Gamers considering “NFL Head Coach 09″ as an alternative to another year of the same ‘ol “Madden” had better start saving their money.

EA announced earlier this week that “Head Coach” will be available ONLY in the special 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition of “Madden 09″ for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The price tag for the Collector’s Edition? A mere $89.99.

For full versions of both games, that’s a fair price. But for those only interested in “Head Coach,” it’s a sham. “Madden” already sells millions of copies on its own, why force gamers to buy it just to play “Head Coach”? It makes no sense to me. Why not offer standalone versions of both games, in addition to the package deal?

All versions of “Madden 09″, including the 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition which includes “Head Coach 09″, are scheduled to arrive in stores Aug. 12.

“The Madden NFL franchise has a rich history, and we’re proud to be celebrating it with this definitive video game package,” said EA Sports president Peter Moore in a press release. “Featuring two deep and innovative new standalone games, as well as a host of exclusive bonus content, the ‘Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition’ is the ultimate interactive offering for both long-time Madden NFL fans and anyone who enjoys football on Sundays. I can’t think of a better way to get your NFL fix than to enjoy everything that’s unique about both ‘Madden NFL 09′ and ‘NFL Head Coach 09′, and then connecting and sharing content from both.”

Take-Two Interactive’s board of directors continued to urge shareholders to refrain from selling stock to rival publisher Electronic Arts this week, with chairman Strauss Zelnick calling EA’s offer of $26 per share “inadequate” and “contrary to the best interests of Take-Two’s shareholders.”

With the release of Take-Two cash cow “Grand Theft Auto IV” a little over a month away, I wouldn’t be surprised to see EA make one last-ditch effort to acquire Take-Two and reap the benefits of “GTA IV.” As always, we’ll keep you updated on the latest developments.

It’s March, which can only mean it’s time for March Madness. And because you just can’t get enough college basketball this time of year, I’ve got a little something special.

I’ve recreated the entire NCAA men’s championship bracket using 2K Sports’ outstanding basketball game, “College Hoops 2K8.” All of the teams and matchups are accurate, even the play-in game between Coppin State and Mount St. Mary’s. I’m using a roster set put together by the fine community at OperationSports.com, which includes all players named and rosters edited to match those of their real-life counterparts. Can West Virginia survive its opening-round matchup with Arizona? Let’s find out.

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If you own a Wii, chances are you’re waist-deep in Nintendo’s latest masterpiece, “Super Smash Bros. Brawl.” But if “Brawl” isn’t your speed, the next must-have title from The Big N is right around the corner.

“Mario Kart Wii” drives into stores April 27, according to a release earlier this week from Nintendo. “Mario Kart Wii” comes packaged with the Wii Wheel peripheral and features all new drivers, tracks and online play. The game will retail for $49.99 and is rated E for everyone.

Electronic Arts doesn’t appear to be backing down in its attempt to purchase rival publisher Take-Two Interactive.

Weeks after seeing its $2 billion offer rejected by Take-Two, EA has turned its attention to the publisher’s stockholders in an attempt to launch a hostile takeover. According to published reports, EA is offering shareholders the same $26-per-share price that Take-Two turned down in February.

This latest takeover news comes on the heels of Take-Two’s announcement this week of a “BioShock” sequel, tentatively scheduled for release sometime in late 2009.

Sorry for the lack of updates, but this is the busiest time of year over at my day job in the Gazette sports department. March madness, indeed. That said, here are a few tidbits from the past few days that may have slid under your gaming radar:

| “Metal Gear Solid 4″ finally has a solid release date. The next stealth action-adventure from Kojima Productions will arrive on U.S. shores June 12, both as a standalone game and as part of a new PlayStation 3 bundle complete with an 80 GB console and wireless DualShock 3 controller.

| Nintendo will release the next must-have Wii title May 19. “Wii Fit,” the buzz of last year’s E3, includes the game and the Balance Board peripheral and should retail for under $100.

| EA Sports has announced a follow-up to “NFL Head Coach,” aptly titled “NFL Head Coach 09.” The original “Head Coach,” available for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, was an ambitious project that was hampered by insanely long load times and difficult-to-navigate menus. Hopefully “NFL Head Coach 09″ can correct these issues and deliver a solid team management sim.

| And finally, baseball fans rejoice: this is release week for both 2K Sports’ “MLB 2K8″ and Sony’s “MLB 08 The Show.” Both look very promising, especially “The Show.” Sony’s latest hardball effort looks so good, in fact, that I picked up an 80 GB PS3 for the sole purpose of playing “The Show.” It’s the first time I’ve ever picked up a console strictly for a sports game, so hopefully “The Show” is a home run.

Can’t say I saw this one coming, though I’m not entirely shocked considering EA recently shelled out an estimated $860 million for BioWare/Pandemic.

That said, this move would be TERRIBLE for gamers everywhere. Hopefully Take-Two, the parent company of Rockstar Games, 2K Games and 2K Sports, can stand strong against EA’s takeover attempt.

Here are the details, courtesy of our fine friends at The Associated Press: 

SAN FRANCISCO — Electronic Arts Inc. said Sunday it was pushing ahead with a bid to take over upstart gaming rival Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., despite rebuffs from the smaller company.
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During its keynote speech at the Game Developers Conference Wednesday, Microsoft formally announced “Gears of War 2,” the Xbox 360-exclusive sequel to Epic Games’ critically acclaimed third-person shooter.

If that announcement alone wasn’t enough to get Xbox 360 fanboys worked into a frenzy, this should do the trick — the game is set to be released this November!!!

We’ll have more details on “Gears of War 2″ as they become available.

The January sales figures have been released by the NPD Group. Can you name the top-selling console in the U.S. during the first month of 2008?

If you said the PlayStation 3, you’d be wrong.

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The headline says it all. The story was broken in this morning’s edition of The Wall Street Journal, which you can read here.

I’ll admit, I’ve got mixed emotions about the news. I thought “Madden 08″ was actually pretty good, but was still holding out hope of seeing a fully-licensed followup to “NFL 2K5.” That dream is dead now.

In a related note, it looks like “Madden” lead producer David Ortiz is leaving the EA Tiburon development house. Could this be a blessing in disguise? Perhaps some new blood is just what the franchise needs to return to its glory days. We’ll find out when “Madden 09″ drops later this year.