Its that time of year where every major critic and blogger is busy working on their best of the year lists. Personally, I love reading those lists but I get a little tired of reading about the same movies over and over again. You know what I mean. Every list is basically a variation of the same twenty movies or so. If I read one more sentence about how The Tree of Life is a visionary experience unlike any other I think I might lose my mind. I like to read these lists to find movies that I havent heard of rather than reading about the same Oscar Bait that hits cinemas every fall. So, it is in that spirit that I present my annual list of my ten favorite obscure films of the year. These are the films that slipped through the cracks, the ones that were missed by critics and general audiences alike. This was a good year for obscure movies and I was hard pressed to keep my list to ten. Now, lets take a look at the best movies of the year that Oscar will inevitably forget:

In a trend that is all-too-familiar these days, the 22 year veterans at GamePro have decided to stop producing both magazines and online content. GamePro was once at the forefront of the modern video gaming magazine and came up through the ranks of other popular gaming magazines like Electronic Gaming Monthly, who also had a period without production. Sadly, I feel as though we will continue to lose these 3rd party gaming publishers out there. I can't remember a time in my youth when I didn't constantly tear through issues of GamePro reading cover to cover. As someone who always loved some great gaming journalism its sad to see GamePro head the way of the dinosaur. I can speak for many of us here at Nerd Blerp, magazines like GamePro were part of our lives as kids, and young adults.

When Zelda games get released my life tends to stop for a moment. I have been playing Zelda games since I was a kid, and have embraced it as one of my favorite series in gaming. Many of we children of the 80s and 90s have an appreciation for Zelda and her legend that precedes even its significance. Zelda is not just a game, but an experience, a lineage, and for many of us a beautiful representation of our own childhoods. So when November 20th, rolled around I made sure to get to my local Gamestop early, and jump right into the new adventure!

From the first few moments of Zelda: Skyward Sword, I felt immediately familiar with the characters and the objectives. You wake up (like in all Zelda games), and have to do a bunch of town work before you can have your big day against the town bully. We've seen this in most Zelda games since Ocarina, and this is no different. However, while feeling familiar, there was definitely a feeling of adventure that I have not felt from a Zelda game in a long time. Something about this game was different, even from the opening minutes of gameplay. Wii Motion-Plus did not rear its new head for a little while, but once that opened up, it felt even more unfamiliar. This was not another swing and slash Zelda game like Twilight Princess. Skyward Sword was unique, and classic at the same time. Nintendo has been on a great tear recently, combining their classic franchises with new updated gameplay style and elements. Skyward Sword also benefits from this mentality. The beautiful water-colored graphics pop off the screen unlike anything else. Link looks like an unholy combination between Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, and Zelda has a unique Nordic appeal. While their movements and expressions still seem quite Japanese (even more so in this game), Skyward Sword feels like a game that is for everyone!

The gameplay in Zelda: Skyward Sword is what differentiates itself from other games in the series the most. Wii Motion plus has added a gigantic depth to sword-fighting and the one-on-one combat is wonderfully difficult. You can find yourself spending quite a bit of time learning just how to attack that skulltulla (even though you're going to get hit a lot). Also, fighting armed enemies is another test of skill and intelligence as you need to hit them at exactly the right time, with exactly the right slice or poke. Motion Plus also adds to Nintendo's ability to create new and unique puzzles that have not been seen in Zelda games. After the first few dungeons I have yet to come across a torch puzzle, and I'm quite thankful for that! The puzzles in Skyward Sword feel incredibly fresh and beautifully original for a series that has been known for falling in the same puzzle-solving pitfalls. Wii Motion Plus does make Skyward Sword feel a little sluggish, but I believe that slow feeling actually increases accuracy and has since felt more and more natural with each hour spent in game.

What I do not care for with Motion Plus is that flying still feels messy. In Skyward Sword the player flies around The Sky above, The Surface on a large bird called a Loftwing. While flying has replaced the lion boat from Wind Waker, I still feel like it's a bother. Flying, while easy to control, feels somewhat inaccurate. I may just need to spend more time with that mode and fine-tune my skills, but right now it feels like the weak point in the game for me.

