Folks, I'm a (insert one of these awesome words here: man/boy/guy/dude/fella/ninja/renaissance man) and when it comes to doing things I do them. If I come across a problem, I take care of it, but if it can't be taken care of than let me tell you I will not dwell on it. Should the need to address that problem arise I will deal with it then, but if there's a way around it to make things even more interesting: well I sure as hell can do that.

I was going to post a 2009 Game of the Year blog with all of these stellar images provided by hart704 who is a (insert one of these awesome words here: man/boy/guy/dude/fella/knight/renaissance man) and graciously offered to make me images for a 2009 Game of the Year award show. Well, hot damn, I went to the guy with a list of 26 categories and called it a day. Than I realized I gave the guy FREAKING 26 CATEGORIES and called it a day. But he did it quickly and didn't even budge. That's how awesome hart is, he didn't even give me time to think about the ludicrous amount of images I asked him to make for me, he just rolled with the punches: that's what I'm about to do now too.

I noticed a lot of you losers out there are posting lists of your favorite games of the decade: BORING! It's time Neon showed you a thing or two about celebrating a damn decade, and that time is right about now, with some visual assistance by hart704.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for a real look back at the past ten years, and it truly will take a renaissance man's guidance to give you that look back at ages past. Each blog post from here on out will have the award for the 2009 winner along with the corresponding image provided by hart704, and immediately following we'll take a look at the one game of the decade that will really stick with us all another ten years down the line.

Time to start reflecting, folks!
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Fantasy. No matter how you slice it Tales of Vesperia is better than Mass Effect. Sure, story and presentation may not be as high up as BioWare's gem, but when it comes down to it, exciting battles, great boss fights and a cast of characters that you can't help but fall in love with make Vesperia a true blue RPG experience that anyone will enjoy. The game doesn't begin with saving the world, and then again, neither does Mass Effect, and while both of them manage to be cut down to just that basic premise by the end, Vesperia is the game that will make you shut up and pay attention just to see what will happen next. What really makes Vesperia's characters awesome, whether you play as them or not, is that they're distinctly grounded in reality. There's no ridiculous freak who has mommy issues so he decides to destroy the world with a ten foot sword (I'm sure I just described half of all RPG villains). Instead, you're greeted by characters that have their own agendas, characters that fight against you because they're fighting for what they believe to be right. You may not understand a few of them throughout and the game will leave them, even in defeat, as a character whom even your party can't understand. It won't try to explain every little detail to you, it'll just let you decide for yourself. And who can forget the line spoken before the final battle, "And how can you be so sure that yours is the right choice?"

OTHER NOMINEES

• Bookworm Adventures 2 (PC)
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PC)
• Mass Effect (Xbox 360/PC)

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BEST ROLE-PLAYING GAME OF AGES PAST

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (GameCube)

Fantasy. As I type this I'm gearing up to find a copy of the original Paper Mario and for good reason, The Thousand Year Door is the best role-playing game I have ever had the pleasure of completing (and more times than any other RPG before or after it at that). There's a distinct charm, a sort of soul that can be found in The Thousand Year Door that makes it better than other RPGs. It's just too delightful to pass up.

Mario leaves the Mushroom Kingdom behind after he receives a letter from Princess Peach to meet her at Rogueport where she has found a treasure map. Once Mario gets there he learns that the unthinkable has happened: Princess Peach has been kidnapped BUT NOT BY BOWSER! The X-Nauts arrive at the scene to apprehend Goombella, a perky Goomba who goes to the University of Goom where she studies Archeaology. She hides behind Mario and after he saves her plants a kiss on the portly plumber (Mario gets kissed a lot, just an FYI for the more sensitive readers out there). From there the story unfolds as Mario begins a journey that has been in the making for 1000 years when four heroes, brave and bold, stood up to an evil demon.

Mario will head off to various locales, including tropical islands where ghosts of pirates dwell, a train where he takes part in a Sherlock Holmes-type mystery, a haunted castle where an evil Dragon who has a weakness to the sound of crickets waits to gobble you up and a great big tree where little Punies live in the Boggly Woods. The graphics are beautiful and I can only think of two other games that can come close to matching it, Paper Mario and Super Paper Mario.

An ensemble cast of misfits will join your party from the salty sea bo-bomb Bobbery to the bashful Koops, the adorable Vivian, the perky Goombella and more. Even NPCs will charm you like Flavio, a boastful sailor who makes up tales of his own courage, or Pa-patch the one-eyed Bo-bomb. The forgetful mayor of Petalburg and of course, TEC. The game has excellent writing and humor that will leave you smiling the whole time you play it. But the game keeps the storybook format and even has battles take place on-stage where on-lookers cheer or boo for you for every battle. The game is like a play and it's only fitting that the best RPG of the decade get a Shakespearean treatment throughout with sharp writing and a clear desire to be on-stage.

The tales grows increasingly interesting as Luigi embarks on his own adventure that he tells you all about and Bowser sets out to be the one to capture Princess Peach, after all, that's his job.

