February was a good month for cool videogames but March completely annihilates it. Capcom's releasing a new Onimusha, 2K Games might be able to get Oblivion out on time, and if all is going according to plan, Ubisoft's just about ready to shove Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter out the door. It's going to be quite an expensive month providing you have the money to spend. But for now, use this Games of March 2006 feature to prepare your checklist.

Scratches
Platform: PC
Publisher: Got Game Entertainment
Release Date: 3/1/06
MSRP: $19.99

Got Game's Scratches Website

Scratches!?! Who's scratching? Tell them to stop! Anyway, this is the company line, taken from the official Scratches website:

As famed horror writer Michael Arthate, you arrive at Blackwood Manor, your newly acquired home, an old Victorian house lost in the outskirts of a small English market town. While the ominous weather bodes of darker days, you are initially charmed by this peaceful and quiet place. The pleasant stillness is soon broken, however, as the rooms of this exquisite, if faded glory, mansion speak of past events, their tales echoing through its walls. As the odd noises in the basement grow ever louder, you set about solving your sanctuary's long-held mystery.

I don't know. This actually intrigues me. I'm always down for a good haunted house story, and a creepy point and click adventure is just what my witch doctor ordered. For $19.99, I'm willing to give it a chance.

2K Sports' WPT Website

Now we're talking! Videogame poker! There's certainly a shortage of titles like this [sarcasm, sarcasm] so I'm glad that 2K Sports is doing us all a favor by releasing World Poker Tour for PSP because I just don't know what I would do without it...aside from play Liberty City Stories or SOCOM.

Anyway, this'll no doubt be a solid title. It carries the official WPT license, it features professional players, authentic commentary by Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten, online play, and 14 different versions of poker.

Nintendo's Website

I don't mean to hate on Japan, but do its developers have any good ideas for RPGs other than casting us as a young warrior who sets out on a quest after his village is burned down? I mean damn! That's the plot to about 3425345 other RPGs and movies. And going on an adventure after one's home is reduced to burning ash is so ingrained in my mind that that's the only thing I would do if I lost my house. Forget about calling the police or the insurance company. I'm grabbing my sword and going to murder someone. Thanks Japan!

For all I know, Tales of Phantasia could be as good as buffalo chicken wings, so I'm going to refrain from further bashing. The real time battle system and old school graphics are definitely two very attractive prospects.

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