In previous years, our brief deliberations on Game of the Year nominations typically focused on games for a wide range of tastes: Dance Central 2, Limbo, Red Faction Guerrilla, Demon’s Souls, Red Dead Redemption. This year, however, just one game was deserving of our collective GOTY accolade: From Software’s amazing Dark Souls.

Curiously, we all agree that the spiritual sequel to Demon’s Souls was the most memorable game experiences of 2011. That’s pretty damn impressive, given the competition. Sure, we loved The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Bastion, Mortal Kombat, Superbrothers Sword & Sworcery EP and Batman: Arkham City too, but nothing really did it for us quite like Dark Souls.

Mike platinumed it. Scott was consumed by it even while playing Skyrim. Jason simply adored the first five minutes.

So, congratulations, Dark Souls. You’re Meat Bun’s 2011 Game of the Year. We’ll prove just how much we love you in 2012.

Let’s take a quick look, shall we? Yes, let’s!

Pixel maestro Paul Robertson gives us a look inside the Pleasure Domes for his piece “Big Money, Big Prizes.” I love it and you will too, if you’re a fan of twin-stick shooters. It’s available in crisp, clean white and in natural organic cotton (with fancy cash green stitching). Like Paul’s “Snack Attack,” this one’s for the pixel lover in you.

Based on our preview sale at the Giant Robot x Meat Bun pop-up shop, “Needlemouse” is shaping up to be one of our most popular designs. I don’t think there’s much more that needs to be said about this mascot mash-up, but it’s currently available in three flavors: tri-black, tri-blue and tri-gray.

Oh, also, the next “Cute ‘Em Up!” entry might be a little NSFW. So, don’t scroll down if your boss is reading the blog over your shoulder.

Kinuko’s “Slimes” was — and this may be understating it *just* a touch — one of our favorite pieces from this year’s Game Over IV show at GRSF. We like it so much, we asked Kinuko if we could print it on a tee. She said yes, making us the happiest video game clothing company ever. We honor those of you brave enough to wear this much slimy flesh on your person. Seriously. You’ve got guts.

There’s WAY more than this available in the store right now, including new pieces from ultra-talented folks like Ashley Davis, Mitch Loidolt, and Zac Gorman, so cruise on over to the Meat Bun online store to see the rest of our new goodies. (Just make a hasty cruise. We’ve already sold out of a few things here and there.)

We’re heading back to Sawtelle Avenue this weekend for the latest Giant Robot Game Night. GR2 will host Game Night 7 this Saturday, December 3 featuring two great Polytron Corporation games: the long awaited FEZ and crazy 3D head-tracking experience superHYPERCUBE.

Oh, and bring your Nintendo 3DS for some serious StreetPass fun.

This Saturday will also see the kick-off of the newest Meat Bun pop-up shop at GR2. This will be your first chance to get all-new Meat Bun stuff from the forthcoming Cute ‘Em Up line. More previews of that soon.

Here’s the relevant details, Angelenos and Southern Californians.

Game Night 7 – Polytron Games: Fez and superHYPERCUBE, Nintendo 3DS StreetPass
Saturday, December 3 2011, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Giant Robot 2
2062 Sawtelle Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90025
gr2.net

This slimy treat and other cute things are coming soon to the Meat Bun store. We’ll have more previews of new goodies in the coming days and weeks. Stay tuned!

Hola, amigos! In celebration of the upcoming Día de los Muertos — Mexico’s Day of the Dead, that is! — we’re mixing one of our favorite music games to ever use plastic maraca controllers with the style of cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada for… Samba de los Muertos! Shake it!!

Samba de los Muertos is available now on the Meat Bun store in two delicious flavors, deathly black and ghostly white.

Very colorful, yes, but still a super soft print. If you prefer your Days of the Dead a little darker, opt for the black version, printed with discharge ink for an equally soft feel and a vintage look.

Finally, there’s one more addition to the Meat Bun store! The wildly popular Shao Khalvin design is now available in athletic gray blend! We printed a small batch of these (and restocked in white!), so grab ‘em while we got ‘em!

The Meat Bun pop up shop at Giant Robot is now open for business! For a limited time, you can buy the latest (and sold out!) designs from Meat Bun at GR2 in Los Angeles, California–including tons of stuff that’s out of stock on our web store. Of course, you can also buy about a bazillion other fascinating things from GR2, including art, apparel, housewares and much, much more. If you’re in the area, grab some Meat Bun at GR2, where we also co-host Game Night bi-monthly.

GR2
2062 Sawtelle Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA