The Show



The Show (aka The GameFAQs Contest Podcast) is a weekly wrapup of the notable results and matchups during the GameFAQs Contest season. The show began production in December of 2009 and is currently hosted by Ngamer alongside his co-host yoblazer. (Ed Bellis served as co-host for Season One.)

Every episode of the show is available for download at the following site:


 * The Show's Home

Episode Two - The Bracket Breakdown, with ExTha

 * Download Link: TheShowEP02.mp3
 * Record Date: June 10, 2013

Topics Covered:
 * introduction of special guest ExTha
 * reaction to THE FORMAT: 240+ characters, 3 ways where only 1 advanced
 * reaction to THE EXTRAS: the Dojo slowroll, fun 1/3/8/27 seeds, plus a new tweak for Battle Brackets(!)
 * favorite and least favorite bracket placements/wasted potential
 * gut reactions to the biggest matches plus the ultimate treat- a rare debatable Championship Match

Episode One - "Finally. FINALLY!" with RPGLord

 * Download Link: TheShowEP01.mp3
 * Record Date: May 22, 2013

Topics Covered:
 * introduction of special guest RPGLord
 * 200+ characters, what the heck?!
 * brief comments on B8's Top Ten nomination choices
 * last second nomination advice! (make a case for 2 characters outside our top ten)
 * a very special bracket breakdown on the REAL #1 GameFAQs Contest (Best Simpsons Song)

EP 9

 * TheShowEP09.mp3
 * Record Date: December 23, 2011

EP 8

 * TheShowEP08.mp3
 * Record Date: December 14, 2011

EP 7

 * TheShowEP07.mp3
 * Record Date: December 7, 2011

EP 6

 * TheShowEP06.mp3
 * Record Date: November 27, 2011

EP 5

 * TheShowEP05.mp3
 * Record Date: November 16, 2011

EP 4

 * TheShowEP04.mp3
 * Record Date: November 9, 2013

EP 3

 * TheShowEP03.mp3
 * Record Date: October 30, 2011

EP 2

 * TheShowEP02.mp3
 * Record Date: October 24, 2011

EP 1

 * TheShowEP01.mp3
 * Record Date: October 11, 2011

Topics:
 * New Format: Character Rivalries. worth a shot?
 * SB bans from Suggestion List: Mario/Sonic, MMX/Zero, Einstein
 * Will SmarterVoterFAQs return? (aka will rivalries matter)
 * Overall interest level for this Contest

Episode Fourteen - Game of the Decade Wrapup, Awards, and PCAin' with Ulti

 * Download Link: TheShowEP14.mp3
 * Record Date: December 29, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of special guest Ulti
 * Time to Grade Bacon!
 * Fallout/Brawl, FFX/Majora, Majora/Brawl... WHAT HAPPENED?
 * What was the Best Match of the Contest? Runner up?
 * Overall Stars of the Season. How about Turds?
 * Infidel and Divine Prophet - Full Season Wrapup
 * Where do we go from here?
 * GotD was fun, but where does it rank ALL-TIME?
 * 20 seconds to pimp a Character nom!

Reaction of the Week: XIII, still furious over GTA:SA's loss all these weeks later
 * xiiireaction.gif

Episode Thirteen - CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION featuring Majora vs FFX vs Brawl, with Don M and Black Turtle

 * Download Link: TheShowEP13.mp3 | Part Two - "The Cursed Bonus"
 * Record Date: December 21, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of special guests TheDonMakaveli and Black Turtle
 * Who will win the Guru? comes down to Majora vs FFX vs Brawl
 * most surprising winner ever? (L-Block doesn't count)

Reaction of the Week: Don, distressed but helpless as a moon crashes down on his dream of a Contest Championship
 * donreaction.gif

Episode Twelve - Brawl Smashes Melee, KH2 > KH1, SotC > MGS AGAIN, and ZeldaFAQs, with ExTha and Wigs

 * Download Link: TheShowEP12.mp3 | Part Two - "Live Show Recap"
 * Record Date: December 16, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of special guests ExTha and Wigs
 * Recap of the huge Livestream the night of Brawl vs Melee
 * Another hilarious Shadow of the Colossus over MGS upset
 * Could Majora's Mask really win it all?

