It’s almost August, and your summer vacation is either speeding past you, or dragging on at this point, but, however you slice it, your hours are limited. If you’ve already blown through the summer blockbusters like Prototype and inFamous, beaten all the courses in Tiger Woods, and busted all the ghosts in Ghostbusters so what’s left to play this summer? Plenty. Here are ten of the best games to help you ride out the rest of the summer.
Wii Sports Resort (Wii)
For a lot of people, summer is all about surf and sun. But, if you’re like me, you like the fun, but you kinda hate the beach. Well, now you can just send your Mii and make them suffer the sand and salt water so you don’t have to. There are twelve new games in all in Wii Sports Resort, all with the new Wii MotionPlus support to keep you feeling like you’re really at the beach. (Sand in your shorts, thankfully, not included.)
Red Faction: Guerrilla (Xbox 360, PS3)
Red Faction: Guerrilla is a bit like Grand Theft Auto, but instead of stealing things you smash them… with a giant sledgehammer. Entire buildings will crumble with just a few swings as you play through this open-world destructofest (new word, you can use it) set on the Red Planet.
Pulseman (Wii)
You may be asking, “Why is a 14 year old run-and-gun-platformer for the Genesis that was never released in the U.S. on this list?” Well, there’s a good reason; because it’s one of the Genesis’ best and and it was finally released on the Wii’s Virtual Console for all to play. If you’re a fan of classic Mega Man games, Pulseman will be right up your alley.
Little King’s Story (Wii)
How about ruling your own kingdom for the rest of the summer? If that sounds like a pretty sweet deal, then Little King’s Story should spend the rest of the summer in your Wii. It’s part strategy game, part city-building sim, but all fun.
Plants vs. Zombies (PC/Mac)
PopCap has done it again. From the same company that brought you the super addictive Peggle and Bejewelled you now have Plants vs. Zombies to really sink all of your time into. The point of the game is simple – protect your home from the approaching zombies using plants. Who knew vegetation could be so helpful?
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (Xbox 360, PS3)
If you’ve got free time to waste before the end of the summer, and like to punch things,then BlazeBlue should be your game of choice to ride out the rest of the summer. It’s an all new 2D fighter from Aksys Games (fans of Guilty Gear should recognize the name). Besides, how much fun does it sound to spend the last days of your summer vaca kicking butt in the game’s elaborately named 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi.
The Conduit (Wii)
You may have written it off because it was a first person shooter on the Wii, and, how good could it really be if it’s on a system that’s tailor made for party games? You might be surprised; The Conduit is quite good, and comes complete with an impressive online multiplayer that will keep you gaming right up until classes start … and maybe even after.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor (Nintendo DS)
Do you crave a game that’s got a little more substance, then the next entry into the Shin Megami Tensei franchise should keep your hands busy, while the sun tans your face. Devil Survivor is an extremely deep, tactical RPG where you need to stop demons from invading, and destroying Tokyo. The game’s branching storyline is so deep that it just might get in the way of you making it to your first classes on time.
Resident Evil 4 Mobile Edition (iPhone)
Have the urge to take your zombie killing on the go? Capcom’s go you covered. This modified remake of Resident Evil 4, one of the greatest games ever released, can be found exclusively on the iPhone, and, as long as you’re willing to deal with the tiny screen, it’s pretty much the same bloodbath that you remember.
Madden NFL 10 (Xbox 360, PS2, PS3)
Much like Christmas and Arbor Day, Madden Day only comes but once a year, and it happens to be conveniently placed at the beginning of August. Pick it up, hit the gridiron, and sharpen your skills with the game that virtually never changes, and still manages to outsell just about every other game every year.
