Board 8 > Mock Bracket: Game of the 1980's

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Paratroopa1
07/04/20 4:11:45 AM
#1:


I wanted to see what a Game of the 80's bracket would look like, mostly because I was curious how deep it would be, so I threw one together of the 128 most notable games that I could think of with a quick sweep of Wikipedia and Google to help me out.

I tried to seed this half by notability and half by raw strength, so seedings do not necessarily precisely reflect game strength - some stuff getting overseeded and underseeded is typical anyway, I just tried to get in the ballpark and put stuff where I think it looked good aesthetically. Obviously, due to the nature of this site and the nature of gaming as a whole in the 80's, this bracket is very NES-dominated, but has a lot of arcade games as well (even though they're mostly fodder), and I did my best to represent various computer systems, the Sega Master System, and even the Genesis and Game Boy (which both came out in 1989 in NA believe it or not!)

As per GameFAQs's usual standards, I went by North American release date, so if you notice a snub here, check to make sure it wasn't released in 1990 in North America, because a LOT of good games were released that year that were released in the 80's in Japan. Since I decided to include games that did not make it overseas by Japanese release date, that means Final Fantasy II somehow became eligible for this bracket, but Final Fantasy did not. It's awkward, but deal with it - I was pretty strapped to come up with games so FF2 made it in. I probably missed some other snubs, but feel free to suggest stuff if I missed something really embarrassing. I tried to be thorough though.

Goomba Division

1) Super Mario Bros.
16) E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial

8) Donkey Kong 3
9) Adventure

5) Phantasy Star
12) BurgerTime

4) Ghosts n' Goblins
13) Altered Beast

6) Balloon Fight
11) Mach Rider

3) Bubble Bobble
14) Sinistar

7) SimCity
10) Shadowgate

2) Ninja Gaiden
15) Ikari Warriors

Barrel Division

1) Donkey Kong
16) Elevator Action

8) Missile Command
9) Defender

5) Bomberman
12) Arkanoid

4) Final Fantasy II
13) Alex Kidd in Miracle World

6) Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
11) Adventure Island

3) Prince of Persia
14) Space Harrier

7) The Guardian Legend
10) Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

2) Duck Hunt
15) Hydlide

Shy Guy Division

1) Super Mario Bros. 2
16) Fantasy Zone

8) Double Dragon
9) Maniac Mansion

5) Marble Madness
12) Lode Runner

4) Kid Icarus
13) Paperboy

6) Centipede
11) King's Quest

3) Galaga
14) Solomon's Key

7) Final Fight
10) Castlevania: The Adventure

2) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
15) Yars' Revenge

Met Division

1) Mega Man 2
16) Jackal

8) Golden Axe
9) Rygar

5) Gradius
12) Populous

4) Frogger
13) Microsoft Flight Simulator

6) Excitebike
11) Space Quest I: The Sarien Encounter

3) Punch-Out!!
14) Double Dribble

7) Tempest
10) Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

2) Castlevania
15) Rogue

Octorok Division

1) The Legend of Zelda
16) The Bard's Tale

8) R-Type
9) Street Fighter

5) Pitfall
12) Splatterhouse

4) Super Mario Land
13) Blades of Steel

6) Double Dragon II: The Revenge
11) Mother

3) Ms. Pac-Man
14) NetHack

7) Bionic Commando
10) Wrecking Crew

2) Dragon Quest
15) Battle Chess

Zoomer Division

1) Metroid
16) Space Ace

8) Zork
9) Tecmo Bowl

5) Rampage
12) Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards

4) The Oregon Trail
13) Out Run

6) Blaster Master
11) Wonder Boy in Monster Land

3) Contra
14) R.B.I. Baseball

7) Gauntlet
10) Strider

2) Metal Gear
15) Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum

Blinky Division

1) Pac-Man
16) Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei

8) Super C
9) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game

5) Q*Bert
12) Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness

4) Donkey Kong Jr.
13) Elite

6) Dragon's Lair
11) Tapper

3) Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
14) Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap

7) Ghouls n' Ghosts
10) Minesweeper

2) Mario Bros.
15) Star Wars (1983)

Z-Block Division

1) Tetris
16) M.U.L.E.

8) Sid Meier's Pirates!
9) Joust

5) Ice Climber
12) Spy Hunter

4) DuckTales
13) Ys: The Vanished Omens

6) Dig Dug
11) 1942

3) Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels
14) Jetpac

7) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)
10) Pole Position

2) Mega Man
15) Hang-On
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ninkendo
07/04/20 4:22:21 AM
#2:


w0w my poor Ys getting jobbed out to scrooge mcduck

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tennisboy213
07/04/20 6:23:10 AM
#3:


I just guessed on some of these

Goomba Division

1) Super Mario Bros.
16) E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial

8) Donkey Kong 3
9) Adventure

5) Phantasy Star
12) BurgerTime

4) Ghosts n' Goblins
13) Altered Beast

6) Balloon Fight
11) Mach Rider

3) Bubble Bobble
14) Sinistar

7) SimCity
10) Shadowgate

2) Ninja Gaiden
15) Ikari Warriors

Barrel Division

1) Donkey Kong
16) Elevator Action

8) Missile Command
9) Defender

5) Bomberman
12) Arkanoid

4) Final Fantasy II
13) Alex Kidd in Miracle World

6) Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
11) Adventure Island

3) Prince of Persia
14) Space Harrier

7) The Guardian Legend
10) Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

2) Duck Hunt
15) Hydlide

Shy Guy Division

1) Super Mario Bros. 2
16) Fantasy Zone

8) Double Dragon
9) Maniac Mansion

5) Marble Madness
12) Lode Runner

4) Kid Icarus
13) Paperboy

6) Centipede
11) King's Quest

3) Galaga
14) Solomon's Key

7) Final Fight
10) Castlevania: The Adventure

2) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
15) Yars' Revenge

Met Division

1) Mega Man 2
16) Jackal

8) Golden Axe
9) Rygar

5) Gradius
12) Populous

4) Frogger
13) Microsoft Flight Simulator

6) Excitebike
11) Space Quest I: The Sarien Encounter

3) Punch-Out!!
14) Double Dribble

7) Tempest
10) Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

2) Castlevania
15) Rogue

Octorok Division

1) The Legend of Zelda
16) The Bard's Tale

8) R-Type
9) Street Fighter

5) Pitfall
12) Splatterhouse

4) Super Mario Land
13) Blades of Steel

6) Double Dragon II: The Revenge
11) Mother

3) Ms. Pac-Man
14) NetHack

7) Bionic Commando
10) Wrecking Crew

2) Dragon Quest
15) Battle Chess

Zoomer Division

1) Metroid
16) Space Ace

8) Zork
9) Tecmo Bowl

5) Rampage
12) Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards

4) The Oregon Trail
13) Out Run

6) Blaster Master
11) Wonder Boy in Monster Land

3) Contra
14) R.B.I. Baseball

7) Gauntlet
10) Strider

2) Metal Gear
15) Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum

Blinky Division

1) Pac-Man
16) Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei

8) Super C
9) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game

5) Q*Bert
12) Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness

4) Donkey Kong Jr.
13) Elite

6) Dragon's Lair
11) Tapper

3) Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
14) Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap

7) Ghouls n' Ghosts
10) Minesweeper

2) Mario Bros.
15) Star Wars (1983)

Z-Block Division

1) Tetris
16) M.U.L.E.

