sonic and had a close one against Ganon in 2003
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Logience posted...

How come it took until 2006 or so for Tifa to get in, but only 2003 for both Vincent and Aeris?

Vincent and Tifa were both 2005, actually. CJayC handpicked Aeris in 2002 and 2003 and limited the number of FF reps in 2004 (Aeris didn't make it in 2004, either).
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Xuxon posted...

Logience posted...

How come it took until 2006 or so for Tifa to get in, but only 2003 for both Vincent and Aeris?

Vincent and Tifa were both 2005, actually. CJayC handpicked Aeris in 2002 and 2003 and limited the number of FF reps in 2004.

Oh. How come CjayC picked Aeris, then?
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i mean i guess either because he liked her more or assumed she was more popular
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This is like, the entire list of R1 matchups that don't look really fucking weird in 2018:

Spyro/Morrigan
Alucard/Tails
Cloud/Fox
Crono/Simon
Snake/Squall
Jill/Kirby
Link/Little Mac
Tidus/Claire
Samus/Ken

Of these, Alucard/Tails, Jill/Kirby, and Cloud/Fox are only R2 at earliest, and Snake/Squall is R3 at earliest. Spyro/Morrigan is already a bit of a stretch to call not-weird, but it somehow happened in round 2 of 2013, so ok I guess??? Crono/Simon, Link/Little Mac, Tidus/Claire, and Samus/Ken are to me the only matchups that wouldn't make me blink if they happened in R1 in 2018 (assuming of course that the legends division wasn't a thing).

Logience posted...

Xuxon posted...

Logience posted...

How come it took until 2006 or so for Tifa to get in, but only 2003 for both Vincent and Aeris?

Vincent and Tifa were both 2005, actually. CJayC handpicked Aeris in 2002 and 2003 and limited the number of FF reps in 2004.

Oh. How come CjayC picked Aeris, then?

There's a very, very, very, very large reason as to why Aeris penetrated the bracket in 2002 while other FF7 characters did not.
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penetrated

Ugh. Is it really because of proximity to the iconic moment that she got picked over one of the most R34d characters in gaming?
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