Yoblazer's All-Time Classic Matches

yoblazer's All-Time Classic Matches is a list yo put together in 2011 to celebrate Stats Topic number 1000.

Characters 2002
First match ever. It all started here, and it started with the face of gaming.
 * Mario vs. Servbot

First ever example of TJF, and first ever "wait until the kiddies wake up!" They never did. Or they did, and went with TJF.
 * Morrigan Aensland vs. Spyro

First time we saw the freakish power of FFVII. Cloud demolished a really popular character and drew like 20% more votals than we had been seeing. Put the fear of god in Mario fans.
 * Cloud Strife vs. Fox McCloud

GFNW began here.
 * Tina Armstrong vs. Gordon Freeman

One of the first really big upsets. Nintendo icon goes down. Another piece of TJF evidence.
 * Jill Valentine vs. Kirby

I remember people being really hyped for this one, and the CATS jokes were all over the place. Really fun; the result made it funny.
 * Ryu vs. CATS

Super close, back and forth match. Our first, IIRC. Nintendo fans were shocked it was close.
 * Donkey Kong vs. Aya Brea

First of three, all in round two. Good old days.
 * Solid Snake vs. Knuckles the Echidna

Not the first time a 1-seed went down (Lara got killed a few days prior), but people were actually surprised by this one. Another legend bites the dust.
 * Scorpion vs. Pac-Man

Still a contender for best match ever. I was rooting for Sonic and got PISSED lol
 * Samus Aran vs. Sonic the Hedgehog

Pure powa on display here. Slinging bombs at one another.
 * Sephiroth vs. Mega Man

Biggest match ever. Nintendo and Square's lead guys facing off in what may as well have been the finals.
 * Mario vs. Cloud Strife

Began the great rivalry. Many prefer it to Mario vs. Cloud, a testament to its awesomeness.
 * Mario vs. Crono

First ever finals, and Link letting everyone know who runs the joint.
 * Link vs. Mario

Characters 2003
Close Nintendo/Square match featuring two characters about as different from one another as you can find.
 * Ganondorf vs. Tidus

LETTUCE. One of the biggest examples of bombed expectations ever.
 * Kefka vs. Pac-Man

Magus avenges his fellow Square guy in an even closer, more epic match.
 * Magus vs. Ganondorf

NANASILENCER. FANTA SHOKATA. Crazy day on B8.
 * Squall Leonhart vs. Luigi

First instance of B-Team Mario guys meeting up. Bowser wins what I think was an upset.
 * Bowser vs. Yoshi

LOL Chief
 * Aeris Gainsborough vs. Master Chief

Is Shadow as strong as Sonic?!?!?!
 * Mario vs. Shadow the Hedgehog

Donkey Kong had the upset win... and choked it away. The stinging pain will later be all too familiar.
 * Tommy Vercetti vs. Donkey Kong

CJayC was paid off. Nintendo bought this win. Outrage. I'm never coming to this site again. Even better than the first time.
 * Mario vs. Crono

Seph avenges Crono by DESTROYING the face of Nintendo. I'm sure some people thought Mario would never lose this badly to a non-Link opponent.
 * Sephiroth vs. Mario

Cloud defeats the undefeatable. Best movie fight scene ever.
 * Cloud Strife vs. Link

Square hits Nintendo back bigtime. All-Square final after the all-Ninty showdown a year earlier. Seph manages to keep it pretty close.
 * Cloud Strife vs. Sephiroth

Games 2004
Easily the biggest comeback ever up to that point, but Duck Hunt can't complete it. Almost pulled 3000 votes back, though, and electrified the board.
 * Donkey Kong vs. Duck Hunt

A beating the likes of which we had never seen. Almost a perfect 95/5 split as well. Beautiful.
 * The Legend of Zelda vs Adventure

An anticipated match glitches and then ends badly for Pokemon. A Pokemon glitch would pay EVERYONE back several years later.
 * Xenogears vs. Pokemon GSC

The biggest match from this contest. Super hyped, super contested, fanbases clashing, and a huge comeback. Defined Best Game Ever. Funny how weak both games really turned out being.
 * Starcraft vs. Halo

A shocked B8 watched as a sure win was turned into a struggle for KH. THIS made KH Factor?
 * Kingdom Hearts vs. Soul Calibur

The awaited clash between Mario and Sonic ended in embarrassment.
 * Super Mario World vs. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Incredibly close and tense matched. MGS gained its rep as a series that would not choke in the end.
 * Metal Gear Solid vs. Final Fantasy Tactics

Beating Halo was one thing, but Zelda was something else. Starcraft rode a wave of momentum to do the unthinkable.
 * Starcraft vs. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker

Sad that people cared little for this one after Starcraft/WW, but it was an amazing match. Still one of the most legendary pictures in contest history (bless you CJayC).
 * Super Smash Bros. Melee vs. Final Fantays X

50/50 all day until CT started pulling away in the final hours. I cheated for CT so I could get free games. COME AND GET ME ADMIN.
 * Chrono Trigger vs. The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past