8) Sid Meier's Pirates!
9) Joust

5) Ice Climber
12) Spy Hunter

4) DuckTales
13) Ys: The Vanished Omens

6) Dig Dug
11) 1942

3) Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels
14) Jetpac

7) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)
10) Pole Position

2) Mega Man
15) Hang-On

Goomba Division

1) Super Mario Bros.
9) Adventure

5) Phantasy Star
4) Ghosts n' Goblins

6) Balloon Fight
3) Bubble Bobble

7) SimCity
2) Ninja Gaiden

Barrel Division

1) Donkey Kong
9) Defender

5) Bomberman
4) Final Fantasy II

11) Adventure Island
3) Prince of Persia

10) Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
2) Duck Hunt

Shy Guy Division

1) Super Mario Bros. 2
8) Double Dragon

5) Marble Madness
4) Kid Icarus

11) King's Quest
3) Galaga

7) Final Fight
2) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Met Division

1) Mega Man 2
8) Golden Axe

5) Gradius
4) Frogger

6) Excitebike
3) Punch-Out!!

7) Tempest
2) Castlevania

Octorok Division

1) The Legend of Zelda
9) Street Fighter

5) Pitfall
4) Super Mario Land

6) Double Dragon II: The Revenge
3) Ms. Pac-Man

7) Bionic Commando
2) Dragon Quest

Zoomer Division

1) Metroid
9) Tecmo Bowl

5) Rampage
4) The Oregon Trail

6) Blaster Master
3) Contra

10) Strider
2) Metal Gear

Blinky Division

1) Pac-Man
9) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game

5) Q*Bert
4) Donkey Kong Jr.

6) Dragon's Lair
3) Castlevania II: Simon's Quest

10) Minesweeper
2) Mario Bros.

Z-Block Division

1) Tetris
9) Joust

5) Ice Climber
4) DuckTales

11) 1942
3) Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels

7) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)
2) Mega Man

Goomba Division

1) Super Mario Bros.
5) Phantasy Star

3) Bubble Bobble
2) Ninja Gaiden

Barrel Division

1) Donkey Kong
5) Bomberman

3) Prince of Persia
2) Duck Hunt

Shy Guy Division

1) Super Mario Bros. 2
4) Kid Icarus

3) Galaga
2) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Met Division

1) Mega Man 2
4) Frogger

3) Punch-Out!!
2) Castlevania

Octorok Division

1) The Legend of Zelda
4) Super Mario Land

3) Ms. Pac-Man
2) Dragon Quest

Zoomer Division

1) Metroid
4) The Oregon Trail

3) Contra
2) Metal Gear

Blinky Division

1) Pac-Man
4) Donkey Kong Jr.

3) Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
2) Mario Bros.

Z-Block Division

1) Tetris
4) DuckTales

3) Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels
2) Mega Man

Goomba Division

1) Super Mario Bros.
2) Ninja Gaiden

Barrel Division

1) Donkey Kong
2) Duck Hunt

Shy Guy Division

1) Super Mario Bros. 2
2) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Met Division

1) Mega Man 2
2) Castlevania

Octorok Division

1) The Legend of Zelda
2) Dragon Quest

Zoomer Division

1) Metroid
3) Contra

Blinky Division

1) Pac-Man
3) Castlevania II: Simon's Quest

Z-Block Division

1) Tetris
2) Mega Man

Quarterfinals

1) Super Mario Bros.
1) Donkey Kong

1) Super Mario Bros. 2
1) Mega Man 2

1) The Legend of Zelda
1) Metroid

1) Pac-Man
1) Tetris

Semifinals

1) Super Mario Bros.
1) Super Mario Bros. 2

1) The Legend of Zelda
1) Tetris

Finals

1) Super Mario Bros.
1) The Legend of Zelda

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ZeroSignal620
07/04/20 7:44:14 AM
#4:


Paratroopa1 posted...
1) Metroid
16) Space Ace

Dirk the Daring's first contest since 2002? I'm down

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MetalmindStats
07/04/20 7:48:26 AM
#5:


Here, have some questionable predix from a zoomer (according to the supposed consensus definition anyways) who hadn't even heard of some of these games before you included them:

Goomba Division

1) Super Mario Bros. - there's a few 1-seeds I would have considered taking E.T. over, but this is not one of them.
8) Donkey Kong 3
5) Phantasy Star
4) Ghosts n' Goblins
11) Mach Rider - close match #1. Balloon Fight is one of my personal favorite 80s games, but I get the sense Mach Rider is the game that's held up better for most.
3) Bubble Bobble
7) SimCity
2) Ninja Gaiden

Barrel Division

1) Donkey Kong
8) Missile Command - close match #2.
5) Bomberman
4) Final Fantasy II
11) Adventure Island
14) Space Harrier - close match #3.
10) Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? - close match #4.
2) Duck Hunt

Shy Guy Division

1) Super Mario Bros. 2
8) Double Dragon
5) Marble Madness
4) Kid Icarus
6) Centipede
3) Galaga
7) Final Fight - close match #5. Honestly though, considering how poorly Haggar fared in 2013, any Castlevania game would probably beat Final Fight because of the brand name alone.
2) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Met Division

1) Mega Man 2
8) Golden Axe - close match #6.
5) Gradius
4) Frogger
6) Excitebike
3) Punch-Out!!
7) Tempest - close match #7.
2) Castlevania

Octorok Division

1) The Legend of Zelda
9) Street Fighter - close match #8.
5) Pitfall
4) Super Mario Land
11) Mother - I feel like Mother is the most underseeded game in this whole bracket.
3) Ms. Pac-Man
10) Wrecking Crew - close match #9.
2) Dragon Quest

Zoomer Division

1) Metroid - nice division name.
9) Tecmo Bowl - close match #10.
5) Rampage
4) The Oregon Trail
6) Blaster Master - I have no confidence in anything primarily associated with the Master System to do much on GameFAQs.
3) Contra
10) Strider - I'd be rooting for Gauntlet here, though.
2) Metal Gear

Blinky Division

1) Pac-Man
8) Super C - close match #11.
5) Q*Bert
4) Donkey Kong Jr.
11) Tapper - close match #12. I don't trust Dragon's Lair to have remotely held up for those voters who remember it, so I'm taking a probable upset here.
3) Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
7) Ghouls n' Ghosts - there's some 7-seeds I'd have considered taking Minesweeper over, but this isn't one of them.
2) Mario Bros. - Mario Bros. completely neutralizes the main source of Star Wars' strength. Incidentally, I would guess these are easily the two strongest 1983 games here on GameFAQs.

