Typical format for this thing, Bold for Winner, Italics for personal pic if it differs.
Nice one this time around, 8 Divisions - Top 4 Female, Bottom 4 male, all named for the top seed, and you're supposed to pick the Top 6 at the end, with quite a few unprovens this should be interesting.
As usual, all gut instinct and no past-run probability other than as memory serves, Statistics aren't my forte.
Just the first round, I may comment on the big matches of subsiquent rounds after I decide I like what I have here first.
Spazer Division
Samus Aran (Metroid) vs Nidoran F (Pokemon) - I like seeing Nidoran F as a contestant, even if it's a middling pick. It's an original pokemon, so appealing to the older generations who started with one pokemon but not the subsiquent, but not a very boldly known pokemon either. Still, nice to see them mixing it up.
Ada Wong (Resident Evil 4) vs Jade (Beyond Good and Evil) - I don't think BGE got too much fandom, it's still sorta an underground/indie game, that an Ada kicks total ass in RE4, both as a story character, in Mercs, and even in her story via the PS2 version. She'd probably go another tier up if it were something less than the top Seed of the division she'll hit next.
Rikku (FFX, FFX-2) vs Lenneth Valkerie (Valkerie Profile: Lenneth) - Even with the rerelease of VP:L for the PSP I don't think that it has any hope of overcoming a Final Fantasy, even one associated with FFX-2. Plus, personally, I liked Rikku.
Kairi (Kingdom Hearts) vs Claire Redfield (Resident Evil 2) - RE2 is pretty dated, though Claire has shown up in a variety of other things since that game's release, so I'm counting on the popularity of KH to outshine that of an older Resident Evil character. Certainly, the inclusion of other RE characters might help Claire's performance overall, but even with that and Kairi's wallflower status in KH I don't think it'll be enough.
Limit Division (They're stretching here)
Tifa Lockheart (FFVII) vs Ivy Valentine (Soul Caliber) - Nice to see Ivy make the list though I don't think there are too many characters in this list she'd prevail against, especially not against an FF, and definately not a FFVII. Dirge of Cerebus might not have invoked much bonus support for Tifa, but she won't need it with the legion of Sephiroth fanboys out there.
The Boss (MGS3) vs Celes Chere (Final Fantasy VI) - *Close Call*. I honestly can't say I know which way this one will go. VI is pretty vintage, MGS3 is not, and Celes, though also a tragic figure, doesn't have nearly the graphic support to her story that The Boss does. There's alot to be said of the Boss's role in MGS3, but I'm counting on the FF support to win this one by for Celes but not expecting to happen (Here's hoping they use Opera House scenes for her vote pics anyways).
Jill Valentine (Resident Evil) vs Sheena Fujibayashi (Tales of Symphonia) - Sheena's cute, stacked, and in a pretty good game, but somewhere along the way we've already established that as nice as ToS is, its fanbase is still lacking and Jill may be another vintage RE, but she's been in a ton of them as well as several games, so I think she has the edge.
Princess Peach vs Princess Daisy - Not bothering with the game denotations here, just about anything Mario will suffice, though Peach recently got her own DS game. I think Daisy has a bit more of the sex appeal vote (You never get me to admit I just typed that) but Peach has ultimately been in more games (SSBM as keynote) and frankly "Hi, I'm Daisy!" is well more than enough to convince me that "Yeah, Peach has got it!" is the better alternative.
Triforce Division
Zelda (Legend of Zelda) vs Carmen Sandiego (Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego) - I laughed so hard at this pairing. I'm only vaguely aware that Carmen even has games. It's a creative entry, but really also a fairly wasted spot. Sure, Zelda will trump most anything placed against her (Short of stronger FF characters), but I'd have liked to have seen a challenge here.
Terra Branford (FFVI) vs Sarah Kerrigan (Starcraft) - Even though I pulled for Celes earlier, I just didn't like the "main" character of FFVI (though that's debatable, the way the game is set up, I didn't use her once I could manage not to, aka past Banon (Nearly typed Baron, damn you Aquarion!)). I don't think there's a big SC community on GameFAQs, but I think Kerrigan'll win anways, and I'm glad to see her on the listing.
Kos Mos (Xenosaga) vs Amy Rose (Sonic) - It's been covered before, but I don't support Sonic much. And despite how well my despised Hedgehog tends to do, I don't think it'll carry over to the pink one, at least not with enough force to prevail over Kos Mos.
Aeris Gainsborough (FFVII) vs Marle (Crono Trigger) - Final Fantasy fandom will prevail of that of Marle, despite how decently Crono tends to thrash in these events (at least it's not Serge). Again, I didn't miss Aeris, FFVII wasn't really a healing req'd game, and even then the Materia System sorta voided the need of a Caster even for healing.
Aeon Divison
Yuna (FFX, FFX-2) vs Roll - Yay Roll. Admittedly you don't stand a chance, but you're a very underplayed Female Power card that Capcom's held for quite awhile. Please Capcom, give her her own series or major role, and stop making X and Zero sound like girls to compensate without her.