Disappointing, but still the match everyone was waiting for between the only two games with a chance to win.
 * Final Fantasy VII vs. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Starcraft finally goes down, but not before the most obvious attempt at cheating ever. Lol Starcraft fans.
 * Super Smash Bros. Melee vs. Starcraft

Characters 2004
Possibly THE most debated match going in. The final percentages justified it, but this has since become known as "the most boring 51/49 match ever."
 * Tidus vs. Shadow the Hedgehog

Closest wire-to-wire match ever, and held that distinction for years. Amazing and fun, but Frog had really high hopes and was not off to a good start.
 * Frog vs. Liquid Snake

Snake delights everyone by going all Harlem Globetrotters on a hapless opponent. There's one way to make blowouts fun: shoot for the moon.
 * Solid Snake vs. Tanner

Another debated match. Another badge on DK's choker sash.
 * Vivi vs. Donkey Kong

CATS glitches the poll and causes Jill to lose by 27 votes in the closest match ever. What a bastard.
 * Ryu Hayabusa vs. Jill Valentine

Ouch
 * Link vs. Ganondorf

Moves Ryu/Jill aside and becomes the closest match ever. Frog wins by seven. Yeah, SEVEN. This was anarchy.
 * Frog vs. Master Chief

Crono finally brings the Italian mafia don to justice. GET PAID, CRONO.
 * Crono vs. Mario

Frog takes advantage of big picture advantage and actually puts fear into Snake. Surprised the hell out of everyone. Frog bows out, but not before compiling arguably the most legendary contest run ever - each of his three matches were AAA classics.
 * Solid Snake vs. Frog

Link pays Cloud back, and the series between our two strongest characters is tied at 1-1. This was not long after the Twilight Princess unveiling as well.
 * Link vs. Cloud Strife

Villains 2005
http://www.gamefaqscontests.com/gallery/albums/spc2k5/b11.jpg
 * M. Bison vs. Albedo

The most debated match pre-contest ends as a boring win for el Diablo. This early match determined who still had a shot at a prize.
 * Diablo vs. Ridley

CATS had everyone's jaws on the floor by threatening to win for HOURS.
 * Ansem vs. CATS

Another debated match, this one much closer than Diablo/Ridley. There was bedlam when B8 discovered the picture. LOL
 * Dr. Robotnik vs. Sin

Speaking of bedlam, nothing topped this. FF fans were PISSED. Nintendo fans were trollin. I somehow remember that this made HaRRicH one of the final perfect brackets. Hit the same day as Star Wars: Ep III. Really fun day on the board.
 * Master Hand vs. Kuja

Kefka looked terrible enough before that he may have actually struggled here... and then he busted a 70% win. No doubt in my mind that this was one of the biggest examples of pic factor ever.
 * Kefka vs. Wesker

Neck and neck until the clock struck 3 p.m. Eastern, at which point Diablo used the ASV to pull away at a thunderous speed. It was like clockwork; I couldn't believed it happened that perfectly.
 * Diablo vs. M. Bison

Bowser lost easy, but he actually overperformed tremendously and went 50/50 with Seph at the start. Both big Nintendo villains did much, much better than expected.
 * Sephiroth vs. Bowser

Characters 2005
Second day of the contest, and brackets were torn to shreds. RacistFAQs was born. ExTha and I were chatting late, and he was pretty pissed with stupid Ness lol. Can't believe this was over six years ago.
 * Ness vs. Carl Johnson

Arguably the funnest match ever. SIX stats topics were filled. I left to pick up some furniture with my dad, came back a few hours later, and missed at least a full topic. Completely ridiculous game of cat and mouse, with Vercetti inching closer only for Kefka to surge forward. And then, at the end... GEORGE ROMERO. Just incredible. I didn't think we could get such a match from such losers. Honestly, I could see this being argued as the best match ever. Soooo ridiculous.
 * Tommy Vercetti vs. Kefka

I've just ranted about this, don't have it in me to do it again
 * Dante vs. Terra

Oh man. Oh man
 * Vincent Valentine vs. Sarah Kerrigan

LMAO. Everyone got destroyed. Third hilarious result in a row after Dante and Vinny. SMURF CALLED THIS LOL
 * Knuckles the Echidna vs. Magus

By destroying Vyse almost as badly as Cloud did, Tifa made B8 fear that she would demolish the Noble 9's lower echelon
 * Tifa Lockheart vs. Vyse

Doesn't get as much mention as it deserves. This was actually about as big an upset as Knuckles/Magus. Really hilarious way to end Round 1.
 * Pac-Man vs. Revolver Ocelot

DK HAD this. He HAD this. Just kidding, he didn't have ****.
 * Master Chief vs. Donkey Kong

This match was debated since the moment Dante and Vincent ended R1 looking like monsters. Vincent got the win, but Dante walked away looking respectable. B8 females had a hand down the pants for this match.
 * Vincent Valentine vs. Dante

And TWO hands down the pants for this one.
 * Vincent Valentine vs. Squall Leonhart

B8's fears go completely unfounded. Newsflash: we r dum
 * Sonic the Hedgehog vs. Tifa Lockhart

