Thanksgiving is nearly upon us. Let us overlook the holiday’s dubious and oppressive origins as well as the fact that we should be actively thankful every second of our waking lives for the slew of physiological comforts we enjoy, shall we? I’m here to kick off a round table from all of us at GotGame – who, it goes without saying, are eternally thankful for you, dearest reader – on a game that makes us feel especially inclined to say a grace of sorts before wolfing down brutal-on-the-body amounts of delicious turkey… weird.

In the case of yours truly, that game is Super Meat Boy. I forget how I first heard about this wondrous, nail-bitingly difficult platformer. What I do remember is how, playing the game more and more, I would continuously reassess just how damn good it was: blazing speed, impeccable control, little to no downtime, immense variety in scale, all within a $15 package deeper than many games at four times that pricetag.How simple, how perfect. A two-dimensional game. Abilities that never change or evolve. Three inputs only: move, sprint, and jump (for Meat Boy, at least). I think a big part of getting a handle on the game is learning not to underestimate our carnal protagonist. Wondering if you can land that ledge? There’s only one way to find out, and more often than not you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Meat Boy can sail the skies if you put your faith in him. The more you play, the more you realize that Team Meat gives you more platforms to land on than you really need – up to a certain point.

And you know, I don’t think there’s a game out there that I’m more proud to have beaten than Super Meat Boy. My Xbox Live avatar is currently rocking the Meat Boy shirt that comes to those who successfully rescue Bandage Girl – and it’s never coming off.

Um, no, no, I wasn't wearing this yesterday. I... own multiple shirts just like this one -_-

But beating is only a half-conquest. The sheer amount of content here is bewildering. Dark worlds, warp zones, bandages, and Cotton Alley will make you question your worth as a human being (uh, I mean, gamer). I’ll readily admit that there are levels out there I’ll probably never beat. But it sure won’t stop me from trying. Meat Boy, Bandage Girl et al., I drink (gravy) to you!