(3)Solid Snake vs (3)Auron (Losers Bracket) 2018

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/metalgear/images/5/51/Snake-sprites-metal-gear-1987.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140913153749

Ulti's Analysis
In no small part due to the insane amount of bitching I had to deal with thanks to me helping get a sprite round, I will now list every single match involving Solid Snake getting his sprite in a match picture, not counting this one against Auron. Snake in general is the most famous example of sprites supposedly being harmful, so let's actually put some context on this.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/991-east-division-semifinals-aeris-vs-solid-snake

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/1359-south-division-semifinal-solid-snake-vs-ryu

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/1769-20xx-division-semifinal-frog-vs-solid-snake

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/2123-tournament-quarterfinal-solid-snake-vs-bowser

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/2443-snake-division-semifinal-metal-gear-vs-fire-emblem

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/2551-patriot-division-final-solid-snake-vs-yoshi

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/2917-division-7-final-kratos-l-block-snake-riku

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/3296-division-5-final-mega-man-cube-snake-zero

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/3838-gear-division-round-3-solid-snake-vs-pikachu

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/5256-character-battle-ix-division-4-final-solid-snake-vs-glados

Snake with a sprite picture was 10-0 coming into this contest, and in this match with Auron Snake went out there and showed us all what a giant steaming pile Division 6 was. Auron pretty much didn't belong in the legends bracket at all, but in a contest like this you'll get a weird division winner or two. Auron was definitely the odd man out this year. I get that Auron also had a sprite picture, but if you go by people's complaining you would think the so-called Solid Shit either loses every match he's in or comes close. I don't want to hear the sprite excuse only go one way if that's what the play is.

Anyway, Snake is now 11-0 with a sprite picture, with only Bowser and Frog even having respectable matches against Snake in sprite rounds -- and those two characters can easily be explained by the bandwagon effect. This idea that sprites wildly affect results is flat-out wrong, and the idea we should do away with sprite rounds entirely is ridiculous. We have no proof it makes any difference. I could easily argue it only matters for Chrono Trigger, and when we start talking about Chrono Trigger sprites during an unrelated match you know we had an epic blowout on our hands.

By the way, see those two fourway polls from 2007 and 2008? Snake got first place in those, with the supposed sprite that ruins contests. There are bad takes, there are hot takes, and then there's the molten lava that anti-sprite people throw around. It shows a pretty big lack of research or context.

It's no accident that these are the same exact people who are either against rallies or, even dumber, magically support rallies when it benefits a character they like. Sprites make virtually no difference, but if this doesn't convince you we have a hilarious example coming up. We have proof that in the best possible situation, sprites make a 1% difference. That's it.