Z-Block Division

1) Tetris
9) Joust - I'd be rooting for Pirates! here, though. Also, close match #13.
5) Ice Climber
4) DuckTales
6) Dig Dug
3) Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels
7) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)
2) Mega Man

Goomba Division

1) Super Mario Bros. - imagine how bad the Mario/DK SFF will get in a match where the Mario entrant would already break 80% (to say the least) indirectly on the DK entrant.
4) Ghosts n' Goblins - close match #14.
3) Bubble Bobble
2) Ninja Gaiden

Barrel Division

1) Donkey Kong
4) Final Fantasy II
11) Adventure Island - and so the weakest fourpack we'd have ever seen would conclude, not with a bang, but with a whimper.
2) Duck Hunt

Shy Guy Division

1) Super Mario Bros. 2
4) Kid Icarus
3) Galaga
2) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Met Division

1) Mega Man 2
4) Frogger - close match #15.
3) Punch-Out!!
2) Castlevania

Octorok Division

1) The Legend of Zelda
4) Super Mario Land
11) Mother - close match #16.
2) Dragon Quest

Zoomer Division

1) Metroid
4) The Oregon Trail
3) Contra
2) Metal Gear

Blinky Division

1) Pac-Man
4) Donkey Kong Jr.
3) Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
2) Mario Bros. - close match #17, I guess? I really don't know.

Z-Block Division

1) Tetris
4) DuckTales - I suspect voters would vastly prefer DuckTales on its own merits, to the point where Ice Climber's longrunning Smash exposure can't even make this close.
3) Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels
2) Mega Man - This is the first of a fair few matches in this bracket between two games that seem similarly strong, of which one has a more potent brand, whereas the other is more well-regarded. In every case, I suspect most voters will have little enough experience with the 80s to favor the stronger brand, especially with forced apathy/bracket voters in mind.

Goomba Division

1) Super Mario Bros.
2) Ninja Gaiden - close match #18. Yes, Ninja Gaiden's a legendary game from its era, but I've never gotten the sense it's remembered in a way nearly on par with its reputation - something which 2009 also suggested, FWIW.

Barrel Division

1) Donkey Kong - close match #19.
2) Duck Hunt

Shy Guy Division

1) Super Mario Bros. 2
2) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Met Division

1) Mega Man 2
2) Castlevania

Octorok Division

1) The Legend of Zelda
2) Dragon Quest - close match #20. See my Ninja Gaiden write-up a bit earlier. As Mother is essentially the proto-EarthBound, it should be able to channel quite a few respect votes along the same lines as Mother 3 against a game that's purely respected rather than truly beloved today.

Zoomer Division

1) Metroid
2) Metal Gear

Blinky Division

1) Pac-Man
2) Mario Bros.

Z-Block Division

1) Tetris
2) Mega Man - close match #21.

Goomba Division

1) Super Mario Bros.

Barrel Division

1) Donkey Kong - close match #22, obviously.

Shy Guy Division

1) Super Mario Bros. 2 - close match #23 here, and one that would probably decide the finals right then and there. I'll have more to say when those finals come up.

Met Division

1) Mega Man 2

Octorok Division

1) The Legend of Zelda

Zoomer Division

1) Metroid

Blinky Division

1) Pac-Man - I don't think there'd be a real question as to whether or not Pac-Man would win here, but it would be interesting to see where the SFF would go. Would Pac-Man eat the much less popular arcade game's lunch here, or would Mario Bros. pull off rSFF because that's just how the Mario/Pac-Man relationship works?

Z-Block Division

1) Tetris

Quarterfinals

1) Super Mario Bros.
1) Mega Man 2
1) The Legend of Zelda - nice, because we all know Metroid 1 can never escape Zelda 1 in these contests.
1) Tetris

Semifinals

1) Super Mario Bros.
1) The Legend of Zelda

Finals

1) Super Mario Bros. - and this is the 24th and last truly close match of this bracket for me. I have what's apparently quite a hot take on it, which is that Zelda 1 serves as such a strong proxy for its series that it wouldn't just roll over and die here. I also think BotW has boosted Zelda 1's esteem in particular, given all the cues the former apparently took from the latter. Of course, I'm not going to say Mario 1 wouldn't win right now, just as 2009 indicated, but I'd fully expect this match (alongside Mario 2/Zelda II) to swing the other way once BotW 2's hype starts ramping up.

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Paratroopa1
07/04/20 7:52:32 AM
#6:


ZeroSignal620 posted...
Dirk the Daring's first contest since 2002? I'm down
You're thinking of Dragon's Lair! Space Ace is the other one (and I couldn't resist including it because it owns)
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Paratroopa1
07/04/20 7:58:01 AM
#7:


I think it's funny that you ended up with two 11 seeds winning two matches, but Adventure Island did indeed get a hella weak 4 pack and Mother probably is a bit underseeded though I'm not sure I would take it to win that 4-pack. I'm okay with there being some weak 4 packs here and there though, especially since there definitely aren't enough slam dunk strong titles to go around and I think some weird things slipping through would make things interesting. I didn't want the seeding to be too tight although I do think most of the 1-2-3-4 seeds end up winning their fourpacks.

There are probably some things I could move around to create some slightly more interesting matchups and there's probably a couple of games that are too low-seeded to create some havoc (I kinda did E.T. dirty against SMB and Star Wars probably could have done better than getting a 15 seed and a matchup with Mario Bros)
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shane15
07/04/20 8:43:46 AM
#8:


Favs:

Bubble Bobble>SMB
Alex Kidd>Space Harrier
Double Dragon>Final Fight
Castlevania>Golden Axe
Zelda>Double Dragon 2
Metal Gear>Outrun
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap>TMNT: The Arcade Game
Tetris>Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels

Bubble Bobble>Alex Kidd
Castlevania>Double Dragon
Zelda>Metal Gear
Wonderboy III>Tetris

Bubble Bobble>Castlevania
Wonderboy III>Zelda

Wonderboy III>Bubble Bobble

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ZeroSignal620
07/04/20 8:48:02 AM
#9:


Paratroopa1 posted...
You're thinking of Dragon's Lair! Space Ace is the other one (and I couldn't resist including it because it owns)

Oh damn, you right.

Well still, Dirk returning for low votals for sure! >_>

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Paratroopa1
07/04/20 8:48:50 AM
#10:


shane15 posted...
Favs:

Bubble Bobble>SMB
Alex Kidd>Space Harrier
Double Dragon>Final Fight
Castlevania>Golden Axe
Zelda>Double Dragon 2
Metal Gear>Outrun
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap>TMNT: The Arcade Game
Tetris>Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels

Bubble Bobble>Alex Kidd
Castlevania>Double Dragon
Zelda>Metal Gear
Wonderboy III>Tetris

Bubble Bobble>Castlevania
Wonderboy III>Zelda

Wonderboy III>Bubble Bobble
Hell yes another person who knows that Wonderboy III owns
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Paratroopa1
07/04/20 8:49:14 AM
#11:


I did have a couple of games slip in here just because they're games I like, although I think every game I included in this game is fully justifiable
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shane15
07/04/20 8:56:29 AM
#12:


Paratroopa1 posted...
Hell yes another person who knows that Wonderboy III owns


It's a shame the Master System wasn't more popular in America because i think that game would be a lot more popular. Was great the guys over at dotemu decided to remake it and give it a new lease of life.

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ZeroSignal620
07/04/20 9:17:17 AM
#13:


Favorites bracket...

