Best Buys of June 2009

What the? Summertime used to be a vast wasteland of almost no game releases. It seems publishers woke up to the fact that we buy games all year long. What games came out this month that were worth your summer-job money? Games Abyss knows how hard you work lifeguarding the kiddie pool, so here's what you should buy.

Bomberman Ultra.
[Average Critic Score: 8.0]

North American PlayStation 3 owners finally get Bomberman Ultra. It's a good single-player game but it's a great multiplayer game. Drop bombs, run, run, run, get the power ups! The frantic pace will leave you with jitters. So what's makes this Ultra over the classic Super Nintendo Entertainment System Bomberman? Those fancy Internets that didn't exist back then. You can have a four-way match on the same console or play up to six online. No multi-tap accessory needed. Plus, it's a downloadable game from the PlayStation Network, so you don't even have to go to the store to get it. Available at the PlayStation Network $9.99.

Guitar Hero Smash Hits.
[Average Critic Score: 8.0]

Normally, we'd have a hard time justifying this collection of Guitar Hero greatest hits (now with full band play) as a best buy. C'mon, they're charging full price for previously released songs on the already existing Guitar Hero World Tour game engine. But we're singling out the bonus you get for purchasing it at retailer Best Buy: a free drum pedal. That's pretty sweet if you need to replace the one you've got or want to use two drum pedals for the new Expert + Drummer mode they added to the series in Guitar Hero Metallica. It's only available while supplies last, so go now. Available in Stores Xbox/PS3 $59.99.

Prototype.
[Average Critic Score: 8.5]

What is it about big sandbox games that lend them to causing utter chaos? Maybe it cathartic commuter revenge. Games like GTA IV and Saints Row all allow players to run amok in a big city. But imagine the destruction you could cause if you had superpowers. Crackdown flirted with this idea, but Prototype takes it up a notch. A few notches actually since your Alex Mercer character gains a wide variety of superpowers: strength, flight, shapeshifting. Complete the many story missions or just relax for an hour smashing tanks. The game's only done when you get bored. That's not going to happen for while.  $59.99 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. $49.99 for the PC.

Red Faction: Guerrilla.
[Average Critic Score: 8.5]

Previous Red Faction games were good but unremarkable first-person shooters. So it caught everyone by surprise how good Guerrilla was. With strong word of mouth, it's one of those rare games where the hype is bigger later then it was at launch – the videogame version of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. What's got everyone in a tizzy? The shooting is still there but now your main objective is to destroy buildings. The game gives you amazing freedom to knock them down any way you can think of. Blow 'em up with bombs. Run into them with vehicles. Slam them with super hammers. The destruction animations are amazing. Available in Stores Xbox/PS3 $59.99.

Sam & Max Save the World.
[Average Critic Score: 7.5]

One, two, and now three. Downloadable content is really taking center stage this month, isn't it? Well this one gives you the bonus of making you laugh. Sam & Max is the perfect game for fans of the LucasArts era of point-and-click adventures. For once, a publisher has passed on the savings to us. Even though it's exactly the same game, this Xbox downloadable is half the cost of the boxed editions that came out for PC and the Wii. Kudos to you, Telltale Games. Available at Xbox Live Arcade $20.

The Sims 3.
[Average Critic Score: 8.5]

This one isn't just big for gamers, it's big for everybody. The masses love The Sims. L33t snobs might turn their noses down at Sim games but people play them for hours and hours. Not only are the Sims more customizable than ever, this PC version took some good ideas from the console ports of the last game and gives your Sims objectives. It's optional but it adds a level of fun beyond building a closet with no doors to trap your Sim in and watch him pee himself. Also, the low system requirements mean that almost anybody's computer can handle it. Available in Stores for PC $49.99.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Wii MotionPlus Bundle).
[Average Critic Score: 8.0]

Not that the Wii version is any better or worse than all the others, but this Tiger Woods makes us jump up and down with excitement because it's the first chance we get to buy and play with the Wii MotionPlus. Not only does the add-on make your Wii remote amazingly more accurate, this bundle let's you have it for half the price. Since golf is the perfect sport to showcase how lifelike and natural the gameplay can be, this is a great deal. Available in Stores for the Wii $59.99.