Misao Awards

**Misao Awards** (also known as **Misaos**) is a virtual award event in the RPG Maker community founded in 2002, originally presented and arranged in the Queen's Court website prior in four years since its foundation; until shifted into RPGMaker.net website exclusively onwards since 2006.

Each award category are the ones as winners who received the most votes from the community.

## History

RPG Maker veteran iishenron (a.k.a. FinalDragon) named the Misao Awards event after one of his favorite anime characters, Makimachi Misao from the anime series *Rurouni Kenshin*. The Misaos were originally hosted on a site called Hellfusion, which can now only be accessed through Wayback Machine; unfortunately, the site ended up dying off, so iishenron moved things over to The Queen’s Court.

According to Queen's Court website, it has three rounds: a category nomination round, a game nomination round, and a voting round. These awards are generally conducted across the RPG Maker community each January.

In opposite of top awards, there are some "worst" categories that granted negative-reviewed games referred to as “**Wisaos**”.

Resubmitting existed games from early years, especially demos and episodes, in a current ceremony is allowed as they wish.

## Awards

### Pre-Misaos

* **Best Graphics**: *Nigsek*
* **Best Music**: *Diary of a Madman*
* **Best Plot**: *A Blurred Line*
* **Best Character**: (tie) Ganthithor, *DOAM*; Nigsek, *Nigsek*
* **Best Villain**: Kersh, *A Blurred Line*
* **Most Innovative Feature**: FMVs in Nigsek
* **Most Fun**: *A Blurred Line*
* **Best CBS**: Eternal Souls
* **Best Supporting Cast**: *A Blurred Line*
* **Best Title Screen**: *Destiny's Call*
* **Most Overhyped**: *Final Frontier*
* **Sleeper of the Year**: *Legion Saga 2*
* **Greatest Risk that Succeeded**: *Nigsek* is use of FMVs
* **Greatest Risk that Failed**: Mostach Sheep
* **Best Game Title**: *A Blurred Line*
* **Most Blatant Ripoff Game**: *Final Fantasy 7: Ancestral Vengeance*
* **Worst Game of the Year**: *Magus Returns*
* **Best Reviewer**: *Juan de Fuca*

*A Blurred Line* won the most awards with **five**, including Best Game Title as a best game of the year. Other winners including *Nigsek* with **four** and *Diary of a Madman* with **two**.

* **Best CMS**: *Final Fantasy: Crystal Wings*
* **Best Overall Cast**: *Aurora Wing*
* **Best Use of Mack and Blue**: *Until My Finest Hour*
* **Best Use of RTP**: *Jay's Journey*
* **Best Use of Sound Effects**: *Until My Finest Hour*
* **Most Annoying Character**: Lehyne, *Phylomortis 2*
* **Worst Dialog**: *Eden Saga*
* **Best Art**: *Idunn Ymiraldor*
* **Best CBS**: *Aurora Wing*
* **Best Comedy Game**: *The Most Stupidest Game Ever Re-duh*
* **Best Completed Game**: *Legion Saga 3*
* **Best Dialog**: *Maranda/With His Father's Sword*
* **Best Dungeons**: *The Way*
* **Best Fangame**: - *Final Fantasy: Crystal Wings*
* **Best Individual Character**: Rhue, *The Way*
* **Best Music**: *Fuji Yume*
* **Best Overall Graphics**: *Idunn Ymiraldor*
* **Best Reviewer**: RPG Advocate
* **Best RM2K Game Moment**: Rooftop scene/Destruction of Philadelphia (*Idunn Ymiraldor*)
* **Best Use of a Cliche**: Rooftop scene/Chris the adorable tomboy (*Idunn Ymiraldor*)
* **Best Villain**: Shadar, *Demon Legacy*
* **Biggest Mistake of the Year**: RTP 1.32
* **Funniest Game**: *RTP Unlimited: Silent Thoughts*
* **Game that Failed the Most**: *Legion Saga 3*
* **Hardest Game**: *Phylomortis 2 PBFS*
* **Most Anticipated Game Feature**: Tamagotchi things (*Idunn Ymiraldor*)
* **Most Controversial Game**: Tabernacle
* **Most Descriptive World**: *Phylomortis 2 PBFS*
* **Most Laggy Game**: *Until My Finest Hour*
* **Most Likely to be Finished**: *Idunn Ymiraldor*
* **Most Overhyped**: *Legion Saga 3*
* **Most Overrated**: *Legion Saga 3*
* **Most Promising Upcoming Game**: *Idunn Ymiraldor*
* **Most Talented Coder**: Laughy
* **Worst Plot**: *Rm2k checkers*
* **Worst Reviewer**: *Lithium*
* **Best Game of the Year**: *The Way*

*The Way* won **three** awards including Best Game of the Year. Other winners including ***Idunn Ymiraldor*** honored the most awards with **seven**, *Legion Saga 3* with **four**, *Phylomortis 2* and *Until My Finest Hour* with **three**, and *Final Fantasy: Crystal Wings* and *Aurora Wings* with **two**.

The following people were nominated to the committee including Brickroad, Legion, Sovan Jedi, WIP, Mr. Y, and RPG Advocate.

