Author's Note: I rarely play and enjoy enough quality games to justify creating a full-fledged top ten "Game of the Year" blog or list. While I love video games and moderate a video game website, my video game library is woefully swamped with games I have never played. Sometimes my other "passions," can get in the way of me effectively tackling my gaming backlog. I watched approximately fifteen to sixteen animes throughout 2016 and returned to the wonderful world of professional wrestling. So, instead of whipping up a "traditional" Game of the Year blog I usually hand out "Special Distinction Awards" for a variety of shows, moments, and games which graced me throughout 2016. So with that, let's get on with my awards.

WARNING!!! THERE ARE MASSIVE TELEVISION AND VIDEO GAME SPOILERS ON THIS BLOG POST! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

Worst Thing I Played Claiming To Be Entertainment: Nekopara Vol. 0, 1, & 2

Why in the world am I bothering to waste my energy on this schlock? Nekopara is barely a “game” in the literal sense. There are no choices to be had, nor romances to evolve over the course of its smut-based story. The art is atrocious, and the locations are soul-crushingly monotonous. At best, the Nekopara games are a “left mouse click simulator,” wherein your only agency is clicking to see the next scene. The character portraits uncomfortably gesticulate to create the illusion of animation, and there are cat puns… so many cat puns.

Fun story, this was the second game I played side by side with thatpinguino. Upon discovering the “real” conceit of Nekopara, I was immediately filled with regret in roping him into my slow descent into catgirl induced madness. After we both succumbed to our slumbers the night after finishing the game I idiotically assumed our friendship was in question. That is how bad Nekopara is. I honestly thought it had permanently ruined a cherished friendship. Luckily for me, my assumption was proven incorrect as alliances based on Final Fantasy are too strong even for visual novel based filth to destroy.

Normally I wouldn’t give my personal vendetta to commit video game-based seppuku the light of day. Nonetheless, there’s something “special” about how awful Nekopara is. Maybe between it selling four songs from its OST as DLC for $10, or its overt themes of human slavery added to that. Either way, anything which features the Nekopara name should be avoided at all costs.

Worst Technological Development: Apple’s Dongle Hell

Oh, woe is me, of all the technological devices which reeked of the 1980s, Apple chose to draw from the quaint dongle to save its financial ass. Apple’s decision to use the dongle was certainly a tactical one to ensure its shareholders some semblance of calm as the company embarked on one of the most frustrating journeys into forced obsolescence. Was it a decision which benefited consumers? NO, TEN TIMES OVER NO! Between the company’s recent follies with the latest iPhone or MacBook, Apple is shunning the same base which ensured its survival during its darkest days.

As an educator, I can simply say the current direction of Apple seems much like an alternate reality spun by its competition’s wildest desires. As many industries purchase new technology from Apple, we find it immediately outdated within two to three years. Desiring to use our second generation technology forces us to delve into messy solutions the company believes pose only minimal annoyances. It is also worth noting how monumental Apple was in the art and education services business prior to the passing of Steve Jobs. Two industries which are not entirely excited with Apple placing the burden of making their tech usable on their consumers. And what is this in the name of? Why shunting iOS consumers towards Lightning-connected accessories no one honestly needs!

So enters the dongle. While I would love to use a 4K projection screen for my Prezi classroom presentations, this is a fool's errand for me to hope for. So instead, I have had to scrounge up multiple dongles just to use my MacBook’s basic services. All because the geniuses at Apple thought it was a great idea to create a MacBook with only USB-C ports. GREAT, this will work wonderfully on a projector which only has one HDMI out as well as a VGA port! Are these dongles as seamless and easy to use as the sleek designs of Apple's products suggest?

“Dongle Hell” was certainly an easily avoided nightmare, but one Apple shows no sign of stopping. It’s a torment I, and many other consumers, will be forced to reckon with for years to come.

Worst Follow-up/Sequel: Season Six Of The Walking Dead

Now it is time for a bit of controversy! Before the internet is thrown into a tizzy regarding technicalities, I am aware of season six of The Walking Dead starting in 2015. On the flip side, the disappointment I felt was not fully entrenched inside of me until the season’s conclusion in 2016. The Walking Dead’s teasing of Negan is certainly the first issue to belay about the latest season. The whole season practically built towards his reveal, and the brief mentioning of his name here and there was the main draw. Then he kept not showing up. The show forced you to twiddle your thumbs in anticipation, and this was a thoroughly frustrating affair after three episodes.

Then episode eight of Season Six happened, and you realized things were not getting better.

