13 Downloadable Games You Should Play This Summer

Take a stroll through PSN and XBLA for some of these winning titles perfect for the chilling indoors with the AC this hot summer.

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We don’t know how you did it, but you’ve managed to get by the summer gaming lull so far. There’s only one month to go; can you make it to the fall in one piece? We’ve taken the time to aid you in your quest for some lasting gaming goodness that will hopefully hold you over until the 2011 holiday gaming onslaught bombards you with AAA titles. Take a stroll through the PlayStation Store and Xbox Live Marketplace for the released downloadable games and mark your calendar for the upcoming ones. Might wanna invest in some point cards ASAP! 

13. Skullgirls

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Ever imagined a 1930s female cartoon character facing off with a chick that has gigantic arms protruding out of her head? No? You seriously need to drink more. Regardless, the guys at Autumn Games hooked up with Reverge Labs to create the all-female fighting game, Skullgirls. The visuals on this game are beyond beautiful, and we love the characters that have been shown so far. This game is set to be a lot more accessible to non-fighting gamers, but still has the potential to reach tournament-level status. Keep your eyes peeled for these dames.

12. Alien Zombie Megadeath

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Dig a little deeper into the downloadable games section one the PSN and you might come upon this diamond in the ruff. Alien Zombie Megadeath sounds like it should be the title of Metallica’s next album but - for now at least - it’s the name of a pretty fun run-and-gun shooter. You play the part of a lone spaceman out to rid the universe of alien zombies. You’ll lay waste to them with all types of weapons, and save the day by diffusing bombs. Oh, and you’re the space babies’ daddy, so make sure you save ‘em all. First pirates and ninjas, now this? Makes for a great combination. 

11. Arcana Heart 3

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Alright, control your raging hormones for a second. Yeah, there are a good number of chicks in this game that would make a perfect fit for your average Hentai toon. But once you make it past the bright colors, you’ll discover a pretty fun fighting game. When you pull of a 25-hit combo in midair, you’ll fall in love with this brawler. The roster is not only fairly deep, but it also sports ladies with their own unique styles. Japanese stereotypes be damned, this game scratches our fighting game itch. 

10. Warhammer 40K: Kill Team

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The Warhammer 40K franchise is starting to move away from its strategy RPG roots and into some good ol’ fashioned action gameplay these days. We’re happy to say that this beat ‘em up suits that change. It’s simple, really: pick an oversized space marine and let the ogre torture commence! We enjoyed co-op with our space marine buddies each and every round. Top down shooters are excellent time wasters, and this one is currently at the top of our list. This joint also happens to be the perfect holdover title while waiting for Warhammer 40K: Space Marine to drop. We’ll gladly endure the wait with this one. 

9. Galaga Legions DX

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This alien blaster fits into the “seizure gaming” genre perfectly. Galaga definitely had its fair share of revisits for us back in the day. All those quarters we fed into that arcade machine could have probably been money better spent, but oh well. Now all we have to do is hop online, and download this remixed version to play to our heart’s content. Namco gave Pac-Man this very same treatment, so it was only a matter of time that this game got in on the craze. The aliens stay on the offensive, but your ship can handle them. Not so sure if your senses can though. 

8. Hard Corps: Uprising

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Contra was brutally hard. Even with the Konami code scribbled onto our wrist and eventually etched into our memories, those extra lives didn’t really amount to anything. We found ourselves dying way too many times before even the second stage. Even with that level of difficulty, we couldn’t help but enjoy ourselves. It was more of a, “it hurts so good” type of fun. Old school gamers know the deal. Hard Corps: Uprising is the hardcore prequel to Contra: Hard Corps, and we don’t exaggerate when we tell you it’s a doozy. Lengthy stages, hair metal music blasting in the background and dozens of soldiers to shoot all equate to a good time. The visual style is a deliberate anime sheen rendition, so you know our eyes were pleased. The difficulty level is nothing to get around, but the amount of fun we had when playing the game came to overshadow it. 

7. Ms. Splosion Man

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IT’S TIME TO SPLODE! Splosion Man was a game that came from the left field to jump directly into our hearts. It then proceeded to explode and leave nothing but a pair of sneakers on the ground. We kid, we kid! The sequel to that memorable game was recently released in the form of Ms. Splosion Man, and we love her just as much, if not more. She’s your stereotypical girly-girl: fan of pop music, bowties and prancing around, plus prone to explode at any moment. The platforming in this game should not be taken lightly. It’s a hard romp trough these labs, people. Splode with caution. 

6. Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet

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Wow…just wow. When we laid eyes on this 2D beauty, we didn’t know what to classify it as. Minds were blown and expectations were shattered when we finally got our hands on it. The just about explains what you’re in for perfectly. Your solar system has been taken hostage by a nasty force. As the last surviving member of an alien race, you hop into a spaceship and blast whatever is in your way. This space explorer has stellar looking environments and upgradeable gear that’ll make your ship unstoppable. The fact that the graphics look like the inside of a lava lamp also makes this a favorite.

5. Journey

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Alone. In a wide-reaching desert. In nothing but a robe and a scarf. Your mission? Get to that shining beacon of light in the far distance. thatgamecompany is known for its innovation and creativity in producing games that don’t fit your usual genre norms. Journey stays with that trend, and we can’t wait to give it a go. As soon as you step into the shoes of this game’s protagonist, you’ll be gliding through sand dunes and watching the sun set on a fairly empty expanse of the desert. The multiplayer aspect might just be even more intriguing than the stunning visuals. Meet someone else on your quest and you can choose to partner up or leave them be. This game is lining up to be a knockout. We’re stretching a bit here as the release date has yet to be announced, but this is definitely one to keep an eye out for. 

4. Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition

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Took long enough, don’t you think? Capcom has blessed us with an avalanche of fighting game goodness lately, and they’re set to give us some more. Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition is a reality! Considered by many of the hardcore faithful as the best Street Fighter and fighting game period, this baby is now set to get the online treatment. The graphics are still dope, the music is still top of the line material and the mechanics maintain their deep learning curve. We can’t wait to pick Elena and start dancing all over our opponent’s head. But her theme? We don’t think we’re quite ready to hear “BEATS!” screamed so may times again. 

3. Trenched

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Those guys at Double Fine run the downloadable games market right now, son! Tim Schafer is already well renowned, and it seems like the hits just keep on coming from him and his crew. Let’s add one more to their list of breakout games: Trenched. Whoever imagined that a third person mech shooter mixed with tower defense elements would work? These guys. We get to jump into some sweet robots and blast some Monovision monsters in the face. Oh, and don’t worry. The humor you’ve come to love from Tim Schafer’s games is on full display here. Prepare to laugh and blast. 

2. Bastion

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Ever feel like there’s this nagging voice in the back of your head? Don’t you seem to hear it every time you do something right or wrong? We label that voice “the voice of reason.” The one you hear in Bastion is a witty narrator that verbalizes all the things you can’t. What’s amazing is that he’s not annoying as some might automatically assume. This action RPG lets us stomp monsters and repair our world as we see fit. The hack and slash gameplay is addictive as hell. We’re not putting down our machete, flamethrower or cannon anytime soon.

1. From Dust

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Have you ever played a god simulator? Think along the lines of a game like Black & White and you’ll know what we mean. From Dust is of a similar breed, and it’s a welcome breath of fresh air. Your world is pretty screwed. Those volcanic eruptions and flash floods certainly aren’t helping matters, either. You play God and aid your tribe in traveling and surviving. Take control of the water and douse it one some vegetation to help it grow or let some lava flow from a nearby volcano. Do you want to build or destroy? Choose wisely and enjoy. 

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