hello
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"The Secret Society of Procrastinators have postponed their annual meeting"

Well, it's hard to distance a Nintendo boost in general from a Melee upswing in particular, since we're dealing with an exact character overlap. But yes, I'd say that at least since Melee's victories over FFX and SC, the game's been generally accepted as a major force behind Nintendo's continued strong showings.

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"lol x-stats" - The Contest Simulator: http://thengamer.com/xstats
Ngamer's Contest Archives: http://thengamer.com/gamefaqs/

I loved that "no noble nine" debate from last page; we haven't had such a spirited Contest Champion discussion in... well, ever. You could make a good case for post-DoC Vincent, post-Mario Bros Bowser, post-KHII Squall, post-KHII and AC Tifa or Aeris, or even pre-TP Ganon or Zelda.

And yet, and yet, I get the impression that a majority of Gurus are against the idea of a no-NN main bracket being used this summer. That's why I went ahead and created a noNN bracket a couple days ago, to give us a live example of how exciting such a contest could be.

However, let's not throw out our big guns entirely! My suggestion is that, following the main bracket, we ask our 2006 Champion to run "The Noble Nine Gauntlet." This allows for a comparision to be made all the way up to Link, creates several great Noble Nine matchups we would otherwise miss, and doesn't extend the Contest overly long. Our 06 Summer Contest would run a total of 72 days, as opposed to 05's 66.

And let's not forget how many new opportunies such a bracket would create! By removing the NN and dropping the characters who were outperformed by CATS last year, I was able to open up a whole 22 new spots. That's a whole lot of fresh blood to keep things interesting!

Let's take a look at the bracket, then I'll provide some commentary in the next post.


*** The noNN Bracket ***

Vincent Island

1. Vincent Valentine
8. Carmen Sandiego

4. Chun Li
5. Riku

3. Donkey Kong
6. Ramza

2. Luigi
7. Sam Fisher

Kirby Island

1. Kirby
8. CATS

4. Frog
5. Diddy Kong

3. Sora
6. Joanna Dark

2. Knuckles
7. Seifer

Ganon Island

1. Ganondorf
8. Carl Johnson

4. Ken
5. Sub-Zero

3. Fox McCloud
6. Tails

2. Ryu
7. Nightmare

Aeris Island

1. Aeris
8. Phoenix Wright

4. Leon Kennedy
5. Ryu Hayabusa

3. Shadow
6. Gordon Freeman

2. Dante
7. Soma Cruz

(now to the other side)

Bowser Island

1. Bowser
8. Jay Solano

4. Diablo
5. Prince of Persia

3. Master Chief
6. Kefka

2. Tidus
7. Akuma

Tifa Island

1. Tifa Lockheart
8. Conker

4. Alucard
5. Tommy Vercetti

3. Vivi
6. Ness

2. Zero
7. Kratos

Squall Island

1. Squall Leonhart
8. Pious Augustus

4. Captain Falcon
5. Raiden

3. Yoshi
6. Serge

2. Magus
7. KOS-MOS

Zelda Island

1. Zelda
8. Laguna Loire

4. Yuna
5. Rikku

3. Peach
6. Pac-Man

2. Auron
7. Kratos Aurion

(then it's time for...)

The Noble Nine Gauntlet

9. Solid Snake
VS
10. 2006 Champion (Vincent? Bowser? Ganon? Tifa?)

8. Sonic
VS
9. Snake (or will it be Vincent?)

7. Megaman
VS
8. Sonic (or will it be Snake?)

6. Samus
VS
7. Megaman (or will it be Sonic?)

5. Crono
VS
6. Samus (or will it be Megaman?)

4. Mario
VS
5. Crono (or will it be Samus?)

3. Sephiroth
VS
4. Mario

2. Cloud
VS
3. Sephiroth

1. Link
VS
2. Cloud

Comments: Unlike a standard bracket, a noNN doesn't have to rely solely on manufacturing interesting/debatable battles in rounds one and two. With characters like Zelda and Kirby in the one-spots in place of Snake and Sonic, 60/40 matches become 50/50. Is Kirby a lock over Frog? How about Knuckles? What about a post-KHII Sora? And Ganon was able to get the job done, but can Zelda hold off a post-KHII Auron in similar fashion?

