Christmas in September? It is for gamers, with new ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Call of Duty’ and more

This fall is a good time to be a video game fan.

The Super Nintendo Classic Edition, a plug-and-play console containing 21 built-in games (including the previously unreleased “Star Fox 2”), will hit stores Sept. 29. Retropalooza, an annual gaming convention held at the Arlington Convention Center, is coming up Oct. 7 and 8.

Best of all, a dazzling assortment of games based on popular franchises are being released for the current consoles, including “Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle” for the Switch, “Metroid: Samus Returns” for the 3DS and “Need for Speed: Payback” for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Here are eight more enticing games you can play as the temperatures grow cooler, the leaves change colors and the days get shorter.

Sonic Mania

Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Publisher: Sega

ESRB rating: Everyone

Available now

$19.99

If you owned a Sega Genesis back in the day, you probably played “Sonic the Hedgehog” (and maybe some of its sequels), the speedy platformer that gave Nintendo’s “Mario” titles a run for their money. “Sonic Mania” lets gamers relive the running, jumping, gliding, flying, spin-dashing fun of the 16-bit “Sonic” games, but polishes things up with fancier graphics, better music, more hidden surprises and new levels, including Studiopolis and Mirage Saloon.

Retro gaming is extremely popular right now (just check the prices on completed eBay auctions for desirable NES, SNES and Genesis cartridges if you remain skeptical), and “Sonic Mania,” a download-only title, taps into this trend beautifully.

NBA Live 18

PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Publisher: EA Sports

ESRB rating: Everyone

Sept. 15

$59.99

EA skipped the “NBA Live” series last year, meaning there was no “NBA Live 17.” This gave programmers more time to revamp the action beyond the typical upgrades (such as updated rosters and tweaked gameplay) found in a basketball video game.

The result is “NBA Live 18,” notable for its new The One mode, which evokes the MyCareer option found in the “NBA 2K” franchise. After scanning your face with EA Sports’ mobile app to put yourself in the game, you can customize your gear, master signature abilities and skills, and select from a variety of play styles. The game also includes a full roster of WNBA players and teams, among numerous other features.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite

PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Publisher: Capcom

ESRB rating: Teen

Sept. 19

$59.99

Want to see Spider-Man beat the snot out of Mega Man X? What about Chun Li from “Street Fighter II” whupping up on Iron Man or maybe a bad guy like Thanos? Better yet, what if you and a friend could control the action and stage such showdowns from the comfort of your couch? Look no further than “Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite,” the sixth main entry in the popular fighting series.

The three-fighter teams from past games are gone as the developers opted for two-on-two battles, and assist attacks have been removed, but the game has some new features, including an original two-hour cinematic story mode and Infinity Stones that grant characters special abilities.

Gran Turismo Sport

PlayStation 4

Publisher: Sony

ESRB rating: Everyone

Oct. 17

$59.99

The long-running “Gran Turismo” series, which debuted on the original PlayStation in 1998 (1997 in Japan), makes its PlayStation 4 debut with “Gran Turismo Sport.” The game keeps the realistic simulation aesthetic the franchise is known for but adds a number of new features, including Porsche vehicles, online championships certified by the FIA (Federation International Automobile) and compatibility with PlayStation VR, which is Sony’s virtual reality headset.

Gearheads and casual racers alike will keep themselves busy for hundreds of hours, creating and managing their driving career and representing their country against drivers from all over the world in a series of competitions, including seasonal racing leagues. There are 177 different cars to drive in 19 locations.

Super Mario Odyssey

Nintendo Switch

Publisher: Nintendo

ESRB rating: Everyone 10+

Oct. 27

$59.99

One of the most highly anticipated video games of the year, “Super Mario Odyssey” eschews the iconic title character’s 2-D origins and provides an open-ended 3-D “sandbox” approach, a la “Super Mario 64” (Nintendo 64) and “Super Mario Galaxy” (Wii). In fact, it’s even more free-roaming than those classic games.

Gamers guide Mario and his ally, the cap-shaped Capp (who can be controlled by a second player), as they explore massive worlds far from Mushroom Kingdom, including the skyscraper-riddled New Donk City. Capp gives Mario new abilities, such as cap jump, cap throw and capture. You can use captured animals, enemies and objects to progress through the game and uncover hidden items.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Publisher: Sony

ESRB rating: Pending

Oct. 27

$59.99

Like Philip K. Dick’s seminal novel “Man in the High Castle” (1962), “Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus” posits a world in which the Germans won World War II. The action takes place in 1961 in Nazi-occupied America, and it is up to you as William “B.J” Blazkowicz, aka “Terror-Billy,” to save the world from the villainous scum.

To kill every Nazi you run across and start the second American Revolution, you are equipped with weapons and abilities, including a variety of guns and a newly added hatchet for particularly brutal takedowns. You can also mix weapons for dual wielding this time around. The sequel to 2014’s “Wolfenstein: The New Order,” this game’s roots date to “Wolfenstein 3D” (1992), which many consider the granddaddy of 3-D first-person shooters.

Call of Duty: WWII

PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Publisher: Activision

ESRB rating: Mature

Nov. 3

$59.99

With “Call of Duty: WWII,” the bestselling first-person shooter series returns to its World War II roots, forgoing the modern and futuristic elements of recent releases. As an Allied soldier armed with an assortment of weapons, including a bazooka, assault rifles, SMGs, trench guns and long-range rifles, you’ll participate in a number of historical conflicts, including the Battle of Normandy. You can engage in campaign, multiplayer and co-op action.

Despite the developers going for a tone similar to such films as “Saving Private Ryan,” the game does include a mode where you can blow away Nazi zombies.

Star Wars Battlefront II

PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Publisher: Electronic Arts

ESRB rating: Teen

Nov. 17

$59.99

If you want to gear up for the Dec. 15 release of the highly anticipated feature film “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” it’s hard to imagine a better way than engaging in space combat via “Star Wars Battlefront II,” which features characters and locations from all three movie eras. Unlike “Star Wars Battle Front,” the 2015 reboot of the series, this game features a robust story campaign spanning three decades and featuring a new female protagonist, Iden Versio.

In the equally robust multi-player mode, which boasts epic, 40-player showdowns, you can control a variety of characters from the “Star Wars” universe, including Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Boba Fett, Yoda, Darth Maul, Rey and Kylo Ren.

This story was originally published September 6, 2017 at 9:59 AM with the headline "Christmas in September? It is for gamers, with new ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Call of Duty’ and more."