1) Super Mario Bros. > 3) Bubble Bobble
1) Donkey Kong > 2) Duck Hunt
1) Super Mario Bros. 2 > 7) Final Fight
1) Mega Man 2 > 3) Punch-Out!!
1) The Legend of Zelda > 3) Ms. Pac-Man
3) Contra > 1) Metroid
9) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game > 3) Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
4) DuckTales > 3) Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels

SMB > DK
MM2 > SMB2
Zelda > Contra
Turtles > Ducks

MM2 > SMB
Zelda > Turtles

Mega Man 2 > Zelda

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ninkendo
07/04/20 9:25:26 AM
#14:


I mean they remade Wonderboy III not too long ago so I would assume at least a few people know how good it is

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Paratroopa1
07/04/20 9:27:15 AM
#15:


Oh, here's my faves bracket

1) Super Mario Bros. > 10) Shadowgate
2) Duck Hunt > 1) Donkey Kong
2) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link > 1) Super Mario Bros. 2
1) Mega Man 2 > 2) Castlevania
1) The Legend of Zelda > 10) Wrecking Crew
1) Metroid > 3) Contra
6) Dragon's Lair > 9) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game
2) Mega Man > 1) Tetris

1) Super Mario Bros. > 2) Duck Hunt
1) Mega Man 2 > 2) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
1) The Legend of Zelda > 1) Metroid
2) Mega Man > 6) Dragon's Lair

1) Mega Man 2 > 1) Super Mario Bros.
1) The Legend of Zelda > 2) Mega Man

1) Mega Man 2 > 1) The Legend of Zelda

MM2/Zelda 1/Zelda 2 is an incredibly tough call for me, meanwhile Duck Hunt and Dragon's Lair ate some kind of weak divisions lol

(Wonder Boy III would have made it further if it didn't run into Dragon's Lair, a game I really do adore)
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FFDragon
07/04/20 9:58:32 AM
#16:


no super dodgeball

bad bracket

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Paratroopa1
07/04/20 10:22:49 AM
#17:


FFDragon posted...
no super dodgeball

bad bracket
Good call, that is indeed a snub
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ZenOfThunder
07/04/20 10:27:28 AM
#18:


thanks for making this para but if anything this bracket shows this would be one of the most boring possible contests

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azuarc
07/04/20 11:34:16 AM
#19:


Sad that Mario 2 is a top seed in its division. Shows how bad an 80's bracket would be. And also, poor C64 games getting no respect. Even the freaking Apple IIe is represented!

Goomba:
SMB > DK3
PS < Altered Beast
Ballon Fight < Bubble Bobble
SimCity > Ninja Gaiden
SMB > SimCity

Altered Beast underseeded. I had scarcely heard of Balloon Fight until it appeared in Abobo's Adventure. Simcity/Ninja Jaiden is the only decent match here except maybe G&G/AB.

Barrel:
DK > either
Bomberman < FF2
U4 < PoP
CSD > Duck Hunt
DK > PoP

Decent games in the bottom half.

Shy Guy:
SMB2 < DD
Marble > Paperboy
King's Quest < Galaga
FF < Zelda 2
DD < Zelda 2

This division feels really counterintuitive. The 8/9 and 4/13 are pretty decent matches. I feel a little weird advancing Zelda 2, which I never actually played, but it is an okay-ish game for its time. Just not a normal Zelda game.

Met:
MM2 > Golden Axe
Gradius < Frogger
Excitebike < Punchout
no idea < CV
MM2 > CV

Mega Man 2 solos.

Octorok:
LoZ > R-Type
Pitfall > SML
DD2 > Ms Pac
Bionic < DQ1
LoZ > DD2

I feel like you're sleeping on Double Dragon. Maybe it shouldn't be ahead of DQ1, but it's definitely not a 6 seed.

Zoomer:
Metroid > Tecmo Bowl? (Poor Zork)
Rampage = Oregon Trail
Blaster Master < Contra
Gauntlet < Metal Gear
Metroid > Contra

Personally I'd take Contra straight through this division without a thought, but I'm trying to throw in at least a dash of objectivity. I'd never even heard of Metal Gear until MGS2 came along. I'm not taking it just because its series lived on.

Blinky:
Pac-Man > TMNT Arcade
Q-Bert < DK Jr
Tapper < CV2
Minesweeper > Mario Bros
Pacman > Minesweeper

screw Dragon's Lair. And yes, Minesweeper is a more pivotal game than non-super Mario Bros or Castlevania 2.

Z-Block
Tetris > Joust
Spy Hunter < DuckTales
1942 < Lost Levels
TMNT Nes < Mega Man
Tetris > Mega Man

Deceptively weak bottom half.

SMB > DK
SMB2 < MM2
LoZ > Metroid
Pac-Man < Tetris
SMB > MM2
LoZ < Tetris
SMB < Tetris

As I hinted regarding MGS, this is from the perspective of someone who lived through the 80's, and not someone who is picking the games that they recognize the name of from Smash Bros. I won't call this a favorites bracket because I went against personal favorites a bunch, but it's certainly not a gamefaqs-strength bracket since most of the users here are SNES- and N64-era gamers.

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NeoElfboy
07/04/20 11:53:04 AM
#20:


Interesting bracket. I kinda like how the North American release date keeps SMB3 out, just because SMB3 would be a pretty obvious winner. As is I think Mario 1 vs Zelda 1 is pretty interesting.

azuarc posted...
Sad that Mario 2 is a top seed in its division. Shows how bad an 80's bracket would be.

Not like it's the weakest 1 seed here! It would handle Donkey Kong or Pac-Man no problem, and there's a few others I'm not sure about.

Then again you seem to think it'd lose to Double Dragon which is crazy. SMB2 would win that match going away back when all these games were new (source: sales, general representation in gaming magazines and the likes, and my own admittedly anecdotal memories of the time), and Mario has stayed more relevant than Double Dragon, to put it mildly. I know you said you aren't giving much credit for that, but still.

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pjbasis
07/04/20 1:08:21 PM
#21:


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half_silver28
07/04/20 4:52:40 PM
#22:


I kind of want to make my own bracket for this, even though actually running it as a contest might be disappointing.

Anyway here are predix:

1) Super Mario Bros.
16) E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial - ET could secure a higher seed based on joke votes, but I understand putting it here since nominations could be thrown out. It could actually beat a lot of games in the bracket but certainly not SMB.

8) Donkey Kong 3 - Adventure is not a world beater but I expect DK3 to be really weak.
9) Adventure

5) Phantasy Star
12) BurgerTime

4) Ghosts n' Goblins
13) Altered Beast

6) Balloon Fight - Fight may be better-known, but it seems that Mach Rider is the more respected game.
11) Mach Rider

3) Bubble Bobble
14) Sinistar - I thought about taking Sini here, but the problem is that it was an arcade-only game until like the mid 90s, and no one really cared for top-down arcade shooters at that time. That said it could be close since I don't expect BB to be great here.

7) SimCity
10) Shadowgate

2) Ninja Gaiden

1) Donkey Kong

8) Missile Command
9) Defender - I'm mostly just going with MC because its a better-known game, but this could be close.

