Lurker > NBIceman

Not surprised to see Janet drop early - figured that was probably more likely than it going far, but I thought it'd be an interesting nomination. Bit of a departure from songs that are normally on my playlist in how disquieting it is for sure, although I have seen an interpretation that the pills being talked about aren't so much medication as they are a destructive addiction that the protagonist can't stand to watch anymore, and that the "death" etc. being referred to is more metaphorical. Think you have to stretch your mind to see that one a bit, but I don't know - I've seen crazier song interpretations too.

Blackbird being my first out was a little more unexpected, though your explanation makes perfect sense. Alter Bridge isn't a band I love, but they have a few songs that really land with me and Blackbird is the biggest one. Love the vocals and it has maybe my favorite guitar solo of any studio recording ever.

CJones posted...

I like this. Figures, since it's an NBIceman nomination. I get the impression we have similar tastes.

Glad you enjoyed it! Yeah, history would definitely indicate our tastes match up fairly well.

Electrode/Tapu Lele
Sharpedo/Feraligatr
Drapion/Boltund
Quaxly/Chi-Yu

G-MAX STEELSURGE
+3 Miltank
+2 Clawitzer
+1 Rufflet
-1 Bronzor
-2 Skwovet
-3 Farigiraf

HORN LEECH
+3 Heliolisk
+2 Lycanroc
+1 Salazzle
-1 Talonflame
-2 Bronzong
-3 Foongus

Any big surprises in that group? I personally didn't realize Dragapult, Mamoswine, and Spheal were that popular.

REVERSAL
+3 Golem
+2 Lurantis
+1 Dragonite
-1 Indeedee
-2 Eternatus
-3 Flamigo

SACRED FIRE
+3 Meowstic
+2 Bellibolt
+1 Articuno
-1 Raboot
-2 Tentacool
-3 Nihilego

NIGHT DAZE
+3 Virizion
+2 Sandslash
+1 Sentret
-1 Cetitan
-2 Mime Jr.
-3 Slither Wing

HORN DRILL
+3 Sceptile
+2 Gogoat
+1 Crawdaunt
-1 Chansey
-2 Yamask
-3 Koraidon

Horn Drill is a damn strong division.

METRONOME
+3 Bayleef
+2 Bulbasaur
+1 Mudsdale
-1 Bombirdier
-2 Infernape
-3 Tinkaton

BLAZING TORQUE
+3 Delibird
+2 Metagross
+1 Heatmor
-1 Simipour
-2 Magmortar
-3 Iron Bundle

Whole lotta "meh" in Blazing Torque, but Metronome is pretty solid.

I'll throw in my two cents, I guess, since I don't participate in Rank the Albums!

I love the entire Black Parade album. I wouldn't consider myself an MCR fan because I don't really like anything else they've ever done (including the rest of Gerard Way's creative pursuits), but that one just strikes a chord, and Welcome to the Black Parade just feels like the band tapped into something that they never quite managed before or again. They've been (somewhat rightfully) memed on for years for being kind of tryhard and melodramatic and maybe overly appealing to middle schoolers in the phase of their life that they later look back on in embarrassement, and WttBP isn't completely free of that, but it walks the line so much better and feels like it earns that melodrama a bit more. It feels somehow more honest in its emotions.

Like, the "Do or die" breakdown shouldn't really work - it's not exactly the peak of lyric writing - but it does. I dunno. Maybe it's just a song that doesn't land if you hear it for the first time later in life.

Oh, cool.

I wasn't on either list - do I have extra noms?

THOUSAND ARROWS
+3 Dubwool
+2 Arrokuda
+1 Wattrel
-1 Blipbug
-2 Karrablast
-3 Pheromosa

WEATHER BALL
+3 Rapidash
+2 Petilil
+1 Amaura
-1 Drakloak
-2 Machamp
-3 Diancie

Thousand Arrows isn't great but it's not even in the top twenty worst divisions of this contest.

Pay your rent, Britta.

