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As we take steps farther into June, it's undeniable that summer is upon us. In the video game world, the rise in temperature also brings upon a drought that doesn't affect front lawns but instead the home console.

The Wii isn't going to be a stranger to this phenomenon that occurs yearly as publishers hold titles and give developers a little more time to polish up games before the hectic holiday season. If you're a Wii owner looking to spend some time with new games this summer, you may be a little hard pressed to find something of interest.

Keeping that in mind, I have developed a list of games for Wii owners to take in if they are looking to keep themselves busy behind the joysticks all summer long. However, this list took games into account that contain a couple certain attributes.

First, the list consists of all GameCube games. Seeing as the Wii has already surpassed the GameCube in worldwide sales by over six million units, I figure there are one or two owners of the system who never had a chance to experience any of these games. They may be a couple years old, but each of these titles are still exceptional by any standards. Second, I took those with tight budgets into great consideration. I see myself as a frugal gamer and I am sure that there are many more who are similar. Thus, I started this list with a goal of compiling a list of not only quality games, but I wanted a list of 25 top notich titles which would fit into a budget of $250.

Titles listed blow are not ranked in order as to what I feel is best, I will leave that decision up to you (feel free to leave your rankings of the game as a comment). Prices accompanying the games come from either Amazon or GameStop. To be honest, I hate GameStop as much as the next gamer, but their online price list should be fairly accurate with what you would find at nearly any game resale shop. Same with Amazon.

Now without any further ado, here is a list of the top 25 GameCube games that can be bought with a budget of $250.

1. Soul Calibur 2 : $5.99 at GameStop - The Soul Caliber series established itself as a quality fighter on Dreamcast and the GameCube sequel didn't disappoint. Tons of characters, tons of depth, and a solid experience all around. As a bonus, the GCN version featured everyone's favorite Hylian, Link, as a playable character.

2. Resident Evil 4 : $9.00 at Amazon - Capcom's classic was re-released on the Wii with Wiimote capabilities last year, but for those looking to experience the hit while remaining frugal, this is the way to do it. RE4 is definitely one of the greater experiences the GCN had to offer and it's a crime not to give it a play through.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker : $12.15 at Amazon - Few games are able to provide such a killer combination of style, solid gameplay, and depth that WW did. It may not have been the realistic Zelda game that fans of the series were looking for when it was released, but the game is just another example as to why the Legend of Zelda series has few rivals in the world of gaming.

4. Metroid Prime : $6.99 at GameStop - Metroid Prime brought the favorites series of many into a 3D world and it did so with emphasis. Many even argue that this is the greatest game to ever grace the purple lunchbox. It's a space adventure game that features lots of exploring and solid shooting controls and is definitely worth every penny of it's price tag.

5. Tales of Symphonia : $21.50 at Amazon - Definitely one of the better RPG titles to ever hit the system and the Wii will see a sequel to this game which could hit US shores by year end. The game offers a solid 40 hours of game play in addition to a great story and solid controls.

6. Viewtiful Joe : $4.99 at GameStop - In today's world of mega-blockbusters, it is rare to find new intellectual property which are both critically acclaimed and big sellers. Viewtiful Joe was able to make the 2D side-scroller hip again and was definitely a sleeper hit of the last generation.

7. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door: $10.98 at Amazon - Part of me wants to praise this game as a great RPG and the other part of me hates the title. This game is slowly paced and involves several fetch quests. The battle system is great and I want to keep finding bigger and badder enemies and bosses, but the game would rather send me on a fetch quest and that just pisses me off. This game does have depth on it's side. If you find every badge and shine, you will easily put 50-60 hours into the adventure.

8. Eternal Darkness: $17.99 at Amazon - A game that really symbolized the GameCube. It is amazing, yet it sold horribly. If Nintendo has a kiddy image, this game didn't help create it. The story and gameplay are better than any other horror game on the market. What made ED stand out was a certain gameplay element which I really won't go into detail in because it ruins the game. Want to know what that element is? Do yourself a favor and go purchase this game.

9. Lost Kingdoms: $4.99 at GameStop - One of a couple real sleeper titles I have on my list. This game is amazing and I almost promise that you have never heard of it. The story and graphics might be typical but the gameplay isn't. This game focuses on collecting a team on monsters in a deck of cards. The concept it hard to explain in words, but the game is wonderful in action. Definitely worth the five bucks you will find it for at your local GameStop.