5) Bomberman
12) Arkanoid

4) Final Fantasy II
13) Alex Kidd in Miracle World

6) Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
11) Adventure Island - this choice boils down to considering which series Gfaqs cares for more and I think it is decisively Ultima. It will be close though, since Island definitely has a play rate advantage.

3) Prince of Persia
14) Space Harrier - I think PoP is very much overseeded here, but I don't think Harrier will be able to win. It is a highly-praised game, but it wasn't able to get a good console port until the mid 90s, giving it the same issues as Sinistar.

7) The Guardian Legend.
10) Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? - Guardian Legend is a well-received Zelda clone released on the NES, which I think is enough to overcome Carmen Sandiego's name recognition.

2) Duck Hunt
15) Hydlide

1) Super Mario Bros. 2
16) Fantasy Zone

8) Double Dragon - I don't see Double Dragon being worth too much, being a very early game in the beat-em-up genre which Gfaqs doesn't care for. Mansion on the other hand is a highly-praised adventure game that has probably held up better than the likes of Monkey Island.
9) Maniac Mansion

5) Marble Madness
12) Lode Runner

4) Kid Icarus
13) Paperboy

6) Centipede
11) King's Quest

3) Galaga
14) Solomon's Key

7) Final Fight
10) Castlevania: The Adventure - if this were CV2 it would easily win, but as an early Game Boy release, I don't think the Castlevania name will be enough to win here.

2) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

1) Mega Man 2

8) Golden Axe
9) Rygar

5) Gradius
12) Populous

4) Frogger

6) Excitebike

3) Punch-Out!!

7) Tempest - I don't see Tempest having much strength as an early "3D" arcade title, that only received ports to non-Atari systems in compilations. Whereas Wizardry is super old, but may get some series respect and is much more in the wheelhouse of games Gfaqs might care about.
10) Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

2) Castlevania

1) The Legend of Zelda

8) R-Type - this one should be close, but SF should have the edge here based on series respect and the fact that R-Type was only playable in arcades and on TG-16 until -2009-.
9) Street Fighter

5) Pitfall
12) Splatterhouse

4) Super Mario Land

6) Double Dragon II: The Revenge
11) Mother

3) Ms. Pac-Man

7) Bionic Commando
10) Wrecking Crew

2) Dragon Quest

1) Metroid

8) Zork - I don't see anyone but the oldest potential voters caring at all for an ancient text-based game like Zork
9) Tecmo Bowl

5) Rampage
12) Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards - Gfaqs doesn't really care about either, but

4) The Oregon Trail

6) Blaster Master
11) Wonder Boy in Monster Land

3) Contra
14) R.B.I. Baseball

7) Gauntlet - both are respected series, but I think Strider has more exposure due to its stand-out protagonist
10) Strider

2) Metal Gear

1) Pac-Man

8) Super C - this is a port of Contra isn't it? Anyway I think TMNT takes advantage of Super C not having the Contra name and walks with it
9) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game

5) Q*Bert
12) Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness - I can buy Ultima 4 being ok but the first game? I don't think anyone but the oldest oldies on the site would vote for Ultima 1.

4) Donkey Kong Jr.
13) Elite

6) Dragon's Lair
11) Tapper - yes not many people care for Lair in 2020, but I think even less people care about Tapper

3) Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
14) Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap

7) Ghouls n' Ghosts
10) Minesweeper - Sweeper could win against a slightly weaker opponent, but I think GnG holds here.

2) Mario Bros.
15) Star Wars (1983)

1) Tetris

8) Sid Meier's Pirates! - I don't buy that a CM64 game will be able to beat a well-known arcade game.
9) Joust

5) Ice Climber
12) Spy Hunter

4) DuckTales
13) Ys: The Vanished Omens

6) Dig Dug
11) 1942

3) Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels

7) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)
10) Pole Position

2) Mega Man

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half_silver28
07/04/20 4:52:52 PM
#23:


Round 2

1) Super Mario Bros.
9) Adventure

5) Phantasy Star
4) Ghosts n' Goblins - JRPGfaqs at work

11) Mach Rider
3) Bubble Bobble - Mach being on the NES is a huge advantage here.

7) SimCity - this could be close, but I think NG is the more respected series
2) Ninja Gaiden

1) Donkey Kong
8) Missile Command

5) Bomberman - the Final Fantasy name is strong and FF2 is the only game in the bracket, so I think it over-performs.
4) Final Fantasy II

6) Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
3) Prince of Persia - I don't think Gfaqs cares about the Persia series in 2020, which is why I give Ultima the edge here.

7) The Guardian Legend
2) Duck Hunt

1) Super Mario Bros. 2
9) Maniac Mansion

5) Marble Madness
4) Kid Icarus

6) Centipede - I think Galaga is slightly more respected of these 2 classic arcade games
3) Galaga

7) Final Fight
2) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

1) Mega Man 2
8) Golden Axe

5) Gradius
4) Frogger

6) Excitebike
3) Punch-Out!!

10) Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord
2) Castlevania

1) The Legend of Zelda
9) Street Fighter

5) Pitfall
4) Super Mario Land

11) Mother - I was very tempted to take Mother here, but Ms Pac has a huge advantage in play rate and should have the series respect to win here.
3) Ms. Pac-Man

7) Bionic Commando
2) Dragon Quest

1) Metroid
9) Tecmo Bowl

5) Rampage
4) The Oregon Trail

6) Blaster Master - what a bad matchup for BM
3) Contra

10) Strider
2) Metal Gear

1) Pac-Man
9) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game

5) Q*Bert
4) Donkey Kong Jr.

6) Dragon's Lair
3) Castlevania II: Simon's Quest

7) Ghouls n' Ghosts
2) Mario Bros.

1) Tetris
9) Joust

5) Ice Climber
4) DuckTales

6) Dig Dug
3) Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels

7) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)
2) Mega Man

Round 3

1) Super Mario Bros.
5) Phantasy Star

11) Mach Rider
2) Ninja Gaiden

1) Donkey Kong - DK is an iconic arcade game with a respected name, that introduced freaking Mario. But as far as Gfaqs goes? They're a bit too old to actually appreciate DK for its merits, so most of its strength will come from respect votes. FF2 will get series respect votes and continue to overperform here, due to being the only FF game in the bracket.
4) Final Fantasy II

6) Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
2) Duck Hunt

1) Super Mario Bros. 2
4) Kid Icarus

3) Galaga
2) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

1) Mega Man 2
5) Gradius

3) Punch-Out!!
2) Castlevania

1) The Legend of Zelda
4) Super Mario Land

3) Ms. Pac-Man
2) Dragon Quest

1) Metroid
4) The Oregon Trail

3) Contra - this could end up being surprisingly close, but MG has far too much series respect to lose here
2) Metal Gear

1) Pac-Man
4) Donkey Kong Jr.

3) Castlevania II: Simon's Quest - the Mario name is pretty strong
2) Mario Bros.

