Forums > Contributor Zone > BRACKET: ROUND ONE STAGE ONE

So, here’s the deal. We have twenty two people in and eleven matches set. The rules are simple: I’ll release the first three, the six people involved will select a review (if not done in 24 hours, then it’s a random pick for you) and we, the posters, vote on which we prefer. Feedback is preferred. Then the next two stages will involve eight people and four rounds. I think it’s too much top ask you all to read, digest and vote on twebty-two reviews in one big chunk.

In this round, there will be an extra slot available for the loser with the highest amount of votes.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!







Disco1960 vs. DoI







Overdrive vs. Beli







Genj vs. VM

For us. For them. For you.

3D Pinball: Space Cadet

I will start with my most awesome.

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Lufia: The Ruins of Lore

This is my pick unless I change it. Which I might. I'm indecisive, but just wanted something up in case I forget about this tomorrow while I'm totally swamped at work and wind up with EmP "randomly" picking something of mine that sucks, just so he can gloat over my foolishness.

I'm not afraid to die because I am invincible
Viva la muerte, that's my goddamn principle

In case my Internet dies, I will use this as a placeholder, so subject to change:


PIKACHU I CHOOSE YOU!

_

I told you to rig this so I knock Overdrive out first round you tool!

I better be facing you instead.

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I am a man of great honour. Everything will be done fairly until it suits my agenda to cheat.

For us. For them. For you.

Drella
I made a deal with EmP that if he allowed me to duck you as long as possible, I'd actually start doing RotWs in a timely manner. I'm still working on another deal that would allow me to create 15-20 alternate accounts to ensure my victory over everyone, but negotiations currently are at an impasse.

I'm not afraid to die because I am invincible
Viva la muerte, that's my goddamn principle

Within a Deep Forest

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NetHack

almighty Fatness: you're so fucking nerdy that I can't even say anything pithy.

almighty Fatness: you need an urbandictionary mental implant

Beli has an hour extension before the dreaded RANPICK hits. The other two matches are now open for votes.

EDIT: Beli's time is up. His RANPICK is live.

For us. For them. For you.

Voting time:

DoI: Disco's is good for a pinball review, but...it's a pinball review, and there's almost nothing to it. DoI's review (and game) have a lot more substance, and his enthusiasm is tangible.

Beli: While OD's review dissects his game's flaws well, Beli's review does that and has a lot of classic lines (poking), and plus it's written with a warm humor that really appealed to me. Both were good reviews, but Beli's is more engaging.

I will tastefully refrain from voting on my own match.

almighty Fatness: you're so fucking nerdy that I can't even say anything pithy.

almighty Fatness: you need an urbandictionary mental implant

You actually picked the review I was going to choose! Good going, my friend!

It's like jazz music born from the souls of men!

Disco1960 vs. DoI

To repeat what VM said, this is a great example of how something as simple as game choice can affect the outcome of a match. Disco1960's Space Cadet is about as well written as a pinball review can be, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a pinball review. Even at such a short length, it barely held my interest. DoI's doesn't read quite as smoothly -- honestly, I've got no idea what's going on with those opening snippets -- but he's taking on a quirky hidden gem that he obviously feels a certain passion for (it's his friggin' avatar), and that passion emanates throughout the review. It's hard to work up passion for a pinball game, which is understandable but doesn't change the fact that DoI's review is far more gripping. Winner: DoI

OD vs. Beli

Another instance where I'm basically just reiterating what VM said. Both are bash reviews, and both do a fine job of picking apart exactly what goes wrong with each title. Belisarios gets the edge because his is simply more entertaining. You used to write up quick little three-paragraph bashes for games that deserved even less, and while they were always fun to read, there wasn't much substance to them; I always saw this review as your true breakthrough, and, random or not, it's an excellent pick against a review that's perfectly fine but not nearly as endearing. Winner: Beli

Genj vs. VM

I gave Genj's review RotW a while back, so obviously I like it a lot. It's funny, and impresses because it appears at first to be a straight-up bash and evolves into a much deeper dissection of exactly everything that goes wrong in Bouncer. Very well done. VM's is perhaps more elaborately written, with a more colorful vocabulary, but doesn't quite work up the enthusiasm to sell the 10/10. It's a perfectly good review that, like OD's, just isn't as enjoyable as its competition. Winner: Genj

You exist because we allow it. And you will end because we demand it.

