A while back, I bought MLB 2k8 for the Wii out of a bargain bin for $14. I didn't really get into the game until recently, mostly because there is a glitch that causes franchise mode to break down. After careful testing and getting some advice from the folks at 2k, I figured out a reliable workaround that stops the glitch from breaking my franchise.

Now that I can play the franchise mode without it completely glitching out on me and ruining the save file, I have started a franchise with the St Louis Cardinals. I am hopelessly addicted, now. I have a 34-9 record and lead the division with a #1 power ranking. I recently acquired 2nd baseman Jorge Cantu and he is shaping up quite nicely. His batting ability is improving steadily. My heavy hitter is, of course, Albert Pujols, but Scott Rolen has almost caught up to his hitting prowess.

The pitching game is wonderful. The Wii controls are perfect for pitching. You just select what kind of pitch you want with the analog stick, point the Wii remote at the place where you want the pitch to go or break from, and then you time a flick of the remote with a pitch meter to throw the ball. After selecting where you want to pitch, you point the remote upwards to wind up the pitch, wait for the circular pitch meter to go into the green zone, and then flick the remote forward to release the pitch.

Each pitcher has his own set of available pitches and their own style of pitch. Some pitchers have slower windups while others are faster. The individual pitcher's style determines not only how fast the pitch meter moves, but also how big the "green zone" is. The "green zone" varies from individual pitch to pitch for each pitcher. A pitcher that has a really good fastball may have a massive "green zone" for a fastball but have a smaller "green zone" for a curveball or a slider. Another pitcher that is really good with breaking balls might have a huge "green zone" for a breaker like a curveball or a slider, but a smaller "green zone" for a fastball. Another factor that affects the circular pitch meter is the pitcher's composure. Composure goes down if the opposing hitters are hitting on a hot streak or if, for example, you're only leading 2-3 and the opposing team has a men on 2nd and 3rd. The worse a pitcher's composure becomes, the harder it is to pitch accurately, because not only will the pitch meter move more rapidly, but the "green zone" for your pitches will also be shrunk. The worst situation for the pitcher is having the bases loaded with zero outs. You can call for a mound visit to restore some of your pitcher's composure, but it doesn't always work. If the situation is really bad and the pitcher is really tired, a mound visit might not help at all.

Breaking balls are great. You can choose from two methods for breaking balls in the game. The default is to have the ball break from the location that you select with the pointer, while there is another option that allows for the ball to break to the location that you select with the pointer. I prefer the default setting, since it just feels more immersive and challenging that way, since you have use your skill at accurately flicking the remote to make the ball break to where you want it to.

How fast you flick the remote determines how fast you pitch and how hard a ball breaks if it is a breaking ball. The quicker your flick, the faster the pitch and the more your curveballs and sliders break. There are a lot of pitches, too. There are fastballs, two seem fastballs, curveballs, sliders, slurves, changeups, splitters, and others from which to choose.

Anyways, I just wanted to share some of my thoughts on this most addictive game that I bought for only $14.