1) Tetris
4) DuckTales

3) Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels - I think the relatively low play rate of TLL ends up biting it here against the first name in another strong series, even if some people didn't care for MM1
2) Mega Man

Round 4 (Div finals)

1) Super Mario Bros.
2) Ninja Gaiden

4) Final Fantasy II - Duck Hunt has a gigantic play rate advantage over FF2, and proved itself not to be a complete scrub in previous game contests. This will be close, but I think FF falls short.
2) Duck Hunt

1) Super Mario Bros. 2
2) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link - definitely debatable here, but I think the mixed reception of Zelda 2 spells its downfall against a well-liked Mario game.

1) Mega Man 2
2) Castlevania - I don't think this is debatable given the strength MM2 has shown in previous contests

1) The Legend of Zelda
2) Dragon Quest

1) Metroid
2) Metal Gear

1) Pac-Man
2) Mario Bros.

1) Tetris
2) Mega Man

Quarterfinals

1) Super Mario Bros.
2) Duck Hunt

1) Super Mario Bros. 2
1) Mega Man 2

1) The Legend of Zelda
1) Metroid

1) Pac-Man - none of the QF matches are remotely debatable
1) Tetris

Semifinals

1) Super Mario Bros.
1) Mega Man 2

1) The Legend of Zelda
1) Tetris

You Knew it Had to End this Way

1) Super Mario Bros.
1) The Legend of Zelda - I don't know what effect the changing of site demographics will have here, but SMB directly took down Zelda 1 multiple times in previous contests and I see no reason for that to change in 2020.

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Calintares
07/04/20 5:48:37 PM
#24:


I'm missing Quest for Glory, The Colonel's Bequest and Wasteland

then again, pc-exclusives never did that well on this site.

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azuarc
07/04/20 11:46:53 PM
#25:


NeoElfboy posted...
Then again you seem to think it'd lose to Double Dragon which is crazy.

My picks weren't a "here's what the site would pick" bracket, because in that case, you just go straight "was this in Smash Bros?" So yeah, obviously Mario hard carries against mostly anything.

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Paratroopa1
07/05/20 1:46:50 AM
#26:


Calintares posted...
I'm missing Quest for Glory, The Colonel's Bequest and Wasteland

then again, pc-exclusives never did that well on this site.
Ahhh, Quest for Glory, that was a miss, yeah. Wasteland was one of my very last cuts but it could just as easily be in the field as anything else, lol. I don't know The Colonel's Bequest.
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Paratroopa1
07/05/20 1:47:16 AM
#27:


Although that said, if Quest for Glory is my worst miss, then I did really good honestly, nobody's named like an inexcusable snub yet
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Paratroopa1
07/05/20 2:18:36 AM
#28:


Here's my bracket.

1) Super Mario Bros. - I considered everything from leaving E.T. out entirely (it's basically a joke entry) and actually giving it a fair shot. In the end I decided to feed it to SMB1.
16) E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial

8) Donkey Kong 3 - I felt this would be an interesting debate for the second match of the tournament. Adventure has some prestige and I don't think many people have played DK3, but DK3 is probably the more fun game nowadays imo and it has brand recognition so I think it edges out here. Felt like a good thing to feed to SMB1 round 2. (By the way, some sources I saw put Adventure as 1979 and some as 1980, so maybe it shouldn't be here)
9) Adventure

5) Phantasy Star - BurgerTime honestly might stand a chance in another match based on the name alone.
12) BurgerTime

4) Ghosts n' Goblins - I think I underseeded Altered Beast pretty badly here and this is a debatable match. I think GnG is the more highly-thought of game nowadays and takes it.
13) Altered Beast

6) Balloon Fight - A battle of two old NES titles that Nintendo cares about more than we do! I think this one wins on recognition and I think it's funny that the rumors of Mach Rider in Smash might propel Mach Rider to a victory alone - it does have a really good theme.
11) Mach Rider

3) Bubble Bobble - BEWARE, I LIVE. Sinistar is pretty iconic in its way but this is an easy match for Bubble Bobble I think.
14) Sinistar

7) SimCity - Maybe did Shadowgate just a bit dirty here? I think this is debatable but I think SimCity is way more recognized.
10) Shadowgate

2) Ninja Gaiden
15) Ikari Warriors

Barrel Division

1) Donkey Kong
16) Elevator Action

8) Missile Command - Some of these matches are SUPPOSED to make you squint and go "I dunno what the fuck to do here," because I think that's funny and it's part of the appeal of an 80's game bracket.
9) Defender

5) Bomberman - I almost snubbed Bomberman by accident.
12) Arkanoid

4) Final Fantasy II - FF2 is a total wildcard in this contest. It probably handles Alex Kidd with ease (gotta get those Master System reps in) but who knows what it does the rest of the way - if people confuse it for the SNES title enough it could win its division, or it could lose to Bomberman because it's the FF nobody likes.
13) Alex Kidd in Miracle World

6) Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
11) Adventure Island - I really like this match and I think it really sums up the 80's bracket in a nutshell. I'm giving the nod to the game I think more people recognize even though the other is more regarded as a masterpiece by enthusiasts.

3) Prince of Persia - I may have very well indeed way overseeded this one but can you blame me? Look at its competition. It's famous and liked enough that giving it a 3 seed felt right. (Insert clip of Space Harrier death scream here, I couldn't find it sadly)
14) Space Harrier

7) The Guardian Legend
10) Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? - I think the memeiness of Carmen Sandiego being in the bracket propels it to a win here although The Guardian Legend is a great and very playable game today.

2) Duck Hunt - Duck Hunt feels like it got a free ride to round 4 lol
15) Hydlide

Shy Guy Division

1) Super Mario Bros. 2 - Fantasy Zone was my most afterthought inclusion in the bracket lol
16) Fantasy Zone

8) Double Dragon - I just liked the alliteration here. Maniac Mansion feels like a game that might win a match elsewhere but Double Dragon has this. Probably a little underseeded, but there were two DD games in the bracket and I wanted to split up their placements a bit.
9) Maniac Mansion

5) Marble Madness
12) Lode Runner

4) Kid Icarus - I feel like this 4pack is really boring and needs some spice, honestly looking at it I think I should have swapped Double Dragon and Marble Madness's placements, MM vs MM is more debatable and DD vs KI is a good r2 matchup. Hindsight on my part, this bracket was a first draft
13) Paperboy

6) Centipede
11) King's Quest - I ended up doing this like solely based on a suggestion in Discord lol, I think it's a tough one to call. Centipede was a juggernaut of its day but is it still remembered?

3) Galaga
14) Solomon's Key

7) Final Fight - This is another tough one, but Castlevania: The Adventure kind of sucks, I just put it in here because I thought more Game Boy reps was fun. Taking Final Fight here feels like I'm putting a lot of faith in voters.
10) Castlevania: The Adventure

2) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
15) Yars' Revenge

Met Division

1) Mega Man 2
16) Jackal

8) Golden Axe - This one feels like a tossup.
9) Rygar

5) Gradius
12) Populous

4) Frogger - imo this is the most boring contest match imaginable but I thought Flight Simulator would be funny to put in here. Now I'm questioning that decision
13) Microsoft Flight Simulator

6) Excitebike - Space Quest slaps and might be a viable upset pick here?
11) Space Quest I: The Sarien Encounter

3) Punch-Out!! - I only put Double Dribble in because baseball, football, and hockey all got entrants too
14) Double Dribble

7) Tempest
10) Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord - Extremely tough call here. Do people still remember Tempest? Wizardry isn't exactly the kind of RPG that people on GameFAQs really like but it seems more up our alley. Again, this is the kind of stupid match I would love to see.