The Elite Eight and onwards is turned from a yawner (with one or two potential new NN matchups) into a Square/Nintendo slugfest between largely untested characters. Then the main contest ends, and we get the best of both worlds! #10 will be granted the perfect opportunity to finally snap the Noble Nine's untouchable win streak. If he manages it, he can go right on up the line... but if he doesn't have the strength, we're rewarded with 3 all-new NN battles, 1 heated rematch, and the Link/Cloud Final that everyone is dying to see!

---
"lol x-stats" - The Contest Simulator: http://thengamer.com/xstats
Ngamer's Contest Archives: http://thengamer.com/gamefaqs/

... I love that from the quick scan that I did.

---
We adults realize that Link has an ulterior motive: to quench his man-thirst in the eager stream of womanly passion.

Poor Seifer.
---
voltch... he come to town... come to own... the silly gurus...

No one seed for Zero? :(
---
Nominate Carmen Sandiego for SC2k6
Currently playing: MMXC, Fight Night R2, Threads of Fate, Jade Empire

Matchups I Like

Chun Li/Riku - SF's female icon came out 2 places ahead of KH's #2 in last Summer's x-stats. This will be our first chance to witness whether or not "KHII boosts" will be a factor in 2006.

DK/Ramza - DK's no Kirby... can he got the job done here?

Frog/Diddy Kong - The stats tell us DK could take Frog with some room to spare. Will DKC nostalgia be enough to carry Diddy past the CT mascot?

Ken/Sub-Zero - The SF/MK debate can finally be put to rest in the Battle of the Palette-Swaps!

Fox/Tails - Two largely untested characters make Contest returns; a chance for Fox to prove there's more to him than just Melee.

Leon/Ryu - Stats say Leon should be able to do this... but will have former GotY RE4 have faded from voter's minds by the time this rolls around?

Shadow/Gordon - Two of the contest's strangest-performing characters do battle in what's sure to be a weird one.

Diablo/PoP - Two characters sharing a name with their series- a good test for this year's Rally Noms.

Chief/Kefka - Will almost certainly result in the largest night vote/day vote swing in Contest history.

Alucard/Tommy - 21.30% to 21.02%. X-Stats won't save you here!

Vivi/Ness - DK choked away this matchup, true, but that was two years ago. Will the Nintendo Boost allow Ness to shock us yet again?

Falcon/Raiden - Put your money where you mouth is, everyone who rated our Rally Noms!

Yuna/Rikku - Ending the FFX female debate once and for all.

Peach/Pac-Man - Can Peach Old School SFF her way to a win here, or will Pac make her the next Ocelot-level Contest Bust?

(next round)

Vincent/Riku - DoC or KHII, which will have the bigger impact on the 06 Contest?

Luigi/Donkey Kong - Yoshi NSFFed and exposed Luigi in embarrassing fashion back in 2004. The stats tell us that DK is about 1% stronger than Yoshi now (MegaMan NSFFing aside)... will the big ape choke this one away, or prove his position on the Nintendo chain of command?

Kirby/Frog - Was it just Canvas Curse making the puffball look so impressive last year? Has that effect died down?

Knuckles/Sora - I love this matchup. Is Sora more than a mere Magus, or will Sonic Team prevail once again?

Ryu/Fox - Can Melee pull out yet another win for the big N?

Dante/Shadow - Has the DMCIII hype died off now? Was there any DMCIII hype in the first place?

Chief/Tidus - Will KHII have sent Disney fans streaming back to try out FFX?

Zero/Vivi - Can the KHII cameo increase exposure enough to defeat MM's sidekick?

Magus/Yoshi - The little green guy's no Knuckles, according to the stats. But what do the stats know? Expect another dogfight!

Zelda/Yuna - FFX VS Melee part two? Or will it be TP hype that wins this battle?

Auron/Peach - You talk the talk, Peach-supporters. Will you walk the walk?