The environment in Skyward Sword is quite fun on the other hand. The Sky and Skyloft sit above the clouds which lie above what we know as Hyrule, and the people of The Sky know as The Surface. It's clear that the surface is Hyrule by looking at the world map. Once in Hyrule, the player can figure out that this world is grossly underdeveloped from a storyline perspective. The environments in Hyrule are gorgeous, and prove that this is what the Wii should have been doing over the past six years. Hyrule feels like it's either a world struggling to survive, or something that is waiting to be born or reborn. Since Nintendo is purposely ambiguous with when their Zelda games take place (they LOVE when people fight over Zelda continuity), it's hard to place when Skyward Sword takes place....even if this game feels like it would be first story in the series. The world of Hyrule feels and looks like a combination of the Hyrule from Ocarina and the world of Twilight Princess. I also enjoy the sky element of Skyward Sword, as it makes me feel nostalgic for other gaming gems like Skies of Arcadia!

As far as gameplay goes, Zelda: Skyward Sword does NOT disappoint. It's classic Zelda wrapped up with strikingly new Zelda. The soundtrack even feels different from other titles, and the look is something completely unique, more storybook than cartoon. It's clear that Zelda: Skyward Sword is a master class on everything that Zelda has created. Nintendo played a giant game of trial and error with the Zelda series, and Skyward Sword is the finished product. It's hard to imagine with The Big N will do with this series in the future, because Skyward Sword is the pinnacle of Zelda innovation. I won't make any outrageous claims that say it's better than Ocarina or A Link to the Past, but it's definitely the best Zelda game to have been released in the past 10 years.

What I liked: Swordplay! Sense of adventure, and the feeling that this game is going to be LONG! I like the look and the characters, and that Link and Zelda have an actual relationship other than boy saves girl. The game is incredibly fleshed out and it just feels plain WONDERFUL!The game is also on the difficult side, which is nice!

What I didn't: Motion Plus is great in most circumstances, but I still don't care for the bird travelling. Also, the Motion Plus fighting does take its toll on the ol' wrist.

What I loved?: Gorons are back...and that rules!

Netflix is a joy. No we dont receive any sort of kickback from the stream machine every time I say that. Its true though, Netflix is a wonderful addition to any PS3, 360, Wii, PC, Television, Roku, or iPad/Pod/Wad. I cant get enough of watching some excellent television (Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, orParks and Recreation) or great movies that I may have not seen yet. More recently, I have had the pleasure of helping my girlfriend get herself more into comic books. When a girl that you have very strong feelings for is headed down the right path and asks you for advice about The X-Men how could I not respond with, Sweetheart, I will show you the joys of the worldThrough NETFLIX!

The long awaited Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim hits store shelves this Friday, November 11, 2011. Its a pretty huge release for an Elder Scrolls player like me. I wasted many man hours sitting in front of my television and finishing quest after quest in Oblivion, Fallout 3, and Fallout: New Vegas. Im not newcomer to Bethesda or their style of play, so when I first heard about Skyrim I became immediately enamored by something that could have possibly outdone all of these games. Since I have little time before Skyrim is unleashed upon the public, I wanted to talk about one of my favorite genres of games, the RPG, because Bethesda just does it so well.

The RPG is a unique beast, and gamers have argued over what makes an RPG an RPG for years, and we still have not come up with a complete answer. Some will argue that an RPG is more story driven and character driven than other games. They say that an RPG is a game that promotes story and environment over action, and is driven more by its narrative than its gameplay. In many aspects, I must agree. Others will state that an RPG relies within the mechanics of a game. In RPGs characters should improve statistically and grow as you move along throughout the story. Not only will the players skill get better, but the in-game characters will progress naturally and logically throughout the game. Both sentiments I must agree with, however, in todays gaming, there is a fine line that separates RPGs from the rest of them. We have RPGs that feel like shooters, RPGs that play like action games, and RPGs that offer turn-based combat. Despite their inherent differences in style, all RPGs have similar features that make them great.

