| 1 |
6690
writeup (md) |
Best Year |
Round 1 |
— |
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1995 opens the bracket with a record blowout |
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1995 opened the main bracket with the contest's largest blowout over 1986. The writeup treats 1995 as an exceptionally deep year led by Chrono Trigger, Yoshi's Island and EarthBound, while also lamenting very low turnout and the use of American release dates.
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| 2 |
6691
writeup (md) |
Best Year |
Round 1 |
— |
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1987 SFFs 1985 through the old Zelda-Mario hierarchy |
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1987 beat 1985 decisively, with the writeup reducing the matchup to the site's familiar Zelda-over-Mario fanbase hierarchy. It still gives 1985 considerable sentimental credit for Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt and Oregon Trail.
SFF: The writeup says 1987's Zelda-centered strength SFFed the Mario-centered 1985 side, treating the matchup as effectively Zelda 1 versus Mario 1.
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| 3 |
6692
writeup (md) |
Best Year |
Round 1 |
— |
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A stacked 2001 overwhelms 2014 |
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2001 demolished 2014 behind a lineup the writeup considers overwhelmingly deeper, including Melee, Final Fantasy X, Metal Gear Solid 2 and many other major releases. The commentary finds little reason to regard 2014 as competitive.
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| 4 |
6693
writeup (md) |
Best Year |
Round 1 |
— |
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2008 comfortably wins the late-2000s matchup |
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2008 beat 2009 with a lineup the writeup considers clearly stronger, led by Brawl, Metal Gear Solid 4 and Fallout 3. Most of the commentary is a retrospective on notable releases from the two years rather than any uncertainty about the result.
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| 5 |
6694
writeup (md) |
Best Year |
Round 1 |
— |
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1997's depth overwhelms a top-heavy 1999 |
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1997 comfortably beat 1999 because the writeup sees it as having far greater depth beyond its marquee releases. Final Fantasy VII, Symphony of the Night, GoldenEye and Star Fox 64 gave 1997 too many major anchors for 1999 to match.
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| 6 |
6695
writeup (md) |
Best Year |
Round 1 |
— |
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2007 beats a weak and rehash-heavy 2012 |
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2007 beat 2012 in a matchup the writeup views as more an indictment of 2012 than a celebration of 2007. Portal, BioShock, Mass Effect and several other strong releases gave 2007 enough depth to win comfortably.
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| 7 |
6696
writeup (md) |
Best Year |
Round 1 |
— |
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The picture format reveals 2000's superior depth |
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The writeup says the rotating-picture format made year depth much more important than expected and turned the author's original 1990 pick into an obvious mistake. Most of the commentary then celebrates the unusually deep lineup and personal memories attached to 2000.
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| 8 |
6697
writeup (md) |
Best Year |
Round 1 |
— |
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1996 advances behind a few heavyweight classics |
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1996 is portrayed as a thin year carried by a few excellent games, while 1989 is described as even weaker outside Mega Man 2. The writeup is especially personal, using Mario RPG and Diablo as anchors for memories tied to the year.
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| 9 |
6698
writeup (md) |
Best Year |
Round 1 |
— |
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1991 crushes a surprisingly weak 1988 |
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The writeup finds the scale of 1991's win surprising because much of its lineup looks mid-tier outside Super Mario World. It treats 1988 as an awkward year of sequels and experiments that was far weaker than the Zelda name alone might imply.
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| 10 |
6699
writeup (md) |
Best Year |
Round 1 |
— |
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The match becomes an anti-Warcraft 3 rant †OT |
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The writeup is mostly an extended anti-Warcraft 3 and anti-2002 rant, with only a brief argument that 2010 had the better overall lineup.
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| 11 |
6700
writeup (md) |
Best Year |
Round 1 |
— |
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1994 punishes casual faith in 2004 |
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The writeup calls this the first match where casual brackets were badly burned, with 2004 inflated by World of Warcraft and other mainstream names. It treats 1994 as vastly deeper and more aligned with GameFAQs tastes.
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| 12 |
6701
writeup (md) |
Best Year |
Round 1 |
— |
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2011 wins the first genuinely competitive year matchup |
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A debated matchup stayed competitive early before 2011 took control and pulled away. The writeup argues that 2011 was simply the deeper and better year despite 2006's Zelda and Kingdom Hearts headliners.
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| 13 |
6702
writeup (md) |
Best Year |
Round 1 |
— |
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1998 opens like the obvious contest favorite |
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1998 is presented as the overwhelming contest favorite and treated as championship caliber from its first appearance. The writeup deliberately saves most of its 1998 retrospective for the final while giving 1993 credit for several beloved cult games.
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| 14 |
6703
writeup (md) |
Best Year |
Round 1 |
— |
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1992 kills the feared 2016 rally before it can start |
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The writeup uses 2016 as an example of why rally potential depends heavily on bracket placement, arguing that no outside push could realistically save it here. It then frames 1992's lineup, led by A Link to the Past and Sonic 2, as overwhelming.
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| 15 |
6704
writeup (md) |
Best Year |
Round 1 |
— |
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2003 settles a heavily debated year matchup |
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A heavily debated year matchup became straightforward once 2003 established control. The writeup says a mainline console Zelda title gave 2003 the decisive edge over 2013's strong but less imposing lineup.
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| 16 |
6705
writeup (md) |
Best Year |
Round 1 |
— |
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2005 ends 2015's rally hopes and a miserable round |
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The feared Undertale rally never mattered because 2015 was immediately placed against a year the writeup considered much stronger. The result closes an opening round the author regards as one of the least entertaining in contest history.
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