Contest Stats and Discussion - Part 1369

Interesting that FF4 is beating P4 in both polls. P4 would probably walk all over FF4 in a one on one.

Big Bob posted...

Last time the poll was run:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/5467-whats-your-all-time-favorite-4-game

Looks like RE4's lost a bit of strength, which is odd considering VII, 2Remake, and Village were all received well.

I'd say RE4 has been consistent. In fact, Uncharted 4 might be leeching votes as another Third-Person Shooter option.

The real story in today's poll is MGS4 waning.

I think RE4 is doing about as well as it did in 2014, it's just that the field is a bit stronger.

The biggest losers are MGS4 and Oblivion.

FF1 and FF4 benefit a lot from series proxy votes. They are both respected classic FF titles without the polarizing fanbase that the modern entries past FF10 have. Which is why they manage to look fantastic in muti-way polls like these. I doubt it would do this well against RE4 and Persona 4 in a one on one contest setting.

FFIV's had good gains every time we've done this poll. SNES boost in action?

Axl_Rose_85 posted...

FF1 and FF4 benefit a lot from series proxy votes. They are both respected classic FF titles without the polarizing fanbase that the modern entries past FF10 have. Which is why they manage to look fantastic in muti-way polls like these. I doubt it would do this well against RE4 and Persona 4 in a one on one contest setting.

Would love to see Persona 4 vs FF4 in a Round 2/3 matchup. I think P4 wins, but I could see FF4 stomping it if the proxy vote turns out strong.

Mac Arrowny posted...

FFIV's had good gains every time we've done this poll. SNES boost in action?

Entirely possible since a good chunk of the site's userbase is people who grew up on SNES.

This poll is definitely much stronger than the last one. The bottom three of the last poll, Battlefield 4, Disgaea 4, and Saints Row IV have been replaced with Street Fighter IV, Fallout 4, and Uncharted 4. The weakest of this set (Street Fighter IV) would easily beat the strongest of that set (Saints Row IV). So all in all RE4 is to par here. FFIV does look a bit stronger, I would say that is more down to content from it featuring heavily in Endwalker and FFVII Remake/FFXIV resulting in an overall FF boost than any kind of SNES boost.

Oblivion and especially MGS4 look bad here, Oblivion can blame it on Fallout 4 but MGS4 has no excuse. It’s just a lot weaker than it used to be. This begs the question, which game had the biggest drop in strength? MGS4? Vice City? Half-Life 2’s was pretty steep. Rallies don’t count.

FFVII went from winning a contest to losing to Melee. Yeah, Melee was rallied, but it's not even a certainly that FFVII could beat Chrono Trigger now.

If Oblivion can blame Fallout 4, MGS4 can definitely blame MGSV and the Konami collapse that came with it.

Final Fantasy IV avoided a doubling from Link to the Past, probably its worst possible non-FF opponent, and nearly broke 70 on Deus Ex.

How well do you think SMRPG does on FFIV pre-SFF?

The last poll was 8 years ago, which was before the SNES boost, so it should be having some effect here. FF as a whole was also stronger at that point than it is now IMO.

ctesjbuvf posted...

If Oblivion can blame Fallout 4, MGS4 can definitely blame MGSV and the Konami collapse that came with it.

I think he means Oblivion is being LFF'd by Fallout 4.

Oh, right, that makes a lot more sense, my bad.

Big Bob posted...

FFVII went from winning a contest to losing to Melee. Yeah, Melee was rallied, but it's not even a certainly that FFVII could beat Chrono Trigger now.

I'd credit this to Chrono Trigger that contest more than anything. It's hard to judge, FFVII definitely isn't at its 2004 days, but I don't think the drop is a bad as the other games mentioned. It's definitely still among the strongest games here.

Brawl went from being probably the strongest game of the 2000s in 2009 to not even getting into the 2015 contest and getting destroyed in every Smash series poll since Smash 4's release.

While Brawl (and now Smash 4) is pretty irrelevant, I do feel if it ever returned to a contest, it wouldn't be much weaker. Like among the games in GotD it would lose to Majora's Mask, Melee, FFX, Twilight Princess and maybe Wind Waker and that's probably it...

From 2015:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/6130-best-game-ever-day-20-round-2-zelda-twilight-princess-vs
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/6135-best-game-ever-day-22-round-2-zelda-a-link-to-the-past-vs

That favors FFIV and Persona 4 is doing (marginally) worse today than in the 4 poll from 2014.

Also, CoD4: Modern Warfare is a good option for largest fall, went from beating Super Mario Galaxy to getting 20% against Super Metroid

AxemRedRanger posted...

From 2015:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/6130-best-game-ever-day-20-round-2-zelda-twilight-princess-vs
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/6135-best-game-ever-day-22-round-2-zelda-a-link-to-the-past-vs

That favors FFIV and Persona 4 is doing (marginally) worse today than in the 4 poll from 2014.