One of the most debated late-bracket matches of all time. Mario prevailed to an easy wins, causing his supporters to rib Samus supporters with cries of "common sense." I'm pretty sure Ulti called this correctly as well.
 * Mario vs. Samus

After barely besting Frog in 2004, Snake has an even closer battle against Bowser where he really looked in danger for a while. He holds on and the Noble 9 stays unbeaten.
 * Solid Snake vs. Bowser

Epic match between the "we're not Mario, BUT" icons. Mega Man held off Sonic during his vaunted day vote.
 * Mega Man vs. Sonic the Hedgehog

Mario captures the fourth match, and, in essence, the rivalry. A GameFAQser made one of the greatest contest pics ever for this one.
 * Mario vs. Crono

Series 2006
Simon and crew make old school gaming fans really, really happy while the Halo fanbase clings to delusional hope (It's the HALO DAY VOTE, not even FIFTY THOUSAND is out of reach!).
 * Castlevania vs. Halo

B8 goes down in flames here as WoW fans help their beloved series to a close victory. I believe some B8ers were actually banned for cheating during this one, including EC and Luster, who then cried at the loss of his accounts.
 * Warcraft vs. Grand Theft Auto

Mario Kart was the Stats Topic upset special. When it didn't pan out, everyone was actually really kind and supportive about it. No jokes or nothin. Also, some dumbass lost his account here LOL
 * Mega Man vs. Mario Kart

The closeness of this match was seen as shocking. Knowing what we know now, the mere fact that Metroid won is impressive.
 * Metroid vs. Pokemon

Basically, Melee ravaged Sonic's entire gaming library. Jesus, Brawl wrecked this series. =(
 * Super Smash Bros. vs. Sonic the Hedgehog

Nevermind what I said about Tidus/Shadow - THIS is the most boring 51/49 match ever. Hell, it was even closer than that and no one cared.
 * Resident Evil vs. Street Fighter

Mario delighted longtime fans by going toe-to-toe with the juggernaut for longer than anyone anticipated. The fact that he had an awesome, nostalgic pic compared to the FF crapfest brought more people to the portly plumber's side.
 * Final Fantasy vs. Super Mario Bros.

Zelda defeated the huge pre-contest favorite. IT ALWAYS WINS was born on this day. So basically, the greatest day ever.
 * The Legend of Zelda vs. Final Fantasy

Characters 2006
The contest began with a surprise, as Nidoran F did better on Samus "the fodder and midcard brutalizer" Aran than half the field would have. This, in turn with Pokemon's series contest performance, were the early rumblings in what would soon be the earthquake from hell.
 * Samus Aran vs. Nidoran F

Claire held a slim lead at the start but was absolutely blown away with the ASV. Perhaps no better example of the Kingdom Hearts day vote exists than in this very debated match. This one actually eliminated me from the Guru on day four. Weak! I also voted for Kairi here. I will not see heaven.
 * Kairi vs. Claire Redfield

Even though she originated in a game (hence her inclusion in the contest), Carmen Sandiego was more or less our first non-game character, having gained the lion's share of her popularity through TV. No one expected her to win, but anticipation for the match was high to see how she'd do. How'd she do? Zelda did awful things to her. AWFUL THINGS. I still can't believe it was such a massacre. Guess GFAQs loved the Zelda cartoon more lol
 * Zelda vs. Carmen Sandiego

Gordon Freeman... sometimes win? Gordon breaks the contests' most famous streak against a character that may as well have been born on Board 8. A really fun and historic match. Believe it or not, Gordon has now been winning longer than he hasn't been. Incredible how the time flies, huh.
 * Gordon Freeman vs. Phoenix Wright

HM, don't do it. HM, HM, Heroic Mario, don't do it, don't do it don't do AUGH HE DID IT. This was a debated match, one many people missed, but it was here that the most recognizable and "influential" B8 user name was lost. And before you chastise me for using the word influential for something so trivial... you have a Heroic alt, don't you? Don't you? Then shut it and pour a 40 on the curb son. HM REPRESENT. He died the way he lived. INSANE.
 * Vincent Valentine vs. Ganondorf

Zero was the favorite to beat two big Ninty players (Luigi and Kirby). It didn't pan out and kinda pissed off some Mega Man fans. The franchise's decline can be traced back to this contest.
 * Luigi vs. Zero

LMAO Chief. I can't believe so many of his didn't see this coming. Oh well, all the better. Chief ends R1 on a note legendary enough for him and him only.
 * Sub-Zero vs. Master Chief

Anything but 27 votes, anything but 27 votes, anything but 27 votes, DAMN YOU NINTENDO. In losing by a mere 27 votes again, Jilly V cemented her status as a contest legend. I voted for PEACH here. No rest for my soul.
 * Princess Peach vs. Jill Valentine

50/50 match all day eventually won by Nintendo. Dante had a surprisingly unappealing match picture for this, an occurrence that really pissed off his supporters. Still an extremely fun match. I believe we had Stats Topic Part 402 during this one, and it was flooded with LUE-inspired ASCII and much complaints.
 * Yoshi vs. Dante

