“Fallout 3” (rated M, $60 on Xbox 360 or $50 on PC): Yeah, you can play “Fallout 3” on the PlayStation 3, too, but “The Pitt” downloadable content, released this week, is exclusive to the 360 and PC. In it, you’ll travel from the game’s Washington, D.C., setting to post-nuclear Pittsburgh, which has been overrun with raiders, slavers and mutants.
“MLB 09: The Show” (rated E, $60 on PS3, $30 on PS2, $40 on PlayStation Portable) or “Major League Baseball 2K9” (rated E, $60 on Xbox 360 or PS3, $50 on Wii, $20 on PS2 or PC, $30 on PSP): Who cares about the NCAA tournament when baseball season is just around the corner? Yeah, I know I’m in the minority on that one, but baseball games have always been my favorite sports titles. You should probably pick up “The Show” if you own one of Sony’s consoles, while the latest 2K game, as always, excels in other areas and puzzlingly disappoints in others. It’s OK if you must pick up a new title, but you might try to find it for less than $60 if you can or just play last year’s game. (Expect full reviews of these titles shortly.)
What not to play this weekend: Unless you’re a die-hard fan of the band, give “Guitar Hero: Metallica” (rated T, $60 on PS3 and Xbox 360, $50 on Wii, releasing Sunday) a pass until Activision figures out a way to let you export your songs to the hard drive for use in “Guitar Hero: World Tour.” Harmonix, maker of “Rock Band,” was able to pull this off last year with its AC/DC game and is reportedly going to do the same with this year’s Beatles title. C’mon “Guitar Hero” guys, try to keep up. Also, the game costs the same price of “Guitar Hero: World Tour” and “Rock Band 2” but includes way fewer songs than either of those games.
What I’ll be playing this weekend: A whole lot of “MLB 09: The Show” (rated E, $60 on PS3), a dash of “Perfect Dark Zero” (rated T, practically free on Xbox 360) and a smidgen of “Culdcept Saga” (rated T, $20 on Xbox 360). Maybe “Killzone 2” (rated M, $60 on PS3). Also, belated apologies for my falloff in posts. I’ve been out of the office, catching up with family, gearing up for fantasy baseball and (gasp!) reading a book. I’ll be on a more regular posting schedule going forward.