Yeah idk why people are underestimating FFIV. Its strength should be around (or maybe just slightly below) P5 projecting through 2015 ALttP and MSGV and so it should have no trouble beating P4.

WarThaNemesis2 posted...

Final Fantasy IV avoided a doubling from Link to the Past, probably its worst possible non-FF opponent, and nearly broke 70 on Deus Ex.

Final Fantasy IV was not winning by enough

squexa posted...

Yeah idk why people are underestimating FFIV

I think it's because it finishes well behind FF8 and 9 in the favorite FF game polls. What people don't realize is that FF8 and 9 are Top 30 games, contest strength wise on this site.

People underestimate FFIV because Cecil has become the new GFNW

Didn't FFIV get a pixel remaster? that must have helped a bit, it got very positive reviews on steam

I don't think the pixel remaster really moved the needle considering FFIV likely holds the guiness record for having the most remakes, remasters and ports in video game history.

Axl_Rose_85 posted...

I don't think the pixel remaster really moved the needle considering FFIV likely holds the guiness record for having the most remakes, remasters and ports in video game history.

2018 Link has proven no entrant is unboostable.

WarThaNemesis2 posted...

2018 Link has proven no entrant is unboostable.

There's a difference between a sequel and a re-releases. The latter generally doesn't help unless a game is specifically reaching a MUCH wider audience.

Yeah, I'd guess P4G on Steam would make a way bigger difference than the FFIV Pixel Remaster.

MGS4 is a bit of a counter to that as the lack of any rerelease has hurt it quite a lot. Also, V has absolutely not hurt the series’ reputation what? 4 fell on its own, and it really started as early as GOTD1 and has just continued. A general turn against the game as the novelty of it seemingly being an ending wearing off + the game being locked on the PS3. 4 and V are on a comparable level if not V outright being stronger at this point.

MGSV also got weaker between 2015 and 2020. Wouldn't be too surprising if the series as a whole has been dropping slowly over time, due to it being dead.

I'd never pick V to beat 4 head to head

V over 4 is the sort of spice we're missing with contest season over

Head to head, I would sooner take 4 to double V than drop the match to it.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/8081-whats-your-all-time-favorite-5-game

while 30% on Persona 4 is a pretty bad look
it's still preferable to 20% on Persona 5.

Persona 4 vs MGS4 throughout the years (ignoring LFF)

2009:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/3363-best-of-2008-game-of-the-year
Persona 4 - 4.97%
MGS4 - 23.53%

2011:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/4444-whats-your-all-time-favorite-4-game
Persona 4 - 8.48%
MGS4 - 13.04%

2014:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/5467-whats-your-all-time-favorite-4-game
Persona 4 - 16.33%
MGS4 - 11.32%

2022:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/8782-whats-your-all-time-favorite-4-game-title
Persona 4 - 16.18%
MGS4 - 7.19%

Oh 4 would probably win that but they’re close, and 4 has fallen much further (check the 5 poll before that…). Dark Souls couldn’t double MGSV. Give it a few years and V probably wins, 4 is a non-factor as long as it’s stuck on the PS3. The game is essentially unplayable for most now.

MGS4 vs MGS5...hmm.

MGS4 was once on par with MGS2/3 back in GotD 2010, but the luster has worn off, and it's trapped on a dead console.

MGS5 is more recent and available on several consoles, as well as PC. BUT it gets a lot of hate for being unfinished.

I think MGS4 wins that 60-40, maybe even worse. Which breaks my heart because in my book 5 >>> 4.

Lightning Strikes posted...

4 is a non-factor as long as it’s stuck on the PS3. The game is essentially unplayable for most now.

Yes, but it would benefit from a lot of MGSV anti-votes.

Both games were huge disappointments (compared to the first three), but more people had the opportunity to be disappointed by MGSV.

I wonder how a Brawl/MGS4 match would go today. Brawl almost certainly wins, but by how much?

I really can’t see 4 doing near Dark Souls numbers on V, I just don’t think 4 is popular enough, and I really don’t think there’s that kind of fan consensus that would allow SFF. I do think 4 wins for now, but like, 53-47. V being significantly more played helps. Also V looked alright in GOTD2, it acquitted itself more gracefully than 2 and 4 did in GOTD1 lol. I think people are imagining a level of V hate that doesn’t really exist. The people mad that it’s unfinished like the game, and the people mad that it’s not an anime are so few I doubt they matter.

Also Brawl more than 60-40s. Fallout 3 beats both handily.

Lightning Strikes posted...

V being significantly more played helps.

What makes you think 5 has a higher playrate than 4 on GameFAQs?

