Best Baseball Game of 2006!
With a game like this game play and value trump graphics and sound. The new in game mode that lets you watch the at-bats isn't special, but it is a minor improvement over the overall graphic presentation. And the fact that there is sound, when sound so unimportant is a slight plus. But you're only going to hear 3 or 4 sounds.
This game would be perfect if a big game company came and picked it up and added a 3d overhead mode that made the game look more like 'the Movies' or 'Rollercoaster Tycoon.' Can you imagine it? Seeing the play on the field from an overhead view of your custom designed field with a left field wall that makes the green monster look like a green dwarf? Grass or Astroturf? What about going super Wrigley and making the entire outfield ivy!?
A little overboard, yes, but being able to see your park, the fans, the players, the coaching staff, the beer vendors, your private booth, and your advisors would be great! Greatest baseball game ever, I think. Greatest mogul game as well.
The flaws with the game are that you don't have a coaching staff at all, you can't move the pitcher to a different hitting position rather than the 9 spot, and there is very, very little presentation, but the presentation, like I said is very unimportant when you think of the grand scheme of things.
The thing that makes this game so great is the fact that you can run the team from 1901 in to the future with absolutely no fake players until you get in to the future. You can rewrite baseball history! You can move the White Sox to Vegas Where people will actually notice them and rename them as well.
This game is just a whole lot of fun, but it is only designed for those who have an interest in running a franchise and building a team rather than playing the game. If you like playing baseball games but don't care about running the franchise, then this game is not for you.