I expected greatness, but instead I felt like the developers were holding out on me.
The gameplay isn't any different from the previous installment. There was nothing new I had to learn about controls or extra features. That's fine, because the less I have to read, the sooner I can start playing. However, if I were new to the game, I would run into a problem right from the main menu. Some obvious selections are there, like "Play Now," "Exhibition," and "Become a Legend." One thing that is not there, though, is an option that says "Learn The Bigs," something that is in the previous game which serves as a nice tutorial. Therefore, if you've never played The Bigs, you have to read the manual, which is very small so it won't take long.
The controls are straightforward and simple. The Square, Circle, Triangle, and X buttons all correspond to the appropriate bases on the diamond, making it easy to throw to the proper bag, unlike the overly-sensitive Wii controls. However, one thing I can't seem to do is slide when running the bases, and the manual says nothing about it. Am I to assume that you can't slide in this game? That's not really very fair. Aside from that, though, there's nothing to complain about for controls.
My biggest gripe really comes from what isn't there that ought to be. For example, one of the selling points for this game is Season Mode, something that the first game lacked and the fans clamored for. Season Mode exists on the PS3, 360, and Wii versions, but not PS2. Why not? Also, a new feature for the game is an added "Big Slam" mode. In the first game, when your Big Play meter filled up, you could activate it and give one batter an automatic home run if he connected. Now, you can choose to let the meter fill higher and set yourself up for a (nearly) automatic grand slam. Well, you can do that on the PS3, 360, and Wii versions, but not PS2. I'm noticing a trend here. Another new feature is the ability to make "Legendary Plays" with certain players, also not present on the PS2.
It may seem like I didn't give a deep review on this game, but that's because the game itself is lacking in depth. All of the new features that made me want this game aren't present in the PS2 version. To be fair, while the other versions are being sold in stores for $50, this was a humbling $20. In that sense, it sounds like you're getting a good deal. But once you think about everything this game is missing, you'll quickly shell out the extra cash.