The smoke has cleared, and the victors of Round 1 have been determined. From 64 initial bright-eyed would-be winners, we now have a culled list of 32--32 leaner, meaner second bananas, whose big floppy hats, multiple furry tails, hilarious catchphrases, and generally inanimate nature will be crucial in the task ahead.

　　Let's get ready to chainsaw melee and/or ride!

　　Because Round 2 has started! The next wave of competition has even tougher matchups, including the Master Chief's constant companion Cortana up against Final Fantasy's cuddly moogle. The two most faithful companions of the Nintendo hero known as Link--Navi and Epona--will do battle in this round, in a conflict that will probably come down to which character was more rideable and which was more annoying. And continuing the grand tradition of Round 1's animal-on-animal violence--specifically, having a dog face off against a frog--Round 2 pits a dog (Fallout's Dogmeat) against a horse (Agro from Shadow of the Colossus).

　　Get those votes in now! Round 2 will end this Friday, September 16, and move directly into the sweet 16 round. The field is getting narrower and narrower with each passing day. Make sure your voice gets heard by going to the battle hub and casting your vote. Remember, picking the winningest bracket not only gets you emblems for your profile and all kinds of bragging rights, but will also qualify you to win the ultimate home gaming setup.

　　Round 2 is happening! Get in there and fight!