Then Negan showed up! Once he did the deaths he caused were certainly awful and appropriate for his characterization, but they felt painfully empty. The series felt as if it was running on fumes as it desperately tried in vain to one-up previous season shockers. As Negan swung his intimidating baseball bat the series became naked in its attempt to exploit shock to draw in audiences. But even then, if you were a viewer you still held out hope the genius minds which provided us with glorious storytelling prior to this fanwankery would kick into gear.

Did the season recover? Eh, the rest of the season simply barreling forward with Negan was an awkward exercise in messy storytelling. It was clear to even the simplest mind the writers had essentially written themselves into a hole and had no idea on how to get out of said hole. It didn’t help the characterization of the remaining cast had also worsened. The first offense involved Daryl taking over the role of Carl, despite not being THAT interesting of a character. (Search your heart; you know this is true) Then you top this off with Dwight being as awful as he normally is, and season six was just a slow moving disaster.

Biggest Disappointment: Seafall

Oh, I so wanted to like Seafall. All its mechanics on paper seemed interesting in concept. Then you throw in the trappings of the legacy format, and it looked as if Seafall had a winning recipe. Even as I look over my mostly used copy of the game I am still amazed at the quality of its figures and cards. It should have been an amazing experience for any dedicated board gamer.

Despite being advertised as a legacy game which will invert your expectations Seafall is a standard "pick-up and deliver" Euro-game for a SOLID two to three hours. The legacy mechanics develop at a snail's pace, and it isn’t until the game’s halfway point (i.e. hour five) until these legacy trappings genuinely impact the story. For me, I didn’t have an “OH SHIT” moment until game six or seven, and even then my patience had already been dulled. Legacy games are predicated on shocking audiences with revelatory moments, and Seafall is not mindful of this fact. Worse yet, Seafall spends so much time teaching more than a dozen new mechanics it comes across as a “jack of all trades, but master of none.”

The point system is also a mess. Endeavoring to develop the story receives minimal in-game compensation for the time it requires. Per contra, working on the fringes of the map trading provides points like crazy. If you wish to win in Seafall you are encouraged to complete a half-dozen or so boring errands, whereas being able to unleash the game’s next legacy trapping does diddly squat. Worse yet, understanding when you have earned or lost a point requires you to consult the game’s stupidly byzantine foldable pamphlet.

Seafall is the board game equal to a high budget James Cameron or Ridley Scott movie. It looks great, but once you start to inspect it you begin to notice it is held together using duct tape and crazy glue.

Dumbest Victim Of Fan/Internet Outcry: Erased

I hate the mainstream anime press. I say this as someone who has next to no experience in the anime press, and certainly respects the long hours members of the press work to provide their audience with content. That aside, the anime press, for the most part, is stuck in a bygone era which the gaming press shirked away from ten years ago. Headlines are produced with minimal research, and reviews are essentially 90% plot summary and 10% subjective extrapolation. Discussions of mood, tone, theme, pathos, and art direction, are often thrown to the wayside for the sake of discussing if the action scenes “looked cool.” And Lord have mercy on your soul if you think you can find quality criticism of anime on YouTube.

Yearly the press selects one show to present as the “most interesting” offering from the anime industry. Sometimes the press is correct, and most times it is horribly incorrect. Personally, I find the press’s penchant for presenting a yearly “SAVIOR OF ANIME,” to be an exhausting and painful exercise. Nonetheless, this year the press’s sacrificial lamb of its noted inadequacies was Erased. Erased was a simple science-fiction show with a mostly self-serious story grounded in a superficial reality. Its ups and downs were perfectly fine as long as you hadn’t drunk the anime press’s Kool-Aid, and thus originally suspected it to be the panacea to your own personal and societal maladies.

Then Erased had a story pivot which wasn’t to the liking of the average anime fan, and thousands wrote many an angry forum post about the show. With many of these same commenters failing to recognize the only reason why they were disappointed was due to the press. However, all was forgiven when the same press, which set up audiences for disappointment, placated to their hostile sentimentality in their reviews. And so the beast goes strong and will likely have another whipping boy to feast upon next year. It is a painful cycle no one seems to recognize, and I’m here to lament the loss of civility.

And seriously, Erased is a fine show with standard anime trappings. It sometimes fails to rise to the occasion, but if you honestly feel an adaptation of a Seinen manga series warrants a public outcry then… there’s no hope… just none.

Most Enjoyable Guilty Pleasure: My Hero Academia

Sometimes I just want to have fun. Sometimes I just want to watch flashy action-packed heroes beat up the bad guys. Sometimes I want to watch an easy to follow spectacle. Sometimes I do not want to be challenged intellectually. Lo and behold, My Hero Academia provides all this and then some.

