Tiny Diggers – An iPad Construction Truck Game for Kids Age 2-5

As the Ides of March roar in like a lion, we also have a bustling crop of PC games coming out that look to be solid contenders for your hard earned dollar.  It is surprising that here in March, I can find seven titles that look like they are quality titles.  Normally this time of year equals a boneyard, full of shovelware and basically everything gamers don’t want to see.  Whether you like games with movie stars, or games that deliver the long ball, or even games that let you blow the crap out of your enemies with nukes, you will have your fill on the PC.  So sit back and check out the games that are on worth looking for on the PC in March, 2009. 

Our case mod for the month was found over at OutlawDesignBlog.com.  The case uses an Aliens motif, with a solid jet black case, and a case window with a soft blue LED light.  Note the overhanging skull on the front, and a stalking Alien sitting behind it looking to attack any DVD that you might but in the drive.  Click on the link to see a full sized shot of the case.

Empire: Total War – The Total War series of games have been highly rated when it comes to large scale, tactical warfare.  The guys at Creative Assembly have decided to take on the establishment of the new world, after successfully conquering feudal Japan, Ancient Rome, and even Midieval times.  Your task is to conquer the new world, using diplomacy, scheming, and of course, full scale, tactical warfare, with hundreds of troops ascending on the battlefield.  The biggest difference this time around is that you will also have to conquer the seas as well.  Creative Assembly has implemented a full naval warfare system that will have to be handled totally different from any of the Total War games.  The biggest challenge for the Empire: Total War to overcome is its sometimes, daunting learning curve.  Look for Empire: Total War on March 3rd.

MLB 2K9 – The last time baseball showed up in an on-the-field playable simulation, Clinton might have still been president.  2K Sports decided that there was a void on the PC when it came to baseball games, so it has released MLB 2K9 to fill the void for PC gamers craving a good dose of the longball.  2K Sports has made sure to craft a dedicated baseball game that looks as good as its console counterparts, while giving PC gamers higher resolutions and a top notch online component.  2K Sports has also designed the game to be played with a gamepad or a keyboard/mouse combination.  Topping off the feature set is the price, which will set the consumer back by $20.  About the only issue that might befall the PC version of MLB 2K9 is that PC gamers have gone without an on-the-field representation, that they may skip it out of not knowing it is there.  Look for MLB 2K9 on March 3rd.

Codename Panzers: Cold War – The Panzer games have been around for quite some time now, and have been know for giving strategy gamers one of the best war experiences on the computer.  This time around, Codename Panzers is taking on the Cold War between both the U.S.S.R. and the U.S.  The game starts you off in 1949 at the beginning of the cold war, but delves off into an alternate timeline where you participate in escalated battles between the two sides.  All the weapons and vehicles are based on their real life counterparts at all stages of the conflict, whether they made it to the battlefields or not.  The game also looks like it will be a Games for Windows Live game, and will run its multiplayer modes through that interface, including head to head and co-op campaign.  Look for Codename Panzers: Cold War on March 10th.

Wanted: Weapons of Fate – Last year, the movie Wanted hit the theaters, and became a big box office hit to the tune of $134 million.  Needless to say, a sequel and a game were foregone conclusions.  Now, after five months, Wanted: Weapons of Fate is about to drop and give players a chance to curve bullets with the pros.  Wanted continues the story of average nobody, turned bullet magician, Wesley Gibson, as he tries to learn more about his father, Cross, and what happened to his mother after he was born.  The game focuses on close-quarters combat and bullet bending, and in a twist, will have you playing as your father for a few of the levels.  Wanted was a great movie, but will the action transisition to the game screen?  You can find out on March 24th.

The Last Remnant – Square Enix confirmed their support for the PC platform last year wtih The Last Remnant.   They announced their support for the Games for Windows initiative as well, while they were at E3.  Unfortunately, they did not decide on supporting Games for Windows Live, so you won’t get achivements with this title.  That said, The Last Remnant offers a surprisingly rich story, and a lots of JRPG styled combat.  The PC version of the game has been tuned up to perform with a mouse and keyboard, or a gamepad, and supports super-high resolutions for crisp, sharp gameplay.  I do have to wonder why this game has a release date in March, but the digital version is not out on Steam until April 7th, unless the press release changed both.  As it is, I still see this as the official date on the Square Enix website, so look for The Last Remnant on March 24th.

The Wheelman – The Wheelman has had a long and arduous path to release.  It was suppose to come out over a year ago with a movie tie-in, but that never seemed to come to fruition.  The movie version of The Wheelman is still on aparently, but the game will be coming out now instead of with the movie.  The Wheelman features a digitally re-created Vin Diesel as a hired driver, who completes deliveries, and other assorted missions.  Yes it sounds a lot like The Transporter, but apparently, Jason Stratham is not cool enough to be digitally recreated.  Strange developments as of late at Midway, have Ubisoft co-publishing this title.  Not sure if they had any input at the end, but the driving in the game looks pretty solid.  The only worry is wondering if Midway made the missions diversse, or will you feel like you are doing the same thing ad-nauseum.  Look for The Wheelman on March 24th.

World In Conflict: Soviet Assault – At the end of 2007, Massive brought us the extremely fun to play, World in Conflict, an RTS that had a fun single player, and highly addictive multiplayer.  After a major shake up that had the developer switching to a new publisher after the rights to World in Conflict were sold to Ubisoft, Massive is now on track with this add-on pack that lets us experience the game form the Soviet point of view.  Also, as a bonus, Massive has included the full World in Conflict game in the box, so if you missed it the first time around, you have no reason to miss it a second time.  Look for it to hit shelves by March 31st.

So there you have it, another great bundle of games coming out this March.  And this does not even include the Maximum Crysis package that has the original game and the Warhead expansion all in one box, or games that are just scheduled for March, like Pro Evolution Soccer 2009.  Check back next month for the Ones to Watch on PC in April.  If you think I missed anything or, if you think I am off basis on any of these titles, feel free to email me at joseph@aeropause.com.