The hell happened here? Samus was supposed to moonwalk through her bracket, but Tifa almost WON. Most people consider it a combination of the picture (first time GameFAQs has seen Samus out of her suit, apparently) and Tifa overperforming as the final female Square rep (a la Bowser and Ganon in the villains contest), but this match was still really weird.
 * Samus Aran vs. Tifa Lockhart

Snake begins his transformation from the N9er most susceptible to breaking the streak to a true contender. Very few people even expected a win, let alone a much more comfortable one than the win Samus had against Tifa. The Brawl announcement did wonders for Snake, and this match was proof.
 * Solid Snake vs. Mega Man

Sonic takes out Crono! This may have been as huge an upset as Snake over Mega Man. Indeed, I gotta wonder how many people on B8 actually had a Snake/Sonic male finals. Sonic's games may have been getting crappy, but he was at least getting games, which is apparently kinder to a character's strength than nothin' at all!
 * Sonic the Hedgehog vs. Crono

This wasn't surprising considering the beating Snake put on Mega Man, but it still cemented the legendary soldier's rise to glory. He went from being winless against his fellow Noble 9ers to beating two of them in a row.
 * Solid Snake vs. Sonic the Hedgehog

Through masterful performances, Snake had maneuvered himself as the board-wide favorite. We were all feeling really good about it, ready to see him triumph and beat a third N9er in a row. Then our hopes were summarily dashed, as Samus decided to wake up and issue the pain. After all his work and redemption, Snake ended up lower than Tifa in the final X-Stats. LOL Nintendo does it again
 * Samus Aran vs. Solid Snake

Snake, however, gets the last laugh, as damn near no one expected anything but a Link/Cloud/Seph final three. Snake destroyed this archaic notion by hanging with Sephiroth and winning in the final ****ing update. MGS fans earning their reputation here.
 * Link vs. Cloud vs. Sephiroth vs. Solid Snake

Characters 2007
After a relatively boring year in 2005 and missing the bracket in 06, Frog resumed doing what he was best known for: making the board **** their pants. Axel used the KH ASV to take the lead, and everything seemed lost... until the CT fanbase and B8 bracket loyalists blasted the Frog theme to decibels unheard and reclaimed the win with minutes to go. This was something special.
 * Axel/Frog/Samus/Kerrigan

Notable because of how totally reamed Kefka got with the day vote. He led Marcus Fenix all night and, IIRC, lost it all in the span of two Luster chugs. Embarrassing but funny; another feather in Kefka's hat.
 * Kefka/Marcus Fenix/Tom Nook/Zelos Wilder

Notable because of Zolomy's (terrible) debut - though he actually held the lead for like four seconds! - and because of Jill/Ocelot, a debated clash that narrowly went to the Revolver. This "notability" will become more clear a year later.
 * Cloud/Jill/Zolom/Ocelot

One of the first examples of how SFF and the newly coined "Stand Out Factor" could affect these matches. Despite no new games (the fighting game resurgence was almost two years away), Ryu still easily defeated Bowser, someone who kicked his ass only two years prior.
 * Bowser/Mewtwo/Ryu/Toad

Partially notable for Magus performing like crap (yet another indicator of the CT decline), but mainly for the Phoenix Wright/Bomberman battle. The Board 8 darling held off Bomberman by the skin of his teeth for the entire 24 hours.
 * Bomberman/Crash/Phoenix/Magus

Closest margin of victory in contest history. Alucard and Liquid traded surges and leads all day, keeping everyone's eyes glued. In the final update, Liquid raised the MGS Clutch Flag yet again with a three vote win. Unsure if we'll ever get anything closer. The fact that Alucard totally kicked his ass in the next round makes it so much funnier.
 * Alucard/Liquid/Ness/Zidane

Really bad contest for Bowser. Some people cited Sonic/Nintendo SFF. Others just claimed Bowser lost a step regardless of format. Bottom line: the Koopa King lost to two guys he would have taken out a mere two years prior.
 * Auron/Shadow/Ryu/Bowser

This was the first time we had ever seen Big Boss with a Naked Snake picture, and MAN, what a difference did it make. Boss went from borderline fodder to an instant Top-15 contender by vanquishing Magus with ease.
 * Mario/Big Boss/Magus/Phoenix

Historic, milestone match. This was the first time, in any format, that a Noble 9er tasted defeat. Things looked good for Crono early as he jumped out to an impressive lead out the gate. However, Vincent, being hampered by both the awful FFVII and amazing CT early votes, began clawing back, taking the lead with hours to go. I can't remember the Guru split for this one, but I remember it was close. Vincent left half the board ecstatic and half dejected. Fortunately for him, Crono's shame would be all but forgotten soon.
 * Link/Vincent/Crono/Zero

Pikachu takes advantage of Stand Out Factor and his nostalgic sprite (along with Dante and Leon's bad pics) to run away with the shocking victory. Hardly anyone expected Pikachu to even contend with Tidus, let alone get a win this late in the bracket.
 * Dante/Amaterasu/Leon Kennedy/Pikachu