2) Castlevania - I couldn't resist including Rogue when I realized it came out in 1980.
15) Rogue

Octorok Division

1) The Legend of Zelda - I loved The Bard's Tale as a kid but I couldn't justify giving it a winnable matchup
16) The Bard's Tale

8) R-Type
9) Street Fighter - R-Type is probably a little too obscure, yeah? It's a way better game and it's crazy advanced looking for 1987, but SF has name value even if the first one sucked. I sort of hate this match and there's a reason why I made sure SF1 got a strong opponent in r2, lol

5) Pitfall
12) Splatterhouse

4) Super Mario Land - This is another boring 4 pack. Something else should probably be in that 5 seed slot looking at it again, but I felt bad giving too many high seeds to late 80's NES games. Super Mario Land is a game whose strength I'd be very interested to see.
13) Blades of Steel

6) Double Dragon II: The Revenge - Tough call here. Mother could be pretty strong or it could... not be.
11) Mother

3) Ms. Pac-Man - I like this 4 pack. No idea who comes out of it. No idea if Ms Pac-Man is as strong as Pac-Man. There isn't any reason why it shouldn't be, I guess, but I dunno.
14) NetHack

7) Bionic Commando - Testing how weak Mario can get here
10) Wrecking Crew

2) Dragon Quest - I thought Battle Chess would be a funny entrant and it might gain traction with a better matchup. Thoughts?
15) Battle Chess
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Paratroopa1
07/05/20 2:25:09 AM
#29:


Zoomer Division

1) Metroid - Space Ace owns though
16) Space Ace

8) Zork
9) Tecmo Bowl - GameFAQs may not be a sports game sort of place, but I think Tecmo Bowl gets enough love here. Zork's probably DOA.

5) Rampage - Uhhhh, probably no upset here? I don't think?
12) Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards

4) The Oregon Trail
13) Out Run

6) Blaster Master
11) Wonder Boy in Monster Land

3) Contra
14) R.B.I. Baseball

7) Gauntlet - Could go either way, Strider has a cool ninja in it.
10) Strider

2) Metal Gear
15) Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum

Blinky Division

1) Pac-Man - Should I have given DDS: Megami Tensei a higher seed? Does anyone care about this game? I have zero idea
16) Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei

8) Super C
9) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game - I forgot, have we ever seen a TMNT game in a contest? I think the brand name alone is gonna be enough to propel it here, given that Super C (aka Contra 2) probably doesn't have Contra strength

5) Q*Bert - Yeah I dunno why Ultima I is here either, Q*Bert kinda got a free win
12) Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness

4) Donkey Kong Jr. - This is another fourpack I hate, I think I made the 5 seeds too weak overall
13) Elite

6) Dragon's Lair - Tapper is a reasonable upset pick but man, Dragon's Lair really deserves more appreciation.
11) Tapper

3) Castlevania II: Simon's Quest - Given that Wonder Boy III got a remake recently, it might actually be a game that could win a match elsewhere, but I gave it a really low seed.
14) Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap

7) Ghouls n' Ghosts
10) Minesweeper - Yeah, this'll be fun.

2) Mario Bros. - I wonder how many matches Star Wars could win on name brand alone if it wasn't buried here under a Mario game. I didn't really want to give it that chance, but maybe it would have been fun to debate if I put it somewhere else? Probably something I would change in another draft.
15) Star Wars (1983)

Z-Block Division

1) Tetris
16) M.U.L.E.

8) Sid Meier's Pirates!
9) Joust - But, with the Sid Meier name... maybe...???

5) Ice Climber
12) Spy Hunter

4) DuckTales - Fully admit I did Ys dirty here, it's too low seeded
13) Ys: The Vanished Omens

6) Dig Dug
11) 1942

3) Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels
14) Jetpac

7) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)
10) Pole Position

2) Mega Man
15) Hang-On
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Paratroopa1
07/05/20 2:37:03 AM
#30:


Goomba Division

1) Super Mario Bros.
8) Donkey Kong 3

5) Phantasy Star - I like this fourpack. I think this match is pretty reasonably debatable, and I think it's perfectly fair for the winner to bow out gracefully afterwards.
4) Ghosts n' Goblins

6) Balloon Fight
3) Bubble Bobble

7) SimCity
2) Ninja Gaiden - Possible upset for SimCity here? Maybe! I doubt it, but I figured this might be an interesting place to have a semi-debatable 2/7. SimCity could have gotten a higher seed.

Barrel Division

1) Donkey Kong
8) Missile Command

5) Bomberman
4) Final Fantasy II - Bomberman could win here but I'm going to assume Final Fantasy eats apathy votes like crazy.

11) Adventure Island
3) Prince of Persia - I dunno, people seem to not believe in Prince of Persia but I think it can pull out a narrow win here.

10) Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
2) Duck Hunt - I feel a little bad for where I put Carmen Sandiego because it could probably go further based on memes alone, but it's not gonna get traction over Duck Hunt.

Shy Guy Division

1) Super Mario Bros. 2
8) Double Dragon

5) Marble Madness
4) Kid Icarus

11) King's Quest
3) Galaga

7) Final Fight
2) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Met Division

1) Mega Man 2
8) Golden Axe

5) Gradius - I dunno, just a hunch here. I don't think people care about Frogger very much nowadays, but Gradius is still cool.
4) Frogger

6) Excitebike
3) Punch-Out!! - I think this match is low-key sort of interesting. I think Punch-Out wins pretty easily but I have absolutely no idea how much strength it has, I can't recall seeing it in a contest before. By the way, I made a mistake here - this is supposed to be Mike Tyson's Punch-Out for the NES, not the arcade Punch-Out which I didn't include in the bracket. I kinda assume people will realize this though.

10) Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord
2) Castlevania - All of the 2 seeds in this bracket are pretty strong and there's really no way to avoid a lot of blowouts in r2 because of it

Octorok Division

1) The Legend of Zelda
9) Street Fighter

5) Pitfall
4) Super Mario Land

6) Double Dragon II: The Revenge
3) Ms. Pac-Man - This could go either way. Hard to tell how strong Double Dragon is.

7) Bionic Commando
2) Dragon Quest - Bionic Commando might get an upset here but I doubt it. Maybe a few years ago, but Dragon Quest is established now.

Zoomer Division

1) Metroid
9) Tecmo Bowl

5) Rampage
4) The Oregon Trail - I don't think people care about Rampage too much.

6) Blaster Master
3) Contra - Someone said Blaster Master got a shitty draw and they were 100% right. I misused Blaster Master in this bracket badly and should have put it somewhere with a winnable r2 matchup.

7) Gauntlet
2) Metal Gear

Blinky Division

1) Pac-Man - If there is a debatable 1 vs 8/9 matchup in this bracket, it's this one... but, nahhhh.
9) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game

5) Q*Bert
4) Donkey Kong Jr.

