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Major League Baseball 2K8 Review for the Nintendo Wii

Major League Baseball 2K8 Review for the Nintendo Wii

Ahh, finally it is that time of year again. The smell of freshly cut grass, the sweet sound the crack of the bat makes, the false sense of hope all Orioles fans (myself included) have until mid April when reality sets in. Yes folks, it is finally baseball season, just as the boys of summer are trudging their way onto the field preparing for the 162 games to come, developers are also blessing us fans with our eagerly anticipated video game baseball fix. Luckily for those Nintendo fans out there, this year marks the debut of 2K Sports vaunted Major League Baseball series onto the Wii console. Does 2K8 ascend to baseball glory or is it just a bloated has-been akin to Jason Giambi?

Major League Baseball 2K8 screenshot

On the surface 2K8 appears to have all the elements of a winner; your standard season, franchise, and homerun derby are all there. As you dig deeper though, the flaws quickly come to the surface, yet since this is their first attempt at serious baseball on Nintendo’s fun box we will take a look at the pros and cons. Unfortunately, as this practice will indicate, the cons far out weigh the pros.

We’ll start with the pros. The Motion controls are simple and make the game easy to jump right into (these will also be included in the cons). Unlike 2K8 for the 360 or PS3, the Wii edition sports simplified motion controls that are easy to pick up and play. They work well, creating an enjoyable and simple to grasp game of baseball. Aside from just the simple motions, running the base paths, controlling fielders, and defense as a whole is executed efficiently.

In addition, the overall flow of the game is exactly what you want on the diamond; this includes the look and feel. Sure, the graphics are not up to snuff, in fact they are downright awful, but at least the players move like the real deal. The atmosphere in general evokes true baseball spirit, with solid presentation and mostly good announcing from the best team in the biz, Morgan and Miller. If this were the only incarnation of this year’s title, the review may have been a little bit higher, but as I stated there is a flipside to this coin. Thus, despite the fact that this game is fun, there is a lot of work that needs to be done to turn this prospect into a five-tool superstar.

Major League Baseball 2K8 screenshot

Here we go with the dreaded cons. Looking just at the Wii version, with no comparison to the others, the most glaring absence is online play. 2K Sports titles are known for their great online system. For years they have been the best, and their obscene exclusion is baffling. You cannot even download updated rosters; sorry Mets fans, but Johan the Great still resides in Minnesota.

Now to hit up the usually solid gameplay and sound departments. As much as I love Joe Morgan and John Miller, they seem to think every check swing is a third strike punch out. Often times Miller seemed to be predicting a tragic end to my at bat after the very first pitch. Also corny bat sounds need not emit from the small speaker on the Wii-mote; the added sound effects streaming from that thing just sounded tacky.

Major League Baseball 2K8 screenshot

Gameplay hitches, although primarily it runs well, but it will aggravate players when their opponent serves up a meatball only to have their pitcher freeze mid-wind up. Thus, you do not know when said meatball is exactly being served, causing the expected outcome of homerun to become strike three. There also seems to be a problem with the franchise mode where sometimes it works, and other times ongoing seasons are drastically shortened for no particular reason. Then there is the A.I., which has the charming Kelly Leak-like trait of trying to shag every pop up. Clearly a fly straight to left field does not have to be charged at full speed by the center fielder, and if you do not call them off they will barrel into you.

Major League Baseball 2K8 screenshot

Now to my main gripes. I know it is not fair to expect the Wii version to trump either the PS3 or 360 games, but to make it at least comparable is fair in my opinion. Graphics aside, because frankly as much as I like them I do not especially feel they make or break a game, the Wii version really amounts to nothing more than a stripped down version of 2K7 let alone 2K8. For example, the payoff pitch system from 2K7 is in the Wii version, but if you miss the payoff pitch, there are no adverse effects. Whereas in last year’s 360 game, hitting those spots played into the overall performance of your pitcher, there is no such importance here.

I know there are Wii owners out there who must be a little peeved that hardcore sports titles are drastically reduced to cater to what is perceived as being the main Wii audience. I find no problem with including reduced modes that are easy for everyone to play, but the main game at least should mirror the other products. With the 360 version players get to tinker with the all new enhanced pitching system; they can play with minor league teams; and there are even tons of baseball cards to collect and trade with your friends. Put side by side you would not even recognize these as being the same game. As fun and easy as the Wii controls can be, I know they could have just as easily put in the total pitch control on the Nintendo version.

At the end of the day, if the Wii is all you have got, then this a decent baseball game to pickup. Just don’t expect it to be revolutionary or live up to the other versions. I would give it a break because it is their first effort on the Wii, but at best it feels like a discounted title. It would be unfair to say that it does not lay a solid foundation for the future, but only time will tell if it can be molded into a playoff contender.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 2.3 Graphics
Last gen in every sense of the phrase. 4.0 Control
I enjoy the easy to access feel of the game, as it required little time to master, allowing players to jump right in. 3.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Solid most of the time, but poor calls are frequent. Decent soundtrack, but nothing to write home about 2.8

Play Value
Lack of online play seriously hurts the longevity of the title, not to mention the glaring franchise glitch.

2.7 Overall Rating – Average
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Innovative batting and pitching motion controls provide a fresh take on baseball sims.
  • Suit up with your favorite MLB team, and hit the diamond for the deepest baseball offering on the Wii.
  • Franchise, Tournament, Homerun Derby, Situation, and Season modes give any MLB fan plenty to choose from. Head to the legendary 2K Sports Skybox to unlock old school teams and jerseys.
  • Best Booth in the Business – 2K Sports proudly brings back the duo Jon Miller and Hall of Famer Joe Morgan to the broadcast booth, delivering the deepest commentary available.

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