Gotta give ol' Chief at least one rep here. The classic choker, Mr. LOL CHIEF himself, destroyed his way through opponent after opponent, earning FOUR easy wins. One of the stars of the contest by far. Even in his loss, he nearly matched Solid freakin' Snake. Microsoft's millions in advertising clearly propelled Chief to new heights.
 * Master Chief/Luigi/Pikachu/Dante

What more can I say that hasn't already been said, yelled, debated, and run into the ground. Every single L-Block match makes it here. L-Block remains the single most incredible occurrence in contest history. Shaped like a boot TO BE FUN THE FIRST TIME - LET'S NOT SEE THAT AGAIN.
 * Every L-Block Match

Characters 2008
Wario had huge Stand Out Factor against three RPG guys and was the favorite cuz of it. However, he was in for a 24-hour spanking from a soon-to-be board legend. This was Zack Fair's first match, and it got everyone PUMPED. Today, Zack is one of the Stat Topic's favorite contest entrants, partly because of humor, mainly because he's freakin awesome. ZackFAQs was born on this day.
 * Cecil/Jade Curtiss/Wario/Zack Fair

Notable because the picture wasn't up in time. KOS-MOS fans were furious as Frog jumped out to a big lead without Kossy's assets to worry about. The pic finally was posted, and... Neku Sakuraba gained the most ground. Even weirder than usual, GameFAQs!
 * Frog/Ganondorf/KOS-MOS/Neku Sakuraba

All eyes were on Blocky's first match since becoming contest champ. By beating Ryu and destroying another joke entrant in the Duck Hunt Dog, he (I find it pretty funny how we all started calling L-Block "he" all of a sudden) did not disappoint. Block haters despaired, as the defending champ looked to have lost none of his potency. Little did we know...
 * L-Block/Meta-Knight/Ryu/The Dog

Tidus chokes. Donkey Kong chokes bigger. Notable because I CALLED THE HECK OUT OF IT, WOOHAA.
 * Donkey Kong/Tails/Tidus/WCC

Hilarious match in which three pieces of fodder clawed for Father Dante's table scraps. Hogger was backed by the WoW fanbase and our own Albion, and that's what I'll remember most about this one. Albion trolled the whole topic, board, maybe even the damn site by rallying for 24 freaking hours. My favorite moment in this match occurred when Hogger lost a five minute update and Albion explained it was because he had "left to make a sandwich." This one had me laughing hard.
 * Dante/Hogger/Laharl/Ramza

The choke of all chokes. In 2003, Magus had been considered a plausible long shot against Link. Now, five years later, he gives up over 2000 After School Votes to a bag of freaking sand. And the sad thing is... seemingly everyone WANTED him to lose. Magus, what the hell happened man.
 * Shepard/Magus/Sandbag/Sonic

Ocelot beat Jill a year earlier. During the year off, he got a megahit in MGS4 while Jill got nothing. Rematch comes, and Jill Valentine wins. Inexplicably. Out of ****ing nowhere. Unless you want to argue that Cloud somehow hurt Jill more in 2007, this did not make a lick of sense, but it was another chapter to Jill's storied contest history. This time, a happy one.
 * Heavy/Jill/Kratos/Revolver Ocelot

Bad year for the Nintendo B-team, as Liquid storms through both Luigi and Bowser, and Phoenix almost beats Bowser as well. Pathetic showing from Nintendo here. They don't do 4ways well when SFF is involved.
 * Luigi/Liquid/Bowser/Phoenix

L-Block's first big stumble. After beating Ryu with relative ease, people considered him the favorite here. Crono, pissed about his loss to Vincent last year, would have none of it. Block still finished second and moved on, damn him for eliminating Ryu.
 * Crono/Amaterasu/L-Block/Ryu

DING DONG, THE BLOCK IS DEAD. Pikachu shocked the world here not only by destroying the joke, but why finishing incredibly close to Crono. How'd I feel about this? I god damn hated it. I would have been jumping for joy had Alucard slayed the beast, but man... anyone but the ****ing rat.
 * Crono/L-Block/Pikachu/Alucard

Crono pissed! Crono mom pissed too (Ayla > all)! After being the first N9er to lose to an outsider, Crono avenges the 2007 against the same opponent, rallying past Vincent in a last hour comeback. Similar to Frog's comeback over Axel a year earlier, but the stakes here were much higher.
 * Samus/Vincent/Crono/Pikachu

Sonic had already blown it by losing to Auron earlier, but Auron was a legit top-10 beast, and Sonic had to contend with Sandbag in the poll, whom some would argue might siphon votes. Basically, excuses. However, there were absolutely NO excuses here, as Sonic dropped a perfectly legit match against Kirby in the quarterfinals. Why the hell did this happen? Were people just sick of Sonic? Was it Kirby's awesome picture? Who knows, but this was the lowest point for the Sonic crew.
 * Kirby/Dante/Sephiroth/Sonic

Grand finals. Snake had already beaten Cloud in just the last match, but Sephiroth was there posing as a convenient excuse. No excuses this time, however, so Snake had to nut up or shut up with his own power. Guess what he did. Snake shot a jolt of electricity throughout the entire site - he not only beat Cloud in the finals, but led OUR GOD LINK until the morning vote. Of course, Link woke up none too please and smashed things good, but how many people can say they led Link for hours at a time? Link gets the top placement, but Snake wins the distinction of being star of the contest.
 * Link/Crono/Snake/Cloud

