If seasons had personalities, summer would be bombastic and carefree - the Ferris Bueller of seasons. It's the time of year that begs you to go on new adventures, take chances, and meet new friends. We associate a lot of things with different seasons, like music, movies and books. But what about video games? Surely there must be an equivalent to your 'Summer Fun Time Jams 9' playlist within the video game world?

Well good news everyone, there absolutely is. Summer isn't quite here yet, but, if you're like me, you take every opportunity to roll out the welcome mat in anticipation the greatest time of year. So kick up your feet, pour yourself a tall glass of lemonade, and get ready for a list of the best games to get you stoked for summer.

Few games embody everything that is summer better than Animal Crossing. Even when your little village is covered in snow and sadness, there is something so inherently beachy about the relaxed pace that Animal Crossing saunters along at. It's the fact that, despite having breezy tunes and graphics so cuddly you can feel them, Animal Crossing captures summer in its gameplay as much as its aesthetic. Days spent gardening, fishing, or just idling chatting with friends - all of these perfectly represent what we associate with the season.

Animal Crossing finds a way of making work feel like pleasure, and then punctuates that with a sprinkling of social gatherings like fireworks festivals and bug catching contests. If winter is the time of year to shut off all ties and hole up in your house in front of the TV, summer is the season to get out there and make some new friends. And Animal Crossing is just bursting with friends.

Grease's Summer Nights, summer flings, and the 1967 Summer of Love all make one thing perfectly clear: summer is the season for romance. And what game captures all those tingly feelings better than Persona 4? By the time summer rolls around in-game, you're likely exhausted from keeping up with school, relationships, and - oh yeah - solving a murder. But just under half way through your year in Inaba, summer arrives and gives you a well deserved rest.

Everyone has fond memories of their summer vacations, and Persona 4 deftly taps into that nostalgia to remind us all of our younger years. Days spent at the beach, breezy nights hanging out with friends, and that blossoming romance with the cutie you've had a crush on since the semester started; it's all there and waiting to tug at your heartstrings. Just like in real life, you relish the extra free time summer vacation provides. And when the start of a new school year looms only days away, you'll remember the dread we were all filled with as the greatest two months came to a close.

This one is a bit obvious, don't you think? While some of the entries on the list have a bit of nuance to how they evoke the feeling of summer, Super Mario Sunshine is as bold as a mojito. A major departure from the more vanilla flavor of Mario games, Isle Delfino is a gorgeous resort community begging to be explored.

Not only that, but Mario's FLUDD is basically a giant Super Soaker - what else do you need? All Super Mario Sunshine is missing at this point is freezie pops so delicious you'll gladly suffer the painful cuts on your mouth just to have one.

If you've never had the opportunity to go to a beach and build a sand castle, stop what you're doing, close this article, and do whatever it takes to make that happen. I don't care how much a plane ticket costs, just do it.

You're back? Amazing, yes? Building sand castles is the official pastime of summer, and Minecraft is basically one big virtual sand castle. There is something so serenely mesmerizing about building something piece by piece. Before you know it, hours have melted away like the ice in your iced tea, and you're left with a sense of accomplishment. Turn off survival mode and let your creativity take you on a journey. Minecraft, like summer, is the the perfect opportunity to pick a direction and strike out on your own path. Who knows where your feet will take you?

The summer without a body of water to spend it with is a tragedy. Millions of people travel every year just to make sure that doesn't happen. For one second, let's pretend that you find yourself in a position in which you are unable to soak up some sun before a great blue sea. What do you do? You play The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, of course!

Nintendo's charmingly cartoony take on Zelda is the perfect game for those desperate to cool off from the blistering summer sun. An endless ocean, a world teeming with vibrant characters, and an absorbing quest as good as any book all make for a perfect way to kill a long weekend.

Harvest Moon and its spin off, Story of Seasons, could probably be found on the winter, spring, and fall equivalents of this list with how easily they evoke those seasons. But the first summer of a new game is always the most special.