Reaction of the Week: Ermine, trusting voltch juuuuust long enough to suffer the worst burn of his life
 * erminereaction.gif

Episode Eleven - SotC > MGS, the WoW Flop, and the ASV Master (Chief), with RPGLord and Bio

 * Download Link: TheShowEP11.mp3
 * Record Date: December 8, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of special guests RPGLord95 and Biolizard
 * yoblazer issues THE CALLOUT to Bio
 * Shadow of the Colossus pulls one of the most surprising upsets ever
 * Looking forward to an earth-shattering matchup next week (Brawl/Melee)
 * World of WarCraft disappoints yet again

Reaction of the Week: RPGLord, completely no-selling every Melee > Brawl argument we can throw at him
 * rpgreaction.gif

Episode Ten - RacistFAQs Strikes Back, The Cult of Persona, and LUSTERMANIA, with FFD and Chris

 * Download Link: TheShowEP10.mp3
 * Record Date: December 1, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of special guests FFD and Sir Chris
 * Early preds and then LIVE reactions to Portal's incredible first hour vs FF12
 * Indepth breakdown of Dead Rising/Persona 4 and The Comeback That Wasn't
 * RacistFAQs, jRPGFAQs, NintendoFAQs? HOW did GTA lose to Golden Sun?
 * Several stunning choices for R2 Stars and Turds!
 * Luster's 244 Bracket BloodBath: Does SB need to create a "Luster Law"?
 * The rantiest edition of Infidel and Divine Prophet yet!

Reaction of the Week: FFD, horrified beyond words by Chris' bashing of both Resident Evil 4 AND Dead Rising
 * ffdreaction.gif

Episode Nine - Gears Get Jammed, Kratos Ascends, and Dat Pic Factor, with KoolAid

 * Download Link: TheShowEP09.mp3
 * Record Date: November 24, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of special guest KoolAid
 * Paper Mario 2 scores one of the biggest R1 upsets ever over Gears of War
 * LIVE UPDATES as God of War struggles with Tales of Symphonia in the early going
 * A few small Stars of Turds from the end of R1/start of R2
 * Hot New Segment that breaks down this week's Pic Advantages!
 * Ngamer tries his best to avoid Infidel and Divine Prophet

Reaction of the Week: KoolAid, slowly comprehending the sickening significance of "Golden Sun: Dark Dawn"
 * koolaidreaction.gif

Episode Eight - New Super Mario BOMB and the Rise of Phoenix, with ExTha and AKJ

 * Download Link: TheShowEP08.mp3
 * Record Date: November 18, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of special guests AKJ and ExTha
 * Mario shatters 87% of the board's Battle Brackets
 * Phoenix Wright predictions and live play by play
 * Great back and forth on the week's biggest Stars and Turds
 * Giving you the PERFECT call on the three matches that would have ruined your Battle bracket this week
 * Another highly objectionable edition of Infidel and Divine Prophet

Reaction of the Week: Applekidjosh, issuing a massive retreat after being told we just spent 10 minutes discussing a Link match pic that doesn't even exist
 * akjreaction.gif

Episode Seven - Persona wins, the Dead Rise and Other W3 Action, with Alec and Lisel

 * Download Link: TheShowEP07.mp3
 * Record Date: November 11, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of special guests Alec and Lisel
 * Persona's wins and the rise of the jRPG vs TWEWY's murder and the Rise of the Dead
 * Easy Star choices (like Portal), but controversial picks for Turd!
 * Great new segment called "Bank or Bust" will ensure your Battle Bracket success
 * Infidel and Prophet choices that are sure to have on on the edge of your seat

Reaction of the Week: The B8 Anime Club, celebrating the survival of yet another child hostage
 * b8animereaction.gif

Episode Six - The Morrowind, VC, R/S/E Stunners and Other W2 Action, with ExTha and Justin

