Posted at 11:15 a.m. - Wednesday, November 5

Now that the presidential election has been concluded, gamers and geeks can get back to some really important matters, namely picking the Greatest Video Game Ever!  After winnowing the field from 32 all the way down to 4, we now have a selection of Old School/New School match-ups for the ages:

FINAL FOUR

OLD SCHOOL REGION Mario 3 vs. Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out

Punch Out has proven to be as formidable an opponent as anyone would have expected, working its way all the way to the Old School Region Final to take on a classic Mario title.  I kinda saw this one coming...eventually.  So where does it go from here?  Mario has a timeless quality with an all-ages appeal.  Punch Out is a fun boxing game with clever controls and a satisfying pay off once you win the 'championship.'  Which title do gamers prefer?

My Prediction: Mike Tyson Punch Out will finally hit the mat after getting a left/right combo from Mario, sending Mario 3 into the final!

NEW SCHOOL REGION

GoldenEye vs. Madden

Video gamers and sports nerds have rallied around the Madden series to sweep it into the Final Four, but do they have what it takes to beat GoldenEye.  GoldenEye dispatched Tomb Raider and GTA III, something I would never have imagined could happen.  Does 007 have what it takes to get to the championship round?

My Prediction: 007 receives a Quantum of Solace after beating Madden for the 1 Up!

Am I right?  Am I wrong?  Let me know!

And VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!

Posted at 10:20 a.m. - Friday, October 31

This tourney has vexed me like no other.  The Mario titles have shown their dominance up to the point where now they are facing each other in an Old School Region match-up.  Punch Out has proven to be as tough to KO as the champ it was named for.  And GTA III is poised to jack the whole shebang.

Well, let's see if I can get one right this time:

OLD SCHOOL REGION

Super Mario Bros. vs. Mario 3

Worlds collide in this face-off of Mario Bros. titles with the winner poised to advance into the Final Four.  Given my druthers, I'd vote for Mario 3 due to its advanced game play and graphics.  Then again, Super Mario Bros. does have that old-school nostalgia factor that has carried it this far.

My Prediction: Mario 3 rides Yoshi into the Final Four! 

Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out vs. Pac-Man

Pac-Man has been riding a wave so far that has exceeded expectations and has held on to bump some formidable titles.  But can it take out Punch Out?

Hm...

Naaah.

My Prediction: Punch Out gives Pac-Man a haymaker for the 1 Up!

NEW SCHOOL REGION

Call of Duty 4 vs. Madden

This one knocked me for a loop!  When COD4 dispatched Tomb Raider, I was like 'ok, I'm done.'  But my momma didn't raise no quitter and I did say Madden would make it this far so...

My Prediction: Madden beats Call of Duty 4 in sudden death for the 1 Up!

GTA III vs. GoldenEye

There's something about the Grand Theft Auto series that defies explanation.  Sure, it's one of the guiltiest pleasures in video games, but they've also managed to create some of the most compelling environments in gaming.  Is it enough to beat 007, though?

My prediction: GTA III will give GoldenEye a black eye and get the 1 Up to advance to the Final Four!

Now voting has been pretty close in some earlier match-ups so DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!

And yeah, I mean the same for that election we're having next week too.  Who's running again?

;-)

Posted at 3:05 p.m. - Monday, October 27

The New School Region sees some really tight match-ups...hope I don't lose any geek cred here:

Call of Duty 4 vs Tomb Raider - War is hell, as COD4 showed by trouncing Wii Sports.  Now the Brothers in Arms are going up against an icon in video games, Lara Croft.  I know many will say they'd like to be in a foxhole with their band of brothers, but most geeks would rather get closer to Lara and her great pair of...guns.

My Prediction - Tomb Raider buries Call of Duty 4 for future generations to unearth, and collects the 1 Up!

Mario 64 vs Madden - Two storied franchises meet head on in this match-up.  Mario 64 would be the title that showed Mario could play on any platform.  Madden has also made the journey from the 8 bit consoles all the way to the current next-gen systems.  The kid in me says one thing, the grown-up geek says another...

My Prediction - Move aside kiddies and let the grown ups play!  Madden does a touchdown dance on Mario 64 and tosses another Mario title from the tourney for the 1 Up!

GTA III vs Guitar Hero - There were no surprises in the the opening round for these two titles, with each games' fans coming out in force.  Now its time to see if the world would rather jack cars or rock n' roll.  I'm gonna say...

My Prediction - Guitar Hero thrashes GTA III for the 1 Up!

GoldenEye vs Zelda - Well, I got this one wrong when I called it for Halo over GoldenEye in the first round, but got it right when I said Zelda would bounce Mario Kart 64.  Both titles have devoted followings and you can't discount the 'cool factor' of playing as 007.

But Zelda fans just don't know when to quit...

My Prediction - Zelda gets the girl and leaves James Bond without a date to the prom for the 1 Up!

Well my fellow video game fantatics, those are my picks for Round 2 of the RedEye Best Video Game Ever.  Think I'm wrong?  Think I'm absolutely correct?  Comment below and let me know what you think.  And VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!

Posted at 2:45 p.m. - Monday, October 27

After surviving the Windy City Comic Con (more to come on that later this week) I've returned to give my prognostications on the RedEye Greatest Video Game Tourney:

OLD SCHOOL REGION

Super Mario Bros vs Tetris - After squashing Centipede, SMB takes on Tetris, which simply puzzled Contra in the previous round to pull of a win.  Now it's the plumber vs puzzles.  I'm gonna take the sure thing and say that Mario can lay bricks as well as he lays pipe (ba-dum-bump!) and call it for him.

My Prediction: Super Mario Bros. keeps collecting those 1 Ups!

Mario 3 vs Tecmo Bowl - Many video game fans commented on how Tecmo Bowl was the football game of their time, and while it may currently be behind in the voting, I'm gonna stick with it to pull an upset and bounce another Mario title (the first being Mario Kart) from the tourney.

My Prediction: Tecmo Bowl breaks through Mario's the goal line defense to score the 1 Up!

Donkey Kong vs Pac-Man - To see Pac-Man take out Mortal Kombat was, to quote a certain Sith Lord, 'Impressive, most impressive.'  Now it takes on the progenitor of the Mario series and one angry ape!  This is a close one...

My Prediction: Pac-Man gobbles up them barrels and bounces Donkey Kong for the 1 Up!

Mike Tyson's Punch Out vs Sonic - After dispatching NBA Jam with a TKO, MTPU takes on Sega's signature character.  Ouch.  This ain't gonna be pretty.

My Prediction: Punch Out gets Sonic to throw in the towel for the 1 Up!

Next Up: The New School Region!

Alrighty then...

The mad scientists at the RedEye have put their drug-addled brains together to come up with yet another fantastic and funtabulous tourney, this time giving YOU the opportunity to determine the RedEye's Greatest Video Game!

With titles from all the different eras of video games, from 8 bit all the way to the current Next-Gen consoles, voters have a plethora of pixel-poppin', quarter-munchin', time consuming characters to choose from.

And as the RedEye's resident geek, they've asked me for my predictions.  Let's see if I do better here than I did in the RedEye Superhero Tournament...