Yeah, I don't think V has a significantly higher play rate than 4. Almost everyone here is old enough to have been able to play MGS4 on PS3 even if you can't access it now on anything else. And I don't think what MGSV did was so impressive that MGS4 couldn't match it.

Access to 4 here would peak at about 75%. Access to V is likely very close to 100%. I’d say a lot of those 25% who never had a PS3 are going to be PC diehards and V did extremely well on PC. V did better on its “which release are you most excited for this month” poll than 4 did despite stronger competition, and was the higher selling game outside of GameFAQs land. A lot of people played V that had never played a Metal Gear Solid game, had skipped 4 or hadn’t touched one since 2. It was a bigger deal than 4 was for sure.

I think the issue here is that MGSV is looked down on more by the core MGS fanbase than even 4 is, so I don't think it would do well head to head. MGS2 outsold MGS3 by quite a bit and it would never win that match directly or indirectly, so I don't take sales as a barometer of strength once you get to a certain point (especially since V has the benefit of being multiplatform).

Also MGS4 was a much bigger deal at release than MGSV was, and that's evident by their release receptions. MGS4 was hyped enough to almost win GOTY and almost make the finals in 2009. MGSV has basically been where it's at now since release. Like I guess you could argue V is more popular with non-MGS fans, but I don't necessarily think that's worth a ton.

Also MGS4 was a much bigger deal at release than MGSV was

yeah this is defintely true. MGS4 was THE game back in 2008, along with GTAIV. People bought PS3 just for MGS4. I barely remember the days leading up to MGSV or what year it actually released LOL

Lightning Strikes posted...

V did better on its “which release are you most excited for this month” poll than 4 did despite stronger competition,

I mean you could argue this might be down to the PS3 still having a lower install base. MGS4 came out when most people had already jumped on the 360 train so the install base wasn't that great.

abdou posted...

Also MGS4 was a much bigger deal at release than MGSV was

yeah this is defintely true. MGS4 was THE game back in 2008, along with GTAIV. People bought PS3 just for MGS4. I barely remember the days leading up to MGSV or what year it actually released LOL

Oh I disagree there, the pre-release hype for MGSV was huge. MGS4 was a 2008 PS3 game. There were a lot of people holding off on it for that reason, it was before the console-redeeming price drop as well. There are polls on this:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/3132-which-scheduled-june-release-are-you-most-looking-forward-to

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/5985-which-scheduled-september-release-are-you-most-looking

MGSV looks better there if you ask me. Incidentally here’s post-release MGS4 struggling with GTA4 and losing badly to Brawl:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/3164-what-was-the-best-game-of-the-first-half-of-2008

This suggests that MGS4 peaked post-release, as more people got their hands on PS3s. So I think it’s reasonable to say that exclusivity dampened its early hype.

Lightning Strikes posted...

Oh I disagree there, the pre-release hype for MGSV was huge. MGS4 was a 2008 PS3 game.

MGS4 was the conclusion of Snake's story. Like yeah, access to the game was limited because it was only on PS3 so that may have impacted how it did in an early poll about GotY because not enough people played it, but Brawl was not the only reason Snake jumped to the upper tier of the Noble Nine. MGS4 played a big role in that, too.

Not to say MGSV didn't have hype, but I don't think it outdid MGS4 in that department.

Lightning Strikes posted...

A lot of people played V that had never played a Metal Gear Solid game

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/ 8569-have-you-ever-played-metal-gear-solid

The number of people who've played another MGS game but not MGS1 is pretty small.

Obviously MGS4 has dropped in strength relative to 2015, but I'm not sure it's losing to MGSV. The game also didn't perform well in the favourite "5" title

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/8081-whats-your-all-time-favorite-5-game

plasmabeam posted...

Both games were huge disappointments (compared to the first three), but more people had the opportunity to be disappointed by MGSV.

MGS4 took some time to become that. It was incredibly strong in 2009 and still on par with the others in 2010 here. It wasn't really considered a disappointment when it came out. At least not in the general opinion.

The Metal Gear fanbase has all played 4, the first three were on Playstation too, they've tried it af some point. The fanbase would decide that match. There aren't enough fans of V that weren't into the series already.

MGS4 definitely isn't losing to MGS5. Maybe you'd have a case for the upset if we were holding a poll that catered to a general gaming audience, but this is GameFAQs, land of older games, nostalgia, and story-driven experiences.

MGS4 really disappointed in 2010, and has gotten a lot weaker since. The hype was already fading back then.

But also 2008 isn’t really in the old games area. It’s not that GameFAQs likes old games, it likes 90’s games. There isn’t much difference between 2000s games and 2010s games really, which is why the strongest game since the 90’s is from 2017 and what may be the second strongest is from the same year MGSV launched! And they are both open world action adventures, like MGSV. That’s what GameFAQs likes these days. Skyrim, The Witcher III, Breath of the Wild, Elden Ring, stuff like that.