Final Fantasy Music Game 2017

[Shad_]

All but one 2D vote in now from the main site. I'm going to assume DM lost interest and move on if no one has voted here by the time the last guy checks in there.

[Cairos]

Round 2D

 

Liberi Fatali (FF8, 27)

One-Winged Angel (FF7, 21)

Starlight Celebration (FF14, 7)

JENOVA Absolute (FF7, 16)

Seeking Power (FF12, 13)

Find Your Way (FF8, 36)

Under Her Control (FF8, 11)

The Skycity Bhujerba (FF12, 10)

[Guest]

Round 2D

(FF8, 27)

(FF7, 21)

(FF13, 3)

(FF7, 16)

(FF12, 13)

(FF8, 36)

(FF4, 37)

(FF12, 10)

[Shad_]

Four games in the series were eliminated in the second round, and they weren't the usual fair.  Final Fantasy 3, 5, 11, and 15 were all knocked out.  Not only was that quite unusual for 5 and 11, but this happens to be the first year that FF13 and FF14 see a track advance to 32.

Fealty from FF14 is the only brand new entry that's still hanging around.

There were a few major upsets.  By the ranking spread, the three biggest were The Skycity of Bhujerba beating Chateau d'Oraguille (77 points), Troops March On beating Ronfaure (99 points), and The Promise beating Valley of the Fallen Star (121 points).

And lastly, though it should come as no great surprise, all three previous winners are still alive and well!

Round 3A (points through end of 2016):

(FF6, 12) vs

(FF7, 30)

(FF8, 36) vs

(FF7, 47)

(FF8, 4) vs

(FF7, 21)

(FF10, 13) vs

(FF8, 25)

(FF9, 50) vs

(FF12, 15)

(FF4, 33) vs

(FF8, 18)

(FF7, 24) vs

(FF6, 23)

(FF14, 7) vs

(FF7, 53)
 

[Shad_]

The Mines of Narshe (FF6, 12)

Still More Fighting (FF7, 47)

One-Winged Angel (FF7, 21)

The Sight of Spira (FF10, 13) ~~ouch

The Phon Coast (FF12, 15) ~~OUCH

The Dreadful Fight (FF4, 33)

Devil's Lab (FF6, 23) ~~ definitely not the track I expected to vote out of these two, but it's doing more for me in the moment

Starlight Celebration (FF14, 7)

[Cairos]

Round 3A

 

(FF6, 12)

(FF8, 36)

(FF8, 4)

(FF10, 13)

(FF12, 15)

(FF8, 18)

(FF7, 24)

(FF7, 53)

[Shad_]

Round 3B

(FF14, new entry) vs

(FF10, 20)

(FF12, 10) vs

(FF10, 37)

(FF6, 5) vs

(FF6, 37)

(FF6, 79) vs

(FF7, 16)

(FF10, 16) vs

(FF9, 24)

(FF8, 27) vs

(FF13, 3)

(FF4, 37) vs

(FF9, 14)

(FF9, 30) vs

(FF7, 38)
 

[Cairos]

Round 3B

 

(FF10, 20)

(FF10, 37)

(FF6, 5)

(FF7, 16)

(FF10, 16)

(FF8, 27)

(FF4, 37)

(FF7, 38)

[Shad_]

Besaid Island (FF10, 20)

The Skycity Bhujerba (FF12, 10)

Phantom Train (FF6, 37)

Dancing Mad (FF6, 79)

The Silence Before the Storm (FF10, 16)

The Promise (FF13, 3)

Prelude (FF4, 37)

Freya's Theme (FF9, 30)

[Shad_]

Round 3 will end in about 48 hours or when all anticipated votes are in.

[Shad_]

Round 3 is complete!

FF13 and 14 have been eliminated, leaving 4, 6-10, and 12 to duke it out from here.  This is the first year that Final Fantasy 12 has reached the round of 16!

Prelude from FF4 has continued its habit of huge votes and early losses.  As the points stand right now, it is the 15th most successful song out of 165 participants, but for the fourth year in a row it has failed to advance beyond the round of 32.

Vamo Alla Flamenco becomes the first previous winner to be eliminated, and it was the biggest upset of the round as well.  Ranked 8th coming into the year and presently sitting at 3rd, it lost a tie break to The Phon Coast (68th).

The 16 survivors are a bit more traditionally popular than last year.  Only four tracks previously outside of the top 50 remain, the lowest being The Mines of Narshe (82nd).

There will be at least three first-time quarter finalists, even before I randomize the match-ups, because only 5 tracks to have achieved that before remain.  On we go!

