Lurker > Sheep007

Sableye/Sandslash
Wattrel/Leafeon
Krokorok/Darmanitan
Nidoqueen/Corsola

1. De Todas las flores
2. El lugar correcto
3. Pasan los dias
4. Mi manera de querer
5. Pajarito colibri
6. Vine solita
7. Maria la Curandera
8. Llevame viento
9. Muerte
10. Que te vaya bonito Nicolas
11. Caminar bonito
12. Canta la arena

This is a gorgeous album, as with pretty much everything Natalia Lafourcade sings on. I first heard her by stumbling upon Soledad y el Mar and then an earlier album, Hasta la Raiz. Much of Hasta la Raiz particular has a bit more energy, and I think I generally prefer it, but this is still very solid, though a bit more lowkey. This album was hard to rank for me because of that relatively low energy combined with my very limited knowledge of Spanish, and a lot of the tracks don't really have a hook (at least for my ear), but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Hydreigon/Mareep
Magmar/Claydol
Duskull/Palossand
Tentacruel/Spiritomb

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Super Mario 64
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2005)
Football Manager 21

Vanilluxe/Trumbeak
Shedinja/Meowscarada
Orbeetle/Oricorio
Axew/Arboliva

please please can we kill the latis already

Looks like 24/25 is Guardiola's last season at City. Thank fuck for that.

I was considering Remain In Light for the nomination and I think it might be my favourite, but honestly there's like four Talking Heads albums which would deserve a listen for almost anyone. Don't even think Burning Down the House is the best song on that album but it's probably the song which people are most familiar with? Interpol is also a phenomenal nomination, lots of stuff I love already nominated here.

Meow1000 posted...

Southamption back to the EPL where they get last by a lot and go right back down

If Kompany was naive I can't imagine what Martin will be classed as in the Prem. Possibly the most committed manager to possession football I've seen (often for worse rather than better). We had some brilliant memories under him and I think he's a great manager at hyping players up for big games (we won four derbies in a row under him, after never winning two in the same season in over a century). But he's a very streaky manager, and he might struggle to gain any momentum especially considering he'll be bringing one of the worse sides in the division.

Think they've got a chance, perhaps even the most of the promoted teams if McKenna leaves Ipswich given Leicester's finances are terrible. Going 25 games unbeaten in the Championship is absolutely nothing to scoff at and the Southampton squad is in alright shape, if overly reliant on a few players.

Totodile/Articuno
Fezandipiti/Ursaluna
Skarmory/Wailord
Crocalor/Geodude

Deserved winner tbh even if there were a lot of dodgy results throughout. Can't complain overall!

Nominate: Speaking in Tongues - Talking Heads

Sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgJ-hyzl6jg

Phenomenal band that I know quite a few people have wanted to cover. I think they're one of the more notable absent artists we still have. It was a tough choice between this and Remain in Light for what I wanted to nom.

I reckon platformer Mario could get away with being a poorly optimised 5e Echo Knight Fighter that's specced into unarmed combat, given his many lives. I also think being a Fighter fits for him being generally considered the boring one.

??? That upset is puzzling, especially given the margin. Do people hate Slowpoke or Wooloo, or are there just an inexplicable number of fans of Politoed? Or are we just getting people voting the underdog in a match without a heavy hitter? Corvisquire is pretty good but not that good.

Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun

Shroomish/Ledyba
Virizion/Kabuto
Noibat/Fletchling
Wooloo/Slowpoke

Garganacl :(

I was also mostly voting against Gen 1 (even in the fire/grass matchup! Gen 3 grass isn't great but it's not the worst!) but yeah, a bunch of mediocre lineups somehow crept through and I'd at least want two decent squads in the final. Gen 1 Flying is at least probably a top five roster in the series, but I don't have a clue how Gen 3 Psychic got chosen as the best of its type, let alone this far. I don't think it even breaks my top half. 7 lines I don't care about or actively dislike compared to 4 that are all or partially cool is a pretty dreadful ratio considering how many Pokemon I do like.

Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!
line!
Ijime, Dame, Zettai
Song 4 This might be the silliest song in a very silly collection. I think I admire it all the more for having a chorus which I almost exclusive associate with sports.
Megitsune
Gimme Chocolate!!
Onedari Daisakusen
Uki Uki Midnight
Akatsuki
Catch Me If You Can
Doki Doki Morning
Rondo Of Nightmare
Babymetal Death

It's (mostly) stereotypical cute and silly J-Pop vocals done well and mixed in with stereotypical heavy metal. Very gimmicky but sounds more than good enough to back it up. Plus, you really do have to give points for creativity here. I always find tonal dissonance in art interesting and this tickles a certain spot.

Isn't he also immune to the slowdown on your omega moves or am I imagining that?

Staraptor/Espeon
Bronzong/Chesnaught
Charjabug/Garganacl
Zoroark/Kadabra

Another pretty easy day. I think we precisely got my favourite eight against my least favourite eight here.

Game feels much better already than I think people are giving it credit for - I've only gotten to use the first two weapons but I enjoy them both, particularly the staff. Just had my sixth run ended and very nearly beat the first phase of Chronos with a burn/jolt build that got the duo crazy early, but I just didn't have enough HP to scrape through in all. Scylla feels like the Theseus/Asterius type wall here, which will probably cause a lot of problems to most players. The third boss is very straightforward but satisfying, and just beforehand I got the Chronos stage which was very fun. I'm happy with what there is so far even at this early stage. As long as there's a good heat system again, and even more content released later, I'll be delighted. Think I'll beat the final boss and then leave the rest until full release.

What I really wanna know is would I be modkilled if I said fuck

This was certainly one of the games of mafia I have spectated.

The Binding of Isaac
Hades
Slay the Spire
Spelunky

I don't even like Spelunky (or Slay the Spire, particularly) but it and Binding of Isaac are the two mandatory ones, to me. Spelunky was such a turning point in procedural generation for video games. A Mystery Dungeon game would also be up there if they made it big, barring the Pokemon ones, outside of Japan. Hades is just, the big, exceptionally well-made and mass appeal roguelike, and Slay the Spire is the best rep for the huge deckbuilding roguelike genre.

I agree that TotK is a bit too large and a bit too unfocused. Great game, might even beat out OoT as my favourite 3D Zelda, and I think its mechanics allow for creative puzzle solving like no other game. I just think narrowing the scope a tinyyy bit would make it more focused and ironically give it more longeivity. I did pretty much everything notable in BotW and wasn't even really tired of it by the end, but I felt like I left a lot of TotK unexplored because I simply didn't have the patience for the game to scour it top to bottom. Even making it half the size but less empty would probably make it a better game overall, for me.

Typhlosion/Meowth
Skeledirge/Starmie
Luxio/Nidoran
Chien-Pao/Quilava

Bioshock Infinite
Skyrim
Fallout 3
MGS4

Xbox womb launch only getting a single vote is an utter travesty. It's the only video game advert I actually remember.

Ah I'm being a bit of a prick on purpose with the Van Persie bit, but I do kinda agree. I've seen it in every fanbase for players who deserve it and who don't. Bemusing when it happens for those who aren't at all betraying the club and who gave 100% every game. I don't entirely get it with Rice especially given how professional he was and how he was promised a move, but I think moving to a club that's sorta a local rival (even if not a big one) makes it a bit more understandable.

A few months ago I was at a Swansea away game and the people around me were booing a player who was in our u21s for years before getting released for not being good enough. He got like 50 games max and was decent enough, never crapped on the club or anything but has no huge connection. Not exactly a proper mouthy fella either. Like, the panto villain aspect is the main reason for heckling a player, if he isn't willing to give as good as he gets then it's just a bit sad.

Don't a bunch of Arsenal fans still hate Van Persie and Fabregas?

Glimmet/Impidimp
Rapidash/Trevenant
Gligar/Farfetch'd
Durant/Electivire

Gatwa is great. Good third episode, felt a lot more grounded than the first two. I'll be more than happy if the quality stays around there and we get a classic "eight people locked in a room, three of them will live" before the end.

Charizard/Garchomp
Gallade/Absol
Pyroar/Shinx
Stufful/Muk

Very easy day.

Pidgey/Kleavor
Dewott/Yanmega
Ludicolo/Abra
Hydrapple/Drakloak

That last match is a horrible decision to have to make. Four great mons. Don't really care about anything else today except Dewott/Yanmega which has gotta be a top ten team for this round.