 * Download Link: TheShowEP06.mp3
 * Record Date: November 4, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of special guests ExTha and Justin
 * Morrowind and Valkyria Chronicles shock the world
 * Pokemon R/S/E survives a close battle from Grand Theft Auto IV
 * Many Stars and one enormous Turd for the week
 * Infidel of the Week features a very familiar face

Reaction of the Week: Dr Football, driven insane by the performance of his Guru championship pick
 * footballreaction.gif

Episode Five - The TF2/Fable Nailbiter and Mario/Sonic Flops, with Wigs and Angelo

 * Download Link: TheShowEP05.mp3
 * Record Date: October 28, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of special guests Wigs and Angelo
 * Indepth breakdown of Week 1's two major upsets (Halo 3/SMS) and the one almost upset (TF2/Fable)
 * "Big Franchise" games failing left and right... will this be the official GotD trend?
 * Everyone makes their Star and Turd choices for the action in the first two divisions
 * A very special edition of Divine Prophet, for sickening reasons

Reaction of the Week: Wigs, Angelo, and Smurf, sick to their stomachs from the very moment the Street Fighter vs Sonic poll opened
 * wigs-angie-smurfreaction.gif

Episode Four - Deus Ex/RB2, TF2/Fable and B8's Surprising Picks, with Ulti

 * Download Link: TheShowEP04.mp3
 * Record Date: October 21, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of special guest Ulti
 * Deus Ex shocks us only 12 hours into the season with an upset of Rock Band 2
 * Underestimating Fable heading into its match with Team Fortress 2?
 * Board 8's most surprising bracket predictions (based on the Guru stats)
 * DEFEND YOUR BRACKET!
 * Great "value" upsets we didn't have the guts to pick

Reaction of the Week: ExTha, blown away by ridiculous picks from both Ng (Prime > Half-Life 2) and yo (Sonic Adventure 2 > Super Mario Sunshine)
 * exthareaction.gif

Episode Three - Saving You 12 Pts In Your GotD Bracket, with ExTha

 * Download Link: TheShowEP03.mp3
 * Record Date: October 14, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of special guest ExTha
 * ExTha gives his "Three Matches that Board 8 GOT WRONG" (based on the BOP picks)
 * yo also explains 3 bad choices B8 has been making so far
 * Insider Info regarding what will be "the Charizard of this Contest"
 * 300% more singing than has ever been heard on The Show before
 * A SHOCKING announcement for Divine Prophet

Reaction of the Week: ExTha and yoblazer, gleefully stunned over an Attitude-era WWF game winning a Contest match
 * extha-yoreaction.gif

Episode Two - Breaking Down the GotD Bracket, with tranny

 * Download Link: TheShowEP02.mp3
 * Record Date: October 7, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of special guest tranny
 * How do we rate this bracket overall?
 * Three cheers for SB!
 * "TWO WAYS TO PREDICT"
 * Hot debate of Melee/Brawl, KH1/KH2, MGS3/MGS4, ToS/God of War, Halo/Sunshine, FFX/Smash, and all the other big hitters of the season!
 * Could 2010 be "the year of the rally"?
 * Another fabulous edition of Infidel and Divine Prophet

Reaction of the Week: Sailor Bacon, verbally fellated by a 20 minute barrage of praise
 * sbreation.gif

Episode One - GotD HYPE, Championship Picks, and Best Nom Rallies, with Ed Bellis

 * Download Link: TheShowEP01.mp3
 * Record Date: September 7, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Meet the new co-host, yoblazer! Ed Bellis returns as our first Guest
 * How excited are we for the new Game of the Decade Contest?
 * Early Championship picks
 * Best chance at a win, OUTSIDE of "the big three" games?
 * Good darkhorse candidates for this season
 * Gut reaction preds for the Guru winner and the B8's other top nom rallies
 * Two BRAND NEW weekly (maybe?) segments!