Disco vs. Dragoon of Infinity
WINNER: Disco

Disc's game is a hard sale right from the start, being one of the through-away games that came with Windows. I'm not sure I was really sold on it in the end, and the cheesy space jokes didn't always pan out, but it is still clear and concise. I think your biggest problem was simply the choice of game. Dragoon's review started out well, but didn't flow. I caught a few typos and there were some unintuitive sentence structures that forced me to pause a few times. I also left Dragoon's review with several questions about the game, like the role of traits (were the a bonus feature? Integrated into level design? What?). Overall, it was choppy. To be honest, I didn't like either of these reviews; I've chosen what is a mediocre review for a mediocre game, rather than a mediocre review for a game that didn't have to trap the writer in said mediocrity. Really, it could go either way.

Overdrive vs Beli
WINNER: Overdrive

First off, Overdrive, Atlus only published your game; you should be blaming Taito instead. That's really the only problem I had with OD's review. It was informative yet bitchy; conversational yet skilled. It hit most every point that needed to be made and provided enough information in a way that was enjoyable to read. Beli's review, while good, had too much fluff and not enough review. There's one sudden transition that made me think a paragraph is missing. I got "unfair" and "bad controls" out of this review , but not much else; in fact, I don't even know what type of game it is, which suggests that this review needs a lot more substance.

Genj vs Viridian Moon
WINNER: Genj

Despite the low score, Genj clearly had fun with his/her game (or at least the review part of it). Were this a different game, this mocking style might have come across as superfluous, but you really used the game's negative features to your advantage. Some of the minor tangets were a bit of a miss with me, but they never felt out of place, and it never felt like you were trying too hard to be witty. Viridian's review was also good, but it was on the dry side. It had a very unenthusiastic tone, which isn't a good thing considering the perfect score you gave your game. It felt like you were just going through the motions, so to speak.

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Um, Genj is a dude.

You exist because we allow it. And you will end because we demand it.

Disco vs Doi
Surprisingly I have familiarity with both of these here games. Space Cadet came packaged with my 90's era Compaq (lol)and one time I saw my roommate play Within a Deep Forest and said to him "What the fuck is this you're playing? Well at least it's not that Maple Story shit." Reviewing a pinball game is a big gamble - it's not immediately an enticing read, but if you can sell it, then you've done an outstanding job. Unfortunately I wasn't really sold on this one. It's good for a pinball review, but not enough to really combat DoI's entry. Within a Deep Forest sounds cool and different, and DoI's review demonstrates this with his love of the game. Winner: DOI

Overdrive vs Belisarios

Now I'm a big fan of JRPGs (read: nerd), but I have to say that OD's rather lengthy section of all story for what seemed like the first half of the review had me PC clocking. I think it just went on for too long to have all of it all appear first. When it got to the gameplay, it became clear why this wasn't a very good RPG. Belisarios' review is for a far simpler game and frankly a lot of the anecdotes could probably have been cut out to make the review shorter, but I liked the tone and thought it was funny. This is a close call, but I'm going with Belisarios for the more entertaining, consistent read. Winner: Belisarios

Genj vs VM

I didn't read either of these losers' reviews, so I vote for BORO!


Genj clearly had fun with his/her game

I have a penis (and was born with it!), though I can see how 'hot yaoi action' could cause confusion.

_

I'll leave Genj's options open, just in case.

