REVIEW: Baseball video games 2008
And each has landed a sweet side gig as cover model for a video
game. The presence of Reyes and Howard on, respectively, "Major
League Baseball 2K8" and "MLB 08: The Show" is like a knife in
the gut for Mets fans who are still bitter over last season's
implosion.
But, hey, it's opening week, time to let go of the past and look
forward to this year's pennant races. I've already simulated the
2008 campaign twice - and while it looks like things will end
better for the Mets, it's the Boston Red Sox who can look forward
to collecting another World Series trophy.
-"MLB 08: The Show" (Sony, PlayStation 3, $59.99; PlayStation
2, PlayStation Portable, $49.99): Appropriately enough, the game
featuring the Phillie has a slight edge on the one with the Met.
And it's all thanks to "Road to the Show," a sort of role-playing
challenge in which you create a character from scratch and try to
build him up, from class A ball to the major leagues.
Sony introduced this feature last season, but it has really
ironed out the kinks and turned it into the most addictive career
mode in any sports game. You simulate only the parts of the game
that involve your guy, like his at-bats or defensive plays where
the ball comes his way. Success earns points that you can spend to
improve your player's skills with the bat or glove. Every step up
the ladder feels completely earned, and it's immensely gratifying
when you're finally welcomed to The Show.
Of course, "MLB 08" offers the more traditional gameplay model
where you control every man on the field. The basics of the game -
hitting, fielding, throwing - haven't changed much since last year,
but they generally feel tighter and more realistic. The players
look more like their real-life counterparts, and overall graphics
are solid if not particularly flashy. If you have a Sony console,
"MLB 08" is your best bet for this season. Three-and-a-half stars
out of four.
-"Major League Baseball 2K8" (2K Sports, Xbox 360, PlayStation
3, $59.99; Wii, $49.99; PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable,
$29.99): If you're an Xbox or Wii gamer, alas, you're pretty much
stuck with 2K's take on the national pastime. It's not a bad deal,
particularly if you want a game that looks awfully close to what
you would see on a network broadcast.
This year's edition introduces "total pitch control," in which
you have to trace a pattern with the right analog stick (on the
Xbox and PlayStation versions) to choose a pitch. You also use the
analog sticks to control batting and fielding, and while all three
skills take practice, they feel more natural once you get used to
them. Base-running also benefits from more intuitive controls, but
if you want to play the old-fashioned way - by pressing buttons -
you have that option too.
Players look more like their real-life counterparts, with more
individualized animations for most of the pros. Unfortunately, the
game's performance doesn't always live up to its ambitions: The
graphics sometimes stutter or temporarily freeze in the midst of
the action. Overall, though, "2K8" will please baseball geeks
with its solid action and wealth of stats. Three stars.
-"Backyard Baseball '09" (Atari, Nintendo DS, $29.99): Atari
has scored the cover coup of the season, landing the Red Sox' David
Ortiz - an actual World Series hero! - for its baseball game. Big
Papi leads a troupe of kid-sized all-stars, like Vladimir Guerrero
and Alex Rodriguez, as well as a nicely integrated gang of
neighborhood Little Leaguers, male and female, for this lively
recreation of sandlot ball.
"Backyard" is easy enough for younger players - it's really
hard to strike out - and moves along zippily enough for those with
short attention spans. And it throws a bunch of wacky power-ups,
like a superfast "meteor ball" and an uncatchable "slime ball,"
into the action. It certainly doesn't have the depth of the more
grownup offerings, but will entertain any kid who's ever dreamed
about playing alongside Ichiro Suzuki. Two-and-a-half stars.
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On the Net:
-"MLB 08: The Show": http://www.us.playstation.com/mlb08/
-"Major League Baseball 2K8":
http://2ksports.com/games/mlb2k8/
-"Backyard Baseball '09": http://www.backyardsports.com/
