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The games of summer 09

Beat the heat with GR's sunny suggestions

Words: Shane Patterson, GamesRadar US

Summer’s right around the corner (starting tomorrow in fact) and despite the glorious weather that comes with it, this time of year is usually thought of as the unsufferable months until the real games come out this winter.

Seriously, we’re getting tired of a hundred games flooding stores between October and December. Spread the love throughout the year, dummies!


Above: The official theme of the article

Despite the ridiculous release schedule, there are still a number of bitchin’ games trickling out through the summer months to keep you busy long enough to forget the nice days outside.


JUNE


THE BIG PICK

Fight Night Round 4 – PS3, 360
Release date: June 23

 
Sports games aren’t generally GR’s specialty, cup of tea, or favorite piece of ass, but when Fight Night Round 3 debuted as a launch title on the Xbox 360 almost four years ago, the title immediately became a hit. Think about it: how many times have you heard people go on about Round 3’s lifelike (at the time) next-gen graphics, the ease of the thumbstick-based controls or the smooth as butter sim/arcade-y gameplay? All the time, huh?

 
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Round 4 is one of our most eagerly anticipated games of the year. EA promises faster gameplay, an incredibly robust create-a-fighter mode, elimination of those stupid face-rubbing minigames, and star of The Hangover, Mike Tyson. Considering UFC 2009 Undisputed sold over a million copies in its first month, we bet casual AND sports fans are eagerly awaiting this future hit.


WHAT ELSE?

The Conduit – Wii
Release date: June 23

 
Haven’t been a hell of a lot of FPSes on Nintendo’s sleek machine since its launch, even though that’s one genre we thought we’d see a lot of. Developer High Voltage seeks to reinvigorate interest with this shooter set in Washington DC with an alien conspiracy to wrap your All Seeing Eye around. We dug the multiplayer and Battlestar Galactica’s Mark Sheppard (Romo Lampkin) voices the main dude.

Overlord II – PC, PS3, 360
Release date: June 23

 
The first was something of a cult hit and in the next week you’ll have more minions at your disposal. You play again as a badass with little monsters to do your bidding. Apparently, the increase in minion AI enables them to ride mounts and sail ships. Lazy bastards.

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood – PC, PS3, 360
Release date: June 29

 
Yeah, we’ve seen what Modern Warfare 2 and ODST have in store for us later this year, but in the meantime why not journey back to the old west with the follow-up to the original criminally overlooked title? As GR head honcho Eric Bratcher wrote during the fallout of E3, “In one half-hour session, we shot up a bar, stormed out of town on a stolen stagecoach, traded hot lead with the sheriff’s posse as they galloped alongside us, and used a cannon to blow up a riverboat. Plus, it’s the only shooter this year that let us fan the hammers of two pistols at once.”


DON'T FORGET

Marvel vs Capcom 2 – Xbox Live, PSN
Release date: June 29

 
For about 20 bucks, you can get your hands on this classic, downloadable through the interwebs (no need to pay exorbitant fees for a physical disc!). You will be taken for a ride.

Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil – Wii
Release date: June 23

 
The Wii remake of the GameCube remake of the PS1 game that was ported to the DS and Sega Saturn makes its graceful re-re-re-debut. If you didn’t check it out 13 years ago, give it a shot now.


 
58 Comments
Order Comments: Newest First | Oldest First
MechGyver  - 5 months 17 days ago 
There“s no better time to be spent loked inside home playing video games than Summer...01010110101...1o1....
RebornKusabi  - 5 months 17 days ago 
Marvel vs. Capcom 2 bitches!
RebornKusabi  - 5 months 17 days ago 
Ah, Binary- I hate you so goddamn much that it drove me to switch my degree courses to get around you.

So long Computer Security and Computer Programming, hello Information Technology!
jballboy88  - 5 months 17 days ago 
AHHH!!!! FOR BEATLES ROCK BAND YOU GUYS FORGOT TO LABEL IT FOR PS3 ALSO!!!!!!! AHHHHH!!!!!!!
iluvmyDS  - 5 months 17 days ago 
FOUR PAGES?! How can I possibly read all that.

Joking.
iluvmyDS  - 5 months 17 days ago 
My god I'm excited for Turtles In Time, I NEED a good beat-em-up.
iluvmyDS  - 5 months 17 days ago 
I will argue that Scribblenauts will be one of the best DS games of '09.
crumbdunky  - 5 months 17 days ago 
I might share some enthusiasm for Shadow Complex if Cliffy hadn't looked and sounded so MONUMENTALLY bored when he showed us it at E3.

And will I break Scibblenauts if I want to tke on every puzzle using words like tits, ass and nob? 'Cos I assure you THATS what EVERYONE will want to do.

And I don't counr September as summer and you should know that. In fact, being English, I'm, unsure about the existence of this season at all.
thor0997  - 5 months 17 days ago 
I love some Overlord. It was simple action and story but I love the Minions. Funny little ass holes that they are.
Cyberninja  - 5 months 17 days ago 
im going to buy the bundle for fan service the game since i dont have a psp yet that plus the new souliclaibur my is going to have some copition that plus birth by sleep is for psp
nik41507  - 5 months 17 days ago 
11TH!!
NeoKef  - 5 months 17 days ago 
1600 for Marvel vs Capcom 2? I was hoping it would be cheaper since SSFIITHR was 1200 points and 800 for the original SSFII. While the original Soul Calibur (sorry if I misspelled) is 1200 and the Special Edition of Fatal Fury for 400 points.
FierceDeity  - 5 months 17 days ago 
ahahah take you for a ride
MvC2 was so bloody awesome
Ded  - 5 months 17 days ago 
I thought BlazBlue was on the 360 as well..? I'm still hoping for a Europe release :( sigh.
Unoriginal  - 5 months 17 days ago 
Wow July is kinda weak.
I still can't stop drooling over Muramasa

Nice informative article but the "theme song" is horrible. The lyrics make no sense at all.
LittleTaco  - 5 months 17 days ago 
My favorite game from last summer (that i actually bought) was bad company, if i buy a game that is realeased this summer i hope i enjoy it as much as battlefield!
TheKingsAssassin  - 5 months 17 days ago 
you forgot About I Am Alive(august)
reCaptcha: Lafayette goldfarb
BLACKICE  - 5 months 17 days ago 
ODST will be the best game ever
alfonso.hdez  - 5 months 17 days ago 
Damn, I already feel my poor wallet bleeding. Also, the HALO a game joke was so bad it was actually really funny :P
animeman  - 5 months 17 days ago 
I hadnt even herd of Dissidia: Final Fantasy until now. I cant wait for it to come out.
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