Talking Hardball
Welcome to the 2007 Baseball Roundup, our annual look at the year's baseball games. This year's crop of baseball games came with questions: Could MLB 2K7 make up for last year's underwhelming effort from the folks at 2K? What would Sony do with its MLB series after last year's MLB 06: The Show, one of the best sports games of last year, proved to be such a finely tuned hit? Finally, could the EA Sports juggernaut continue to make college baseball worthwhile?
With all the games on store shelves (well, most of them anyway, we're still awaiting the release of MLB 07 for the PlayStation 3, as well as 2K Sports' The Bigs, which will be released later this year), we've got our answers. For our take, check out our video roundup where Brian Ekberg and Aaron Thomas--along with a few real-life Major Leaguers--break down this year's baseball games.
MLB 2K7
2K Sports is the sole third-party publisher of Major League Baseball games, and its first season of exclusivity didn't start off as strongly as planned; the game had its strong points on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox but failed to impress on the Xbox 360, thanks in large part to flat presentation and a slew of gameplay bugs. With a new producer on board, the development team has begun the process of reviving the MLB 2K franchise and has found a good amount of success with MLB 2K7, a game that, while not perfect, is certainly a step in the right direction. In-depth features such as the Inside Edge scouting service and the unique pitching system return, while the presentation has taken a big step forward, thanks to improved animations and character models, as well as great commentary from the likes of Jon Miller and Joe Morgan.
From GameSpot's review:
As soon as you start your first game and make it through the stadium introduction (which is in need of an update), you'll notice the game's improved presentation. Thanks in no small part to more cinematic camera angles, more camera angles in general, and drastically improved player likenesses, it really feels as though you're watching a real game in high definition. Cameras will zoom in on players as they step into the box, and the level of detail is amazing. What's even more amazing is that the camera will zoom in closer still, revealing even more detail in players' faces. There are plenty of different body types, which means David Eckstein looks pretty scrawny and C.C. Sabathia looks, well, like he ate David Eckstein. It's a true testament to how excellent the players look that they can stand up to such close scrutiny.
MLB 07: The Show
A finalist for last year's Sports Game of the Year here at GameSpot, 2006's MLB 06: The Show was an amazingly complete version of virtual baseball on the PlayStation 2, full of innovative features and enough depth to keep you coming back to the plate time and time again. Last year's career mode has been improved upon with "road to the show" mode, which casts your created player as an up-and-coming hardballer, letting you step in the shoes of your player when behind the plate, on the mound, or in the field. This, in addition to the excellent depth and quality presentation the game has been known for, makes this year's game another excellent effort from the guys in San Diego
From GameSpot's review:
Even though it doesn't have a flashy presentation and there are some bugs that probably should have been caught, MLB 07: The Show is the best baseball game on the market. There's a seemingly endless number of ways to enjoy the game, and the new road to the show is a fantastic addition to the series. Be it king of the diamond or the deep franchise mode, there's something for every type of baseball fan here.
MVP 07 NCAA Baseball
You've got to hand it to EA Sports. Despite creating a game around one of the more underappreciated sports in America--that is, college baseball--the development team behind the game refuses to stop pushing forward in terms of bringing new ideas to baseball games. A case in point is MVP 07's dramatically redesigned pitching interface. In recent years, baseball game developers have been playing with the pitching interface, with the most radical development being MVP 07's vertical pitch meter, which brings a whole new freshness to the experience. It probably isn't reason enough to buy the game, but it's nice to see that the team behind the game isn't sitting still with the series.
From GameSpot's review:
EA hoped to reach these fans when it decided to release MVP 06 as a college baseball game after losing the MLB license. MVP 06 found an audience, and now the series is back for another go around with MVP 07 NCAA Baseball. Besides the outstanding new "rock and fire" analog pitching system, not a lot has changed since last year, which means MVP 07 is a very good game that succeeds in spite of its low-profile license.
Wii Sports (Baseball)
No, it doesn't have pitchers working the plate to get a crucial out. No, you won't see a walk-up routine or batting animation that resembles anything found in the Major Leagues. No, it doesn't have user-controlled fielding. And no, its players don't have arms. But the one thing that Wii Sports Baseball has in spades is fun, which certainly merits its inclusion in this roundup. Throw out your preconceived expectations of what a baseball game should do, grab a few of your friends and try out the home run derby, or take on the computer with your team comprised entirely of Miis based on '80s hair metal bands. It's up to you how you play the game and, as with the other games that make up Wii Sports, Baseball is as fast-paced as you'd want and addictive as you've come to expect from the console.
From GameSpot's review:
You'll see your batter waving the bat over his shoulder as you do the same with the remote, but you don't need to worry about your strike zone, just the timing and speed at which you swing. There's a little more to pitching, which relies on an over-the-shoulder, down-and-forward motion to emulate your standard big-league overhand pitch, and the speed of this gesture will determine the speed of your pitch. You can add a little mustard by holding the A button to produce a curveball, the B button for a screwball, or both for a splitter. You can affect the direction of the ball using the D pad before your pitch, though the game doesn't give great feedback as to how high, low, inside, or out the pitch will be.
2007 Baseball Roundup
Fasten your athletic supports for our all-in-one look at this year's baseball games
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