Summer has officially kicked off. In Belgium, the season is ceremoniously started with a reminder that climate change is real, by having weather so scorching hot that the entire country is on alert for fires and drought. With the feeling of summer also comes a sense of relaxation, even if it's just psychological right now. Summer means good times, chill vibes and maybe some extra video game sessions. So, which games feel the most synonymous with the breezy atmosphere of a nice summer day?
Likely due to nostalgia and a throwback to a time before responsibilities, arcade games are a personal favorite. In particular, any games with bright, saturated colors and a thick, syrupy blue sky take me straight to that moment of sitting around in shorts, drinking soda and eating ice cream by a TV screen. Even if I spent a lot of time in Quake games, I associate the season with more upbeat, worry-free games. Here are some choices, both old and new, which really reverberate that warm, comforting feeling:
Adventure Island
When I think of summer, no game comes closer to that than Adventure Island. A simple arcade objective of moving to the right is all you really need. Amidst palm trees, the character gets to jump over enemies, collect juicy fruits and even ride on a rad skateboard. Originally, the game was an adaptation of Wonder Boy, yet the alterations elevated it to something special. Adventure Island is like a mold for whatever game wants to be a carefree escape. Many others have emulated the vibe, like the Joe & Mac games, but few have ever matched the feeling completely.
The Messenger
One game to recently take its inspiration back to older games is The Messenger. Clearly bouncing off old Ninja Gaiden releases, this challenging title would later add the Picnic Panic downloadable content (DLC). This new content doesn't just look amazing, while maintaining some classic arcade tropes, but the color palette also just oozes a summer atmosphere. Everything is just so crisp and blue. Combined with the brisk pace, the seasonal breeze is almost tangible. Picnic Panic is one of the best recent examples of enhancing DLC. Nostalgia never felt this new.
Fantasy Zone
Developer Sega is one of the companies that best captured a carefree gaming attitude. One game to really highlight the pinnacle of bright colors is Fantasy Zone. While this title is a side-scrolling shooter by design, the colorful backgrounds and cartoon enemies manage to make it feel a lot less stressful than its peers. Even bosses get big, dopey eyes. Fantasy Zone is, in fact, so antithetical to stressful counterparts, like a Gradius, that the game was categorized as a "cute 'em up." This game is the personification of flushed cheeks and the word "uwu."
Slime Rancher
Arcade games aren't the only way to relax with a straightforward goal. There are a whole array of building simulators that can equate that sense with one's need to manage things, to reduce anxiety. Slime Rancher might be one of the most colorful examples of tending to a farm. Full of little color blobs with big, grinning faces, the objective is essentially what you make of it. You can progress with a story or just try to be the best little farmer you can be and anything in between. Time melts away with games like these and that, too, feels like wasting away in summer.
Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash
Anime games are some of the most effortless examples of colorful atmospheres. Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash marries that feeling with super soakers, for an entirely different kind of shooter that is definitely season appropriate and playful. This game also feeds our need to go out and people-watch on warm, summer days. You know what that means. Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash is one of the bubblier releases in the franchise, transcending the more passive approach of something like a Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball.
Daav Valentaten, NoobFeed
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| Platform(s): | PS4 |
| Publisher(s): | Xseed Games |
| Developer(s): | Tamsoft |
| Genres: | Third-Person Shooter |
| Themes: | Action, Adventure |
| Release Date: | 2017-09-26 |
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