Overall* **Sistine Chapel Ceiling Award** (Best Graphics): *Ara Fell*
* **Superbowl Halftime Ad Award** (Best Marketing): *Laxius Power*
* **Snooty Subtitle Award** (Best Non-English RM Game): Dark Soul
* **Industrial Strength Gameplay Award** (Best Gameplay): The Frozen World
* **The Dirty Old Man Award** (Best RM2K game since 2000): A Blurred Line
* **William Tell Overture Award** (Best Music/Sounds/Audio): *Diary of a Madman*
* **The "Take a Bow" Award** (Best Cast): *The Way*
* **OMGBSE "OMG Best Systems Ever" Award** (Custom Systems): Aurora Wing
* **Dungeon Man! Award** (Best puzzles): Push!
* **Fanatic's Compendium Award** (Least embarrassing fangame): Final Fantasy: Crystal Wings
* **Mistaken Identity Award** (Best Non-RPG RM Game): Push!
* **Hemmingway Wishes He Had These Skillz Award** (Best Story): The Way
* **The Odds, Ends, and Penny Rolls Award** (Best Little Things and Minor Touches): Forever Across Dreams
* **Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny Award** (Best Battle/Boss Fight): Pokemon: The Evil Inside
* **A Winner Is You! Award** (Best Complete Game): Aurora Wing
* **Shit Hits The Fan Award** (Biggest Impact): A Blurred Line
* **One Ring To Rule Them All Award** (Best Setting): The Way

**Brickroad*** **"Hungriest Treasure Boxes" Award**: *Crystal Chase*
* **"Best Game You've Never Played (You Bastards)" Award**: *Aurora Wing*
* **"Princess Alena's Kickass Heroine Award"**: Lita LeCotta, *Ara Fell*
* **"Exit, Stage Left" Award**: *Julius Caesar*
* **"BEST GAME EVER" Award**: *A Blurred Line*

**Legion*** **The Sephiroth Award For The Most Badass Villain**: Agent Kersh, *A Blurred Line*
* **The "Easter Bunny" Award For The Game Least Likely To EVER See Release**: *Realm of Souls*
* **The "It's Pronounced Ambience" Award for Best Atmosphere**: *The Longing Ribbon*
* **"The Fonz Award" for Coolest Storyline**: *Duplicity*
* **Absolute Motherfucking Best Amateur Game:** *A Blurred Line*

**Sovan Jedi*** **"Great Fun Despite Bad Reputation" Award:** *Legion Saga 2*
* **"Silly But Great" Award:** *Super Turbo Power Man*
* **"Just Not Funny, Stop Trying Now" Award:** *rm2kemon*
* **"Golden Age of History" Award**: *Baldy's Big Day*
* **"BEST GAME EVER!" Award**: *A Blurred Line*

**WIP*** **"Ironclad Devotion to His Original Idea" Award**: Maladroit Him*, Wilfred the Hero*
* **"Most Promising Game That Vanished" Award**: *Eternal Souls*
* **"Most Intriguing Gameplay" Award**: *Ghost Ghost World*
* **"Closest To Living Up To Its Hype" Award**: *The Legend of the Philosopher's Stone*
* **"Best Game Ever" Award**: *The Frozen World*

**Mr. Y*** **"Best Classic Kung-Fu Action" Award**: *Retsu Arashi Psychic Storm*
* **Best Amateur Gamemaker Award**: *Lysander86*
* **Best Community Game Award**: *Easy Mac*
* **The "I Don't Like Gears or Fighting" Award**: *Robocks*
* **"BEST GAME EVER" Award:** *The Way*

As these people picked each game with multiple awards overall: *A Blurred Line* won 6 awards,

### Post-Misaos

* **5th Misao Awards** (2006)
* **6th Misao Awards** (2007)
* **7th Misao Awards** (2008)
* **8th Misao Awards** (2009)
* **9th Misao Awards** (2010)
* **10th Misao Awards** (2011)
* **11th Misao Awards** (2012)
* **12th Misao Awards** (2013)
* **13th Misao Awards** (2014)

## Game of the Year

### Multiple wins (games)

* **2** - *Master of the Wind*, *Soma*, and *The Way* (consecutive)

### Multiple wins (developers)

* **2** - Lun Calsari, Sgt M, Stoic and Volrath, and Unity

## Trivia

* *Laxius Power 3* holds the record as the most wins with 34 counts in a single event.
* Due to its episodic arrangement of *The Way*, each four episodes won multiple awards at different ceremonies: the second episode won **3** at 2nd, the fourth episode won **13** at 3rd, the fifth episode won **7** at 4th, the sixth episode won **3** at 4th and 5th, and the rest of the episodes overall won **4** at the Special Committee.
	+ Additionally, it is the only game won Game of the Year in two consecutive years (2003 and 2004).
* Due to its arrangement of *A Blurred Line* that won multiple awards at different ceremonies: **5** at 1st, **1** at 3rd, and **6** at the Special Committee.

## References

1. ↑ Misaos :: rpgmaker.net
2. ↑ RPG Maker and the Misaos: Brief History and Notable Entries – Indie Hell Zone
3. ↑ The Misao Awards 2002 - The Queen's Court (queenscourt.org)
4. ↑ Misao Awards 2003 - The Queen's Court (queenscourt.org)
5. ↑ Misao Special Committee Awards - The Queen's Court (queenscourt.org)
6. ↑ Soma Union Blog :: Misaos - Game of the Year! :: rpgmaker.net