Best games of the year so far, each MU

TheZerg vs Rumble @ Andromeda {hive tech}
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Yarnc vs Jaedong @ Neo Requiem {dope zerglings}
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Bisu vs Much @ Plasma {one-base carriers}
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Best vs Much @ Hwarangdo
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Much vs Backho @ Byzantium 2
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Jangbi vs Stork @ Othello {failed teamkill}
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Stork vs Bisu @ Chupung-Ryeong
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Best vs Jangbi @ Blue Storm
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Stork vs Backho @ Return of the King
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815 vs Much @ Andromeda
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Jaedong vs Lucifer @ Colosseum
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Stork vs GGPlay @ Andromeda {MC defilers}
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Much vs July @ Medusa
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Bisu vs Jaedong @ Andromeda {corsair/reaver/carrier}
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July vs Best @ Andromeda
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Luxury vs Much @ Andromeda
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FBH vs Koala @ Blue Storm {proxy, hero vulture}
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Light vs Fantasy @ Athena
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Boxer vs Pepe @ Colosseum {proxy, counter-proxy}
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Mind vs Fantasy @ Return of the King {the ultimate TvT contain}
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Nada vs Mind @ Blue Storm {epic endgame}
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Fantasy vs Nada @ Return of the King
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Flash vs Memory @ Othello
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go.go vs SoO @ Troy {islands}
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Mind vs Anytime @ Andromeda
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Pure vs go.go @ Blue Storm {hero dark templars}
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Lomo vs Tempest @ Destination {proxy, counter-proxy, counter-counter-proxy}
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Boxer vs Free @ Othello {preemptive lockdown}
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Flash vs Bisu @ Blue Storm {arbs + carriers}
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Kal vs ForGG @ Colosseum {hero scouts}
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Best vs Nada @ Troy {islands}
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Jangbi vs Nada @ Othello
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Memory vs Bisu @ Byzantium {elimination race}
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GGPlay vs ForGG @ Katrina {offensive hatch}
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Lomo vs Kwanro @ Colosseum {wraiths}
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ForGG vs Jaedong @ Colosseum {proxy sunken, macro madness}
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GGPlay vs Fantasy
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Hyun vs Sea.Really @ Katrina SE {willpower hold lurkers}
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GGPlay vs Flash @ Medusa {cow heaven}
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Boxer vs TheZerg @ Raid Assault 2
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Jaedong vs Lomo @ Katrina SE
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Flash vs Juni @ Andromeda {proxy nydus}
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Casy vs Jy @ Troy {nuke}
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Hwasin vs Effort @ Colosseum 2
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Jaedong vs Flash @ Loki 2
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Flash vs Savior @ Blue Storm {eraser}
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Luxury vs Flash @ Troy {all branches of hive tech}
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I'm curious to know what you think have been the best games in match-up so far this year (yeah, it's only October, so sue me). Here are my picks. I decided to do a little write-up for each of them because I'm bored (can you tell?) but you don't have to. Note: this is from memory, so if I got some things wrong, please be forgiving.

TvP: Flash vs Bisu on Katrina
February 29, 2008

Flash plays in his typical style by fast expanding, sieging, upgrading, and turtling; Bisu, with tricks up his sleeve, plays a proxy reaver build but only does limited damage because Flash maphacks. Flash takes a third and a fourth base while Bisu techs to arbiters and spreads all over the map. When Bisu delivers his first Recall, the game suddenly explodes into action as Flash tries to salvage his natural and push out to multiple locations simultaneously. EMP's, stasises, and psi storms fly as fights rage in several locations across the map all at once; Bisu still finds time to deliver devastating storm drops and counter Flash's pushes with DT. There are several minutes of nonstop action as the observer switches frantically from location to location, trying to cover everything that's going on. Imagine trying to follow four tennis matches and a samurai movie all at the same time, and you'll get a good idea of what this game was like. When the dust settles several minutes later, Flash has the upper hand and mercilessly grinds out a win. Words don't do this game justice. Just go watch it if you haven't already.

PvP: Jangbi vs Stork on Othello
June 6, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW6dAhqbLXk&eurl=http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/games/9258_JangBi_vs_Stork/vod

Now, it's been said before that you can simulate the experience of watching PvP by fast-forwarding a black-and-white movie from the 1930's and sort of half-closing your eyes so everything looks all fuzzy, and listening to the Korean commentary from any one of thousands of VODs, provided you don't understand Korean. Actually, I don't think anyone's ever said that. But I still think it's true. Anyway, I picked Stork vs Jangbi here because I think it's completely hilarious that Stork tried to do a teamkill and failed. There were some nice storm drops and manner pylons in this game, and I got a kick out of watching it. But I'll admit I was listening to the Korean commentary for another game and I spent most of the time alt+tabbing to an episode of Heroes.

