Major League Baseball 2K6

"A Solid Offering From 2ksports"

Well here we are, another year, another baseball season and the games that come with it. For 360 owners our only option this year is 2ksports's MLB2k6, since EAsports no longer has the MLB licence. Although the thought of another edition of MVP Baseball on the 360 makes me drool, this game definitely delivers as a fun and in-depth game.

Graphics - 7/10

The graphics are not drop-dead gorgeous like some other 360 games, but overall they are pretty good. The two weakest points in the games graphical display are the face models for the players, and the fielding and throwing animations. Many of the player's faces really don't look anything like their real-life counterparts, although it really does vary from player to player, as some of them look very good. The fielding and throwing animations are average at best, with many of them looking choppy and unrealistic. Enough with the bad and onto the good. The player's jerseys and batting helmets look awesome, and framerate is just about perfect. The stadiums also look beautiful, and the crowd is excellent. Each MLB stadium is presented in lifelike detail, featuring realistic dimensions and live updating scoreboards. The crowd is also completely 3D, and has many very nice touches such as vendors lining the aisles. Another nice touch is seen when you hit a foul ball into the stands. Wherever the ball is hit, the fans in that area rise out of their seats and fight to recover the foul ball. After it's obtained by a fan, you see the fan jump up and down in delight at his/her game-ball souvenir. Overall the graphics in this game are good, but with a little more polish could have been spectacular.

Sound - 8/10

The sound in this game is pretty great. The announcing crew of Jon Miller and Joe Morgan are two of the best announcers in real life, and they sound just fine in the game, with plenty to say and lots of little tidbits and one liners thrown in to keep the announcing fresh. If there was one thing I could ask for it would be for the pair to show a little more enthusiasm, as they just don't sound very excited, which is especially noticeable when a game comes down to the wire. All the standard baseball sounds are there, and sound just as good as ever, from the crack of the bat to the one liners heard from the crowd. Custom soundtracks are also supported for those who prefer to listen to their own music library. All in all the sound in MLB2k6 is pretty standard, with nothing sticking out as overly annoying or unnecessary.

Controls - 9/10

Not much to say here except that the controls are awesome once you get the hang of them. The toughest thing to learn are the baserunning controls, but once you get them down you'll be running around the bases with ease. I also really like the new Swing Stick, and feel that it really adds additional fun and realism to the offensive part of the game.

Gameplay - 8.5/10

Ahh, the meat of any game, the gameplay. The gameplay in this game is very solid and fresh, from the aforementioned Swing Stick, to the new pitching system, and everything in between. The pitching system can be confusing at first, but again, once you get it down you'll learn to love it. You set your spot to where you want the pitch to break, not where it will end up. To me, this just makes it seem that much more realistic, but it can lead to some problems at first. The payoff pitching system goes into effect with two strikes on a batter, or in other clutch situations. If you choose to use this system, you use the right stick to set a spot for your catcher to set up. If you throw a successful pitch in this spot, your pitchers effectiveness for this pitch will rise for the remainder of the game. If you miss however, the pitch's effectiveness will drop. Another awesome new feature is the Inside Edge scouting system. You can buy the Inside edge on opposing teams or players in the game, and if you do, you will get three full seasons worth of scouting information on that player/team, leading you to make better choices on where to pitch, what type of pitch to throw, or if you're batting, where a pitcher likes to throw and what pitch. This really adds another side to this game, as both pitching and batting really make you feel like a pitcher or batter when using the Inside Edge system.

The game features all the standard modes found in most baseball games, ranging from Franchise to the always popular Home Run Derby. New to this years game is the World Baseball Classic mode, which lets you play through the tournament using all of the 16 teams that were used in this years contest. The Franchise mode is very in-depth, and you have options on anything a GM could ever imagine, ranging from splitting up playing time to calling up and sending down your players. It should be noted that not all minor league rosters are presented, and each team only has their top 10-15 farm players in the game. Overall the gameplay is very important to any sports game, and this one does not disappoint.

Overall - 8/10

This is a solid effort from 2ksports and with a year of experience under their belts, next years game could be something special. The game may frustrate you at first, but once you get the new controls and concepts down, you'll be having a blast. If you're a fan of baseball or sports games in general, you owe it to yourself to pick this game up and give it a try. With a little time, you'll forget all about EA and their MVP franchise.

Pros:
* Awesome stadiums and player uniforms
* Fresh new control system makes batting and pitching more fun than ever
* Miller and Morgan provide entertaining and interesting commentary
* Deep Franchise mode will keep you going for a long while
* Inside Edge bring a whole new side to the game

Cons:
* Short but steep learning curve
* Not all minor league players in the game
* Occasional unrealistic fielding animations
* Not the greatest player models

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/24/06