Let me get this out of the way first. I'm not an avid Kirby player. I never played Kirby's Dreamland on the Gameboy, nor had I played Kirby's Dreamland 2 or 3. I rented Kirby's Adventure once from Blockbuster and did the same for Kirby's Superstar. I have played a good deal of 2010's Kirby's Epic Yarn, but in the world of Kirby, I'm a relative novice. I do appreciate a great game when I play it though, and Kirby's Return to Dreamland is just that. As you may have seen here at Nerd Blerp, I have been talking up this game for quite some time. The second I put my hands on it at NY Comic Con 2011, I wanted it. Luckily, a trip to gamestop and a birthday gift later, and I've been able to hack my way through the wonderfully colorful environments of Dreamland, for what feels like the first time.

Kirby wraps up the trifecta of re-imagined classic platformers from Nintendo. In 2009 New Super Mario Bros. Wii, taught us how to love Mario again, while hating our friends. Donkey Kong Country Returns showed us that in new hands, DKC can be better (and more difficult) than it ever was. Lastly, we get Kirby. He's the oddball, the weird kid, and the loveable outcast of the Nintendo world. Even though his games have shared a great appreciation from their fans, Kirby seems to have been lost to the universe of Smash Bros. as a Smash character, and that's all. Kirby does have a fan base, but typically you don't hear too much talk about the pink puffball when gamers talk about the essence of platforming games. He is lost among the Marios, Sonics, and Donkey Kongs. It's unfair, because as Kirby's Return to Dreamland will prove, this little dude is hungry and ready to take on his competitors!

Kirby's Return to Dreamland is a fun, easy, game that does not scream hardcore by anyone's standards. The game spans five different worlds and while there are collection items to pick up, it's not nearly as frustrating to find them as it was to do so in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. What many critics may say is a gigantic setback is what makes Kirby much more enjoyable, in my opinion. The game is quite simple, and Kirby's abilities make it incredibly difficult for him to meet his end. He can jump forever, take abilities of his enemies, and while he does lose life by getting hit, it's more common for the player to accidentally fall down a pit, than to be beaten to death. Kirby's ease, is not a setback, but something to make the game more enjoyable for a broader fan base. I would have loved for an ability to increase the difficulty level, but sometimes you don't get that luxury.

To call Kirby anything more than a nostalgic, platformer would be incredibly wrong, but that does not make Kirby a bad game in any mind. The game is a classic romp through familiar territory, and as I've said before, it's a game that both capitalizes on nostalgia but isn't afraid to try out a few new things. It's quite the enjoyable game and has some of the most fun multiplayer I've played in years. Kirby's Return To Dreamland even has an excellent selection of minigames that can be unlocked, so if you get bored of the normal stages there's still more to play!

Unlike New Super Mario Bros. Wii, you will not find yourself arguing with your teammates. In Kirby's Return to Dreamland, players can choose to play as Kirby (in an assortment of colors), King DeDeDe, Waddle Dee, or Meta Knight. Each character comes with their own abilities and while they all move somewhat similarly, each other character feels just a little different. Playing co-op is a dream when compared to New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and it'll probably NOT end friendships, relationships, or families. What makes Kirby's Return to Dreamland so great is that it's a good time. Some games try too hard to be serious, others go in the opposite direction. HAL Laboratory and Nintendo have made a brilliant 2.5D platformer that does one thing, and does it very, very well. Kirby's Return to Dreamland was the perfect finishing touches to Nintendo's rejuvenation of the 2D platformer. In a world where everything is getting blown up by super soldiers, and mythical gods, it's nice to be the all-powerful puff ball. What makes Kirby even better is that his indestructibility comes in a nice cotton-candy shell!

What I liked: It's Fun! It's simple, and it's classic. The gameplay is easy to pick up and easy to enjoy. Playing with 4 players was one of the most relaxing and hilarious co-op experiences I've had in a long time. It allows for incredibly quick co-op, and doesnt feel like a chore while playing with other players. Its a very positive experience for a 2D co-op platformer.

What I didnt't: It IS too easy sometimes, and ultimately it makes the game feel short. I would have loved for was a change in difficulty level, or some more expansion or exploration. Even though I enjoyed my time with Kirbys Return to Dreamland, I cant help but to feel like its missing something.

Undecided: Since I'm not the most experienced Kirby player, I'm not sure how this game will stack up against other games in the series. It's clearly not as original a game as Kirby's Epic Yarn, and may be too commonplace for many fans. I know that I loved this game, but I'm not sure how hardcore fans would like the game.