Mario's finest adventure on the GameCube wasn't Sunshine, though it was an excellent game, it was his exploits in hunting down the Crystal Stars and putting a stop to... well, I'll let you play the game for yourself. It's not like you'll regret it.

Folks, I'm a (insert one of these awesome words here: man/boy/guy/dude/fella/ninja/renaissance man) and when it comes to doing things I do them. If I come across a problem, I take care of it, but if it can't be taken care of than let me tell you I will not dwell on it. Should the need to address that problem arise I will deal with it then, but if there's a way around it to make things even more interesting: well I sure as hell can do that.

I was going to post a 2009 Game of the Year blog with all of these stellar images provided by hart704 who is a (insert one of these awesome words here: man/boy/guy/dude/fella/knight/renaissance man) and graciously offered to make me images for a 2009 Game of the Year award show. Well, hot damn, I went to the guy with a list of 26 categories and called it a day. Than I realized I gave the guy FREAKING 26 CATEGORIES and called it a day. But he did it quickly and didn't even budge. That's how awesome hart is, he didn't even give me time to think about the ludicrous amount of images I asked him to make for me, he just rolled with the punches: that's what I'm about to do now too.

I noticed a lot of you losers out there are posting lists of your favorite games of the decade: BORING! It's time Neon showed you a thing or two about celebrating a damn decade, and that time is right about now, with some visual assistance by hart704.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for a real look back at the past ten years, and it truly will take a renaissance man's guidance to give you that look back at ages past. Each blog post from here on out will have the award for the 2009 winner along with the corresponding image provided by hart704, and immediately following we'll take a look at the one game of the decade that will really stick with us all another ten years down the line.

Time to start reflecting, folks!
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Mirror's Edge manages to capture what no other platformer has ever captured before: full body immersion. When you run up against a wall Faith won't simply stop, she'll place her hand up against the wall. Start running and her arms and legs pound in front of the screen. The 'Runner's Vision' is also an excellent idea that anyone playing for the first time should use. Some might think it's ridiculous that items are highlighted in red, but as you control Faith's body it shows you what she sees and how she views a stack of crates as opposed to us. I see it for what it is, but Faith sees it as a platform to help her reach other areas. Mirror's Edge goes above and beyond what was expected of it: it made platforming an unique experience again. And so soon at that.

OTHER NOMINEES

• Klonoa (Wii)
• New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)
• Prince of Persia (Xbox 360)

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BEST PLATFORMER OF AGES PAST

Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

I tried my best to think of another platformer I played this decade that could topple such an obvious choice, but then again, if a choice is obvious it probably means it deserves it, and there is no game about stupidly jumping at impossible angles that can compete with Mario's latest 3D outing. Super Mario Sunshine is fun. It's unique and quirky and lets you do a great many things in a few places. Super Mario Galaxy is fun. It's unique and quirky and lets you do a few things in a great many places. And that's what makes this game better: focus.

The game mechanics in Galaxy are basic. You run. You jump. You have a spin attack. You run. You jump. There are no messing with ideas to give players some stupid gimmick, Galaxy focuses on one thing and one thing only: jumping. You might ask yourself how anyone can enjoy that, but even looking at shooters, comparing Gears of War 2 and Halo 3 for instance, ultimately Halo 3 is the significantly better experience since it focuses on one thing: shooting a gun while Gears of War 2 goes willy nilly all over the place. Galaxy's greatest strength is that the game never goes overboard with ridiculous gameplay inventions. You run. You jump. If you have any questions I'll answer them for you right now. Run. Jump.

What Nintendo wisely chose to do was make the levels as creative and original as possible, where the idea that Mario could go anywhere, stand anywhere and do as he pleases. And it works. You'll find yourself running around upside down and in circles on small planetoids or asteroids, flying through the air, skating on ice one minute and keeping your balance on a giant sphere as you try to avoid falling into a black hole or burning Mario on lava.

The boss battles take on an epic scale as well, particularly the multiple fights against series' big baddie Bowser. You'll run, you'll jump and you'll spin-attack your way through. But whether you're spin attacking the weak spot of an enemy or spin attacking projectiles that he's shooting at you you'll ultimately be following the basics of platforming. The fact is, the level design and the depth of the challenges give Super Mario Galaxy long-lasting legs that let it shine on multiple playthroughs.

There's a sense of unique discovery with each level, and whether you're riding manta rays, or climbing up the side of a giant robot where the level and the boss battle are the same thing, you're in for a treat. The greatest of games know where their strengths lie and Nintendo wisely chose to focus Galaxy's strengths to what the series is best known for and then going all out with every other part of the game, where anything less than creative would be unacceptable.

Super Mario Galaxy is about one thing: jumping. But that's how I like my games. I like my shooters to be about shooting, my fighters to be about fighting, etc. Galaxy just so happens to do platforming better than any other game in the genre this decade. Here's to the red plumber who has never let us down (unless you hate his voice, then you're a lost cause).

Folks, I'm a (insert one of these awesome words here: man/boy/guy/dude/fella/ninja/renaissance man) and when it comes to doing things I do them. If I come across a problem, I take care of it, but if it can't be taken care of than let me tell you I will not dwell on it. Should the need to address that problem arise I will deal with it then, but if there's a way around it to make things even more interesting: well I sure as hell can do that.

