In the race for supremacy in the baseball game world, EA has ruled for the past few years. That's why it was such a shocker last year when 989 released a competent baseball title that actually challenged MVP for the throne, but still fell quite a bit short. This year 989 Studios is back with another iteration of it's MLB franchise, and it tends to show a good bit of improvement, but still falls short of being the best hardball sim this year. Gameplay: Hitting is no where near as fun in MLB as it is in MVP or 2k5. You have the option to try and guess what pitch the pitcher will throw and what location he will throw it, but other than that, you really dont have any control over how or where you hit the ball. It's fun, but still needs some work. Pitching on the other hand is a blast and is actually more fun than MVP's pitching setup because it's more realistic and requires a bit more strategy. You still hold down the pitch button till it hits the red, and hit it again once it gets back into the white zone, similar to MVP's setup, but the pitches will actually break depending on the pitch, something MVP lacks. Fielding is decent, but a bit clunky, and throwing the ball from base to base, can turn into a chore and doesn't feel as fluid as it should. Franchise mode is fairly deep, but lacks the depth found in MVP's owner mode. Online play is fluid and fun, and is probably the most enjoyable way to play MLB. Graphics: Great stadiums, and wonderful animations are witnessed throughout MLB's presentation. The stances and swings are spot on, as are the wind-ups and deliveries. Player faces are generally well done, as are the uniforms and textures. Sound: Great Dobly Pro Logic II support, and excellent commentating. Listening to the commentators never gets old, and is quite fun. Stadium noises are spot on, but there is a lack of music when players come up to bat which is a bit puzzling. Value: At $39.99 I really can't recommend this game, when you can buy a better hardball title in MVP Baseball 2005 for only $29.99. There is a lot of fun to be had here, but unless your a die hard fan from last year, rent only, but buy MVP.
This is the most realistic and authentic baseball game I have ever played and it beats out the "best selling" competition. It has real authentic batting stances,signature batter's box motions,pitching styles,and home ru... Read Full Review
I read the review here and was convinced this was the MLB game to play for 2006. I have been a fan of the 2K series up until the most recent addition, which was glitzy and extremely buggy and hardly playable, so I decid... Read Full Review
