See what we'll be playing this summer, and what we hope to revisit!
Summer is in full swing and that means one thing: summer vacation! Of course, it also means that it's time for the annual summer gaming drought. While recent years have proven that it doesn't really matter when you release your game as long as you market it appropriately, summer is still a time when many gamers finish backlogged games and re-experience old favorites.
So, in celebration of the hottest months of the year, we asked our staff: "What games do you traditionally revisit during the summer months, and which ones are you hoping to clear from your backlog?"
Let us know what your summer games are in the comments below!
Justin "Maverick Hunter" Baker
Mega Man X! Every summer, like clockwork, I bust it out. I also want to finish Xenoblade: Chronicles before the fall crop of releases...Hey, it might happen…
Neal "Onox Slayer" Ronaghan
It used to be Super Mario RPG, but then I started getting more involved with Nintendo World Report and/or got all old with jobs and stuff. This summer? I'm hoping to polish off both Oracle games.
Andy "Shine Sprite" Goergen
I used to play Mario Sunshine every summer, but lately it seems that I get engrossed in some Zelda game or another.
J.P. "Gooooooooal" Corbran
I don't have any kind of tradition to go with, so I'm just going back through my backlog. This year my main priorities are to finish Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D and my replay of Super Mario 3D Land in anticipation of their sequels this fall. Also, probably another 80 hours of FIFA on Wii U.
Guillaume "Demon Hunter" Veillette
No tradition here either, and I've been pretty good at going to the backlog instead of buying new retail games, lately. I expect that Shin Megami Tensei IV will fill up my free time this Summer, and if I finish it, perhaps I can finally dig into The Last Story and Xenoblade.
Alex "Objection!" Culafi
Usually, I use summer not to replay any games, but to catch up on series I've missed or games I've always wanted to play. Played all 4 main Ace Attorney games this summer, and I'm checking out Crash Bandicoot for the first real time. Oh, and 55 hours of Animal Crossing so far.
Kim "Delfino Regular" Keller
I don't exactly plan on it, but there's always something that really gets me into Mario Sunshine every summer. This time I'll probably be too busy obsessing over Shin Megami Tensei IV though.
Zack "Tradition Breaker" Kaplan
I don't revisit games on a certain basis, and I don't subscribe to the "backlog" idea, but I do want to finish Xenoblade Chronicles because I have loved what I have played of it.
Josh "Magvel Conquerer" Max
I always re-beat Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones. I can't help it, the game calls to me. This summer I'm looking to log some hours into Animal Crossing and maybe pick up some eShop games I overlooked this year.
Danny "Backlog Master" Bivens
I don't have a go-to summer game, but I would really like to get through Pikmin (GCN), Xenoblade, Skyward Sword, and maybe even Zelda 2…
Becky "Hyrule Savior" Hollada
I usually do a combo of backlog and old standbys during the summer. I always play through Zelda OoT or Majora's Mask, if not both, and I think I'll finally get around to Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn this summer, as well as the five or six games that I have left sitting at the final boss.
James "Mobile Suit" Dawson
I don't generally revisit games, but I 've been playing a lot of my old Gundam games. I also need to play through Pikmin 1 and 2 in preparation for 3.
James "No Backlog" Jones
I actually finish my games when I get them. I will spend this summer playing Project X Zone (for a few days, until I beat it) and then probably moaning about the lack of games.