My Hero Academia is a fun journey and one of the easiest to recommend shows from 2016. In a year which subjected us to what was essentially the “drizzly shits” of life the word “fun,” is the only justification you need to watch a show. The ensemble cast features every trick and trope an able bodied writer could use, but somehow the show makes this work. Rather than pander to its audience each of the show’s characters serves a purpose easily telegraphed to the viewer. The protagonist starts out flawed, and basically remains so throughout the series. My Hero Academia is less about the protagonist becoming the strongest character in the story, and instead learning to accommodate his inadequacies via creative thinking and using his allies. It is a show which works within a visible network of well-entrenched tropes and idioms. When this is the case with any source of entertainment your only hope is the characters are interesting and worthy of empathy. With regard to My Hero Academia, this is certainly the case.

Everyone I have talked to about this show has their favorite character and extols different justifications for their choice. In this regard, My Hero Academia is essentially an anime rendition of the Justice League animated series from years ago. Characters are each provided ample time to shine and win you over, and everyone has a believable cause to unify behind. My Hero Academia does not engage its audience intellectually, but it is certainly going to provide them with a smile. To be perfectly honest, sometimes this is exactly what the doctor ordered for.

Most Improved Source Of Entertainment: Lucifer Season 2

And speaking of watching something just for the sake of “having fun” let’s talk about Lucifer. Lucifer is the most fun you can have with a big-budget broadcast television network show bar none.

Tom Ellis depicts the fallen son of God with such a sense of glee you eventually are won over by his acting alone. The first season of Lucifer was a slightly elevated “guilty pleasure.” Lucifer’s characterization was serviceable enough, but the show was ultimately held back by its forced moments of sentimentality. Not all these moments were stumbling blocks for the first season, but they certainly existed. An even bigger issue was the dynamic between Lucifer and Detective Chloe Decker as the detective was processing her pending divorce. Scenes addressing this point usually resulted in the corniest moments in season one.

Then comes season two and everything is better! The B-plot involving Detective Chloe Decker and her ex-husband is no longer painful drivel. Lucifer had an added dynamic with his relatives, including a wonderful story arc involving his mother. Finally, Amenadie is FUCKING AMAZING in season two! The actor portraying Amenadie not only elevates the character beyond the scant few lines of dialogue he is provided, but he has quickly become one of my favorite characters in current television.

Somehow season two of Lucifer finally found the correct mix between self-seriousness and gleeful destruction on the part of Lucifer. The character has evolved into a more pensive and inquisitive figure rather than a sadistic puppeteer. This, in turn, has done wonders for the show’s story. Is Lucifer “perfect?” Well I never claimed that. What I will say is Lucifer is the perfect show to view if you just want to watch something stupidly fun.

Best Use Of 2016: Broken Matt Hardy

Broken Matt Hardy is the best thing to happen to wrestling, in the United States mind you, since Daniel Bryan won the main-event of Wrestlemania 30. The gimmick shouldn’t have worked, but Matt Hardy got behind the gimmick so passionately you had to support him by default. And GOODNESS has it been a fantastic journey for Matt Hardy! He was a man who almost completely lived in the shadow of his brother, and finally, he’s been able to stand on the laurels of his own accomplishments. There simply is no denying his “Broken persona” is a beautiful creation of his own design. On top of that, it’s without a doubt one of the greatest underdog stories told inside a ring in a good long time.

It’s the most entertaining story I have watched all year. Somewhere between losing the TNA Heavyweight Title and now Matt Hardy gained the ability to talk to spirits, change his accent, defeat all comers, and basically inject new life into the indie wrestling scene. There’s love injected in every bit of Broken Matt Hardy’s character, and it clearly shows. The man has shot some of the most compelling promos of his career, and his ability to add new levels of crazy to his character is beyond commendable. Speaking of which, let’s review some of Broken Matt Hardy’s accomplishments this year:

• Became TNA Tag-Team Champion with his brother, and for the first time is the “brains” of the tag-team.
• Got a boat over with the fans.
• Got his two-year-old son over with the fans.
• Got a drone over with the fans.
• Boosted TNA’s rating beyond their normal viewership.
• Became a hot commodity on the indie scene.
• Responsible for the best episode of Chris Jericho’s podcast this year.
• Is ready to take on the Young Bucks in Ring of Honor.