ROUND 4 (points cumulative through 2016)

(FF8, 27) vs

(FF10, 37)

(FF9, 30) vs

(FF6, 79)

(FF7, 47) vs

(FF7, 53)

(FF9, 14) vs

(FF6, 12)

(FF10, 13) vs

(FF6, 23)

(FF4, 33) vs

(FF12, 15)

(FF9, 24) vs

(FF6, 37)

(FF10, 20) vs

(FF7, 21)

[Shad_]

To Zanarkand (FF10, 37)

Freya's Theme (FF9, 30)

Still More Fighting (FF7, 47)

The Mines of Narshe (FF6, 12)

God I want to vote for both of these. I've been hyping up Spira for four years here but I'm really really feeling Devil's Lab this year. I just want to vote whichever I'm currently listening to. I'll think on it.

This one isn't much easier. The Dreadful Fight (FF4, 33)? I think?

Phantom Train (FF6, 37)

One-Winged Angel (FF7, 21)

[Cairos]

ROUND 4

(FF10, 37)

(FF9, 30)

(FF7, 47)

(FF9, 14)

(FF10, 13)

(FF12, 15)

(FF9, 24)

(FF10, 20)

[Cass]

Can I join in??

even if I've never listened to FF before, ever? <.<

 

 

I'd go

 

ROUND 4 (points cumulative through 2016)

 (FF8, 27)

 (FF9, 30)

 (FF7, 47) <3

 (FF9, 14) 

 (FF10, 13) (  <3 )

 (FF4, 33) 

 (FF6, 37)
Ohboi, can't decide, I'm really digging both of these! Probably go with 

 (FF7, 21) for the complexity of composition but I loove the simple chill of Besaid Island too

[Shad_]

Yay Cass!

 

Well! As with all previous iterations of this game, there will be a first-time winner. Dancing Mad and Bombing Mission were both eliminated in the round of 16. Eight tracks remain, and one of them will take gold.

 

A 40-rank gap makes Sight of Spira's win over Devil's Lab the largest upset of the round, and that match-up wasn't even very close. Perhaps a bit more surprising, to me at least, was Phantom Train (19th) falling to Song of Memories (35th). All but Liberi Fatali, Still More Fighting, and The Dreadful Fight are enjoying their first entry in the finals. Those newcomers happen to include One-Winged Angel. About time, eh?

 

Final Fantasy 12 has been eliminated. 4 and 6-10 all still remain.

 

Historic appearances in the finals:

 

Quarter-finalists:

FF4 - The Dreaful Fight (2)

FF6 - Dancing Mad (2)

FF6 - Opening Theme (2)

FF7 - Still More Fighting (2)

FF8 - Liberi Fatali (2)

FF9 - Dark Messenger (2)

FF4 - Main Theme

FF4 - Within the Giant

FF5 - Clash on the Big Bridge

FF5 - Walking the Snowy Mountains

FF6 - New Continent

FF6 - The Decisive Battle

FF6 - The Mines of Narshe

FF7 - Bombing Mission

FF7 - One-Winged Angel

FF7 - Valley of the Fallen Star

FF8 - Find Your Way

FF8 - The Extreme

FF9 - Awakened Forest

FF9 - Freya's Theme

FF9 - Song of Memories

FF9 - The Place I'll Return to Someday

FF9 - Vamo Alla Flamenco

FF10 - Decisive Battle

FF10 - The Sight of Spira

FF11 - Ronfaure

 

Semi-finalists:

FF6 - Dancing Mad (2)

FF4 - Main Theme

FF6 - Opening Theme

FF6 - The Decisive Battle

FF7 - Bombing Mission

FF8 - Find Your Way

FF8 - The Extreme

FF9 - The Place I'll Return to Someday

FF9 - Vamo Alla Flamenco

FF10 - Decisive Battle

FF11 - Ronfaure

 

Finalists:

FF4 - Main Theme

FF6 - Dancing Mad

FF7 - Bombing Mission

FF9 - Vamo Alla Flamenco

FF10 - Decisive Battle

FF11 - Ronfaure

 

Winners:

FF6 - Dancing Mad

FF7 - Bombing Mission

FF9 - Vamo Alla Flamenco

 

QUARTER-FINALS (points cumulative through 2016)

 

One-Winged Angel (FF7, 21) vs Liberi Fatali (FF8, 27)

The Sight of Spira (FF10, 13) vs Song of Memories (FF9, 24)

Still More Fighting (FF7, 47) vs Freya's Theme (FF9, 30)

The Mines of Narshe (FF6, 12) vs The Dreadful Fight (FF4, 33)

[Shad_]

The first two aren't hard decisions for me.  I know the widespread appeal of Liberi Fatali is more than just nostalgia, because participants who haven't even played FF8 frequently vote it, but I keep on listening and I just don't get what's great about it.  Song of Memories is a pretty number, and I've certainly voted for it in the early rounds a time or two, but it doesn't really hold up for me in comparison to say, Home Sweet Home, To Zanarkand, or The Promise.  Quite happy to see it reach this stage, but I don't think it's going to earn any more votes from me given the competition.

