Summer is normally the quiet season for game releases. But there is one big exception: Sports games. And, in many ways, the summer of 2009 has been one of the busiest seasons yet, with releases ranging from Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 to Fight Night Round 4, Grand Slam Tennis, and even Wii Sports Resort. Of course, all of those releases pale in comparison to the gold standard of sports games, Madden NFL 10, which arrives this month. Given all the new sports titles on the market, I thought I'd run down some of the best sports games so far of 2009 - and preview which ones you'll want to get in your GameQ for later this year.

Madden NFL returns this August, of course.

A new Wii-only version of Madden features a new art style.

This year's NHL 10 game features first-person fighting.

MADDEN NFL 10
There is one thing you can count on every August: The release of Madden NFL, which occurs just a couple of weeks before the NFL season gets underway. This year marks the 21st edition. Even though Coach Madden has retired from broadcasting, the game is still going strong with lots of new features and gimmicks to convince you to upgrade. When it comes to the next-gen platforms, Madden's key innovations focus on two areas: Online and Animation. The new "Pro-Tak" animation feature uses physics to accurately simulate gang tackles and other pile-ups, replacing the canned animations that would often play out in past years.

The biggest upgrade has been saved for those who play the game online. Madden NFL 10 now supports online Franchise Mode, a long-requested feature that lets up to 32 players simulate a full NFL season online and even hold their own fantasy draft. The best part? You can trade players and message your rivals not just on the Xbox 360 or PS3, but also via an iPhone App or a robust website. I recently had a chance to get a demo of the full experience - it's both ambitious and well-executed. For those who want a more co-operative online experience, the Madden team has also added two-player co-op. It's an interesting experiment to see two players work together on the same team, and it's probably the first step toward true 11-on-11 online play down the road.

But what if you own a Wii? Well if you do, don't expect a straight port of Madden NFL 10 for Nintendo's more mainstream-skewing platform. This year's Madden NFL 10 for Wii features a new, more cartoony art style which is hard to describe. It's definitely geared more toward family play, with modes like 5-on-5 and simple play calling where you point and click to go deep with a pass. To encourage family play, EA is even offering a "Huddle Up" co-op mode for the Wii version. Here the second player points at defenders and clicks a button to trip them up (think Duck Hunt). Meanwhile the first player, as the offense, tries to score a touchdown. Realistic? Not quite, but it is a way to get a family to play Madden together for the first time.

Wii SPORTS RESORT
Anyone who has a Wii knows that the system is a perfect fit for sports games - just look at Wii Sports. Last month, Nintendo finally unveiled the sequel, Wii Sports Resort, which uses a new attachment, the Wii Motion Plus, to add full 360-degree motion control. Now you can play a game of 21 in basketball, throw a frisbee, and even swordfight. These games might have been possible with the regular Wii controller, but now they are much more accurate and realistic. Of course, Wii Motion Plus also works on other games recently released, including Tiger Woods PGA 10 (which works without the attachment as well), and two tennis games: EA's Grand Slam Tennis (featuring John McEnroe) and Sega's new edition of Virtua Tennis. The Wii won't deliver the most realistic graphics, but the unique control scheme definitely gives it an edge with some sports games.

NHL 10
What's the one sports franchise that seems to be improving the most year-over-year? I'd have to give that award to EA's NHL series, which turned a big corner last year and delivered a fast and fluid hockey experience. This year, the team is upping the emotional ante with some fun new additions. The biggest one? First-person fighting! While it's certainly no Fight Night Round 4 in terms of its depth or visual appeal, you can jump into a first-person perspective to get into an on-ice scuffle. That emotion also extends into other areas as well. With no out of bounds, board-play is important, and EA has improved the intensity of those puck fights up against the glass. Last year's game won a ton of Sports Game of the Year Awards, so NHL 10 is more of a refinement than a reinvention, but the first-person fighting is sure to pique interest.

THE BIGS 2
Every sport has a simulation game, but there's always room for more action-focused fantasy games along the way too. Over the years, we've seen everything from NFL Blitz to NBA Street, and The Bigs 2 falls into a similar category. Yes, it's a baseball game that features real players, but it's "hyper-real" with exaggerated catches and a fast-pace. If you get into the game, there's a surprising amount of depth as well. The "Become A Legend" Mode has players working to enter the Hall of Fame, but it will take hundreds of games to reach that goal. My favorite mode, however, is the Home Run Pinball. You may remember the Home Run contest from the first game set in Times Square. The sequel includes a revamped Times Square and other locations like Las Vegas, complete with the Eiffel Tower and plenty of neon signs to hit. Heavy sluggers only need apply.

That's just a sampling of some of the sports games coming out this summer. Next month I'll be back with a look at the hottest games set for this holiday season - including the release of Halo 3: ODST this September, the highly anticipated follow-up to Halo 3.