A Curveball thrown to any baseball game fan
Game Title / Publisher: MLB Slugfest 2006 by Midway and Blue Shift
Year: 2006
ESRB Rating: Rated E but should be rated T for Cartoon Violence.
Genre: Simulation Sports
Platform: X Box
1P or multi-player: Played on both Single and Multi-Player
Comments and overall opinion of the game and the gameplay:
Overall, the game play is fun, unrealistic baseball at its finest.
Was the game what you thought it was going to be, how did it meet your expectations:
No, when I put it in I was expected your everyday baseball game.
What did this game remind you of (if anything):
This game reminded me of a few other games, such as Base Wars from the old Nintendo, NBA Jam, or even NFL Blitz as a baseball game.
How would you rate the character and the story, and the immersive value of the game (did it draw you in, engage you, and allow you to escape into the world):
The way that the game helps you to immerse into it is that you are the manager of the baseball team.
If it is a license - how true to the license (in your opinion) is the game:
N/a
What are the game's biggest strengths:
The biggest strength is that it is unlike any other baseball game currently on the market.
What are the game's biggest weaknesses:
The biggest weakness is that it is to easy to get the AI to run itself into outs. The controls of the game don’t make for a very enjoyable experience either.
Looking at the features listed on the back of the game box, do you think that those
features were the games best features? If not what would you have written as the highlighted features:
I would have to say that the feature that is most suited was labeled on the back as “The only one” because of Slugfest 2006 being one of a kind.
What changes come to mind that you would want to make (if any):
The changes that I would make are the controls, the way you hit is almost impossible to learn, but once you do they are very simple, and the way you throw compared to all of the other baseball games on the market, you have to re-teach yourself throwing instead of sticking to the already set (that works quite well) pattern. Also, I would make it so that the announcers would know where the infield begins/ends at and that a ball hit to second base is not right center field.
What elements of this game would you say are worth remembering and reusing again in another game/context:
The elements worth keeping are the challenges, where you have to beat every MLB team. Also, the best element worth remembering is the fact that it tells you if your batter/hitter/pitcher is hot by making him engulf in flames.
How are the controls:
The controls are terrible, you might have to tell it multiple times just to pitch the ball, or tell it to throw to home (pushing the down button) and at times it will throw it to second, it looks more like the beta testers didn’t do a very good job on that part of the game.
How are the graphics:
The graphics are very good, probably some of the best graphics I have seen on a baseball game.
How was the game audio (score, sound effects, voice overs, etc.):
The announcers can get very annoying as well as the fact that they do not know the way around a baseball field and where a ball lands.
How is the user-interface - menus, controls, etc.:
The user interface is very easy to control, basically just highlight and hit ok.
Would you recommend the game to others:
Yes, I would recommend Slugfest 2006 to others just because of it being just plain fun. Some of the unlockables are new uniforms, one such uniform is the Horse, which is put on the Philadelphia Phillies, another is the circus clown which the Detroit Tigers wear,
Who do you think the target audience was for the game (13 to 18 year old boys, first-person shooter fans, etc.):
The target audience is any Baseball fan.