---
"lol x-stats" - The Contest Simulator: http://thengamer.com/xstats
Ngamer's Contest Archives: http://thengamer.com/gamefaqs/

Good Round 1 matches:
Ken vs. Sub-Zero
Fox McCloud vs. Tails
Diablo vs. Prince of Persia
C.Falcon vs. Raiden
Yuna vs. Rikku
Peach vs. Pac-Man

Good Round 2 setups:
DK vs. Luigi
Sora vs. Knuckles
Shadow vs. Dante
Master Chief vs. Tidus
Vivi vs. Zero
Yoshi vs. Magus

Good Round 3 setups:
Vincent vs. Luigi
Kirby vs. Sora
Tifa vs. Zero
Squall vs. Yoshi.
Zelda vs. Auron

Good Round 4 setups:
Vincent vs. Kirby
Bowser vs. Tifa
Squall vs. Auron

Good Round 5 setups:
Vincent vs. Ganondorf
Bowser vs. Auron

Good Round 6 setup:
Vincent vs. Auron

Nice. Maybe Round 1 could be a touch more difficult. I like how Vincent/Auron and Bowser/Ganondorf are both setup. I like the Gauntlet idea.

---
"Ah, a party! We haven't had one of those. It could be fun! So...what is a party?"
"Well, you drink punch and eat CAKE! ...I think."

the bracket is good for the most part

and the Gauntlet idea is AWESOME.
---
The Travis Porn.

Continued

Vincent/Luigi - Squall/Luigi Version 2.0? Or will the Nintendo Boost, combined with a co-starring role in what is sure to be the biggest hit on the DS be enough to save our plumber?

Kirby/Sora OR Knuckles - Any way you slice it, this one should be intense!

Ganon/Ryu - Can 06 Ganon meet the standard set by 05 Bowser here? And if so, will this be the battle that determines the 2006 Championship ahead of time?

Aeris/Dante - AC, KHII? That's nice, but how much faith are you going to put in a character who's missed the Contest so many years in a row now?

Squall/Magus - Ulti's chance to settle the score!

Zelda/Auron - Can Zelda match Ganon? After his KHII appearance, will she have to do more than merely matching the G-man if she wants to survive to the Elite Eight?

Vincent/Kirby - The Pink One went toe-to-toe with the King of the Koopas for much of the day last summer. With NSFF out of the picture, can he pull out the upset here?

Ganon/Aeris - If he survives, a chance to see how FF7 strength compares against a common opponent. If he goes down...

Bowser/Tifa - Advent Children to the rescue? Or will it be her KHII role that has a bigger impact on this epic Nintendo/Square clash?

Squall/Zelda - I love it.

(and then...)

Vincent/Ganon - Is Vince closer to Cloud than Ganon is to Link? Or will Zelda fans rally behind the man they love to hate, putting him into the Championship?

Bowser OR Tifa/Squall OR Zelda - Whew, what a Final Four!

Vincent/Bowser? Ganon/Bowser? Ganon/Squall? Vincent/Tifa? Ganon/Zelda - The most debatable Contest Championship in GameFAQs history!

---
"lol x-stats" - The Contest Simulator: http://thengamer.com/xstats
Ngamer's Contest Archives: http://thengamer.com/gamefaqs/

Not only does Zero get no one seed, but he's also being called at having a tough match with Vivi and assumptions that Tifa will have no problem with him?

RAGE! I'd consider Zero to be a slight notch under Bowser/Ganon/Vincent myself... He can easily compete with the Tifas, Zeldas, and Squalls of the world.
---
Nominate Carmen Sandiego for SC2k6
Currently playing: MMXC, Fight Night R2, Threads of Fate, Jade Empire

(but let's not forget)

Vincent/Snake - No excuses. Advent Children and DoC both arriving at the perfect time... if he can't snap the Noble Nine curse here, I don't know if it will ever happen. OR, if this is Bowser, what a great chance to prove that 2005 was more than mere biased-pic factor. OR, if this is Ganon, will hype for his larger role in TP finally be the straw that breaks the NN's back?

Sonic/Snake - Been waiting to see this since... forever?

Sonic/MegaMan - A return of 2005's best match!

Samus/MegaMan - So, if Link can NSFF Mega, and Mario can NSFF Samus, and Link can NSFF Mario... does that mean MM can steal the Nintendo vote from Samus in the same fashion? Or will it be the other way around?

Crono/MegaMan OR Samus - No matter who gets here, this one should be a classic.

Mario/Crono - If could happen for the 5th time... but Crono's going to have to earn it this year.

Link/Cloud - KHII? Advent Children? The Return of Square? I'll believe it when I see it, and if I see it, it will be here.