Reaction of the Week: Ed Bellis, emotionally devastated after learning of Icehawk's nefarious scheme and its unsettling consequences
 * edreation.gif

Episode Thirteen - The 2010 Character Battle Wrapup Show, with Ulti

 * Download Link: TheShowEP13.mp3
 * Record Date: March 24, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of Guest Commentator Ulti and First-Time Audience Member SB
 * How has SB done so far as Contest Admin (2007-present)?
 * What next for the Contests?
 * 128 Game 1v1!
 * All Fictional Character Battle?
 * Should Link be removed?
 * Final thoughts on "the story" of the 2010 Contest
 * Favorite matches/results of 2010
 * 2010 results that still don't make any sense
 * Results and props for this season's side-contests (Oracle, Guru, Spread)
 * Was the 2010 season THE BEST EVER?

Reaction of the Week: Steiner, transported to a dreamworld of magic after downloading his first episode of The Show
 * steinerreation.gif

Episode Twelve - The Charizard Stunner, Snake vs Seph, and the Elite 8, with Leon and Icehawk

 * Download Link: TheShowEP12.mp3 | BONUS content - 4ways vs 1v1s
 * Record Date: March 16, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of Guest Stars Leon and Icehawk
 * Charizard stuns the world against Bowser
 * Mizno upsets Seph! ...for four hours
 * Snake kills Squall, Seph struggles with Tifa. Snake > Seph time?
 * ExTha vs Dr. Football (and Palmer?!) in a battle to the death

Reaction of the Week: charmander, deducing that he and every other stat head on the board was just outsmarted by Heroic Palmer
 * charmanderreation.gif

Episode Eleven - Bowser, Mizno > Seph, and Pika > Snake LIVE, with cokes and voltch

 * Download Link: TheShowEP11.mp3
 * Record Date: March 10, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of Guest Stars cokes and voltch
 * Pika/Snake preds, followed by 25 minutes of Pika updates in REAL TIME
 * Hot upsets by Big Daddy and the Koopa King
 * Will Mizno pull a "Pika" on Seph... only 5x worse?
 * Stars and Turds for R3 so far

Reaction of the Week: Ngamer, tasting defeat (and the death of his bracket) with an Auron loss
 * ngamerreation.gif

Episode Ten - Heroic Ryu, Falcon CLUTCH, and the Second Half of Round Two, with TRE and Dabu

 * Download Link: TheShowEP10.mp3
 * Record Date: March 3, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of Guest Stars TeamRocketElite and LordOfDabu
 * What calamity has befallen Ed Bellis?
 * Mizno gives Yoshi the business - how nervous should Seph be?
 * Ryu and Falcon overcome all odds
 * Stars and Turds for the last half of R2
 * Brief R3 preview

Reaction of the Week: mammerjammer, learning the real reason for her son's suspension
 * mammerjammerreation.gif

Episode Nine - Master Choke and the First Half of Round Two, with KoolAid and Sir Chris

 * Download Link: TheShowEP09.mp3
 * Record Date: February 24, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of Guest Stars TheKoolAidShoto and Sir Chris
 * Brief discussion of B8's Top 100 Users of the Decade
 * Master Chief fails us again, Altair tries to become "the next MC"
 * Turds and Stars for the first half of R2
 * Chris blasts statheads for too much x-stats faith, match pic factor, and much more!
 * Is the Noble Nine safe the rest of the way, and can Yoshi stop the Mizo Train?
 * SPECIAL BONUS CONTENT: Stay tuned after the end theme for the introduction of "noSFF"

Reaction of the Week: Sir Chris, (finally) receiving his invitation to guest host The Show
 * sirchrisreaction.gif

Episode Eight - Missingno and The Death of the Noble Nine, with Leon and charmander

 * Download Link: TheShowEP08.mp3
 * Record Date: February 17, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of Guest Stars Leon and charmander
 * New Status: The Official GameFAQs Podcast (unofficially)
 * How did Missingno do it?
 * Missingno as 2010 Contest champ?
 * Revan's upset and other Week 4 results
 * Round One in Review, including...
 * Top Five Most Impressive and Most Disappointing Performances (based on the Oracle consensus)
 * Round Two - what to watch for

Reaction of the Week: voltch, viewing the Crono/Missingno results for the first time
 * voltchreaction.gif

Episode Seven - The Tidus, Kratos, and Kratos Flops, with Wigs and Kaxon

 * Download Link: TheShowEP07.mp3
 * Record Date: February 10, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of Guest Stars Wigs and Kaxon
 * Contest Stats & Discussion survey results (& discussion)
 * Tidus breaks our brackets
 * one Kratos makes a fool of himself, another Kratos makes a fool of us
 * Stars and Turds of Week Three
 * the Resident Evil and "Dante" boosts, perfectly explained!