There is a sense of community that begins building around summer, as the game finally begins to let go of the reins and let the player drive. You begin to feel more at ease with your farming routine, become more comfortable chatting with the villagers, and best of all, your love interest. But Harvest Moon also deserves recognition for not only capturing the feel of summer, but the sounds too. Walks through the forest to collect delicious fruit are accompanied by chirping cicadas, singing birds, and some of the catchiest music you've ever heard.

Those of you living in climates that are unsavory for large portions of the year will no doubt appreciate the moment you can drive with the windows down, letting the brisk air cool you off. It's the ultimate sign of summer's approach. Burnout Paradise is that moment captured and programmed into a video game.

It's the kind of game that you can sit down with for an hour and accomplish absolutely nothing yet still have a great time. Driving and crashing around the urban sprawl of Paradise City is a joy in itself, and the game's soundtrack perfectly complements every moment. So roll down those windows, step on the gas, and t-bone that semi truck at 90mph. You can thank me for it later.

Studio Ghibli and Level-5 have proven themselves masters at painting with emotion. With an almost careless ease, the two studios brought the world of Ni No Kuni to life in rich detail. The characters are imaginative and fun, and the world is enchanting. All of this culminates in a game that is as hard to leave behind as a summer vacation.

Ni No Kuni is the video game equivalent of a road trip. You pile in for an adventure, and, from the window of your car, you see a whole world beyond your doorstep pass by. For many, it is that moment that you begin to understand just how small you are, but as Ni No Kuni is quick to teach you: even the smallest of things is capable of greatness.

If this list didn't inspire you to start working on your 'Summer Fun Time James 10' playlist and dust off your flip-flops, I just don't know what will. Whether you love or hate it, summer is well on its way, and for those of you looking to get an early start the games on this list are a perfect way to help get you in the mood. Of course, I'm sure you probably have your own ideas for what gets you all riled up for barbecues and days spent lounging around in open fields. So what are you waiting for? Slip and slide your way into the comments and let us know what your favorite go-to games are for capturing that summer spirit!

'Different strokes for different folks'. 'To each their own'. 'You're just mental and my opinion is definitely better'. One of these three statements doesn't quite belong, and here's a hint: it's the exact same one that gamers most love to utter. We really are a surly, self-important bunch, at least we can be, provided players believe strongly enough in their own video gaming verdicts. One player's 'massive pile of slag' is to another 'the sweetest culmination of a thousand euphoric truths'. Defy a Zelda devotee at your peril. Defend a critically-panned cult hit at your own personal risk. It certainly doesn't take much for the long knives to come out when a fan's deepest convictions are questioned.

So then, what kind of games are we talking about? Which titles produce the most volatile of forum fracas, the most bile spewing of debates? Just what are the most polarising, the most massively divisive games of all time? Click that there page turner and find out.

Supporters see - An interactive Twin Peaks, complete with compelling, if altogether nonsensical, cast and an ambitious open-world design. Atmospheric, richly layered and boasting a self-effacing, humorous charm, Access Games' epic remains the veritable grand wizard of cult hits. In choosing to criticise its lacklustre mechanics, detractors only emphasize their own skewed perspectives - this is an experience so much more than the sum of its parts.

Detractors see - An insufferably tacky and horrendously realised title that lacks even the basic semblance of playability. Controls are atrocious, the visuals are worse, and the game's much-touted storyline reads like a teenager's pained attempts at eccentric edginess. Fans of the narrative forgive far too much, lauding its story while forgetting about every other element that makes up a game - a bit like persevering with a broken laptop because you find the particular tint of the blue screen of death to be soothing.

Let's settle it - Twin Peaks marathon. First one to question the nature of reality loses.

Supporters see - Endlessly creative, visually engrossing and buoyed by the same brand of gentle, enjoyable gameplay as its famous forebears, Wind Waker succeeds on almost every level imaginable. Its story is more absorbing, its content more diverse and its challenges more numerous and more finely honed than ever before. TWW represents the absolute perfection of an already magnificent formula. How sad that some players cannot overcome their graphical bias.