---
"lol x-stats" - The Contest Simulator: http://thengamer.com/xstats
Ngamer's Contest Archives: http://thengamer.com/gamefaqs/

Actually, scratch that. The only people that I think Zero legitimately can't beat is Bowser and Ganon due to them having more ties than the likes of Vincent and Squall. I think Zero could easily compete with anybody else in the bracket...
---
Nominate Carmen Sandiego for SC2k6
Currently playing: MMXC, Fight Night R2, Threads of Fate, Jade Empire

Hm... that's a good point. If I believe that Link NSFFed Mega to death two year back (which I do), it's pretty hypocritical of me to think that, in his best year, Mario didn't do the same to Zero.

Still, Zero didn't get such a raw deal... if he does roll right over Vivi, he at least gets a great chance to prove his worth against Tifa. And then the sky's the limit.

---
"lol x-stats" - The Contest Simulator: http://thengamer.com/xstats
Ngamer's Contest Archives: http://thengamer.com/gamefaqs/

In this upcoming contest, there will be plenty more than just Bowser or Ganon that will prove far too much for Zero. I would have him losing to a number of people.

---
We adults realize that Link has an ulterior motive: to quench his man-thirst in the eager stream of womanly passion.

I'd probably take Squall over Zero. Heck, I may take Squall over everyone but the Noble 9 and Bowser this year.
---
Board 8: Where people treat each other right.

Between a champion in a non-Noble Nine bracket, it would definitely either be Vincent or Squall for me. In all likelihood, it would be Mr. Valentine.

---
We adults realize that Link has an ulterior motive: to quench his man-thirst in the eager stream of womanly passion.

Squall versus Zero would be a toss up to me. The only reason why I say he wouldn't have a chance against Bowser and Ganon are from the shared roots. As for anyone else, I would far from say they are too much for Zero. He certainly is capable of beating anybody else... not saying that it will happen. If you strictly take his performance against Mario in 2k5, then yeah they are too much. But his overall track record in the contest said he can compete with the likes of all of them.
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Nominate Carmen Sandiego for SC2k6
Currently playing: MMXC, Fight Night R2, Threads of Fate, Jade Empire

One complaint, why is Nightmare getting the total shaft? All the other rally winners have at least a #5 seed & you put him up against Ryu? I rather see him against Ken, Chun, or Sub-Zero, since those would be more of a head scratcher...

I wouldn't have a problem with the Noble Nine being taken out.. though there's no justification for half of them being out. (what has Sonic done to warrant being removed any more than, say, Ganondorf?) the Gauntlet idea is also a cool, but realistically it has no chance of happening.

</pessimism>

give me Ganon in the main bracket.



---
xyzzy

My one complaint with this bracket is the same complaint that many had with the actual SC2K5 bracket: Virtually no new entrant stands a chance of even winning ONE match.
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SC2K6 Nominations: Squall, Ramza, Serge, Seifer, Laguna, The Prince of Persia, Nightmare, Sub-Zero, Captain Falcon, Raiden

The bracket could indeed be a bit better, particularly when it comes to newer characters. I would much rather see something like Laguna/Peach and Zelda/Pac-Man over the reverse of that. There are some new characters that are in matches where they can win at least one match, but some of the other notable ones are in situations where they are a seven and eight seed. That kind of sucks.

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We adults realize that Link has an ulterior motive: to quench his man-thirst in the eager stream of womanly passion.

My one complaint with this bracket is the same complaint that many had with the actual SC2K5 bracket: Virtually no new entrant stands a chance of even winning ONE match.

Sub-Zero beating Ken isn't entirely outside the realm of possibility. And Peach beating Pac-Man is... more likely than the alternative if anything. Hell, for all we know, the Prince of Persia could even beat Diablo. That's a little less likely, but still very possible.
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"All pretty girls are a trap, a pretty trap, and men expect them to be."
MasterMage119

In particular, nearly all of the characters I'm rallying for are relegated to first round jobbers. Ramza, Serge, Seifer, Laguna, and Nightmare are all doomed. Sub-Zero could get SFF'd by Ken, and Falcon or Raiden is guaranteed to lose. There's a good chance The Prince of Persia loses as well.
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SC2K6 Nominations: Squall, Ramza, Serge, Seifer, Laguna, The Prince of Persia, Nightmare, Sub-Zero, Captain Falcon, Raiden

Not to mention, most of the matches you decided to highlight as exciting in any way are, for the most part...not.
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SC2K6 Nominations: Squall, Ramza, Serge, Seifer, Laguna, The Prince of Persia, Nightmare, Sub-Zero, Captain Falcon, Raiden

If by "new" you mean, weren't in the 2005 Contest, then there are a ton of chances for new wins.

