Top 10 best Android games: March 2011

So, that was March. Not a bad month for Android gaming, no matter what genre you’re into.

We’ve had masochistic platform games, physics puzzles, first-person shooters, high octane racers, and of course the prerequisite cartoon birds chucked at wobbly structures.

But which of the fine Android titles released this month deserves your time?

Here’s our definitive list of the top ten best Android games in March.

The only Android game to win a Pocket Gamer Gold Award in March was the wonderfully dark, memorable, and twisted Mr Karoshi.

Part puzzler, part platformer, Mr Karoshi reverses the normal platform tropes and asks you to kill your unhappy protagonist by throwing him at spikes and other assorted dangers rather than avoiding them.

The controls are tight and responsive, and seeing our protagonist finding the death he craves is usually satisfying, after some head-scratching confusion.

His misery truly is our joy.

While some developers are trying to cram PlayStation-style modern graphics and gameplay onto 3-inch screens, OrangePixel is quietly reminding Android users of the addictive games of yesteryear.

Meganoid is one such retro-tinged title, with a masochistic platforming experience that’ll both frustrate and enthral in equal measure.

While the touchscreen controls can occasional be an issue, Meganoid supports a wide range of alternative control methods, including the Game Gripper, a keyboard, and even a Wii Remote for sidestepping the problem.

Sick of Angry Birds yet? No? Good, because the latest iteration of the mobile phenomenon Angry Birds Rio has arrived in both the Android Market and Amazon Appstore.

There’s not a great deal to shout about in terms of original features, but hey - if it ain’t broke, don’t chuck cartoon birds at it.

With 120 more levels promised between now and November, the time is right to get addicted all over again.

If you're failing to free the birds and kill the monkeys, check out our Angry Birds Rio walkthrough.

Minecraft is coming to Android later this year, but what if you’re an impatient so-and-so?

You could lug your desktop PC on the bus to satisfy your cravings, but there's a far easier (and lighter) alternative.

Droidcraft is a neat little top-down homage to the indie sensation, which manages to bring some of the creativity of Minecraft to the small screen.

It’s not a flawless cover version - it’s a bit fiddly and lacks the scope of the original - but with plenty of updates promised there’s a chance this could blossom into something celebrated in its own right.

While not the most original game on Android this month, Montezuma 2 does the basics of match-three gameplay well, and manages to add an innovative building mini-game to keep things interesting.

The music can get a bit repetitive, and it suffers occasional inexplicable framerate stutters, but it’s still the kind of game that can see you wondering where all your battery went just a few hours into a ‘quick’ five minute session.

There’s a number of reasons I’ve never designed and built a bridge, and anyone considering commissioning me for the task should first watch me playing X Construction for five minutes before writing up the contract.

An unpolished but undeniably engaging little game, the aim, as far as I can tell, is to make poorly designed bridges which instantly buckle under the weight of seven commuter train carriages.

For more competent players, the aim is to keep the bridge in one piece without causing anyone to break the rules of the quiet coach by screaming in terror.

A little on the short side, certainly, but fans of physics puzzles should give it a look.

Definitely one of the best looking games on Android this month, Asphalt Adrenaline is about as close as you’ll get to Burnout on the platform without running over copyright toes.

A number of control options ensure that the racing action is fluid, and that if you crash you only have yourself to blame.

There’s a decent amount of content, with 12 tracks and a Career mode featuring goals ranging from getting from A to B to ramming your opponents off the road.

If your phone’s up to it, and the repetitive music isn’t a deal-breaker for you, there’s no reason not to give this a go.

Don’t be fooled by the basic look of HexDefense - beyond the simplistic wireframe visuals lies the beating heart of a compulsive tower defence game that manages to reinvigorate the genre.

Rather than dealing purely in linear funneled environments, later levels provide open areas, twisty mazes, and unique power-up squares which require you to think outside the box.

War! Huh! Yeah! What is it good for? Earning developers a much coveted Pocket Gamer Gold Award if Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus on iOS is anything to go by.

Now the title is setting the bar for first-person shooters on Android as well, shooting down ‘tangos’ in the single-player campaign, and ‘humans’ across Gameloft Live.

It’s a bit linear, but with decent controls, plenty of variety, and a whole load of memorable set pieces to keep you on your toes, you can’t argue with the gameplay.

Framerate issues are all that keeps this from matching its Gold Award on Android, but if you’re packing a Galaxy S and above then you can give it the extra point with our blessing.

Anyone expecting PewPew to be a church seating-management game will be sorely disappointed to discover it’s actually a very nice homage to the brilliant Geometry Wars.

From a top-down perspective, the player must bob, weave, and shoot their way through non-stop waves of wireframe spaceships intent on taking you down.

The action ramps up quickly, and just like in the original you’ll have a new appreciation for the word “frantic” after an extended session.

Striking visuals and addictive gameplay are let down slightly by some teething problems on later version of Android, but as this is likely to be a temporary issue there’s no reason not to jump in and raise a virtual glass to the now defunct Bizarre Creations.