Pulled Pork
Grilled Cheese
Chicken Parm
Cheeseburger

X-Scissor Division
+3 Kyogre
+2 Furfrou
+1 Manaphy
-1 Minior
-2 Meowscarada
-3 Iron Treads

Sucker Punch Division
+3 Grovyle
+2 Nuzleaf
+1 Jumpluff
-1 Wingull
-2 Alomomola
-3 Great Tusk

Lots of stuff I like but don't love today.

SNARL
+3 Typhlosion
+2 Shiftry
+1 Kirlia
-1 Quaxly
-2 Raticate
-3 Dipplin

EXPLOSION
+3 Breloom
+2 Lombre
+1 Azumarill
-1 Calyrex
-2 Gothitelle
-3 Genesect

Not great divisions but they both have one of my all-time favorites in them, at least.

NO RETREAT
+3 Dewott
+2 Ivysaur
+1 Charcadet
-1 Turtonator
-2 Landorus
-3 Delphox

LIGHT SCREEN
+3 Samurott
+2 Archeops
+1 Chimecho
-1 Wiglett
-2 Golbat
-3 Tapu Koko

Meh.

SUPERSONIC
+3 Umbreon
+2 Zeraora
+1 Drednaw
-1 Blaziken
-2 Dodrio
-3 Vanillish

SILK TRAP
+3 Minun
+2 Stufful
+1 Coalossal
-1 Vullaby
-2 Grimmsnarl
-3 Sandy Shocks

Supersonic is stacked. Nothing against Dodrio or Blaziken there.

Silk Trap, on the other hand...

EARTHQUAKE
+3 Rowlet
+2 Zorua
+1 Ninjask
-1 Dustox
-2 Skrelp
-3 Gothita

INSTRUCT
+3 Dusknoir
+2 Zapdos
+1 Toucannon
-1 Drapion
-2 Seaking
-3 Happiny

Earthquake very bad, Instruct very good.

Thank you for doing this! I'm not quite as pessimistic on the future of this place as some are, but that doesn't mean I won't be extremely relieved to have a contingency plan anyway. I'd definitely hate to lose this community.

AQUA TAIL
+3 Ninetales
+2 Ho-oh
+1 Litwick
-1 Primarina
-2 Scrafty
-3 Jynx

POWER TRIP
+3 Keldeo
+2 Roserade
+1 Pangoro
-1 Pignite
-2 Palkia
-3 Revavroom

Lots of really good Pokemon in Power Trip, and Revavroom is also there.

I'd be happy to do write-ups for any of the Mega Man games if no one else wants to, but they'd probably be fairly brief and I'm more than happy to let anyone else handle them if they like.

Eidola - No Weapon Formed Shall Prosper

Due to me listening pretty much exclusively to their new album for the past few days. They're never going to put out anything as good as Degeneraterra or even To Speak, To Listen again, but there's still some gems on every release.

+5 Mega Man 2
+4 Mega Man 4
+4 Kirby's Adventure
+3 Super Mario Bros. 3
+3 The Legend of Zelda
+3 Castlevania
+2 Mega Man 3
+2 Mega Man 5
+2 Mega Man 6
+2 Final Fantasy
+1 Adventure Island
+1 Contra
+1 Duck Hunt
+1 Super Mario Bros.
+1 Ninja Gaiden
+1 Mega Man
+1 Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
+1 Dragon Warrior
+1 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
+1 Double Dragon

ICE BURN
+3 Cresselia
+2 Pawmi
+1 Munna
-1 Rabsca
-2 Lechonk
-3 Walking Wake

ATTRACT
+3 Psyduck
+2 Wugtrio
+1 Crobat
-1 Zubat
-2 Primeape
-3 Grafaiai

Of all the divisions in this contest, these are definitely two of them.

WONDER ROOM
+3 Komala
+2 Smeargle
+1 Mew
-1 Carvanha
-2 Finneon
-3 Thwackey

G-MAX RAPID FLOW
+3 Manectric
+2 Sewaddle
+1 Regigigas
-1 Sunflora
-2 Parasect
-3 Braixen

Can someone explain to me, an idiot, why there's concern over this?

I saw the ban on political discussions and so forth but I guess I don't quite understand the connection.

