2000 vs 1990

Ulti's Analysis
I originally picked 1990 in my bracket because I figured the strongest game would make the biggest difference in a contest like this -- though one could argue Mario 3 isn't the strongest game represented in this match at this point. Majora's Mask might have something to say about that. But then Allen showed us how pictures would work about an hour before lockdown, and I didn't get home in time to change my pick to 2000, since it was painfully obvious 2000 was winning once the format came out. This lack of communication was beyond unacceptable, and this sort of thing happened all contest long. It's bad enough to have a bad contest, but bad communication on the format is worse. Come match time, I was in no way surprised 1990 got demolished. This was basically Mario 3 and Final Fantasy 1 versus the world, and by now we knew depth was going to matter given the rotating pictures and such.

My love of Mario 3 should be pretty well known by now. It's my favorite Mario game, and one of my favorite games ever. Take everything I said about Zelda 1 a few writeups ago and repeat it for Mario 3. I have an insane sentimental attachment to that game that I will never get rid of. I have a similar attachment to Final Fantasy, which I used to watch my aunt play. It was the first game in that series I played, but I was a kid and couldn't figure it out. I didn't actually beat it until a few years ago. Past that, shout out to Mega Man 3, Ninja Gaiden 2, Castlevania 3, Batman, Chip n Dale, Dr. Mario, Dragon Warrior 2, and River City Ransom. The NES was on fire in 1990.

And because it deserves its own paragraph, fuck yeah Crystalis. Incredible, incredible video game. Think Zelda, but faster with a bunch of different elemental swords.

All that said, 2000 is the much better year top to bottom. There are way too many games here I love to give full writeups to them all, but here's the list:

-Majora's Mask -Final Fantasy 9 -Perfect Dark -Chrono Cross -Marvel vs Capcom 2 -Code Veronica -Mario Tennis 64 -Deus Ex -Diablo 2

I could write for hours and hours about these games alone, but I can't. Got stuff to do. You get blurbs instead. Chrono Cross was the first game my wife and I played together, so I'll always love it in its own special way. Disregard my review, I need to rewrite it from scratch.

Majora's Mask was the first Christmas present I got after my mom died, and I still have the gold holo cartridge. It's one of the games I want to get buried with, because I'm so attached to it. If my N64 or that game ever stops working, I'm going to get really upset.

Perfect Dark and Final Fantasy 9 I lump together because I skipped a ton of class in high school senior year to play those two games. I got straight As anyway, so it didn't matter.

Then there's Diablo 2, which I've been playing off and on since release day. I'm finally "done" with the game since I built a Last Wish and found a Zod rune and Stone of Jordan legit, beat Uber Tristram and SoJ Diablo without help, and built a full Tal Rasha Sorceress. Some things are just untouchable, and my Diablo 2 memories are untouchable.

Props to 2000 for winning this match. I love 1990, don't get me wrong, but 2000 really deserved this.