Ramza over DK
Diddy over Frog
Sub-Zero/Ken either way
Fox/Tails either way
Aeris can win a bunch
Shadow over Gordon
Prince over Diablo
Falcon/Raiden either way
Peach over Pac-Man
Shadow over Dante?
Fox over Ryu?

Some are stretches, but I think they all have at least a fighting chance, which is more than I could see all but a couple having in a standard bracket.

And yeah, Nightmare does get it pretty rough... He came out as my top #7 seed, but honestly, I can't imagine him doing much better. As a 6, could he really give any 3 a run for their money? Maybe Fox or Peach, but with Melee around, I doubt it.

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"lol x-stats" - The Contest Simulator: http://thengamer.com/xstats
Ngamer's Contest Archives: http://thengamer.com/gamefaqs/

If by "new" you mean, weren't in the 2005 Contest, then there are a ton of chances for new wins.

I meant new to the contest.

Ramza over DK
Diddy over Frog

Sorry, but these have virtually no chance of happening. No way Ramza pushes Master Chief to the limit. 43% on Kirby in 2003 isn't as good as it would've been in 2005 (like it is for Tidus, who actually could give Master Chief a fight and win).

Sub-Zero/Ken either way

I worry that Subby will get SFF'd, even if he's stronger.

Fox/Tails either way
Aeris can win a bunch
Shadow over Gordon

Invalid.

Prince over Diablo

Possible, but still odds against it.

Falcon/Raiden either way

A match I actually like. Should be more like it.

Peach over Pac-Man

Well, yeah, there's one slam dunk. But like HM said, Peach/Laguna would be a MUCH better set up and let somebody like Zelda whomp on Pac-Man.

Shadow over Dante?
Fox over Ryu?

Both invalid, but I can honestly say in regards to the second one: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

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SC2K6 Nominations: Squall, Ramza, Serge, Seifer, Laguna, The Prince of Persia, Nightmare, Sub-Zero, Captain Falcon, Raiden

Ramza, Serge, Seifer, Laguna, Soma... sorry, but I'm not seeing any indication that they're going to perform differently from Ramza (of a couple years back), Cecil, Terra, etc all.

And you should be happy; I gave them all credit for making the field!

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"lol x-stats" - The Contest Simulator: http://thengamer.com/xstats
Ngamer's Contest Archives: http://thengamer.com/gamefaqs/

I think he was thinking more along the lines of brand-new entrants that have not been in a contest before.

I, myself, was more upset at the fact that Seifer and Laguna, two characters who could really do create some good matches, were just wasted at such lowly seeds.

---
We adults realize that Link has an ulterior motive: to quench his man-thirst in the eager stream of womanly passion.

I should mention that there's no way Diddy does it. Donkey Kong/Frog would be a good match. Frog/Diddy Kong just isn't.
---
SC2K6 Nominations: Squall, Ramza, Serge, Seifer, Laguna, The Prince of Persia, Nightmare, Sub-Zero, Captain Falcon, Raiden

Seifer at the very least could do some damage if you gave him a good draw. He'll at least be in KHII.

Also, very ticked off at Akuma's bad draw.
---
SC2K6 Nominations: Squall, Ramza, Serge, Seifer, Laguna, The Prince of Persia, Nightmare, Sub-Zero, Captain Falcon, Raiden

Eh, I could see Seifer, at the least, performing better than Ramza without a doubt. He would have whatever strength from Final Fantasy VIII on top of the benefit of being in Kingdom Hearts II. I do not understand why you would waste someone with very good potential in a match he is guaranteed to lose.

---
We adults realize that Link has an ulterior motive: to quench his man-thirst in the eager stream of womanly passion.

Also, I'm not so much upset that you've got them in situations where they COULD lose moreso than I am that you put them in positions where they're guaranteed to lose.
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SC2K6 Nominations: Squall, Ramza, Serge, Seifer, Laguna, The Prince of Persia, Nightmare, Sub-Zero, Captain Falcon, Raiden

Y'know, something that's kinda been bugging me about a lot of 2k6 fan brackets, although it's pretty much a minor gripe. Why do none of them that exclude Clinkeroth have Sora as a #1 seed? He's been increasing his seeding every year & if Clinkeroth is out of the main field again I'd expect him to land a top seed this time.