I feel like goats are underrated here, but maybe that's just my own strong bias shining through.

I would never have guessed that criticizing Pokemon names would invite so much vitriol. For the record, I'm very far from a Genwunner and think Seel is a stupid name as well - or hell, even a Mon I otherwise love like Ninetales. And having a lore reason for something in a video game doesn't just automatically and inherently make it not dumb.

andylt posted...

how many pokemon names are a portmanteau of an adjective and a noun

I would contend that portmanteaus are still marginally more clever than just picking a couple of words and putting a space between them. Something like Arcanine may not be the absolute peak of creativity, but it's better than Blazing Hound.

Bitto posted...

For Paradox, the future ones are mostly bad but the past ones are mostly good. At the very least, the names are great. Scream Tail.

The names are my least favorite part, honestly. There may be no greater indicator of the loss of creativity in Pokemon than the fact that we've started naming stuff "Adjective Noun."

SUBSTITUTE
+3 Dusclops
+2 Clauncher
+1 Deoxys
-1 Budew
-2 Alakazam
-3 Whismur

G-MAX CANNONADE
+3 Latias
+2 Mienfoo
+1 Poliwhirl
-1 Zarude
-2 Impidimp
-3 Thundurus

Lots of stuff I'm very neutral on today.

HYDRO CANNON
+3 Luxray
+2 Swinub
+1 Mudbray
-1 Hitmonlee
-2 Raging Bolt
-3 Stakataka

LEAF TORNADO
+3 Vulpix
+2 Excadrill
+1 Metang
-1 Terrakion
-2 Starly
-3 Aromatisse

OBLIVION WING
+3 Flareon
+2 Lairon
+1 Sandshrew
-1 Dialga
-2 Toedscool
-3 Bewear

ELECTRIFY
+3 Froslass
+2 Phanpy
+1 Dondozo
-1 Audino
-2 Tympole
-3 Garganacl

Two pretty good divisions.

"Against the Jets last week, Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas broke OJ Simpson's career rushing record, and the week before, he surpassed Simpson in career touchdowns. Next up for Thomas, an attempt to kill three people at once."

SOUL-STEALING 7-STAR STRIKE
+3 Camerupt
+2 Kangaskhan
+1 Regieleki
-1 Ting-Lu
-2 Lopunny
-3 Grapploct

SHADOW BONE
+3 Leafeon
+2 Bisharp
+1 Graveler
-1 Okidogi
-2 Archaludon
-3 Roaring Moon

All of my Shadow Bone minuses deserve -3s.

TORMENT
+3 Cyndaquil
+2 Empoleon
+1 Torkoal
-1 Krokorok
-2 Porygon
-3 Qwilfish

PSYCHO CUT
+3 Togekiss
+2 Mareep
+1 Spectrier
-1 Sawk
-2 Xerneas
-3 Meltan

Two of my favorites today get +3s, decent divisions.

KINESIS
+3 Spheal
+2 Piloswine
+1 Torracat
-1 Bunnelby
-2 Klinklang
-3 Passimian

HEAL BELL
+3 Pyroar
+2 Swampert
+1 Oranguru
-1 Slurpuff
-2 Tadbulb
-3 Comfey

Oranguru gets a plus by default in what is my new pick for worst division in the contest.

COURT CHANGE
+3 Glaceon
+2 Electivire
+1 Lampent
-1 Vanilluxe
-2 Solgaleo
-3 Eiscue

TECTONIC RAGE
+3 Gallade
+2 Raichu
+1 Popplio
-1 Gigalith
-2 Muk
-3 Melmetal

Gallade is my favorite Pokemon but these are some dire divisions otherwise.

SIMPLE BEAM
+3 Suicune
+2 Togetic
+1 Galvantula
-1 Remoraid
-2 Bellsprout
-3 Araquanid

STEEL BEAM
+3 Pancham
+2 Slowking
+1 Staraptor
-1 Lunala
-2 Shroodle
-3 Ursaluna

I'm so far out of the loop on most memes these days that I don't even know what this Vaporeon thing is about.

