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Yet again we've been struck by the annual summer gaming drought. Publishers, deducing that we've better things to do in the summer than stay inside and play games (Are they nuts?), hold back their big releases for the Christmas months, leaving us so parched it hurts. What can a gamer do? Finished our unfinished titles? Give that awkward little game a chance? Or, shock, play something besides the Gamecube? Let's hope not...

How have you been handling this practically release-free summer?

Mike_D:

I got Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour at the beginning of July, so that kept me going for a good few weeks. I've also finished off Metroid Prime and The Wind Waker for the second time (save files I started last December..) and evolved/bred Pokémon in Sapphire that I caught in Colosseum.

Last week my parents went on holiday to New York, and they'll be back tomorrow with Four Swords, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, and a Spice controller - should keep me going until October (along with Wario Ware in September)!

antster1983:

I've been a little busier than usual this summer, with work two days a week (finishing August 26th), so it hasn't really affected me much.

I've been playing through Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour and Need For Speed: Underground on the GameCube, and Super Mario Bros (NES Classics), Ice Climber (NES Classics) and Fire Emblem on the GBA. So I haven't really been too bothered by the usual summer drought. I know they always make up for it in the Christmas run-up.

toxation:

Although it is winter here, and I've had mountains of school work...

I've been playing F-Zero GX, Pokemon Sapphire, Crystal Chronicles with a friend, watching Trigun episodes, playing Pokemon Colosseum *and* working.

Phew, ohh, and I turned 18 in the process.

Choze:

Very well. I've been busy but not so much with games. Loving Fire Emblem. GBA is THE summer console to own and Fire Emblem is the best game this year so far. GC has been quiet unless you import(very good). I also brought some very cheap bargains which were well worth it. Be getting Mario Golf soon to see what its like.

RudeAndAmusing1:

Surprisingly well actually. I thought it would be dire like last year, but I've managed to pick up some great titles in the sales. I've got a new job this summer, and that has been allowing me to spare the extra cash. Apart from Spider-Man 2, which I got for full price back at the beginning of July, I've got some games I've been wanting for ages. Firstly, I got both Burnout 2 and Wave Race Blue Storm from Gamestation for �20 and �15. Then just yesterday I spotted Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time finally reduced in Game to �20. These have all kept me occupied for the last month, and have made my summer less boring.

ptwizzy:

There's been few problems for me over the summer weeks finding something to play. Tales of Symphonia has been sucking away all my gaming time besides the odd multiplayer romp in Winning Eleven 6 FE. Besides that I've got a few great games sitting in my collection I've yet to play. So less "What can I play to occupy myself during the summer quiet weeks?" and more "Where the hell will I find the time to play all these great games?".

Hero_of_Winds:

I've been enjoying the wonderful Boktai. Which although only around 15 hours, does certainly fill up those boring gaps during holidays AND its perfect in the Summer due to the Sunlight sensor! Apart from my GBA, I have begun playing Home World 2 and addicted to it. If only there was a DS version on the way...

(Two-screened space strategy across sixteen players on the internet... Yum!) My GameCube has been host to Collector's Edition Zelda 1 or 2 recently, which although far too underplayed, due to Boktai and Home World 2, are still taking a good few hours or so a week.

Finally, the other game still being played, even after 10 months... Is Animal Crossing. The recent Percieds Shower was the highlight of the week both in the real world and in my town of Termina (yup, I'm one of those Majora's Mask people). And that Twirp FINALLY left my town. Everyone was happy at that...

HeadlessHaden:

I have been playing on my new shiny PC! Halo, Simcity 4, Morrowind and victoria. And with the Sims 2, Rome Total War and HL2 coming out my GC may be left dead for a little while. I will come crawling back near christmas though when I can afford Metroid 2 and Pikmin 2.

n3ss:

I haven't been playing on my Gamecube for a long while now, to be honest. The last game I played on it was The Twin Snakes, when it was released months ago.

I also had some multiplayer fun with Timesplitters 2 and Soul Calibur, but not very much. I am waiting for Pikmin 2 and MP: Echoes to get me interested in my cube again. I have been playing on my computer quite a bit though. Doom 3 I'm playing right now actually.

L0rdpain:

I actually spend some time going through my (old) games collection and replayed some titles on my rusty pc: Deus Ex, Tiberian Sun, Monkey Island 4.

On the 'Cube, I restarted Skies of Arcadia Legends (I never finished it) both the repetitive SW: Bounty Hunter. God, I can't wait for Pikmin 2 and the month of gods (November: Paper Mario 2, Tales of Symphonia, MP 2, yiiihaaaa)

That's all for this week's edition. Be sure to check out the Gamecube Forum for the next topic, and your name could be here next time. Didn't contribute? You can still post your thoughts below.