March Video Game Preview: The Month's Most Anticipated Releases

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'The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD'

Release Date: March 4

Platforms: Wii U

Nintendo rings in 30 years of The Legend of Zelda with an update to Twilight Princess, the franchise entry originally released on both the Gamecube and original Wii. Along with upgraded visuals, the HD version that introduced Wolf Link and Midna comes with a new difficulty mode, items to streamline some of the game’s more arduous challenges, and a beautiful Wolf Link amiibo figure. Twilight Princess may not be one of the most beautiful Zeldas made, but it is one of the most far-reaching adventures Link has set out on in three decades.

02 of 10

Tom Clancy's The Division

Release Date: March 8

Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC

The streets of New York City turn into a pandemic war zone, and players will have the chance to fight for survival in a recreation of Midtown Manhattan. But rather than running into creepy off-brand Elmos and overpriced hot dogs, The Division fills its streets with violence, criminals, and general chaos that the player, as a member of the Strategic Homeland Division, must help to clean up. Some have billed The Division as the Destiny of this year, offering either a single or multiplayer shooting experience with plenty of gear to acquire, levels to gain, and cooperative and competitive options that hope to keep players busy for months to come. But we’ll find out on March 8 as to whether the game will have enough content to keep players satisfied, or if Midtown will feel constricting weeks down the line.

03 of 10

Hitman

Release Date: March 11

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Agent 47 returns to assassinating form in an episodic take on the franchise that last saw release in a surprisingly unique mobile game. While Square Enix has wavered on the way in which this new Hitman would release, the publisher settled on a piecemeal release slate that will see Agent 47’s missions doled out over the months to come. Hopefully the changes during development won’t prevent the latest entry from continuing to deliver on the franchise’s impressive level design and penchant for some satisfying stealth combat.

04 of 10

Pokken Tournament

Release Date: March 18

Platforms: Wii U

Zelda isn’t the only major Nintendo franchise that celebrated an anniversary in February, and Pokémon is following suit after its 20th birthday with a brand new fighting game. Players directly control the combatting Pokemon, but unlike previous titles like Pokémon Stadium, Tournament’s arcade action is not turn-based. Players will jump into the fray with some of their favorites and some lesser known but more arena-sensible Poke-fighters. And while the game has been available in Japanese arcades since last year, U.S. players will finally be able to experience the mayhem of Pikachu and Mewtwo duking it out like UFC fighters in the comfort of their own homes.

05 of 10

MLB The Show 16

Release Date: March 29

Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3

Sony’s premier baseball franchise (and the only baseball game left in town) returns to PlayStation franchises just a few weeks after the first spring training games are played. Little is known about what changes will be made to this year’s entry in the series, but Sony San Diego has a knack for, despite the lack of competition, turning in worthy virtual recreations of America’s pastime. So even if there are no major shifts to the game, it’s a safe bet that baseball fans can count on ringing in the new season with another worthy showing.

06 of 10

Miitomo

Release Date: March 2016

Platforms: Mobile

Nintendo’s first foray into the mobile market may not be based on one of its biggest franchises, but it does reintroduce one of the Nintendo Wii’s biggest facets to mobile phones. Miis, Nintendo’s take on virtual avatars, returns for an app that functions somewhat like a social media platform while also laying the foundation for Nintendo’s future mobile offerings. Pre-registration for the app, and Nintendo’s new account system, is now open. Though Miitomo might not represent the dedicated Mario or Zelda game fans might have hoped would signal Nintendo’s mobile arrival, Miitomo is an important first step as the company branches out into a new era — and hopefully to new users.

07 of 10

Adrift

Release Date: March 28

Platforms: Oculus Rift

Experience zero gravity in space in virtual reality, with the debut game from Three One Zero with surprisingly earthbound beginnings. The studio’s Adam Orth publicly resigned from Microsoft following public outcry for his response to Xbox fans on social media in 2013, and used the subsequent time to refocus and create the studio behind this first-person exploration game as players scavenge a decimated space station in hopes of understanding what happened and finding a way back home.

08 of 10

EVE Valkyrie

Release Date: March 28

Platforms: Oculus Rift

Virtual reality is finally upon us, and the Oculus Rift is the first major dedicated platform out of the gate that promises some startling experiences. Chief among them is EVE Valkyrie, the highlight of almost any VR preview event at which it appeared. Taking place in the EVE Online universe, Valkyrie is a space combat game that places players in the cockpit of their own starfighter, bringing the fight to players like never before.

09 of 10

Day of the Tentacle Remastered

Release Date: March 2016

Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Windows, Mac

Double Fine Productions has been keeping classic LucasArts adventure games alive, and their latest refresh of one of these beloved titles is Day of the Tentacle Remastered. Relive or experience for the first time the fight to stop the evil Purple Tentacle from conquering the world. Throw in commentary from the game's original creators and the ability to play another classic adventure game, Maniac Mansion, and fans of modern or classic adventure titles alike should have plenty to keep themselves busy this spring.

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