By Omar L. Gallaga, Cox News Service

AUSTIN, Texas -- The summer entertainment season is usually reserved for beach books, Hollywood blockbusters and music festivals. But come on: It's hot. Who even wants to leave the house?

This year, the video game industry is having an unusually strong summer. Typically, the holidays are the time to savor a blizzard of new games, but already Summer '08 has seen a glut of high-profile releases, a few of them earning phenomenal reviews and record sales.

We've put together our list of hot summer games, most of which have already hit stores and will be keeping us playing through temperatures that might continue to climb well past 100 degrees. True, many of them are sequels, but unlike summer movies, the Roman numeral "IV" doesn't mean diminishing returns in the gaming world.

'Grand Theft Auto IV'

* Release date: April 29

* Rating: M for Mature

* Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

* What's in store for gamers? Rockstar Games' satirical crime saga about an Eastern European immigrant, Nico Bellic, is a technological breakthrough, but definitely not for kids. Mixing a deep, entertaining single-player game with a surprisingly fun multiplayer component, "GTA IV" creates a dark, alternate-universe New York City.

* How hot is it? The long-anticipated "GTA" sequel blew away critics (including this one) and has sold more than 11 million copies. It's likely this will be the biggest game of the year.

'Wii Fit'

* Release date: May 19

* Rating: E for Everyone

* Platform: Nintendo Wii

* What's in store for gamers? Nintendo continues to dominate the living room with this $90 game, which combines a plastic "balance board" with strength training, yoga and sports such as soccer and skiing. An instructor will tell you whether you're out of shape and help you set goals to get in shape.

* How hot is it? Try finding one in stores. "Wii Fit," like the Wii console itself, has been sold out since its May debut. It seems to be the rare game that has crossed over into the mainstream after a publicity blitz that included talk shows, magazine ads and generally good reviews.

'Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures'

* Release date: May 20

* Rating: M for Mature

* Platform: Windows PC

* What's in store for gamers? The most high-profile massively multiplayer game launch this summer is yet another sword-and-sorcery online game, but it benefits from the mythology of Robert E. Howard's "Conan" books. The emphasis is on more fighting than in the typical multiplayer online game.

* How hot is it? Reviews have been mostly favorable and, as we learned with "World of Warcraft," it sometimes takes a few months for a new multiplayer online game to hit its stride and work out all the glitches. It should only get better as the summer wears on.

'Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2'

* Release date: June 3

* Rating: E for Everyone

* Platform: Sony PSP

* What's in store for gamers? The Sony "Hot Shots" golf games have become steadily better, and the past few versions for the PlayStation 3 and Sony PSP have been among the best golf games produced for consoles. This portable game offers more of what we want: crazy costumes and online play.

* How hot is it? The $30 price tag makes it very attractive for a breezy summer game, but don't let the cartoony characters fool you. "Hot Shots" games are also challenging golf simulations.

'Battlefield: Bad Company'

* Release date: June 23

* Rating: T for Teen

* Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

* What's in store for gamers? The "Battlefield" games have been less impressive on the game consoles than their PC counterparts, but that may change with "Bad Company," which improves gameplay and graphics, and inserts some levity into all the destruction with wisecracking mercenaries. The storyline sounds like it was borrowed from the movie "Three Kings," but as long as the game is entertaining, we will forgive the thievery.

* How hot it is? Good reviews are bringing attention to what at first seemed like just another by-the-numbers action shooter. The sound effects and polished visuals are earning raves.

'Guitar Hero: On Tour'

* Release date: June 22

* Rating: Everyone 10+

* Platform: Nintendo DS

* What's in store for gamers? The first thing we thought when we heard the "Guitar Hero" franchise was coming to the Nintendo DS portable system was, "Er, how's that going to work?" Activision answered with a hardware attachment that clips to the side of the DS, making it look like an accordion. The buttons allow you to virtually guitar shred. Amazing!

* How hot is it? Early reviews say the attachment is surprisingly well-built and fun to use. With songs from Los Lonely Boys, ZZ Top and Santana, this might be more fun than carrying around an iPod.

'Soul Calibur 4'

* Release date: July 29

* Rating: Rating pending

* Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

* What's in store for gamers? It's been a long time since a straight-up fighting game has been cause for excitement, but the "Soul Calibur" games haven't disappointed. The game should take good advantage of PS3 and Xbox 360 high-definition capabilities, and we're intrigued by the online play.

* How hot it is? It would be hard to derail such a great series, and fans have had their appetites whetted by videos featuring two unexpected fighters included in the game: Yoda and Darth Vader.

'Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots'

* Release date: June 12

* Rating: M for Mature

* Platforms: PlayStation 3

* What's in store for gamers? Another long-running series hits a creative peak with the final adventure of spy master Solid Snake. Long cinematic scenes mix with stealth and action gameplay. All the long-held secrets of the franchise are promised to be revealed.

* How hot is it? Although some think "MGS4" is a masterpiece, others say the game is weighed down with too many talky cut scenes. The visuals and sound design, however, are said to be top-notch for a game console.