Circling the Bases: MLB 2k8 Baseball (Wii) Review
Posted on
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
by Gary A. Ballard
Since the demise of the High Heat Baseball franchise and my adoption of the console as my platform of choice for yearly baseball video games fix, the MLB 2k series of games has been outstanding. Though not always the prettiest or most bug-free, the series has generally been the best action-oriented baseball simulation on the market. But after the abysmal failure that was The Bigs for the Nintendo Wii by the same development studio, I had my doubts about the Wii version of MLB 2k8. If the game had adapted the execrable interface and sloppy controls of the arcadey The Bigs, it would have been a dramatic failure. I'm delighted to report that is not the case, as the 2k8 version of the series holds its own with any of its predecessors.
Those interested in an action-oriented sim with licensed player names and stats will not be disappointed with this game. Those looking for a solid, fun baseball experience will also not be disappointed. The stats are all there, the graphics are decent though not incredible, which is par for the course with this series. It contains season and franchise modes as well as home run derby minigames. It unfortunately lacks online play for those who want that sort of thing. But like any Wii game, the first question to answer is about the motion controls.
2k8's motion controls are a mixed bag. On the one hand, the pitching interface is slick and intuitive, and unlike The Bigs, doesn't make the player feel the need to strain his shoulder throwing as hard as possible. Someone with any knowledge of pitching at all should handle the pitching controls easily. The catcher will place his glove where he wants the ball pitched, and the pitcher should try to match that, as his advice is sound.
But where the game stumbles a bit is in the batting interface. This is completely puzzling to me, because it would seem that batting would be the no-brainer for this system. Wii Sports' baseball had the batting swing interface down, and this game doesn't really capture the same feel. Rather than feeling the need to stand in a batter's stance and swing for the fences, the game's controls inspire only small flicking motions. There is a disconnect between the swing and the screen that is hard to pinpoint but it creates a noticeable distance from the game that shouldn't be there. I want to make clear that the batting controls aren't bad at all. They just lack the oomph I expected out of a title with a motion-sensing stick as its main form of input. The fielding, throwing, and baserunning are all solid, and the management options in exhibition and franchise modes are as strong as the last version I played, MLB 2k6 for the XBox.
The game also stumbles on a part of the design that I'm finding is difficult for all Wii titles, the menu system. The 2k8 menus all use the shiny glass button art style that is so prevalent in Wii titles, probably because it mimics the look of the systems main console, the Wii Menu. Unfortunately, this art style is carried through all of the menus, including the screens that display stats. Baseball is a stat-heavy game, and just making up a lineup can require looking through multiple stat categories for the entire bench team. All of it is rendered with entirely too much graphical polish. Too much effort is expended on making the menus look shiny, while the information contained within is often cramped and requires side-scrolling to read properly. Baseball stats are usually presented horizontally and so much screen real estate is needlessly wasted, making menus take longer to read than necessary. Unfortunately, this is a problem in multiple Wii titles, especially sports titles like all of the EA Sports titles I've reviewed, including NBA Live '08, FIFA '08 and Madden NFL '08. I can't say whether this is a Nintendo mandate or just bad UI design, but it's becoming quite irritating.
Despite these flaws, MLB 2k8 is a damn fine game of baseball, the first good serious sports sim on the system. I would recommend it for anyone who wants a good baseball game for their Wii. The game deserves an 8.5 out of 10 for its depth of play, quality of presentation and fun mechanics. Perhaps next year's version will include online play and even online leagues. Until then, MLB 2k8 is a fine addition to any Wii sports fan's library.
Those interested in an action-oriented sim with licensed player names and stats will not be disappointed with this game. Those looking for a solid, fun baseball experience will also not be disappointed. The stats are all there, the graphics are decent though not incredible, which is par for the course with this series. It contains season and franchise modes as well as home run derby minigames. It unfortunately lacks online play for those who want that sort of thing. But like any Wii game, the first question to answer is about the motion controls.
2k8's motion controls are a mixed bag. On the one hand, the pitching interface is slick and intuitive, and unlike The Bigs, doesn't make the player feel the need to strain his shoulder throwing as hard as possible. Someone with any knowledge of pitching at all should handle the pitching controls easily. The catcher will place his glove where he wants the ball pitched, and the pitcher should try to match that, as his advice is sound.
But where the game stumbles a bit is in the batting interface. This is completely puzzling to me, because it would seem that batting would be the no-brainer for this system. Wii Sports' baseball had the batting swing interface down, and this game doesn't really capture the same feel. Rather than feeling the need to stand in a batter's stance and swing for the fences, the game's controls inspire only small flicking motions. There is a disconnect between the swing and the screen that is hard to pinpoint but it creates a noticeable distance from the game that shouldn't be there. I want to make clear that the batting controls aren't bad at all. They just lack the oomph I expected out of a title with a motion-sensing stick as its main form of input. The fielding, throwing, and baserunning are all solid, and the management options in exhibition and franchise modes are as strong as the last version I played, MLB 2k6 for the XBox.
The game also stumbles on a part of the design that I'm finding is difficult for all Wii titles, the menu system. The 2k8 menus all use the shiny glass button art style that is so prevalent in Wii titles, probably because it mimics the look of the systems main console, the Wii Menu. Unfortunately, this art style is carried through all of the menus, including the screens that display stats. Baseball is a stat-heavy game, and just making up a lineup can require looking through multiple stat categories for the entire bench team. All of it is rendered with entirely too much graphical polish. Too much effort is expended on making the menus look shiny, while the information contained within is often cramped and requires side-scrolling to read properly. Baseball stats are usually presented horizontally and so much screen real estate is needlessly wasted, making menus take longer to read than necessary. Unfortunately, this is a problem in multiple Wii titles, especially sports titles like all of the EA Sports titles I've reviewed, including NBA Live '08, FIFA '08 and Madden NFL '08. I can't say whether this is a Nintendo mandate or just bad UI design, but it's becoming quite irritating.
Despite these flaws, MLB 2k8 is a damn fine game of baseball, the first good serious sports sim on the system. I would recommend it for anyone who wants a good baseball game for their Wii. The game deserves an 8.5 out of 10 for its depth of play, quality of presentation and fun mechanics. Perhaps next year's version will include online play and even online leagues. Until then, MLB 2k8 is a fine addition to any Wii sports fan's library.
posted by Gary A. Ballard @ 3:28 PM
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