Can we discuss how Broken Matt Hardy got what is ostensibly the “pop of the year,” in Ring of Honor of all places? You know… the same promotion wherein the last time a Hardy was in it, Jeff got booed out of the stadium? That’s a “big deal” in my books, and a clear sign of an effective use of 2016.

Best Music: Stranger Things

I honestly was thinking of having the recipient of this award be “Every Netflix Original Series Intro Theme From 2016.” That seemed unfair, so I went ahead and selected the clearest winner of that slate of award recipients. Anyways, I could ramble about Stranger Things quickly becoming my favorite short series of all time until the heat explosion of the sun. Nonetheless, this about Stranger Things having one of the most evocative soundtracks of 2016, and I will hear no other arguments otherwise.

I am well aware the push back recently beset on the internet regarding electronica and synthcore soundtracks, but fuck it! The intro theme to Stranger Things is so perfect I feel fully confident in ignoring such backlash at the risk of coming across as a bandwagon jumper. When you watch your first episode of Stranger Things you honestly don’t know what you have signed up for. Well, that is until the intro theme starts playing. It is at that point you fully understand how the show will play out. The tone and mood are effectively spelled out to the audience as they hum along with the show’s theme.

The rest of the soundtrack is no slouch either. While many of the tracks are naked attempts to exploit audience nostalgia, you can almost forgive it as it so perfectly fits what happens on the screen. The moody shifts in the soundtrack create a true sense of mystery as an intrepid group of children set out to explore their surroundings. As the music shifts, you know the action and pace of the story will as well. It’s a highly enthralling soundtrack which accomplishes exactly what it set out to do and then some.

Best Scene: Orange Is The New Black (Season Four) [THAT SCENE from "The Animals"]

Here’s another controversial statement: I think season four of Orange Is The New Black is just “OKAY.” The show wasn’t disappointing, nor was it abjectly terrible, instead it was exactly what you signed up for. It was plodding and pedantic at times, and occasionally enthralling when its pacing decided to get its act together. Season four was equal parts entertaining as well as infuriating. The prison becoming a for-profit organization was interesting on paper but utilized inconsistently.

Then Poussey died in the second to last episode, and you almost want to forgive the show for its previous sins.

In doing so Orange Is The New Black provides a cautious reminder of the costs of standing up for yourself, and how painful doing so can be. It was a senseless death which transcends storytelling and plunges deep into your consciousness. As you watch the character experience agony your heart drops, and the tears start to roll as you cry out “NO!” The emotions you feel, as one of the most pleasurable characters in television passes away, draws you into a madness you know the answer to, and thus are left stunned everything has come to this.

The scene is utterly heartbreaking. It broke me. I was an emotional wreck for two days after watching it. I walked away from the show for a week before committing myself to the final episode. I just couldn’t, and finally, when it was all done, I learned from my emotions as it ended.

It is without a doubt one of the most gut-wrenching scenes the series has subjected its audience to since the plagues and pleasures of season two. The scene is so heartbreaking you almost have to question why it took place on the penultimate episode rather than the season closer. This all aside, this specific moment may not have been the most pleasurable moment to be had in 2016, but it is damn near the most important.

Best Character: Vivi

What more can I say about Vivi beyond what I have already said? He is an amazing vessel in which the writers behind Final Fantasy IX are able to transpose the best the game has to offer. With Vivi, Final Fantasy IX ends up depicting one of the most “human” characters in all video games. Vivi is without a doubt a consistent joy only the most heartless bastard would scoff at, and I say this as a blogger with a reputation for being an asshole nitpicker.

Vivi shows a character evolution which serves the story well, especially through some ridiculous moments. However, for me at least, Vivi’s inclusion was a constant draw which pulled me back into Final Fantasy IX’s otherwise superficial mythos. Every time I wanted to walk away from Final Fantasy IX the game sent a laser guided Vivi-bomb directly towards my heartstrings. As I wallowed in garbage minigames, there was Vivi to comfort my soul and remind me things would get better.

It’s amazing what Square accomplished with Vivi in forty to fifty hours. If anything, Vivi serves as a friendly reminder that when the Final Fantasy series embraces the characters of its narrative, more than its notoriously bonkers storytelling, it can and will surprise you. As you ride the Final Fantasy roller coaster you are at least able to know there is some joy and fun to be had, as you immediately succumb to the pains of whiplash. Through the mist and the madness, Vivi taught me to always take the time to stop and cherish my surroundings. For that, I am forever in his debt.