I believe a contributor to that would be his most recent performance and placement in the 2005 stats. After Kingdom Hearts II, I believe it would be possible to land such a seed, but I am not sure he would do it. Still, his strength would certainly be higher than what some are giving him in seeding.

---
"... Speeding. Let's go arrest that student for violation of academy regulations." -- Seifer Almasy

The bracket's decent, but I really don't like the gauntlet idea. It makes the contest too long, and the matches are too set up. I don't know, it's a difficult problem to solve.
---
Nominate Aeris for SC2k6
http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=8&topic=26571751

Personally, I would hate to see the entirety of the Noble 9 excluded from the bracket.
---
Board 8: Where people treat each other right.

So the main bracket could be beater, because there's no reason to "waste," let's see here... Nightmare, Akuma, Seifer, Laguna, Ramza, and Serge. Yes, they're in matches they probably can't win, but the problem is, these are some pretty strong 1/2/3 seeds we're talking about here, and someone has to face them in the opening round.

So what 6 characters are we supposed to sacrifice in their place? Pac-Man? That hardly seems fair, to stick the legend in an unwinnable SFF crushing the year after he knocks a rally nom out of the Contest in surprising fashion. I'm already throwing fairly decent modern performers like Kratos and Kratos Aurion to the wolves, along with the okish Sam Fisher, KOS-MOS, and even Jo Dark, despite her potential for some PDZ growth.

So I'm having trouble seeing who deserves to be pushed down to the sacrificial lamb level, in place of those fighters/minor Square characters. Gordon and Ness both proved they're better than fodder with good showings in 05. Maybe Tommy or Ryu H could slide down some, but beyond that, I don't think we should sacrifice Alucard, Diablo, or post-KH Riku, Yuna or Rikku. Diddy Kong I could see a case for, but Tails?

So yeah, Leonhart and HM, give me six characters to toss into the pit in favor of Nightmare, Akuma, Seifer, Laguna, Ramza, and Serge.

---
"lol x-stats" - The Contest Simulator: http://thengamer.com/xstats
Ngamer's Contest Archives: http://thengamer.com/gamefaqs/

Personally, I would hate to see the entirety of the Noble 9 excluded from the bracket.

Overall I have to agree with this, even if it would make the final rounds more exciting. Plus, based on the match Snake had with Bowser last year, it seems like it would be a big waste taking Snake out.
---
Nominate Aeris for SC2k6
http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=8&topic=26571751

You really just need to move some characters around so that it works. For example, what exactly is appealing about Leon Kennedy and Ryu Hayabusa? Why does Joanna Dark have a seed above Seifer and Laguna, despite how both would pound her into the ground? What in the world is Diddy Kong facing Frog for? I do not even get why he is there ...

Give Diddy Kong to Ryu, move Nightmare to Frog.
Give Joanna to Knuckles, move Hayabusa (or Leon) to Sora, give Seifer to Leon (or Hayabusa).
Give Pac-Man to Zelda, move Laguna to Peach. (You want to talk SFF and they are both virtually the same type of character but from a different series. Get that out of here)
Give Freeman to Tidus, Akuma to Shadow.
Give Tails to Yoshi, move Serge to Fox McCloud.
Give Diablo to Donkey Kong, move Ramza to Prince of Persia.

These may not be the absolute best choices, but it should at least show you that simply moving things around can give new characters better shots. Like Leonhart mentioned, it was not so much the fact that you put those new characters in matches they could lose, rather it was the GUARANTEED loss that a good deal of them were put in. Someone like Seifer, with an appearance in Kingdom Hearts II, does not need to be going up against someone like Knuckles in the first round.

There are some characters you put in that I think are questionable, but there is not even any need to remove anyone. You just need to do some adjusting. Again, it may not be absolutely perfect, but from a glance all of these matches allow for newer characters to have a shot.


---
"... Speeding. Let's go arrest that student for violation of academy regulations." -- Seifer Almasy

But we get the Snake matchup in a noNN bracket! There are two, three people who could possibly beat him, and using the Gauntlet, we're guaranteed to see the best of them have their shot. The difference is, we don't have to sit through Snake wasting 4 perfectly good, perfectly inferior opponents on the way to that single interesting matchup.