10. TimeSplitters 2: $6.99 at GameStop - This game was brought to us by Free Radical, which was a team comprised of many of the same guys who developed GoldenEye for the Nintendo 64. The single player mode offers several difficulties, but the real meat and potatoes comes in the multi-player mode. You and your friends will have hours of fun with this one, I guarantee it.

11. Star Wars Rogue Leader Rogue Squadron: $5.99 at GameStop - This game has held a special place in my heart ever since I picked it up on the GameCube's launch night. The missions are varied and interesting enough to keep any gamer happy for hours.

12. F-Zero GX: $7.88 at Amazon - It didn't sell too well and it wasn't well recieved by many. Plainly stated, this game was hard. Very hard. If you have the patience to practice and master this game, it could be one of the most rewarding things you have ever done in gaming.

13. Super Mario Sunshine: $15.00 at Amazon - This game might have received more criticism than any other game in the GameCube's lifespan. I guess that is what happens when you are technically a sequel to Super Mario 64. No, this game does not revolutionize gaming like Super Mario 64 did in 1996. That doesn't make it a bad platformer. I recommend that everyone checks out this game, just don't expect anything to be leaps and bounds over Super Mario 64.

14. Mario Golf Toadstool Tour: $14.99 at GameStop - A great solid golf game. Much better than the golf game thrown together in Wii Sports. It doesn't feature motion control, but this game offers a fair amount of unlockable characters and courses. I do think that Mario Golf for the N64 is a better game. If your willing to wait, I would hold out and spend my money on the N64 version of this game whenever it is released for the Virtual Console.

15. Super Monkey Ball: $5.99 at GameStop - If you haven't played any Monkey Ball game before, you're missing out on one of Sega's greatest gaming gems. Anyone can enjoy this puzzle hit. The later stages will push even the most skilled gamers into an intense level of concentration. Everyone should own either Super Monkey Ball 1 or 2 for the GameCube.

16. Crazy Taxi: $7.99 at GameStop - This title may surprise a few people as it's a port of an old Dreamcast and Arcade hit. If you have never played Crazy Taxi, you owe it to yourself to try out this quick and fun driving game.

17. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: $2.99 at GameStop - Movie licensed games are never usually of top quality as developers fight huge time constraints to rush out a product under low budget to capitalize on a brand. EA did right with the Lord of the Rings series and this game provides great action at a minimum price.

18. Baten Kaitos: $9.99 at GameStop - A solid RPG title that was highly hyped, but never received a whole lot of praise. It has tons of depth and offers a great experience well worth the ten dollar price tag.

19. Killer 7: $11.99 at Amazon - A cult favorite of sorts among shooter fans on the Cube. The game has a great style and offers solid gameplay. People tend to either love or hate this title, but for $12, it seems worth the risk.

20. Luigi's Mansion: $9.99 at GameStop - Go ahead and laugh at me with the inclusion of this GCN launch title. The game is somewhat short, but it does offer a quality experience and a unique several hours of gameplay.

21. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time: $11.99 at Amazon - Considered by many to be one of the best games on the console and is a solid experience that helped Ubisoft establish itself as one of the prime third-parties of the last generation.

22. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Master Quest: $27.00 at Amazon - While this is the highest priced game on the list, it is extremely rare as it was only provided to those who pre-ordered Wind Waker. Ocarina of Time may just be the best game of all time and with this game, you are also provided with the Master Quest which gives the game all new dungeons which help ramp up the difficulty for those who had mastered the game in years past.

23. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4: $3.99 at GameStop - Tony Hawk revolutionized the sports genre with the release of his first Pro Skater game back in 1999 and the fourth installment is an extremely solid offering which provides deep gameplay, hours of replayablity, and a whole lot of fun for a real low price tag.

24. NHL Hitz 20-02: $2.99 at GameStop - NHL Hitz offers one an amazingly fun arcade experience which features a great single player experience, but the game really shines through multi-player. Grab some friends and enjoy the fun that this game provides.

25. SSX 3: $6.99 at GameStop - Another extreme sports game takes a spot on this list with a tight combination of both racing and tricks. The SSX series hit the Wii last year with SSX Blur, but many fans of the series see 3 as the best title EA's Big studio has produced.

So, I was able to find 25 quality titles for Wii owners looking to take advantage of the system's backwards capabilties, but what about the final total? Was I able to keep below the $250 price ceiling? You bet I did. If you wanted to pick up all these titles this summer, you could do so for only $247.33, which would be less than you originally spent on the white wonderbox.

What do you think about the list? Do you agree/disagree? What titles would you add to the list or knock off and how would you place them if you had to order them from best to worst? Leave me a comment or send an e-mail to Cameron@CameronBanga.com.

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