LogFAQs > #912473838

Day 27, Match 1 - Squall Leonheart vs. Zelda
(1) Squall: 36.68% - (4) Zelda: 63.32%

What happened?: The most hilarious result of the contest by far. We've seen close matches seem less close as they draw near then turn into easy wins, but this was ridiculous! Squall has historically been a little bit ahead of Zelda, but Nintendo and Zelda boosting was expected to put Zelda over, and their matches up to this point made her look a good bit better. Then it was close during the board vote, then less close, and less close, and less close. It didn't stop after the Power Hour either, Zelda got over 64% after and was winning multiple updates with over 70% of the vote. Everybody expected the beatdown to calm down in accordance with the trends we have seen, but it did not really. The decline was less than 1%, and the match was as close to a doubling as it was to being 60/40.

What could this mean?: Sure, Final Fantasy has looked a good bit weaker with a couple of exceptions. However, the story here is Zelda. Her previous two performances had been rationalised by AC/MGS collapses but this doesn't seem like that. She is absolutely on that Noble Nine level.She beat Squall substantially worse than post-Brawl announcement Snake did. I also don't think it's the proxy factor some here have suggested either - we have seen her in the bracket without Link twice before and she didn't do this. She is just a monster now plain and simple.

Day 27, Match 2 - Fox McCloud vs. Aerith Gainsborough
(11) Fox: 47.3% - (15) Aerith: 52.7%

What happened?: Fox was the favourite going into this and did not get it done. It looked like it might be close early on, and Aerith never truly pulled away, but Fox actually underperformed his 2010 and 2013 stats here, which has almost never happened for Nintendo this contest. This is compounded by Aerith not looking good against Nintendo twice in a row.

What could this mean?: Going off of Aerith's two previous performances and Fox's match with Jill, I think Fox has dropped. This runs counter to everything else that has been going on with Nintendo this contest. Why? Well, the answer is his series. Nintendo characters boost from Smash Bros. for sure, but the only character who truly gets all his strength from there is Captain Falcon. Fox is a Star Fox character first and foremost, and that series is reeling from Star Fox Zero being the latest in a string of disappointing games going back years and years. That series is less popular now, with Zero reestablishing it as the worst Nintendo franchise. While every other Nintendo character has had franchise revitilisations, Fox's has just gotten worse.
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I just decided to change this sig.
Blaaaaaaargh BKSheikah