ZvP: Jaedong vs Bisu on Blue Storm
January 8, 2008


When Jaedong won the 2007 EVER OSL, defeating Stork 3-1 in the finals, the question remained: can the new zerg guy beat a protoss who's actually good at PvZ, namely, Bisu? Recall that Stork ousted the PvZ god from the tournament in the semifinals, denying us the finals match that we all really wanted to see: Jaedong vs Bisu. So in a sense, this little game was the "finals that should have happened". The game did not disappoint --- Bisu plays his very best harassment style, with corsairs, reavers, and both flavors of templar (mint chip and vanilla for the newbies out there); and Jaedong responds by pulling out every trick in the book of zerg tricks (which doesn't really exist, sorry): lurker egg blocks, burrowed drones, doom drops, storm dodges, observer sniping, and everything else. The action is nonstop and the outcome of the game, like the fate of the Ringbearer, is balanced on the edge of a knife. Eventually Bisu is completely mined out, but he doesn't surrender until after he's sent most of Jaedong's drones into the afterlife with a couple of well-placed psi storms.

TvZ: Boxer vs TheZerg on Raid Assault 2
October 13, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU-QeIK1f6M&eurl=http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/games/10099_BoxeR_vs_Thezerg/vod
The legend of Boxer never dies, sort of like Elvis Presley. After reintroducing Valkyries to TvZ in a crash-and-burn 2-2 run in the second season of the GOMTV StarLeague, Boxer now faces a truly competent zerg opponent. The Emperor brings to the table his usual strategic flair, and starts by walling off and proxying a factory while TheZerg 12-pools. Vulture harassment transitions into a starport and single wraith, while an armory is hidden in an unobtrusive spot. TheZerg counters the harassment with hydras and techs to a spire, while Boxer gets his first turrets and valkyries. TheZerg's mutalisks are neutralized by the valkyries, and now Boxer's master plan is revealed; a dropship ferries two tanks, some SCVs, and numerous marines and medics to a position on the ramp above TheZerg's natural, while the first science vessel emerges to counter the threat of lurkers. Suddenly TheZerg's natural is under tank fire and there isn't a damn thing he can do about it; Boxer's presence on the ramp consists of two bunkers, two tanks, a turret, several valks, a vulture, and a science vessel --- and it's being steadily reinforced. TheZerg tries to cut off reinforcements with mutalisks, but he has to run constantly from the valkyries, and soon nothing remains of his natural. TheZerg reacts by taking another base and teching to defilers, and Boxer's outpost is soon razed by zerglings and lurkers under dark swarms. Meanwhile Boxer secures his natural (finally!) and places spider mines all along the central valley, preventing a potential dark swarm push. Some semi-standard play ensues, with TheZerg retaking his natural; but Boxer continues the assault with nonstop dropship action and defiler-sniping with his vessels (not to mention a couple of three-way attacks), and eventually TheZerg buckles under the pressure and surrenders to the Emperor of Terran.

TvT: Nada vs Mind on Blue Storm
February 21, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLicrHlqmtU&eurl=http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/games/8896_Mind_vs_NaDa/vod
Nada, down zero games to two, finds himself in a tight spot in the midgame and reacts by getting battlecruisers. (Nada can clone Yamato guns faster than Jesus can play 5-finger pillet, so this seems like a good strategy.) Mind, instead of getting BC's of his own, counters by dropping mech at various locations, taking advantage of the BCs' lack of mobility. Nada defends heroically as Mind launches drop after drop in strategic spots; the key to this game is that Nada doesn't take the 12 o'clock expansion until very late, so despite constantly being on the defensive, he has an economic fall-back plan while Mind suddenly faces the prospect of mining out. Nada seizes and fortifies the 12 spot, but Mind attacks it relentlessly, despite being low on gas; he sends in swarms of SCV's and vultures, backed by a handful of tanks and goliaths. Again and again it seems like Mind has nothing left to attack with, but then he somehow rallies another force to try to storm the 12 position by sheer force of numbers. At one point the observer pans over Mind's army, which literally covers the entire screen as it advances towards Nada's last base; but even after Mind hurls every unit he possibly can at his opponent, Nada holds strong and Mind has to concede.

ZvZ: Yarnc vs Jaedong on Neo Requiem
October 4, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYTOQgxhmZA&eurl=http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/games/10017_Jaedong_vs_YellOw[ArnC]/vod
Usually ZvZ's involving Jaedong are pathetic and one-sided affairs that end with Jaedong high-fiving his teammates and his opponent crying in a corner. Yarnc really stepped up his ZvZ in this game, and it showed. Since I don't know ZvZ strategy from a hole in the ground, I'll just give a schematic description: Yarnc hides a hatchery, Yarnc has dope zergling micro, Yarnc picks off some drones, Jaedong makes the best of a bad situation but can't come back, Yarnc hits #1 on KesPA for beating Flash and Jaedong in the same week. (God forbid that I should actually look anything up while writing this.) If you've seen Blast from the Past, just think about it this way: this game wasn't like that movie at all. But it was still a great movie. My roommate made me watch it. Now he's staring at me. Oh, ZvZ strategic knowledge? Sorry, forget it. Just watch the game. And the movie.

That concludes my write-up what might be my 6 picks for top game in each MU. Note that game one of Kal vs ForGG is an honorable mention for PvT (the Stove!). Go ahead and post your faves. Sorry if this has already been done a million times.