Best Video Game Song Tournament, 2005-2008: Top 128 (Part 1 of 4)

Round 3! We’ve already eliminated 2/3rds of our finalists, but this dark harvest was not enough to satisfy our vile lord.

Since it’s the playoffs, groups will be active until 9:00 AM Pacific the day after they post,1 or for roughly 24 hours. You can listen to a playlist of today’s songs (in matchup order) here.

Or you can work ahead!

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Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Or listen to every song here.

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PLEASE LISTEN TO BOTH SONGS IN A MATCH BEFORE VOTING

Voting will be live until Wednesday, April 28th at 9:00AM Pacific

Previous Round Results:

Super Mario GalaxyBuoy Base Galaxy910Ar tonelico: Melody of ElemiaLegend of Ar Tonelico ~Mir’s Birth~
Mega Man 9Galaxy Man Theme611Omega FiveThe Escalated Invasion [STAGE 2]
Super Smash Bros. BrawlMute City115The Legend of Zelda: Twilight PrincessTitle Theme
La-MulanaInterstice of the Dimension88*Valkyrie Profile 2: SilmeriaConfidence in the Domination (Improv. Version)
Shadow of the ColossusPrologue96skate.el alto el fuego
Ar tonelico: Melody of ElemiaEXEC_RIG=VEDA/.510The World Ends With YouTwister – Remix
Persona 4Heartbeat, Heartbreak134Shadow of the ColossusDemise of the Ritual
Persona 4Your Affection133Rhythm Heaven (DS)Love Lab
Final Fantasy XIIThe Royal City of Rabanastre610Persona 4Backside of the TV
Persona 4Never More610Ys: The Oath in FelghanaIllburns Ruins
Shadow of the ColossusThe Farthest Land (Reprise)133Blue DragonAncient Fortress
Wild Arms 5Justice to Believe79Eternal SonataLeap the Precipice
Professor Layton and the Curious VillageLayton’s Theme (Live Version)141Rinneb0f
Final Fantasy XIIEruyt Village113Final Fantasy XIIThe Dalmasca Estersand
Super Paper MarioCastle Bleck8*8Ar tonelico II: Melody of MetafalicaMETHOD_METAFALICA/.
Super Smash Bros. BrawlShin Onigashima108IkarugaIdeal

Two ties! Giving the win to the excellent improv of “Confidence in the Domination (Improv. Version)”, and the funky weirdness of “Castle Bleck”

Fun Facts:

[spoiler]

Top 128 By Game:

8 Songs: (1 Game)

  • Super Smash Bros. Brawl [-5]

6 Songs: (2 Games)

  • Persona 3 [-6]
  • Persona 4 [-6]

5 Songs: (1 Game)

  • The World Ends With You [-1]

4 Songs: (4 Games)

  • Shadow of the Colossus [-5]
  • Kingdom Hearts II [-2]
  • Sigma Harmonics [-1]
  • Persona 3 FES

3 Songs: (6 Games)

  • Super Mario Galaxy [-5]
  • Final Fantasy XII [-4]
  • Ar tonelico: Melody of Elemia [-3]
  • Wild Arms 5 [-1]
  • Ys: The Oath in Felghana [-1]
  • Eternal Poison 

2 Songs: (15 Games)

  • Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica [-5]
  • Opoona [-3]
  • Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney [-3]
  • The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess [-3]
  • Eternal Sonata [-2]
  • Mega Man 9 [-2]
  • Rhythm Heaven (DS) [-2]
  • Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria [-2]
  • Mega Man Battle Network 6 [-1]
  • Sonic Unleashed [-1]
  • Ys Origin [-1]
  • Etrian Odyssey II
  • Lost Odyssey 
  • Trails in the Sky the 3rd 
  • Umineko When They Cry

1 Song: (39 Games)

  • Mass Effect [-3]
  • Rhythm Tengoku [-3]
  • Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) [-3]
  • We Love Katamari [-3]
  • Trails in the Sky SC [-2]
  • Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War [-1]
  • Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII [-1]
  • Okami [-1]
  • Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness [-1]
  • Professor Layton and the Unwound Future [-1]
  • Psychonauts [-1]
  • Super Paper Mario [-1]
  • Xanadu Next [-1]
  • Aoi Shiro
  • Baten Kaitos Origins
  • Castle Crashers
  • Castlevania Judgment
  • Castlevania: Curse of Darkness 
  • Civilization IV
  • Deathsmiles 
  • Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice
  • Halo 3 
  • Lumines II 
  • Mirror’s Edge 
  • Nanostray 2
  • Odin Sphere
  • Omega Five
  • Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations 
  • Portal
  • Professor Layton and the Curious Village 
  • Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
  • Rune Factory
  • The Lord of the Rings Online 
  • Vantage Master Portable
  • White Knight Chronicles
  • Wii Shop Channel
  • Wii Sports 
  • Wild Arms 4
  • Word of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King 

Remember The Fallen (34 games):

  • Granado Espada [-3]
  • BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger [-2
  • Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII [-2]
  • Ikaruga [-2]
  • Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army [-2]
  • Tales of Legendia [-2]
  • Aether
  • Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
  • Blue Dragon
  • Brain Age
  • Corpse Party Blood Covered
  • Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon 
  • FFXI: Treasures of Aht Urhgan
  • Guilty Gear 2: Overture 
  • I/O
  • Killer7
  • Kirby Canvas Curse
  • La-Mulana
  • Mario Kart Wii 
  • Patapon
  • Patapon 2
  • Phoenix Wright: Justice for All
  • Pokemon Diamond / Pearl 
  • Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team
  • Quartet! The Stage of Love 
  • Rinne
  • skate. 
  • Sonic Rush 
  • Suikoden Tactics
  • Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
  • Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume
  • Wii Fit
  • Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra
  • Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection 

It becomes more and more clear that we have exactly 3 leaders in this tournament. Super Smash Bros. Brawl keeps some separation from the Personae, sitting at 8 songs to each of their 6. However, Persona 3 FES is sitting strong at 4, having not lost a single song in either of the previous rounds. So if you like, you may think of Persona 3 + FES as being on top, with Brawl and P4 in 2nd and 3rd.

But outside the top tier things are really getting squashed, with earlier favorites like Ar tonelico II and Opoona falling all the way to the 2 song tier. No room for fat now; only the best jams can move on.

Top 128 By Platform:

PS2: 46 songs (17 games)
DS: 22 songs (12 games)
Wii: 19 songs (8 games)
PC: 13 songs (8 games)
360: 9 songs (7 games)
Multiplatform: 8 songs (6 games)
PSP: 3 songs (3 games)
GBA: 3 songs (2 games)
PS3: 2 songs (2 games)
N-Gage: 1 song (1 game)
GameCube: 1 song (1 game)
Arcade: 1 song (1 game)

The shape here remains remarkably consistent. The PS2 retains a commanding lead. The Wii continues to fall, as every tentpole except for Brawl comes down to earth. And despite having so many platforms near extinction, none left last round; the only platform to duck out since the playoffs started as been the OG Xbox, which just has to feel more and more slighted by the N-Gage sticking around.

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