I never imagined Sight of Spira would ever get this far in a dozen years.  I'm so used to hyping it in the round of 128 and watching it lose anyway.  Now I'm not sure what to think.  Traditionally I think it's a vastly underappreciated track.  Will it hold up for me at this tier of competition if it survives the quarter-finals?  Hard to say.  I voted Devil's Lab over it last round, much to my own surprise.

Then we get into the really tough calls for me.  In both cases, the moods are radically different.  (I think it would have been a lot more interesting to see Still More Fighting vs The Dreadful Fight and Freya's Theme vs The Mines of Narshe, but I let the dice fall where they may in this game.

It could come down to mood in the moment in both pairings.  Two killer battle tracks vs two much more mood-setting pieces.  I definitely could see myself flipping either way on both of these from one week to the next, but maybe I'd be more consistent than I think.  Freya's Theme captures everything I loved about FF9.  A sort of outdoorsy, exploration tune--the harpsichord in it always gave it this imagery of crisp morning air setting into your lungs with a vast world around you.  Yeah, I think I was always going that way in this pairing, as much as I love Still More Fighting.

The last one...  Yikes.  It ultimately feels like an easier choice for me, but the fact that I can't put a feeling on why tells me I could feel the exact opposite this time tomorrow.  Consider that the vote most likely to move before this round ends.

Irrelevant to the current round but something I thought I'd note, the track that has grown on me the most this year is Theme of Tantalus.  One of the great things about this game is that every year I fall in love with more and more tracks that I never really latched onto before.  It also makes the choices harder every time I run this.

One-Winged Angel (FF7, 21)
The Sight of Spira (FF10, 13)
Freya's Theme (FF9, 30)
The Dreadful Fight (FF4, 33)

[Shad_]

An interesting note for the series fans here, we simultaneously run a character knock-out game alongside the music game every year.  I can't offer you a chance to remotely vote because I'm not in charge of the thing, but this year we had some very atypical appearances in the quarter-finals that kicked off today.  Final Fantasy Tactics has been on a roll, having never advanced far in any of the previous six runs.  Sharing for your amusement, the QF pairings this year are:

 

(Ranks are as of the end of 2016.  Italicized characters were added a few years later and their ranks can be misleading.)

Beatrix (IX, 5th) vs Ramza (Tactics, 37th)
Celes (VI, 14th) vs Quina (IX, 32nd)
Cid (Tactics, 46th) vs Red XIII (VII, 107th)
Terra (VI, 4th) vs Ovelia (Tactics, 57th)

[Shad_]

This needs a lot of work, but I figured I'd bust out the recorder since this might be its final round.

 

[Cass]

Nice recording Shad! I'm hoping Sight of Spira beats Song of Memories tbh.

 

Aaand done!

 

Struggling with the first one as I like both and they're similar in complexity/drama. Probably leaning more towards One Winged Angel cos it feels less... cliché?

(I think the underlying appeal of Liberi Fatali is the sense of grand epicness/heroic adventure?)

 

One-Winged Angel (FF7, 21) vs

 

The Sight of Spira (FF10, 13) Again, <3

 

Still More Fighting (FF7, 47)

 

The Dreadful Fight (FF4, 33)

[Shad_]

Want me to make it harder for you?

All four are currently in a 4-4 tie.

Pending a Cairos vote every track you pick wins. 

[Cass]

lololololol

[Shad_]

Round ends Thursday afternoon Murica time

[Cass]

Done done

 

*Waits for the Shiny Knight*

[Shad_]

Cheers

 

First two are locked in pending votes out of nowhere.  Cairos could swing the bottom two due to the tie break method.  Going to end the phase probably some time after 8pm EST tomorrow.

[Cairos]

My pick!

 

Liberi Fatali (FF8, 27)

The Sight of Spira (FF10, 13)

Still More Fighting (FF7, 47)

The Mines of Narshe (FF6, 12)