Detractors see - A needless reinvention of a time-honoured visual tradition. Just imagine the uproar had TES: Skyrim switched to cutesy characters, or Metal Gear Solid gone kawaii crazy. Not only that, but the game employs numerous unadorned fetch quests, simplistic 'shopping list adventures' that themselves make use of the game's ultra bland sailing mechanics. Majora's Mask hinted at bold new moves, Wind Waker just repaints old Ocarina and calls it a day.

Let's settle it - Wooden sailboat endurance race. First one not to drown is crowned champion.

Supporters see - A novel concept tied to a challenging narrative. Gone Home represents the future of video game storytelling, weaving a multi-faceted and emotionally charged tale of everyday familial intrigue. Though seemingly simplistic at the outset, Gone Home's sparse environment actually belies a far deeper tale, one that is both horror and not-horror, mysterious and at the same time oddly humdrum. It's a tale that relies almost entirely upon the player's own fragmented perspective for effect, prompting our imaginations to do much of the heavy lifting. We're the ones who make it horror, or thriller or murder mystery. In that, Gone Home represents a brand new breed of interactive storytelling.

Detractors see - An utterly pretentious 'statement piece' lacking in any rewarding gameplay mechanics or even basic value ($20 at release). As an adventure game it lacks challenging tasks and/or puzzle elements. As a prospective horror title it foregoes any actual menace. As a thriller, it lacks thrills and as a detective title it leaves players with an utterly underwhelming conclusion. As socially and even narratively progressive as it may be, Gone Home comes off as more of a damp squib than a revelatory adventure.

Let's settle it - Toss a coin. Then inspect said coin repeatedly hoping for some sort of clue. Go bonkers.

Supporters see - A satisfyingly brutal, intensely challenging and richly detailed 'old school RPG' for the modern age,one that foregoes the hand-holding and exposition-heavy treatment of its contemporaries for a far more difficult, albeit infinitely more rewarding payoff. Dark Souls is a game that crushes you down completely, to rebuild you in its own terrifying image, and proving only as cruel as it needs to be in order to achieve that end. Souls institutes a veritable trial by fire, the completion of which yields vast new worlds of immersion, excitement and elation. This is real adventure, one in which triumphs are only ever as rewarding as its tasks are testing.

Detractors see - Needlessly punitive, consistently frustrating and altogether unfair, Dark Souls brings the coin-guzzling difficulty of old school arcade machines direct to your living room. Particularly galling are the game's many boss monsters - overpowered behemoths that utterly annihilate the player several times over before their attack patterns can be memorized. Even then, encounters often feel cheap. So, if your idea of fun is banging your head into a brick wall over and over again until finally it cracks (or you do) then this is the game for you.

Let's settle it - Slip 'n' Slide water torture contest.

Supporters see - A more visceral and immediate take on the Dragon Age formula, Dragon Age 2 ditches its predecessor's expansive settings and associated bloat for a more driven and linear adventure. That's not to say it's a short game however, as Hawke's tale still offers up a generous 40 to 60 hour run time. Combat is smoother, its mechanics more streamlined, and the game's storytelling far less grandiose or liable to meander. Naysayers may balk at the loss of needlessly obtuse menus and character creation suites, but that's no reason to slam this bloody good title.

Detractors see - A corporate-ordered sequel bereft of any new ideas, desperately pandering to the mainstream action fan. What had seemed like an amazing franchise in the making was shortly thereafter been sullied, transformed into something far more flashy, yet much less substantial. Gone are the tactical flourishes and strategic micro management of old, not to mention a narrative of any actual significance, replaced instead by a brainless brand of combat and a largely inconsequential plot.

Let's settle it - Poor quality LARP-level sword fight.

Supporters see - The Sopranos of the video game landscape. GTA 4 added a whole new level of depth, maturity and gravitas to the tried and true sandbox formula, marrying meaningful character design to realistic and vivacious environments. Liberty City is more than just a setting, it's a character, one that horrifies and entices in equal measure. Its inhabitants are every bit as complex and emotive as their city, displaying their own particular quirks, desires and demands. Added to that is a much improved combat system and a chaotic multiplayer suite. Cynics may bemoan the loss of the series' juvenile humour, but it's a worthwhile trade-off nonetheless. Every franchise has to grow up sometime.