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Disco1960 vs. Dragoon of Infinity
Winner: Dragoon of Infinity

I liked both of these reviews, but one of them was more ambitious in subject material. That was obviously DoI’s review. As it has been stated already in this topic, pinball isn’t as invigorating as this intriguing stuff DoI covered. That doesn’t mean, however, that a pinball review couldn’t win this match or any other match, for that matter. I think if the pinball game were, for example, Devil’s Crush (which Sho reviewed, and deals with Satan) it could have stood up better. But as it stands, one good review is for a meh subject and the other good review is for an intriguing subject.

BELISARIOS vs. Overdrive
Winner: BELISARIOS

OD has written about many classics spanning a ton of consoles, and he has been one of the most consistently excellent reviewers I’ve encountered since I began doing this stuff. However, this Lufia review reads like other good OD material, and the game is bad, but not in a good way. Belisarios’ review is for a worse game, but he writes about it in a fun manner, makes his subject sound interesting despite its obvious horridness, and gets out faster than OD does.

Genjuro Kibagami vs. Viridan Moon
Winner: Genjuro Kibagami

VM is a very good reviewer who has a very commanding grasp of the English language and knows how best to utilize it when reviewing quirky PC games that I’ll never play (I own a Mac). Genjuro, specifically in this review, on the other hand, is absolutely goofy. If I weren’t familiar with either reviewer or game in question, VM would be the more credible writer for her Nethack review while Genjuro’s The Bouncer may not seem like something I’d be so ready to trust. But unfortunately for VM, I know that Genjuro tells it like it is, and he often does it in a humorous way without sacrificing the validity of his points. Plus, after reading his review, he actually intrigued me into wanting to play a bad game.

I don't have to boost my review resume because I have a real resume.

Odd. Somehow, my foolproof strategy of appealing to the pinball and astronomy lover vote doesn't seem to be working.

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DISCO1960 vs. DoI

I must give props to Disco for pulling out what’s actually a very good review on such a limited game, but it’s not enough for him to edge out DoI, who picks a game that none of us have ever heard of and makes me want to play it sometime. Really, the biggest divide here was the choice in material; Disco may do a great job with what he had, but DoI allows him to be more creative, and it’s an advantage he uses well.

WINNER: DoI

Beli vs. OD

Poor OD got blindsided by a fateful RANPICK here -- justice for the early promise breaking after subbing a post-2008 review? Maybe, but the oldster still comes out swinging with a solid review. It’s easy to see that Oddy’s review shares the most information about the game while Beli’s fine effort is the more amusing read. His review makes great use of in-game snapshots to boarder a goofy review that I enjoyed a great deal. OD is more ambitious, but Beli’s explains his game just as well with charm to spare.

WINNER: BELI

Genj vs. VM.

Both these reviews make me want to play the games in question, just for other reasons. Genj’s laid-back affair does a fantastic job of taking apart a game universally mocked, while Veems take a title made by people nerdier than us. Genj’s review is lively, but he attacks an easy target, while VM’s actually makes me want to play a game comprised of nothing but ASCII art with some clever examples. I think this is her third or forth rewriting of the review -- leave it alone, already!

WINNER: VM

For us. For them. For you.

Disco1960 vs. DoI
I have to give Disco credit here for tackling a pinball game and making it entertaining. Your review consistently maintained the "space" theme and made this a very fun review. But, as others have said, this is just a pinball game and not really what I'd call a good contest entry for that reason. I thought DoI's got off to a slow start, but when he started talking about the game, its ambient mood and whatnot, I was hooked.
Winner: DoI

VM vs. Genj
This was one hell of a tough choice for me. I actually downloaded NetHack once and played it a bit before throwing in the towel due to having a lack of time to really get into all its nuances (and I was even playing the cool version, where stuff looks like stuff, and not keystroke symbols). Her review made me wonder if I should make time to give it another shot. I probably won't in the near future because I'm having too much fun DOOMing, but you never know. On the other hand, we have what I call "good Genj", where he uses good humor to easily skewer a blah game without going over-the-top or appearing to try to hard to bash it. And that's what makes it touch to make a call here. One review is informative and makes me want to try a game again. The other was entertaining as hell. I have to go with VM, though, as maybe my previous short-lived playing of NetHack caused that review to have a bit more meaning to me.
WINNER: VM