Best Level: Midgar (Final Fantasy VII)

Are you ready for another potentially controversial blanket statement? The intro to Final Fantasy VII is one of the single greatest introductions in video game history. I know… this may be the “craziest” thing I have said yet! If you are wondering, “yes,” the swooping introduction to the reactor scene is still an emotionally gripping moment to marvel over. As the game pans out to provide the audience with a visual tour of the world they are in, they immediately have a desire to explore the game’s world. Midgar is a teeming steampunkian paradise that has clearly seen its better day, and it’s admirable the game communicates this without a single line of spoken dialogue.

Midgar is a visual tour de force even today. The level exudes character and as you walk through its seedy streets you begin to understand Square Enix’s line of thinking regarding the Remake. With this level, entire generations of Final Fantasy fans were created. One could even argue neophytes were introduced to the JRPG genre thanks to Final Fantasy VII, and on that note Midgar played a role in guaranteeing this. This, more than anything else, is why Final Fantasy VII is required playing for any video game enthusiast who wishes to write about games professionally. Final Fantasy VII may well be the most historically important JRPG ever made.

So I’ll end this entry with the last couple of sentences which graced the final episode of my Final Fantasy VII retrospective:

Final Fantasy VII is a bit of a mess to play today. It requires your utmost patience and due diligence to get anything out of it. As such, you would have to be a madman to want to play Final Fantasy VII today, and that’s exactly why you should.

Game I Enjoyed Playing The Most: Civilization VI

I am about to make a tenuous differentiation between “enjoyed” and “experienced” in my next two entries. Civilization VI is the game I enjoyed “playing” in large part because I found the game to be an otherwise seamless entry in one of my all-time favorite video game franchises. As someone who always felt Civilization V took one too many missteps from Civilization IV, VI was a mostly enjoyable compromise between the two. While I will always champion being able to bring down entire civilizations via cultural expansion (i.e. IV), VI makes do with the changes it does contribute to the franchise.

The increased flexibility regarding the technology tree, and finally encouraging players to carefully plan and place their cities are among the more laudable changes to the Civilization format. Agenda driven A.I. opponents also was a welcomed change of pace given how it curtails the oftentimes overabundance of war earlier entries were guilty of. Naked aggression has been replaced with a casus belli (i.e. justifying war) doctrine. Beyond this, the game is visually delightful to look at, and thus encourages players to explore their maps to their furthest corners.

Like many others, I am still torn about the slower movement speed of units, as well as what I view as the game’s hackneyed religious victory condition. Is the religion system in VI an improvement upon V? Yes, but having a toddler put the square peg in the square hole would have been an improvement on Civilization V’s religion system. On top of that, replacing the diplomacy victory condition with the new religious one seems against the original spirit of the franchise. There are other quibbles I have with the game, but they seem minor in the grand scheme of things.

There has never been a Civilization game I have not sunk in over fifty hours into, and Civilization VI will not cease this tradition. If I were to hazard a guess Civilization VI will enter my secretive pantheon of games I have played for over 100 hours. Here it will be in the welcome company of many of its immediate relatives.

Best Experience: Final Fantasy IX

So here we are, in what is the worst kept secret in all Giant Bomb blog-dom. My Final Fantasy IX blog series has not yet concluded, but I can assure you there was no other experience I enjoyed having more than it. It was far from being a smooth ride, what with the bonkers story pivot and painfully inconsistent characterization, but it provided the most gaming related fun I had all year. If you are reading this then you likely joined one of my many hearty debates regarding narrative structure, as well as art direction regarding the game. These discussions are guilty of being “armchair writing,” but they have been constructive debates which I am still greatly appreciative of.

Then there’s the matter of me actually “enjoying” the ebbs and flows of Final Fantasy IX. At its worst Final Fantasy IX was a frustrating affair which exhausted my patience. At its best Final Fantasy IX was a narrative masterpiece I shall cherish for the rest of my life. Somehow, and I know this sounds unbelievable, the game ended up winning me over despite its issues. My interactions with thatpinguino, and many of you highlighted the impact video games can have on their intended audiences. While I was skeptical at first of Final Fantasy IX having long term nuances worth holding onto, I am a changed man, to say the least.

Vivi, Steiner, Zidane, and so many other characters were simply a joy to watch, and I am glad to have watched them mature and grow. Now do I actually recommend you play Final Fantasy IX yourself? GOODNESS, this is a question I am still struggling to answer to this day. But do not let this entirely shame you into wanting to explore one of the most joyous and enthralling video games ever created. If you are looking for a fun time, you will eventually have one in Final Fantasy IX. Through Hell and high waters, I eventually had one when I played it. For better or worse I shall remember Final Fantasy IX until time subsides.