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The BIGS Review for Xbox 360 (X360)

The BIGS Review for Xbox 360 (X360)

The BIGS is More of a Hit to Second Than a Homerun

July 16, 2007 – The BIGS is an easy, fun, arcade-style game that anyone can play instantly. This will eventually hurt the replay value since there isn’t much depth to keep gamers challenged once they’ve mastered their technique. Overall, the game is not up to next-gen standards in terms of production values either. Although it’s still a fine looking game, it’s nothing we haven’t seen on the PS2. It will make an excellent rental if you’re just looking to bat a few out of the park over a weekend.

The BIGS screenshot

If there’s one thing to be said about The BIGS, it’s that it’s easy to learn and fun to play. This is purely an arcade game. There is just enough variety to keep the average gamer interested for a few hours at the very least. Newbies won’t be baffled by stats, upgrades, customizing, complex batting and pitching systems, or an endless variety of modes. The gameplay is fast moving. It’s not bogged down in simulation. It’s filled with action. It’s the sports equivalent of a first-person shooter. In other words, leave your brain in the bullpen and just come out swinging.

An arcade-style control system ensures you won’t have any trouble whether you’re pitching or batting. There are some running and fielding issues, but I’ll discuss those later. Pitching is almost too easy. Pick a face button that corresponds to one of the four pitches of your choice such as a curveball, grounder, ball, or strike. The strength and accuracy of the pitch will depend upon a few things such as the talent of the pitcher, his stamina level, and your ability to keep the button pressed until the exact time the ball travels over the plate. Hold it down too long, or release it too fast, and the pitch will be less accurate. With each pitch, your pitcher’s stamina will decrease making subsequent throws less powerful and accurate. A temporary solution is to activate the turbo or power-up meter to augment your abilities. These meters begin to fill as you strikeout the batter and make great plays such as tagging out a runner from a hit to the outfield.

The BIGS screenshot

You can also acquire and deploy turbo and power-ups boosts when you’re up to bat. You’ll get more juice if you get walked, hit with the ball, or hit a homer. If you press the turbo meter before a pitch, you’ll increase your batting strength while making sure the pitcher throws you a ball that you can hit. Once you make a hit you can activate the turbo to make your player run faster. If you use your power-up while batting, you’re virtually guaranteed a homer which triggers an animation that rivals a fourth of July celebration as sparks and debris fly when you hit the scoreboard. It’s a great looking effect, but it’s repeated so often that it inevitably loses its appeal.

Since this is an arcade game, it doesn’t require a lot of thought to play. The use of the sticks is negligible for pitching or batting. The CPU even automatically activates the most appropriate character on the field for you to control. That is the one closest to the action. You can add some boost to get the player to move faster, but things happen so quickly that you won’t always be able to activate it in time. It does come in handy when you attempt to throw the ball from the field as it makes the throw faster, stronger, and more accurate.

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