Detractors see - A pompous, self-important and downright gloomy addition to a franchise formerly known for its sense of outlandish, satirical fun. GTA IV mistakes sullen grit for cinematic greatness, opting for chore-like realism to the detriment of the player's engagement. Cars handle like bricks, shooting is sub-par, and inter-character relationships feel forced and occasionally aggravating. Realism for the sake of realism - even the boring bits.

Let's settle it - Invitation contest. Both sides send incessant, highly annoying invitations to one another. First one to crack loses.

Supporters see - A rollicking good action franchise boasting outlandish setpieces aplenty. Blessed with grade-A production values, top quality multiplayer modes and some of the slickest shooting mechanics this side of a Halo ring, CoD is more than just some angry tween's playpen - it's a wildly entertaining slice of popcorn cinema served straight to your console. Sadly, COD's ever-present status and mammoth sales figures have turned it into a perfect target for the contrarian 'too cool to be popular' crowd. They claim the game never changes, when in fact it's really undergone all manner of tweaks and adjustments, the kind they'd probably notice if only they weren't too busy decrying the title to actually play it.

Detractors see - Unambitious, unrefined and iterated half to death, CoD represents the game of choice for the hulking 'dudebro' masses, the majority of whom couldn't spot a quality narrative if it knocked off their indoor shades before punching them square in the face. CoD is everything that's wrong with the modern gaming scene, from the scores of irate clichés screaming down their microphones, to the publisher's now seasonal exploitation of fans.

Let's settle it - Man with the Golden Gun-style duel to the death.

Supporters see - A darker, more mature interpretation of the classic Zelda mythos. Despite ringing the changes, Majora's Mask proves to be every bit as brilliant as its illustrious predecessor, buoyed up by an equally classic soundtrack, superior cast of characters, and a richer, more varied brand of gameplay. This may be a different breed of Zelda, but it's easily on par with the triumphs of Link's Awakening, Ocarina and co.

Detractors see - 'Errand Boy: The Video Game'. Majora's Mask opted to scuttle the series' dungeon-led formula in favour of an ongoing series of fetch quests and mini-games. It's also far more linear than previous entries, and a major step back from the greater accessibility and openness present in Ocarina.

Let's settle it - Run around a costume shop adopting the characteristics of every new mask worn. First to be thrown from the premises Jazzy Jeff-style is declared the winner.

Supporters see - An exquisitely crafted, sharply streamlined, and altogether more focused addition to the recent Final Fantasy canon. It also bears mentioning that 13 looks absolutely stunning, sounds fabulous, and features a deep and malleable battle system. It's linear, yes, but who needs more tiresome fetch quests or perfunctory exploration - this is a franchise about battles, character and otherworldly atmosphere. FFX13 nails all three.

Detractors see - A sizeable step back for what was once a progressive and keenly ambitious franchise. Only the bare essentials remain. Combat, now far shallower and less thoughtful. Characters, largely clichéd and unlikeable. A storyline bereft of any real scope or weight. Gone are the vibrant, explorable cityscapes, the unique and talkative NPCs, and any kind of challenge in combat. FFXIII is little more than one pretty corridor after the next, an on-rails RPG for the brainless masses.

Let's settle it - JRPG hair-teasing contest. First contestant to pass out from all of the hairspray fumes is declared the loser.

Supporters see - An epic, oftentimes moving send-off to the illustrious Solid Snake. Metal Gear Solid 4 includes everything that made the franchise so special to begin with. and then adds a whole heap more. Gameplay is as tight and nuanced as ever, allowing players to sneak or shoot past every obstacle, while the game's central storyline justifies its lengthy runtime through top quality direction and performances. Sadly, detractors just don't have the patience for this kind of complex experience.

