MLB 06:The Show, Best in show.
Graphics
The graphics in MLB06 aren't quite as good as MLB 2k6 on Xbox, but they aren't something that is going to detract from the game. I would compare the graphics to that of EA's MVP 2005 game. The player animations are awsome, from cathes, slides and everything in between. The animations in this game are some of the best I have seen. With over 8,000 player animations, they never get old. The ball parks are accurately portrayed and look great. My only gripes about the looks of the game are how some of the players' models look a bit off. Some players have strange looking, tall, long, and slender bodies. While there are tall skinny players in real life, some in the game look a bit freakish. Another thing I noticed is the facial models. They aren't a horrible interpretation of the player, but they could be alot better, especially those of the players who aren't as big of a susperstar as Johnny Damon. There is also one small glitch after a batter strikes out. After the strike out, sometimes the batter will walk away from the plate and his bat will just float in the air. Another minor glitch is when sometimes it will rain in Domed Parks.
Sound
The sound in this game isn't the best in the business, but it gets the job done. The crowd noise is present but rather dull. It reacts to the field play well, but doesn't give you the sense of adrenaline in a pressure situation. The PA announcer is present, but could be alot more dynamic and exciting when announing the batter. The announcing job by the booth is good, but not great. The announing job done is my least favorite compared to other baseball games from EA and 2KSports. This isn't really a bad thing as the announing isn't too bad. Their overall manor is a bit dull. The homerun calls could be use some enthusiasm. It can also be a bit slow at times as the announcing can be left behind by the action. The plus side is that their material is diverse and rarely repeated throughout the course of the game. For the most part, the announcing sounds natural and convincing like they are actually watching the game. Just as every other sports title it seems today, MLB 06:The show is accompanied by a wide range of music for the soundtrack.
Features
*All-New Game Time Decisions bring more depth to Franchise and Season Modes. Only MLB '06 provides the ability to take full control of your team when you're forced to make the tough decisions. An injured player on the roster or a pitcher who needs more rest - the decision to play them is yours. If you ever though you could be a big league manager, this is the year to test your skills.
*All-New Progressive Broadcast adapts and utilizes game-specific presentations tailored to your career spotlight player as the season progresses.
*Enhanced Career Mode incorporates an all-new Career Spotlight underscoring all of the accomplishments and failures during your career and showcases them in the limelight. You still call the shots but now the ramifications of your actions are documented. It's up to you to determine whether your reel consists of highlights or miscues.
*Enhanced Franchise Mode give the critics more to rave about extending the functionality where performance and player morale are tracked on virtually every level - salary, playing time, batting slot, team performance, you name it - you control it.
*SportsConnect Headline News lets you stay on top of all the news around the league. Receive all the current happenings in sports today. Information will be updated a few times each hour with news, trades and events from 31 different feeds, each containing 25 unique items. You can also select General MLB headlines for updates from all 30 teams in the league so no important news is missed while online with MLB '06.
On top of these, there are others like Online mode, Exhibition, Rivalry, Season, Homerun Derby, and King of the Diamond.Online, the game functions well, but beware of your opponent's connection as the game will suffer from lag. For the most part, I have experienced alot of games without lag issues. The game does offer a grace period to determind the connection speed, and overall gameplay style of your opponent. They give you one full inning to do so and have the option to quit without having it affect your record. In other ways thoug, this can bring about lame players who quit on you if you score more than 3 runs in the 1st inning. The career mode is what I find myself playing the most. You do everything here. Create your player, start in your preferred team's farm system, earn a contract by your play, build skills by point gained on performance and get called up to the bigs one day.
Controls
If you have played previous MLB titles, then the controls should be fairly familiar to you. The control scheme is pretty straightforwar, but each interface also has a number of optional and advanced features that, when put to use, provide pinpoint control over every facet of play. Hitting is pretty much based on the timing of your swing. Guess the location and pitch before the delivery for an added power bonus to your swing. Baserunning is a breeze to control with pre-pitch steal commands, group steals, or individual steals. The strong point of the controls would have to be in the pitching department. Select your pitch, then the location and the power meter follows. Timing is the key to accurately throwing the pitch you want. Beware, if the timing is off, you will either throw a wild pitch or a hanging curve that will be belted to the moon. Fielding is a breeze to control with your typical dive and jump options still availabe.
Overall
This is the best baseball game on the market for the 06 season. Solid controls, good graphics, and strong sound add to a very polished and quality title. The features are deep and add replayability to the game and a depth that will keep you interested through the course of time. This game is worth the money and I highly recommend it over any other baseball title out for the 06 season.