There had been a lot of online discourse over the years about how there were no big games released in the summer because vacation means the kids won’t play them and money will be spent elsewhere. That was definitely not my case growing up. In fact it was the opposite feeling. That’s when I would get a small reward to buy some vidya after finishing school and there always seemed to be a “game of the summer” just like a song of the summer or movie of the summer that was all over the marketing rounds and demo kiosks. So, I actually have a mostly Nintendo guide from 1997 to 2002 worth of the summer games to play.
We start in 1997 to be in chornological order even if it might not be the most summery of them all but it was the first game of the summer that I ever felt, The Marketing for Star Fox 64 was everywhere, a big release. I was never into Star Fox, didn’t seem to appeal to me but what else was a kid supposed to do than play whatever game was on the demo kiosk at walmart. And that summer it was Star Fox. I played it so many times that I was able to beat the game in the easy path at least. It didn’t matter it sold the game for me and I wanted it and the power of the rumble pack. My neck still hurts from looking up at that TV way up high placed purposedly there so kids would not play for long. It did not stop me. I still remember being all proud when it finally released in June and the lady asked me “why is the box so big does it have two games?” And I replied “No, it has the rumble pack” as if she would’ve had any idea what the hell that was.
1998 was all about Banjo Kazooie and that was the big game that also came out in June. I can’t remember playing too much of this at stores, and certainly not a game you could beat in one sitting, though I do wonder since it had saves why nobody bothered to go elsewhere besides the first level or two. Regardless I wanted it and when it released I was planning to buy it at walmart most likely since it usually had games cheaper by a dollar or two than other stores. But we were at Best Buy and this was before I knew anything about pre-order bonuses. I somehow noticed a box sort of hidden in the games section that had a Banjo Kazooie CD. Since the Nintendo 64 could not play CDs, I quickly saw that it included a T-Shirt that had a Nintendo 64 logo and the soundtrack. I don’t know why it wasn’t a Banjo shirt but whatever, I somehow knew I could get this for free if I got the game despite not having preordered. There weren’t many left the box was basically empty and grabbed one of the last few and lucked out. Enjoyed that soundtrack as much as I did the game over the summer.
1999 was a difficult year for a summer game I think, for one you had the release in May of a new Star Wars movie in decades with Episode I The Phantom Menace and the hype and marketing for that was insane. Nintendo promoted the hell out of Episode I Racer. Despite racing not being one of my favorite genres, the hype made me get it just because it was a new star wars game. I have to admit I enjoyed it quite a bit for a racing game, Beat it and had a great time and that summer heat felt right racing through tattooine in a podracer. On the other hand it was also the peak of the Pokemon Fad and nothing could ever compare to Pokemania in the summer of 99. July saw the release of Pokemon Snap and while it might’ve looked lame after I played that first beach level I was hooked and bought it immediately. What better summer game than one that takes place entirely on an island. Both of these from store demos that sold me as well as they weren’t originally my plans for the games I wanted to get.
Summer 2000 was tough as it was sandwiched between the Dreamcast and PS2 releases so not a lot of hype or big releases but there were for me. The long awaited sequel to Goldene Eye came out and Perfect Dark was the game I played over and over as I started to transition to an angsty teenager. Had so much fun as soon as school got out since it came out in May. But later in the summer a surprise hit with Mario Tennis. I played it in between sessions of the Pokemon TCG League at Toys R Us and the R Zone employees even had a small tournament once. I had to get it and i did seeing Donkey Kong Jr return and I was a Waluigi fan since that day in Aug.
I do have to skip 2001 since that was a PS2 summer for me and nintendo didn’t have much going that year. The Gamecube was releasing though and Miyamoto had already been asked about the release for Super Mario Sunshine and I still remember his reply was something along the lines of “Since it’s tropical themed it can’t come out during the winter”. I was afraid it wouoldn’t come out during the summer but it did make it out in August. I have to hand it to Nintendo for sticking to a tropical theme for the whole game. I have to admit it does get tiring, I wish there was a snowed beach level even if for some fantastic reason. On the other hand seeing so many imaginative ways to use summer and make it feel different is not simple. By this time I was aware of pre-order bonuses and Toys R Us had a towel for Super Mario Sunshine. I pre-ordered and since the guys in the R-Zone were my friends i got two copies, being able to open oen and keep one sealed. the towel was nothing special but at the same time felt like a real memorabilia from the game.
TSummer was THE time to play games since you had so much free time. Even before 1997 I remember playing countless NES games in our summer house since it was the only console we had there, I wouldn’t have such great memories with that system if it wasn’t to summer. Or all the hours stuck in a car for road trips that were only made tolerable thanks to the Game Boy or Game Boy Color. Summer will always have a nintendo vibe from me, and that’s not even counting the Nintendo concert tours or Camp Hyrule.