Games 2009
Street Fighter II lost?!?! AGAIN?!?! One of the most mournful day in the board's history. What is this site thinking?!
 * Castlevania III/Civilization/Sonic the Hedgehog/Street Fighter II

Sonic was almost universally considered to move on here. What people didn't realize was that Sonic couldn't go through an entire contest without bombing in some fashion, so he let the two SNES games SFF the hell out of each other and go through anyway. What a good sport! (I called this one, one of my only decent calls of this entire blasted contest)
 * Gunstar Heroes/Sonic 2/Super Mario Kart/Super Metroid

Most of the board had Majora finishing in first. All of the board lost their collective **** as the grandaddy of all Pokemon games gave Zelda a beating it was hardly ever used to getting. This one match changed the outlook of the whole contest.
 * Banjo-Kazooie/Perfect Dark/Pokemon RBY/Zelda: Majora's Mask

Starcraft's first match since it's 5-year-old Cinderella run. It got its ass kicked all over the place. zerg rush failed kekekekeke
 * Final Fantasy VIII/SoulCalibur/Starcraft/Xenogears

Total embarrassment for new Nintendo. Pokemon SFF or not, CoD beat the crap out of the same Mario game that easily dispatched it during GotY voting just over a year prior. The ease of its victory surprised all.
 * Call of Duty 4/Pokemon DiamondPearl/Super Mario Galaxy/Team Fortress 2

Totally incoherent. In R1, Mario World got 55% on the original FF (just the original). In this match, it does much better on the two Final Fantasy games COMBINED. In R1, the original FF got 36.76%. Here, the two FF games combined for 36.71%. They got less percentage as two freakin' games than one of em did against the same damn opponent a round earlier. Inexplicable. Absolutely inexplicable and can only be explained by ridiculous Stand Out Factor and series voting. In my opinion, this match, more than any other in site history, highlights the frailties of the average voter's mind (mine and yours included) and the stupidity of 4ways.
 * Super Mario World/Final Fantasy/Final Fantasy IV/Mega Man 3

Mario 64 with the shocker. Beating Chrono Trigger would have been impressive enough, but doing it with another Mario game in the poll? Tremendous. And very, very bad for CT and its fans.
 * Super Mario 64/Castlevania: SotN/Chrono Trigger/Super Mario World 2

RBY proves it has major power and can handle SFF by once again easily defeating Majora despite another (decently performing) Pokemon game in the poll. The sky became the limit for RBY, as many wondered if it could reach the finals.
 * Pokemon RBY/Zelda: Majora's Mask/Metal Gear Solid/Pokemon GSC

Just a super fun three-way race for first between three completely different but great games. Gordon and Valve watched in the background, taking notes and getting stronger.
 * Resident Evil 4/Kingdom Hearts II/Zelda: Twilight Princess/Half-Life 2

Mario vs. Mario. Bro tops World in a close one. Sonic and Square cry themselves to sleep. Old Nintendo is stupidly stronger than old Square.
 * Super Mario Bros. 3/Sonic the Hedgehog/Super Mario World/Final Fantasy II (IV)

After the last round and FFVII splitting with CT here, many (myself included) thought Mario could pull scarily close to FFVII here. It was not to be, as Square's juggernaut stormed out to a huge lead. Mario 64, meanwhile, nearly lost against Chrono Trigger. The two games built up a nice little mini-rivalry here.
 * Final Fantasy VII/Goldeneye 007/Super Mario 64/Chrono Trigger

Pokemon once again proves its mettle by outlasting two of the PS1's strongest games despite Ocarina's fearsome presence. In each of its first three matches, RBY impressed us in a different way.
 * Metal Gear Solid/Pokemon RBY/Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Final Fantasy VIII

World paid Bros back and arguably leapfrogged past it as the stronger Mario game. That's not why this match is a classic, though. This match is a classic because F*** THIS MATCH. This is where I turned against the cheating bastard plumber for good.
 * Super Mario Bros/The Legend of Zelda/Super Mario Bros. 3/Super Mario World

With both games toying with everything in their path, FFVII and Ocarina both looked able to claim the title. There was no favorite anymore, and everyone waited on pins and needles for the two games that ruled all to step up and face each other. In the end, the 4way era ended in a manner all too familiar to the GameFAQs voters.
 * Final Fantasy VII/Zelda: Link to the Past/Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Final Fantasy X

IT ALWAYS WINS

Characters 2010
The 12-hour era began with a surprise, as Warcraft’s Thrall did a much better job on Link than most were expecting. This would be a recurring theme during this contest: the huge favorites (especially Link, Cloud, and Sephiroth) struggled to get the past blowouts they were known for, victims of some snarky voters tired of the same old same old.
 * Link vs. Thrall

A B8 match through and through. These are two classic B8 contest all-stars – we’ve practically adopted both. This match was debated as all hell and split the Gurus down the center (IIRC). It began and… THE PLAN. Magus bombs spectacularly yet again as Alucard shines during the day. Says a lot when you’ve got a worse day vote than a freakin’ vampire.
 * Alucard vs. Magus