I was going to post a 2009 Game of the Year blog with all of these stellar images provided by hart704 who is a (insert one of these awesome words here: man/boy/guy/dude/fella/knight/renaissance man) and graciously offered to make me images for a 2009 Game of the Year award show. Well, hot damn, I went to the guy with a list of 26 categories and called it a day. Than I realized I gave the guy FREAKING 26 CATEGORIES and called it a day. But he did it quickly and didn't even budge. That's how awesome hart is, he didn't even give me time to think about the ludicrous amount of images I asked him to make for me, he just rolled with the punches: that's what I'm about to do now too.

I noticed a lot of you losers out there are posting lists of your favorite games of the decade: BORING! It's time Neon showed you a thing or two about celebrating a damn decade, and that time is right about now, with some visual assistance by hart704.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for a real look back at the past ten years, and it truly will take a renaissance man's guidance to give you that look back at ages past. Each blog post from here on out will have the award for the 2009 winner along with the corresponding image provided by hart704, and immediately following we'll take a look at the one game of the decade that will really stick with us all another ten years down the line.

Time to start reflecting, folks!
---

Be careful when you go out tonight. They say the Grim Reaper has come to our fair city, and with his deadly weapon will bring about our demise. The most wanted man in the world, the highest bounty ever, come, Vigilantes, Sector Seven and Soldiers of the Librarium, to the beautiful city of Kagutsutchi where he has found himself now. The end of the world is near, but you wouldn't know that from where you're standing, dear friend. Come and see if you have what it takes to stop Ragna the Bloodedge.

OTHER NOMINEES

• Marvel VS. Capcom 2 (Xbox 360)
• Punch-Out!! (Wii)
• Tekken 6 (Xbox 360)

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BEST FIGHTING GAME OF AGES PAST

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (Xbox 360)

Sometimes a game comes along and changes everything. Sometimes a game comes along and gives you a new appreciation for a genre you thought you would never really be able to enjoy. In this instance that game is Arc System Works' BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger. Not only does this game deserve to be the best fighting game I played in the past decade, but it stands as the greatest fighting game I have ever played. Killer Instinct, Street Fighter II, Dead or Alive, Tekken, Virtua Fighter, Super Smash Bros, Soul Calibur, Mortal Kombat and others have all been cast aside. There can only be room for one, and this pedestal was always meant for BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger.

If there's one major difference between BlazBlue and the games I listed above it's that BlazBlue isn't exactly popular with everyone, while the other games all are. With the exception of Street Fighter II (which I played only as a child almost a dozen years ago) the games have tried to appeal to just about everyone. BlazBlue doesn't do that. BlazBlue came out of the gate running with all of its charm and quirk and quickly caught my attention by sheer originality alone, but it was after the effect of the graphics when the gameplay took hold of me.

BlazBlue doesn't follow the blueprint of Street Fighter like almost every other game (I believe Tekken is an exception as well with its one button for each limb controls), it changes things up with some nice additions. The most obvious and important of which being the Drive Attack. A, B, C, and D are all attack button, A is weak, B is medium, C is strong and D is the Drive Attack, ultimately, a wild card and your preference for what character you want to play as most will definitely be impacted by your choice of Drive Attack. The three best suited for beginners to the genre like myself will be Ragna, Jin and Noel (look at mah sesky avatar!), since the benefits of their Drive Attacks will be apparent readily, but others, like Arakune and Rachel will have Drive Attacks, like cursing opponents or control of the wind that may seem hard to get your head around at first, but will eventually grow on you the more you play. Even Bang's Drive Attack, which opens up his Super Saiyan mode as I like to call it (with awesome music to boot) serves another purpose: countering opponents. This was something that took a while for me to get a handle on it, and I wasn't too big on Bang until my friend usagi704 pointed out the fact that it allows you to counter and attack enemies instead.

BlazBlue is hectic and fast, but I love it. A lot of people say the game isn't really suited for beginners, but I easily consider myself a beginner. That might be because I'm not exactly the most competitive person around when it comes to videogames, and whether I win or lose I always have fun with this game. I suppose choosing a fighting game to enjoy will probably be based on your personal preferences more than anything and I enjoy my fighters fast, though nowhere near as fast as Marvel VS. Capcom 2... I can't wrap my head around that game at all to learn it, but multiplayer is fun with other unskilled noobs. Still, BlazBlue is my favorite fighting game of all time, and I'm glad that I took a chance on it and bought it.

I still remember when I first went to get it. I was sitting at home and reading all of the positive reviews the game received (barring GS since they posted their review a month later) and I decided to buy BlazBlue. But work was going to start in 30 minutes! So I checked online to see availability in local stores like Best Buy and BlockBuster, but they were all sold out. So I decided to check GameStop, and I found a store with a single copy left, a few miles away from me in another city. So I drove to them and for the first time in my life I bought a game from GameStop. I ran out, took the game home, got changed into my work clothes and got to work 20 minutes late. In the end though it was worth it, because that mad dash to find this game is nothing compared to how much I love BlazBlue.