Joanna Dark (Perfect Dark) vs Cortana (Halo) - Errrm... This is a hard call due to overall level of suck. Perfect Dark 0 was a lackluster game, even against games of the preceeding generation and it's originator on the N64 was both doomed on a stupid system, and basically a marginally updated version of Goldeneye (I concede, best worked bots I've seen in a game in a long while (Or at least for a Console System, UT/Quake Bots ftw)). That said, Master Chief goes down early in these things, and while I don't expect Cortana to fare too much better, digi-boobs or not, I do think Joanna is that much weaker that Cortana will win out.
Chun Li (Street Fighter) vs Kasumi (Dead or Alive) - I'm uncertain why these two are so different in their original seed value, as I think they're pretty close. I've underestimated SF values in the past, and with all the "vs. Capcoms" out there it's not hard to see why. But I think that DoA4's freshness combined with the forthcoming Beach Volleyball 2 will give the Kasumi's digitally mastered jiggle the edge it needs to surpass Chun Li.
Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) vs Alyx Vance (HalfLife 2) - I admit I've not played HL2, but I don't think Alyx is all that major of a player in it. I may not personally go ga-ga over Lara, but I think her games have notably improved, and that there is a fanbase there that Gordon Freeman's continuous bad performance will show that Ms. Croft will be the victor.
Patriot Divison
Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid) vs Soma Cruz (Castlevania) - That's right folks, Solid Snake can beat even the mighty reincarnation of Dracula himself. Soma's a badass, complete and total, but he's not got a prayer again Solid Snake. Glad to see Soma make the list, shame he'll be off it right quick.
Squall Leonheart (FFVIII) vs Tidus (FFX) - Gunblade > I'm a dream and my dad is the source of all your woes *Disappear*. Enough said.
Riku (Kingdom Hearts) vs Yoshi (Anything Yoshi, anything Mario) - I feel odd and uncertain betting against the SSB character to win, especially for a virtually non-present Main Character that gets credit only for partial FF relation. I think Yoshi is minor enough to not win this, but I won't be floored if I'm proven wrong.
Dante (Devil May Cry) vs Ryu Hayabushi (Ninja Gaiden) - This reminds me that I need to play Ninja Gaiden. Other than that I think that Dante's popularity has been proven, especially since the level of suck in his games has dramatically lessened over the course of the series. Sure, Ryu's a ninja, but he'll need something bigger than that to win this matchup.
Destiny Division
Sora (Kingdom Hearts) vs Tingle (Zelda) - Damn, we're scraping the bottom of the barrel with this one. I'll be interested to see if Tingle's Zelda ties net him more votes than CATS, since I'm convinced both are roughly equal jokes at this point.
Pheonix Wright (Pheonix Wright: Ace Attorney) vs Gordon Freeman (Half Life) - Eh, I'm basically flipping a coin here, but I tend to do well hedging my bets against Gordon and I see no reason to change that now. Just get a few of those Objection URLs flowing on the forums and it'll be a clear win.
Kratos (God of War) vs Ryu (Street Fighter) - Here we go with undervaluing Street Fighter again, but I think God of War has the edge here, especially with being the newer, prettier game.
Mega Man (Mega Man) vs Axel (Kingdom Hearts) - As incredibly fucking awesomely badass as Axel is up to the moment of his premature Nobody-Death I don't think him or KH's popularity will overtake Megaman.
Blast Division (See, that's how much I dislike Sonic, I can't think of the top seed without looking)
Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic) vs CATS (Zero Wing) - As much as I root for CATS, Sonic is gonna win, and it isn't going to be close.
Ganondorf (Zelda) vs Vincent Valentine (FFVII, Dirge of Cerebus) - As per Jiaz's line of thought, Dirge of Cerebus is going to give the Final Fantasy fans the motivation and call to overcome Zelda's power backing Ganondorf, even with SSBM credit, but this one should be close.
Kirby (Kirby) vs The Prince of Persia (Prince of Persia) - Yeah, the game denotations were totally not needed. Two Thrones could've been cool but it's not overtaking SSBM and the rest of Kirby's fame.
Luigi (Mario games) vs Zero (Megaman, Zero) - This could be closer than I think or even swing the other way. With Luigi getting the votes that Mario usually would, but I think Zero's got the power neded to overcome Mario's green inferior bretheren, SSBM or not (Plus, Luigi isn't so great in that).
Time Division
Crono (Crono Trigger) vs Captain Falcon (F-Zero) - It took way too much effort to think of Captain Falcon's game. Seriously, they're pulling out the stops to prove my SSBM theory wrong here. Anyways, Crono wins, easily.
Bowser (Mario) vs Leon Kennedy (Resident Evil 4) - I'm thinking that the awesomeness of RE4 will overcome SSBM fame, but this one I'm shaky about.
Auron (FFX, KH2) vs Alucard (Castlevania) - Thanks to Soma Cruz stealing his mojo I think that Alucard isn't going to be able to scrounge up enough support to overcome the "Greatest Dead Warrior". SotN was great, but the more recent games have been Feat. Reverse Dracula less and less and more and more focused on the Belmot descendants and other oddities.
Master Chief (Halo) vs Sub-Zero (Mortal Kombat) - MK hasn't had a game in awhile and I think the hype is mostly dead these days. While I don't value Master Chief in these things, I don't think even Sub-Zero'll overcome the severe handicap that MK has.