A super close struggle, Ocelot was helped by the fact that this was a night match (this is probably our first match where the time would have made a difference, as Red should have easily run away with a day match). However, the Russian gunslinger came just short, as Red pulled off the comeback in the final morning hours.
 * Pokemon Trainer Red vs. Revolver Ocelot

One of the best, funnest, most feel-good 1v1 matches ever. Most expected an easy win for Ken, but what we got was 12 hours of bedlam, F5ing, and quote-spouting craziness. Everyone gathered around the stats topic and watched these two beloved characters duke it out. When Cali came home (CALI ASV YEEEES), Ken took care of business, but what a match we had. This is one case of “no losers,” board included.
 * Albert Wesker vs. Ken

We expected a 60% win for Arthas. We got that 60%... for Kefka. The first few updates of this match, when we realized Kefka was gonna win big, felt like we had gone back into 2003 and were watching with the same wonder and lack of understanding we did back then. Just watching and smiling. Great, great times. This match (in addition to an earlier one with Cecil and Knuckles) ushered cries of Dissidia Factor, with B8ers arguing that the recently released Final Fantasy Dissidia was boosting these old FF characters.
 * Kefka vs. Arthas Menethil

Most had Charizard here, but some actually took Duke and expected a close match. What we got was Charizard’s coming out party, as he chastised us for seven years of missed brackets by destroying a very patriotic Duke Nukem. The fire breathing Pokemon instantly established himself as a player.
 * Charizard vs. Duke Nukem

After the WCC debacle in 2008, I think it’s fair to say… LOL TIDUS.
 * Tidus vs. Sub-Zero

Thrall may have bruised Link’s ego, but it was nothing compared to what Ridley had in store for Cloud. Ridley finished the match with nearly 30%, as laughs were echoed at Cloud’s direction. Our big two were clearly getting anti-voted, but as has been the case for years, Square was getting the worst of it.
 * Cloud Strife vs. Ridley

Uggggghhhhhhhhh looks like this Dissidia thing is the real deal
 * Darth Revan vs. Terra Branford

F*** you, internet.
 * Crono vs. Missingno

ROFLMAO CHIEF
 * Ryu Hayabusa vs. Master Chief

THE best match of the contest, topping even Ken and Wesker. Ryu and Dante, who had battled once before way back in ’03, were set to meet again in what was arguably our most debated pre-contest match of all. Well, they proved that all the debate had been merited, as they went toe-to-toe and blow-for-blow for 12 stupidly ridiculous hours. Anyone who is unfamiliar with this match, do yourself a favor: look it up on the B8 wiki and study “hockey factor.”
 * Ryu vs. Dante

Quick summary: Ryu was doing his best work in North America (specifically, US and Canada). Unfortunately for him, this match took place on the same day of the US/Canada gold medal hockey match. As soon as the match ended, Ryu started rocking. It was amazing. Hell, we have evidence to suggest Ryu might have been doing better during commercial breaks. Sounds crazy, but we have the trends to more or less back it up. At the end, Ryu nailed Dante with his Ultra 2 and took the win. Nothing was gonna top this match.

I’d like to note how the Wesker/Ken and Ryu/Dante matches had comparatively little *****ing for such hotly contested battles. I think this is largely due to the absence of Squaretendo and the impossibility of hating any of these four characters. Say what you will about the Pokemon, but for my money, Capcom took this contest.

This was a pretty close match between two guys vying to be our #10, or “that top near-elite.” Squall took it after a good fight from Auron, but overall, I think this would be considered one of the more boring 51/49. Became too evident after a bit that Squall was taking.
 * Auron vs. Squall Leonhart

Glitch… WELCOME TO DIE. Sephiroth stomped it before things got too out of hand.
 * Sephiroth vs. Missingno

After shockingly losing to Kirby in our last character battle, Sonic earned a bit of redemption with an easy win. Kirby > Sonic was a popular upset pick, but it was not a fruitful one.
 * Sonic the Hedgehog vs. Kirby

This one, however, was. Anyone crazy enough to take the unknown Charizard out of the division (dat DR. FOOTBALL) was handsomely rewarded with B8 props. Riding the release of Heart Gold and Soul Silver, Charizard proved his only fire breath was deadlier than Bowser’s.
 * Bowser vs. Charizard

We had already seen so much craziness go down, but this was among the board’s favorites. With nothing left to do but shoot for glory, Snake vanquished Sephiroth without much trouble at all. ExTha, who was in contention to actually win money, lost it all here, and the resulting meltdown was a top B8 moment for the contest.
 * Solid Snake vs. Sephiroth

After so much craziness, it seemed strangely ironic that we would end things with the most static of status quos. Link wears his sixth crown. And I swear, anyone telling me I incorrectly used the word “ironic” is gonna get it.
 * Link vs. Cloud Strife

Games 2010
LOL, not four matches into the contest, and we’re already playing the fools. Nearly everyone had Rock Band 2, the multi-million seller that carried a genre, and nearly everyone was wrong. Know why? That genre SUCKS.
 * Rock Band 2 vs. Deus X

