In the days when new games cost $80 and stay full price for extended periods, it's good to know that someone out there is paying attention to the gamers who can't splash a full day of pay into their consoles. THQ is going to make it an interesting summer for us, by dropping the prices off of a select number of games by 75%, which is on the same levels of awesomeness as bacon. And you know, bacon is damn good.

Juicy animal slaughter aside, THQ is putting up sales on some of the best product they have to offer. Here's a list of the affected games which will be on the virtual discount shelf all summer (the offer is only open to those residing in the US - there's no Canadian bacon this year!).

While staring at a list is nice, we thought we'd throw in some of our choice recommendations from the batch. Here's a few we think are well worth the price, even before discount! If you're in a rush to make some purchases, here's the direct link to the store.

Saints Row 2 ($5.00)

An Xbox 360 Platinum hit, Saints Row 2 doesn't take itself quite so seriously as GTA4 did. Instead of playing the role of a set character, you are whomever you want to be - and the character creation leaves a lot to make. The game itself focuses on having fun in an open-space environment, and activities like streaking, car-surfing, insurance-fraud (i.e. cause a string of accidents a la Burnout) and typically ridiculous robberies and gunfights make for a great time whether playing solo or online with friends.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II ($7.50)

Warhammer fans will probably already have this, but even for those outside of the universe, DoW2 provides an excellent playthrough. I just started myself a few weeks ago, and the single player campaign (which you can also play co-op with friends online) is an awesome experience and a good introduction into the Warhammer Universe. Multiplayer almost felt like a different game, but introduces a lot of new strategic elements that anyone can jump right into - managing your defensive and offensive forces, setting up how to allocate resources, placement of soldiers - strategy is what multiplayer is all about.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl ($5.00)

Fans of Fallout can relate to a seemingly post-apocalyptic world. The environment sets the atmosphere of the entire game in Stalker, where the dangerous landscapes, treacherous enemies, and frightening mutations will pose as your obstacles as you try to make a living in what turns out to be an amazing, in-depth and genuinely scary experience. Shadow of Chernobyl is another must-have for such a ridiculous price.

If you've got some spare time, it's well worth it to take out a $20 (or, you know, put it on your credit card) and have a solid line-up of games waiting in the wings for you to play. Once again, here's your link to the deals. If you have any thoughts or recommendations, feel free to speak in the comments below, soldier (unless you're going to advertise "male enhancement").

Source: THQ Store