I finished Trails to Azure about a month ago and thought I was going to take a break from the franchise because that's what I generally do, but nothing else on my shelf was immediately grabbing me, so I went ahead and started Cold Steel 2 (having played the first one a couple years back).

I'm about halfway through and enjoying myself enough, but the CS games are really, really lacking in the Trails charm I've come to expect. Everything about it is just marginally less fun than the Sky trilogy or the Crossbell games. I'm not souring on the series yet by any means, and I've heard very good things about CS3, but I sure hope this isn't indicative of a shift that's going to continue as I go on.

Easy Vote Form
TECHNO BLAST
+3 Vaporeon
+2 Skiploom
+1 Toxtricity
-1 Wormadam
-2 Throh
-3 Sylveon

BESTOW
+3 Luxio
+2 Obstagoon
+1 Swellow
-1 Roggenrola
-2 Arctozolt
-3 Scorbunny

Bestow is the most middling division for me yet. Scorbunny and then a bunch of stuff I'm basically completely neutral on.

Probably somewhere between $30 and $40, but to even go that high, it'd have to be an extraordinarily special occasion.

My perspective is probably skewed because this is the only board on GFAQs I visit anymore, but Reddit is definitely a hard place to deal with sometimes. Just a huge collection of miserable people who are angry that everyone else isn't as miserable as they are.

Lopen posted...

I also love dumb hokey stuff and question why people who are staunchly against it would be into pro wrestling to begin with (and no it's not just a WWE thing WWE just has more of it) so obviously I don't care about that aspect.

I suppose I can actually kind of agree with this in some ways, considering the full watchthrough I did of 90s AJPW (which was 100% free of dumb hokey stuff) during COVID has seemingly turned me off of modern wrestling forever.

But that's part of my point. It's not like the sort of dumb hokey stuff I'm talking about was always a part of pro wrestling. It rose to prominence in WWF/E and primarily with the Undertaker, and the fact that it's now just near-universally accepted as some basic truth that his community theater nonsense is as much a part of the fabric of wrestling as the Irish Whip is a big part of why I hate the character so much.

Also, "Undertaker was bad in the ring" is a much more common take than you're giving it credit for. He had some good Mania matches but plenty of "normal workrate snobs" would tell you that he spent 90% of his career at minimum being lousy.

See also: All the terrible supernatural or just plain hokey bullshit that's shown up in one form or another in pro wrestling over the last ~decade that has been defended by people saying "Well, it was okay when the Undertaker did it hurr durr!" when in fact it wasn't okay when the Undertaker did it as plenty of us hated it back then too.

I could go on a longer rant about this but I know I'm already coming off as a joyless nerd so I'll stop there.

Obviously, known outrage merchant and cancel culture supporter NBIceman must surely be using that criteria as his basis and not judging based on the onscreen character.

POWER-UP PUNCH
+3 Cubchoo
+2 Sawsbuck
+1 Espurr
-1 Bouffalant
-2 Carkol
-3 Tapu Fini

ACUPRESSURE
+3 Cobalion
+2 Helioptile
+1 Simisage
-1 Venipede
-2 Paras
-3 Darmanitan

Two pretty good divisions.

Frost Breath is the worst division in this contest yet by a pretty fair margin. Everyone Pokemon in there would've gotten a negative score from me in most divisions.

Oh, hey, apparently I never reacted to my last two drops.

I'm very happy to end up with the third-best average and, apparently, a set of noms that gave you some sort of existential crisis about the nature of ranking topics. Glad I got some good ones in there!

PSYBEAM
+3 Zebstrika
+2 Glastrier
+1 Chinchou
-1 Morgrem
-2 Reuniclus
-3 Flapple

COMEUPPANCE
+3 Mawile
+2 Lotad
+1 Poochyena
-1 Cosmoem
-2 Zamazenta
-3 Gouging Fire

NEEDLE ARM
+3 Meganium
+2 Snivy
+1 Hattrem
-1 Rillaboom
-2 Ceruledge
-3 Flutter Mane

FROST BREATH
+3 Cranidos
+2 Minccino
+1 Charjabug
-1 Tarountula
-2 Naclstack
-3 Celesteela