Why do we have to remain tied down to a bracket format that cannot surprise us beyond the second round? Why can't we think outside the box and push for a bracket that dozens of people won't be scoring around 190 on?

---
"lol x-stats" - The Contest Simulator: http://thengamer.com/xstats
Ngamer's Contest Archives: http://thengamer.com/gamefaqs/

Just for the record, and I know I said this earlier, but I love this idea. I can do without the Noble Nine in the main bracket just because of the insane number of potential bracket champions we could have with a case made for each of them.

The length of it does not really bother me. This would be, what, six days longer than the Summer 2005 Contest bracket -- Tournament of Champions included. The only problem I have with how it is now is that many of the new blood are more or less screwed to the strongest of opponents in the bracket.

The other problem is how this seems unlikely to happen, despite how great I think it would be for discussion and predictions. Plus, as mentioned, you still get your Noble Nine matches, and they get the best opponents. Heh.

---
"... Speeding. Let's go arrest that student for violation of academy regulations." -- Seifer Almasy

Looking at one suggestion I made, I think the best result of that comes from Seifer/Hayabusa and Sora/Leon. But, the problem is that gives Leon a low seed. Though I, personally, have no issue with that.

---
"... Speeding. Let's go arrest that student for violation of academy regulations." -- Seifer Almasy

Alright, so make those trades and sacrifice Diddy, Ryu H, Pac, Freeman, Tails, and Diablo in the process. Hm... I like the way you think, HM.

I still don't like the idea of forcing a character who won the previous year into an 8 seed, post-HL2 Freeman feels too strong for a 7, Diablo is one beast of a 6, and I still feel that Diddy will be closer to DK than he's getting credit for. BUT, overall, these moves would most likely be an improvement.

Good thinking. And on the issue of noNN, it's good to know at least one other person is out of the box with me.

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"lol x-stats" - The Contest Simulator: http://thengamer.com/xstats
Ngamer's Contest Archives: http://thengamer.com/gamefaqs/

My only real problem with the no-Noble Nine idea and the Gauntlet is that it could kill off the character contests for good. What do you do after that? Take out everyone that ranked above Jay Solano?
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RIP Eddie Guerrero 1967-2005
"I set my ATM card's number to "0001" because I'm number one!" - Manfred von Karma

Yeah. I noticed some of the seeding issues that really stick out, but I think if anyone has to go up against Donkey Kong, it should either be someone who can potentially beat him or someone who we know well and will likely lose (Diablo).

But yeah, just bracket adjustments like this should make it better overall. Leonhart, or someone else, might have even better suggestions down the road. It would be amazing for CJayC to at least consider this idea. It seems to take the best of both worlds. A more unpredictable bracket with a completely unpredictable winner and we still get to see the stars of the contest go up against each other. Love it, man, love it.

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"... Speeding. Let's go arrest that student for violation of academy regulations." -- Seifer Almasy

I think Prince would beat Diablo, moderately comfortable.
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"Now I realise.. I wasn't pursuing Sephiroth.
I was being summoned by Sephiroth"

It is not necessary something that has to be implemented every single year. I mean, it is not like I would expect us to see another Tournament of Champions with Mario as the most recent entry into it.

You just do things that go against the norm every year so as to add more unpredictability without it flat out sucking (Tag Teams or Three Way Matches, for example -- I hate them at least). Hell, you could even go back to the standard format of everyone back into one main bracket one year, but I think you are asking for something really predictable and boring in comparison to what we have seen more recently.

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"... Speeding. Let's go arrest that student for violation of academy regulations." -- Seifer Almasy

I don't think a one year noNN experiment would kill the Contest... I can see your point, but I think it's just a matter of, for this year in particular, there doesn't appear to be another strong option to keep things fresh. Last year showed that, even on Mario's best year, he (and by extension, the rest of the field) is not even on the same planet as Clinkeroth. With TP, KHII, and AC at the very least holding them steady, I can't see how that would change this summer. And in a post-Mario Bros world, I likewise cannot realistically see anyone suddenly challenging Mario in 2006. So then you pull all 4 champs, and what do you get? With the way CT has been fading lately, a contest dominated by Samus, almost certainly.

Putting them into a Gauntlet seems to me to be worth a shot.

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