And, it looks like I REALLY screwed up here. Beli's great at short, energetic reviews for quirky, bad, obscure old games, so I went for something the opposite of that. Bad idea, as his is so good, it seems to just be magnifying the flaws of mine (which placed fifth at the ABCs). Should have used Swordquest: Fireworld or something shorter and more energetic.

Oh, EmP, funny story. I thought that was a 2008 review. And after you posted your thing, I went back and looked and, you're right....I did it in late Dec. 2007. So, due to that error causing me to break my word, I have to say this review should be considered null and void and I should get to pick a new one so I don't look like HONESTgamers' disHONEST mod. Right? So, who's with me? Anyone? Please? Damn......

I'm not afraid to die because I am invincible
Viva la muerte, that's my goddamn principle

Wow. This took off well after all. Good considering no one votes for anyoone else's ideas. >_>

Anyway, I'll try to get feedback in sometime within the week... maybe... I've been kind of busy/distracted lately.

[Eating EmP's brain] probably isn't a good idea. I mean... He's British, which means his brain's wired for PAL and your eyes are NTSC. - Will

disco1960 vs. dragoon_of_infinity

I can empathize with disco1960 since I have written a bunch of short reviews for silly little games. None of them have been for pinball, I don't think, but I can see myself myself writing about it someday. DOI's review is the overall stronger piece of the two, though. DOI wins.

genj vs. viridian_moon

I laughed when I read genj's review. I didn't laugh when I read VM's review. However, her review was very good and definitely was the more professional sounding piece. But I can't say that I necessarily prefer that style (look at the way I write, friends!) to humorous or campy writing. It was a close match for me, but I'm going to have to go with genj on this one. Genj wins.

BELISARIOS vs. overdrive

I liked both of these reviews, but I forgot how to use the voting machine for this match.

It's like jazz music born from the souls of men!

WINNER: DOI
This was a tough decision. Disco's writing is stronger, and he has the best line (xenomorphs can smell that), but it wasn't a terribly exciting read. DoI, on the other hand, reviewed a more interesting title and did so with obvious enthusiasm. However, his writing was baffling in places: "it's at once calming like the forest you're in, and a reminder of the bomb."???? I'm going to go for DoI, though. Despite the inconsistent writing, his enthusiasm made the review a more interesting read that disco's.

WINNER: OVERDRIVE
This was another tough decision! Overdrive wrote the better review, but Beli had him beaten in the entertainment stakes. Bash reviews that are heavy on the sarcasm tend to merge together after you've read enough of them, but I thought belisaroars's succeeded in finding a fresh approach. His review was funny and scathing but without being over-sarcastic. However, I have to give OD the win. His review was more thorough: the bit about Eldin's father was priceless and the observation about not wanting to carry on after losing 70,000 worth of equipment was spot on. These were the sort of insights that made it the stronger review for me.

WINNER: VIRIDIAN MOON
The new Batman film is awesome. Viridian Moon's review was my favourite of the whole round. I thought it was really impressive. She has this knack for making a game sound really special without saying "this game is really special". I can't really put my finger on how she does this, but I think it probably has something to do with the flawless writing. She doesn't resort to hyperbole, instead delivering a subtle and endearing account of her love for NetHack that culminates with the last two paragraphs. And this is an ASCII RPG! Genj's effort was very strong too. The jokes in the intro hit the mark but he's good enough to realise that humour can't carry the whole thing. His analysis of the Bouncer is thoughtful and convincing. I would have picked him over any of the other reviews.

"fuck yeah oblivion" - Jihad