Detractors see - An overwrought, overlong and underwhelming adventure plagued by outdated mechanics and godawful writing. Movement is wooden and unintuitive throughout, characters are tepid and unlikeable, and those damnable cut scenes go on for far, far too long. MGS has always fancied itself a bit of a blockbuster, but 8 hours of pained, non-interactive exposition is just way too much.

Let's settle it - SM sneak-athon. Both parties don tight rubber suits and crawl around their local towns. First to be arrested loses.

Supporters see - A bold new step for the Metroid series, Other M combines beautiful graphics, compelling gameplay and a much more ambitious style of narrative to create one of the Wii's most under-appreciated gems. In keeping with the series' 2D roots, Samus returns to her agile best here, forsaking the 'tank-like' movement of the Prime titles and introducing a unique and highly responsive control scheme.

Detractors see - A short, overly linear and occasionally uncontrollable mess that disregards much of the franchise's tradition. Featuring a bevy of unskippable, overlong cut scenes, starring a newly obedient Samus, Other M consistently interjects lame, cookie cutter plot beats into a franchise that has little-to-no need of them. Give us back our strong leading lady.

Let's settle it - Both parties confront MMA champion Ronda Rousey with classic 1920's sexism. First to die loses.

Supporters see - The precision gunplay of Halo meets the endless possibilities of the MMO, bonding quality levelling elements to a rewarding and consistently-varied shooter. Hype has a way of hardening some people's perspectives, but don’t be fooled, this is a highly competent and gratifying experience that’s sure to endure and expand over the years to come.

Detractors see - An unfinished, largely generic FPS title masquerading as an online game-changer. Quests are uninspired, the setting pretty but lifeless, and the storyline all but non-existent. Go here, kill this, defend that - rinse, repeat and regret. Even the mighty Peter Dinklage can't summon up any enthusiasm for this paint-by-numbers actioner.

Let's settle it - Xbox live endurance test featuring Clockwork Orange-style apparatus. First one to devolve into casual racism and juvenile mic tirades loses.

Supporters see - An emotional roller coaster unlike any other game before it. Beautifully realised, both in terms of its graphical fidelity and authentically mo-capped performances, Two Souls ably continues Quantic Dream's stunning run of unique and challenging titles. This is the 'interactive narrative' writ large, delicately measured and consistently thoughtful throughout - certainly not one for any knuckle-dragging action fans.

Detractors see - A barely interactive 8-hour movie that scarcely deserves consideration as a game. Beyond's narrative aims for high art and misses by some margin, its runtime racked by numerous instances of dreary tedium, and all despite being almost completely linear in nature. Gameplay where it does exist proves to be just as tiresome, clunky and unfocused, with the game more than happy to press on without you, essentially relegating the player to the role of inconsequential 'page-turner'.

Let's settle it - Spot the difference contest featuring Ellen Page and Ashley Johnson's in-game avatars.

Supporters see - An aesthetically sumptuous title that isn't afraid to take established RPG mechanics in brave new directions. Final Fantasy 8 is consistently challenging, its battle systems deep and adaptable and its cast of characters more richly layered and believable than ever before. Purists may loathe the lack of traditional aeon and mana use, but in their place stands a far more customisable, if initially tricky system.

Detractors see - A needlessly fiddly experience that disregards much of what worked before in favour of change for the sake of change. The central junction system is overthought and underdeveloped, as are the levelling, SeeD, 'draw' and GF mechanics. One malfunctioning element would be bad enough, but all of them? As for the game's storyline, that too quickly descends into gibbering farce, filled with criss-crossing plot holes and poorly considered motivations? It's different, but not in a good way.

Let's settle it - See Final Fantasy 13

Supporters see - One of Ninty's teresting experiments, Zelda 2 completely defied expectations, introducing a slew of new and permanent additions to the ongoing Zelda franchise. It may be the relative black sheep of the saga, but that doesn't make it any less of a classic.

Detractors see - An awkward and unnecessary shift away from the first game's iconic framework. There's a reason later games in the franchise would better reflect the original. There are hundreds of identikit side-scrollers out there, but only one Zelda.

Let's settle it - Pistols at dawn.