Reaction of the Week: SenpaiDessus, expressing his feelings regarding Ngamer's Umbrella Chronicles theory
 * sdreaction.gif

Episode Six - The Kefka Miracle, with yoblazer and Kleenex

 * Download Link: TheShowEP06.mp3
 * Record Date: January 30, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Introduction of Guest Stars yoblazer and Kleenex
 * Unpredictability!
 * ALL HAIL the final perfect bracket
 * "The Kefka Miracle"
 * Stars of Turds of Week Two
 * Charizard!
 * SPECIAL BONUS CONTENT: available after the outro song

Reaction of the Week: yoblazer, considering whether Kefka is the most entertaining Contest entrant in history
 * yoblazer.gif

Episode Five - Best. First Week. Ever.

 * Download Link: TheShowEP05.mp3
 * Record Date: January 23, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Furious Podcast/Apples to Apples multitasking by Ed
 * The Top Two Stars of Week 1
 * The Top (Bottom?) Two Turds of Week 1
 * Quick breakdown of the other D1 and D2 results
 * Is Altair primed for a deep run in D2?
 * Guru update... The King is Dead!
 * SPECIAL OUTRO: Conan's final signoff, plus Freebird

Reaction of the Week: UltimaterializerX, deducing that Cecil would have BEATEN Knuckles in a Night Match
 * ultireaction.gif

Episode Four - The Big Six Matches of 2010

 * Download Link: TheShowEP04.mp3
 * Record Date: January 15, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Game of the Year/Decade and SB's inability to tell time or dates
 * Phoenix vs Jecht
 * FFX - can its hot streak (luck streak?) continue?
 * Kratos vs Charizard
 * '10: The Death of the Joke Character?
 * Snake vs Sephiroth - Battle of the Decade
 * Sprite Round Shakedown!

Reaction of the Week: Leonhart, looking ahead to Squall vs Auron
 * leonreaction.gif

Episode Three - What Will Be The Story of 2010?

 * Download Link: TheShowEP03.mp3
 * Record Date: January 6, 2010

Topics Covered:
 * Ed's hair-raising giraffe encounter
 * GotY polls and why they suck lately
 * Recapping the "Story of the Year" for '03-'08
 * A new site shift... to what?
 * Noble Nine continues to collapse
 * ...will it produce a tighter overall field?
 * Vote Trends and how they'll mess w/ 12 hour matches
 * 128 Game 1v1 Bracket with FF7 and Ocarina retired = heaven

Reaction of the Week: The Utility Man, unlocking Ed's mysterious giraffe innuendo
 * tumreaction.gif

Episode Two - Why You Love Contest Season

 * Download Link: TheShowEP02.mp3
 * Record Date: December 30, 2009

Topics Covered:
 * Debut of "Viewer Hate Mail"
 * Why the Stupid Whiner Topic Seconds Game rocks
 * Return of The Guru and Oracle (Predestined Divination Rides Again! & Ed's Big Award)
 * Following Match Updates & the Stats Topic
 * Hot new B8wiki Main Page, with 2010 Match Pics
 * In defense of the Contest Analysis Crew and PPC

Reaction of the Week: nintendogirl, imagining watching Predestined Divination Riding Again
 * ngirlreaction.gif

Episode One - The Bracket Revealed

 * Download Link: TheShowEP01.mp3
 * Record Date: December 12, 2009

Topics Covered:
 * With co-host Ed Bellis!
 * Revelation of the 2010 Character Battle bracket(!)
 * Discussion of the new format (1v1s vs 4ways)
 * Fisticuffs over SB's bracket placement decisions
 * Quick division by division breakdown & some match highlighting

Reaction of the Week: Icehawk, realizing he's no longer the only game in town
 * icehawkreaction.gif