6) Dragon's Lair
3) Castlevania II: Simon's Quest

10) Minesweeper
2) Mario Bros. - But I wouldn't be surprised if Minesweeper won. Maybe I should have put it somewhere else in the bracket - pitting it against Mario was cruel.

Z-Block Division

1) Tetris
9) Joust

5) Ice Climber
4) DuckTales - Another pretty dull fourpack. I think DuckTales has vastly greater recognition as a great game here.

6) Dig Dug
3) Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels - I wasn't sure if I should even include this game, and by what name, but I did anyway. I would say don't sleep on Dig Dug but... yeah you can sleep on Dig Dug

7) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)
2) Mega Man - Maybe some debate here? Mega Man is no Mega Man 2. I think it cruises though.
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Paratroopa1
07/05/20 2:55:59 AM
#31:


Goomba Division

1) Super Mario Bros.
5) Phantasy Star

3) Bubble Bobble
2) Ninja Gaiden - Maybe some possibility of Bubble Bobble winning here but I think Ninja Gaiden stands out in this field.

Barrel Division

1) Donkey Kong - I wouldn't be TOO quick to write off Donkey Kong here. It still commands quite a bit of respect, and I didn't give it a 1 seed for no reason.
4) Final Fantasy II

3) Prince of Persia
2) Duck Hunt - Yeah Prince of Persia is a bit out of its league here eh

Shy Guy Division

1) Super Mario Bros. 2
4) Kid Icarus

3) Galaga
2) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link - Galaga has a boring path in this tournament and I probably could have given it something more exciting.

Met Division

1) Mega Man 2
5) Gradius

3) Punch-Out!!
2) Castlevania

Octorok Division

1) The Legend of Zelda
4) Super Mario Land

3) Ms. Pac-Man
2) Dragon Quest - I think? This is a really tough call because I have no idea how close in strength Ms. Pac-Man is to Pac-Man. They're practically the same game!

Zoomer Division

1) Metroid - Oregon Trail might have some upset potential... maybe. But Metroid's just a really strong name.
4) The Oregon Trail

3) Contra
2) Metal Gear - One of the few really good matches this round. Metal Gear's been quiet until now. Think it has the more well known name, even though Metal Gear Solid this ain't. Contra winning would not surprise me.

Blinky Division

1) Pac-Man
4) Donkey Kong Jr.

3) Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
2) Mario Bros. - I think Castlevania II is too maligned to win against a Mario game here.

Z-Block Division

1) Tetris - I miiiight have considered DuckTales over something like Donkey Kong, maybe. MAYBE.
4) DuckTales

3) Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels
2) Mega Man - Another pretty good matchup I think. The Lost Levels does have some allure, and it's a Mario game, but I think Mega Man 1 can hold up here.

Sweet 16

1) Super Mario Bros. - Someone had to go up against SMB1.
2) Ninja Gaiden

1) Donkey Kong - The rematch! This one's still hard to call, imo, but I'm once again not writing off Donkey Kong.
2) Duck Hunt

1) Super Mario Bros. 2 - I think this matchup is really fun - Mario 2 vs Zelda 2, and I'm curious to see how it plays out. If Mario 1 beats Zelda 1, then Mario 2 probably beats Zelda 2 as well, since Zelda 2 is probably a bit more of a disliked game. I think that Zelda II would beat Donkey Kong or Pac-Man though, so it has division-winning potential.
2) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

1) Mega Man 2 - This is probably the most boring division. I think MM2 clearly dominates here.
2) Castlevania

1) The Legend of Zelda - This is a repeat of BotW vs DQXI, except probably a bigger blowout.
2) Dragon Quest

1) Metroid - I don't think there's much to say here.
2) Metal Gear

1) Pac-Man - I think only out of respect alone, but I think this one ends up being close because of the Mario name. Aside from DK/DH this is probably my favorite 2 > 1 pick if I had to take one. Pac-Man got a 1 seed only out of respect.
2) Mario Bros.

1) Tetris
2) Mega Man

Elite 8

1) Super Mario Bros. - I set this up for SMB1 vs Duck Hunt and everything, and yet I ruined it, oops.
1) Donkey Kong

1) Super Mario Bros. 2
1) Mega Man 2 - There are VERY FEW good matches in this bracket, but I think Super Mario Bros 2 and Mega Man 2 are two of the most fascinating games in this contest by far. Mega Man 2 has never really had a chance to flex its muscle in the past, and SMB2 has never appeared at all, so who knows what it does here? I think MM2 has a chance to be the 4th strongest game in this bracket and I think it can topple the Mario name, but I think it'll be close and a pretty hotly debated match. (And there's still a chance that Zelda II runs through this as well.)

1) The Legend of Zelda - I couldn't figure out how to give Metroid an interesting path here. It's hard to find a debatable matchup for Metroid to get into - it's not strong enough to beat the Marios and Zeldas of the world, but it should outclass things like Metal Gear and Contra.
1) Metroid

1) Pac-Man
1) Tetris - This would be a highly debatable match among more casual bracketeers, but there's really no contest here.

Final 4

1) Super Mario Bros. - MM2 gives SMB1 a run for its money and loses gracefully. SMB1's path is pretty much inevitable in this contest and there isn't much avoiding this.
1) Mega Man 2

1) The Legend of Zelda - I would NOT WRITE OFF Tetris here. Zelda 1 is by no means an unstoppable juggernaut, and I think Tetris has the power to win this entire contest. I think matchups like this have the potential to make at least the 64-game version of this bracket pretty interesting.
1) Tetris

Finals

1) Super Mario Bros. - I could see this going the other way, and I think Tetris is a possible champion too. But I think SMB1 is pretty much the pre-ordained champ here.
1) The Legend of Zelda
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redrocket
07/05/20 3:02:48 AM
#32:


I came in here expecting to find an obvious snub, but I must say you did a fine job hitting all those pc exclusives most of this site would miss.

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It's like paying for bubble wrap. -transience on Final Fantasy: All the Bravest
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AxemRedRanger
07/08/20 5:50:16 PM
#33:


Basically nobody outside Japan actually cares about Megami Tensei 1. Could see it getting in anyways though in a field this weak as a series rep. 16 seed is probably fair.

Missing games: Uh. The original version of Snatcher that was never officially released in English came out in 1988 so it would be eligible. But Snatcher's pretty cult in general, the later CD version's voice acting is part of the reason anyone cared in the first place, and Kojima superfans already have Metal Gear available if they want to rep their guy so yeah I don't think people would bother.

I guess there's Popeye but that's not widely cared about at this point.

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redrocket
07/08/20 8:36:10 PM
#34:


Was Megami Tensei 1 any good? Even for its time?

---
It's like paying for bubble wrap. -transience on Final Fantasy: All the Bravest
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AxemRedRanger
07/14/20 4:01:57 PM
#35:


It was released between Dragon Quest II and Final Fantasy I/Phantasy Star, so it was probably sort of okay in its original context? It's monster recruiting and fusion stuff were probably pretty original at the time.

Not remotely worth playing nowadays though. Even the SNES remake is just kind of decent.

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