Though many expected a decent showing from Fable, hardly anyone picked it to win. That turned out to be the right move, but not before Fable scared the crap out of everyone in the closest wire-to-wire match ever. In the end, TF2’s fanatical fanbase gave it the win by 37 measly votes, which I believe equals the margin of victory MGS shared over FFT, another classic from many years ago.
 * Team Fortress 2 vs. Fable

Pretty sure Ngamer got this one wrong
 * Halo 3 vs. Super Mario Sunshine

New SMBWii sold millions upon millions and was actually pretty well received, but it didn’t matter. Voters let Nintendo know how they felt about the Wii by siding with one of the pillars of the fighting game genre. MvC2 picks up the upset win and delights fighting fans in the process.
 * Marvel vs. Capcom 2 vs. New Super Mario Bros. Wii

This match started off close. Reeeal close. Try as they might, however, B8’s ToS enthusiasts could only watch as the sun rose and Kratos rode off with the win. Atop two lesbians and a flock of mythical Greek birds.
 * Tales of Symphonia vs. God of War

What? GameFAQs is what? What a heinous accusation! Heck, we have a black friend!
 * Golden Sun vs. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas


 * points to Barret*

Dead Rising had already endured a close match against another jRPG in The World Ends With You, but this one was even better. Persona 4 is a huge board favorite, and it staying in contention meant that ALL eyes were on this match. It stayed close all day, but in the final few evening hours, Persona gained the razor thin lead and kept it. Another of the closest wire-to-wire matches ever, enshrined with jokes, insults, and one Biolizard meltdown after another.
 * Dead Rising vs. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4

Wow, this match. I think many expected a respectable SotC performance, but none expected a 12-hour tie, which is essentially what we got. For 12 solid hours, neither game budged an inch, and leads were traded like baseball cards. And then, in the ultimate irony, SotC surged to a final lead in the final two updates, doing to MGS what it had done to other hapless foes over the years. The board completely blew up.
 * Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty vs. Shadow of the Colossus

Just hear to note the power of Halo’s day vote. This was 50/50 until the ASV, at which point Chief began moonwalking faster than ol’ Drake could sprint and do his stupid parkour bull****.
 * Uncharted 2: Among Thieves vs. Halo: Combat Evolved

Wow! Pure SFF matches are rarely, if ever, so good as this. B8 debated this match a lot, and when crunch time came, we were rewarded to a 50/50 affair, obviously the result of an EXTREMELY split fanbase. There is clearly no OoT or FFVII when it comes to Kingdom Hearts. The more recent game rode the ASV to a close and satisfying win.
 * Kingdom Hearts II vs. Kingdom Hearts

Wow, this contest. Almost the entire board logically assumed that MGS4 was stronger than 2, but SotC begged to differ. This was another close match against another MGS, but Wander and Agro weren’t in quite as much danger this time. They led by a few hundred and held that lead for 12 hours. MGS4 went from nearly making the finals in 2009 to bombing out in 2010. A huge disappointment. With the MGS series completed and fading from memory, I’m unsure if I’ll take a Metal Gear game in a debated match again.
 * Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots vs. Shadow of the Colossus

The the THE most debated match of the contest. The Nintendo fanbase drew a line down the sand and took sides. I think I switched my bracket like half a dozen times. The results of 2009 gave us few answers and no reassurances. We just had to pick our poison and hope for the best. And that poison was Link. Because he always wins. Majora jumped out to the commanding lead and didn’t look back (for the entire contest!). There was soooo much *****ing in stats, it was beautiful. Majora was a hero to some, a villain to many, but dynamite in a can for everyone.
 * The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask vs. Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal

Arguably the most anticipated match since Mario vs. Cloud. I don’t care what anyone says or tries to tell you: every single Board 8er cared about this one. They either admitted it or went on lying to themselves, the pitiful fools. We devoted FOUR HOURS of live podcast to this thing. The podcast was filled to capacity for much of the night. People cared. And what happened? Well… **** this site.
 * Super Smash Bros. Melee vs. Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Snake (the nudist) says ENOUGH and puts an end to Wander’s MGS-slaying ways. However, SotC put up another great fight, and the result here was actually in doubt for a while. Shadow of the Colossus emerged as one of the stars of the contest.
 * Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater vs. Shadow of the Colossus

This was Nintendo vs. Square in a way we had not seen for years. No matter who you were, no matter what games you liked, no matter how long you had been here, you watched and enjoyed this match. Majora with the Power Hour lead. FFX with the strong comeback and lead build in the dead of night. FFX holding during the early day hours. Majora with the HUGE After School Vote comeback, at least partially bolstered by Zelda fan rallying (almost assuredly). Almost a decade after establishing themselves as rivals, this was Nintendo and Square in their purest forms. In the end, Majora’s Mask won the day, but I get the feeling both sides were in allied agreement on one thing: Brawl had to die.
 * Final Fantasy X vs. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

And die Brawl did.
 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl vs. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

IT ALWAYS WINS AND THANK GOD FOR THAT

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