Sheep007 posted...

Unravel
Bachelorette
Joga
Hunter
Alarm Call
All Is Full of Love
5 Years
Immature
Pluto
All Neon Like

Thank you! I had it in my rankings with a comment but accidentally deleted the whole thing when removing the comment

Unravel
Bachelorette
Joga
Hunter
Alarm Call
5 Years
Immature
Pluto Yknow what? Fair enough. Not something Im gonna put on regularly, but this is some damn good techno even if the end is a bit overwhelming. It fits super well on the album even if I dont love it by itself.
All Neon Like

I like whatever the fuck was going on with electronic music in the 80s and 90s. I like weird songs, especially when theres genuine personality behind them and, most of all, they sound good. Bjork, really does it for me, and I think this is my favourite album Ive heard of hers. Its often oppressive-sounding and sharp, but never slips to the wrong side of the boundary between A Lot and unpleasant. I also think the cohesion of the album, without being samey whatsoever, is a massive credit to it each song brings something different to the table while seeming like part of the same story. Great nomination. Like Max said, those first four songs are something else entirely.

Flygon/Squirtle
Fennekin/Froslass
Sprigatito/Omastar
Pichu/Marshtomp

Very straightforward day. Only real loss is Kricketune.

Reckon Spurs might still be able to nick a goal here. City look a bit cagey.

Lapras/Alakazam
Piplup/Liligant
Golurk/Incineroar
Maractus/Delphox

Feel like the first seeds are overall just a smidge better. Hurts to vote against Tangela, though.

Damn, I think Ghost was narrowly better, it has zero duds and two of the best lines in the series. Bug was more mixed even if it's got some great lines itself.

Whirlybird - Reciprocity

I don't know enough about music to understand what the hell is going on with the time signatures in this song but just enough to identify it's weird. I've listened to it enough today to make me think I like it?

Birthday by The Sugarcubes is also rattling around in my skull right now after hearing a bunch of Bjork this week.

The Cure - Caterpillar Girl

Gen 1 Flying is basically a perfect lineup. Only flaws are that the Pidgey line is dull by earlygame bird standards, and Dodrio is a boring evo, but you can just pretend Fearow is the bird and then everything is good.

Thievul/Mudsdale
Paras/Nincada
Primarina/Bewear
Houndstone/Dhelmise

Holy crap, this is a difficult day. Ended up anti-voting Walking Wake and Torchic, and resigning myself to the fact that Paras and Primarina are probably doomed anyway.

Mudsdale > Kyogre > Torchic > Thievul
Paras > Kingambit > Sandile >> Nincada
Primarina > Falinks >> Weavile > Bewear
Ariados > Houndstone > Dhelmise >> Walking Wake

He just isn't a CB. I don't know what their options are (and they can't be great given they've not had a look in) but surely they're better off playing a youth player there at this point?

I didn't find Space Babies bad, although it was very much a classic easy-going intro episode as you've both said. I really didn't like the latter half of Devil's Chord, though. It all felt very loud with almost no emotional payoff or interesting concept in the resolution. It's a shame, because I thought the front half was solid.

Booo, Gen 3 Dragon still sucks

Growlithe/Tyrantrum
Sirfetch'd/Empoleon
Xatu/Donphan
Gogoat/Regice

Tyrantrum > Growlithe > Cetitan > Poltchageist
Empoleon > Sirfetch'd > Toedscool > Floette
Donphan >> Cetoddle > Hitmontop > Xatu
Regice > Magnemite > Gogoat > Chatot

Madoka

1. I Think Im Paranoid
2. Temptation Waits
3. The Trick is to Keep Breathing
4. Special
5. You Look So Fine
6. When I Grow Up
7. Push It
8. Hammering In My Head
9. Sleep Together
10. Dumb
11. Wicked Ways
12. Medication

Apologies for the late list, wasn't gonna give this a rating and only managed one listen but thought I'd get it in since results are getting calculated late. I wish this album clicked a bit more for me. It's not bad, just feels a lil bit one-note? The vocalist sounds great but nothing else reeled me in. Will definitely need another listen or two before rank the albums.

Team B

A would have a chance if it had Cascoon over Silcoon, but alas, Probopass is better than anything in Team A.