Last summer, competitors from all around the globe met in a single place to compete. Admit it, you were left in awe when you saw the champions raging on deep into the night, sometimes until three in the morning.

I’m speaking, of course, about last summer’s video games. Coming from their land to our land, these video games flooded our consciousness. So lube up your joysticks: The events are over. It’s time to hand out some medals.

“Most Attractive Game”

Gold: “Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People—Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner” (PC, Wii)

This game is cheap, funny and best of all, it stars everybody’s (EVERYBODY’S! EVERYBODY’S!) favorite wrestling, mask-wearing e-mail correspondent, Strong Bad. While it’s essentially a point-and-click adventure, The Chapmans keep the pace up with their trademark humor. The best part is getting to make your own “Teen Girl Squad;” nothing quite compares to finding the funniest way to kill them all. IT’S OVER!

Silver: “Wii Fit“(Wii)

Bronze: “Soul Calibur IV “(Xbox 360, PS3)

“Coolest Cucumber”

Gold: “Ikaruga” (Xbox 360)

Not to be confused with “Most Attractive Game,” the “Coolest Cucumber” is the prettiest to look at and the smoothest to the touch. The whole game relies on this innovative black-and-white system. Enemies come in black-and-white varieties, and your ship can switch between the two colors. If the enemy is white, you can either stay white to absorb its bullets or switch to black to deal double the damage, but you’ll risk being blown up. Mini-bosses become death-defying leaps from “playing it safe” to “going for broke.” “Ikaruga” may be on its second remake right now, but it still has that rare blend of difficulty and entertainment.

Silver: “Metal Gear Solid IV” (PS3)

Bronze: “Space Invaders Extreme” (Nintendo DS)

Best “At Least it Looks Like a Sport” Game

Gold: “MLB Power Pros 2008” (Wii, PS2)

Inevitably, we all started to feel pretty lazy when watching the world’s greatest athletes compete in Beijing. It was like their muscles were mocking us. Thankfully, “MLB Power Pros 2008” lets you feel like you’re on a baseball team, hopefully stopping you from giving up those Cinnamon Pop-Tarts, whose taste you love so very much. Don’t let the cartoon-like characters fool you; the realism is striking. No minuscule stat is unexplored. The Elias Sports Bureau is strong with this one.

Silver: “Madden 2009” (All)

Bronze: “Top Spin 3” (All)

“Most Like a College Gamer’s Real Life”

Gold: “Pong Toss: Frat Party Games” (Wii)

Stuck all alone on a Saturday night without a Solo cup in sight? Well, buck up Mr. or Mrs. Social Outcast, you can still have the fun of the frat party without the sticky floors or physical activities. Nintendo has offered this little gem on Wiiware for anyone who wants the beer pong experience but doesn’t want to even hear the word beer. See, this game was meant to be called “Beer Pong” but that would have been no good on the family friendly Wii, so now there’s no mention of drinking and when your ball hits the cup it makes that dull rattling sound empty cups make when they come into contact with ping pong balls in a wholesome, alcohol free, rated E for everyone setting.

Silver: Getting your character drunk and playing darts in “Grand Theft Auto 4” (PS3, Xbox 360)
Bronze: “Major League Eating: The Game” (Wii)

“Most Introspective”

Gold: “Braid” (Xbox Live arcade)

This downloadable “meaning of life” kind of game from independent software developer Jonathan Blow is most innovative when it comes to time control. Main character Tim has lost his girlfriend and sets out to find her, longing to reconcile whatever misstep has ended their relationship. Despite this seemingly-prosaic description, the game’s approach to a simple problem is artful: Tim can shift, pass through and rewind time as the levels progress. Each of the six levels showcases a different method of time control, and the fun is in discovering what works and where. The art direction lives up to the action: The landscapes are vibrant impressionist watercolors—both hues and time bleed together. Braid is well worth its $15 price tag, if the more than 50,000 downloads in six days are any indication.

Silver: “Doom”

“Freshest Groove”

Gold: “Guitar Hero: On Tour” (Nintendo DS)

“Guitar Hero” on the DS was supposed to be a hard sell. The guitar was nonexistent and those tiny speakers were tinny, at best. The thing is, none of that stuff mattered. The “Guitar Grip” is honestly just as authentic as a plastic guitar with colored fret buttons, and headphones work wonders. The track list is pretty much bananas, too.

Silver: “Rock Band” (Wii)

Bronze: “Guitar Hero: Aerosmith” (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)