Major League Baseball 2K9

true Name: Major League Baseball 2K9 Genre: Sports, Baseball Platform: Nintendo Wii, PSP, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 (Reviewed on PlayStation 3) <a href="/contributed/1236621040BuhvisxtwX.jpg"><img src="/contributed/1236621040BuhvisxtwX.jpg" width="440" height="248"></a> Major League Baseball 2K9 is the only baseball game available for a large percentage of the gaming community. Until 2012, most fans of hardball will have to hope that 2K cares enough about keeping their fanbase to put together a solid and compelling game. The past few years haven’t exactly been shining moments for the franchise, and sadly this year doesn’t look to stall the franchise’s current tailspin into mediocrity. Immediately upon starting up a game of 2K9, you’ll notice that once again 2K didn’t take one step towards a more friendly user interface. I don’t even want something flashy or fancy, but for what seems like an eternity, all 2K games have been using the most basic and difficult to navigate menu system. We’re nearly 4 years into the next generation of consoles. It’s time to step it up. Once you start up a game, you’ll also notice that not much has changed graphically in this series in the last few years either. While stadiums don’t look bad, they don’t exactly look fantastic either. Never mind the fact that 2K9 took some liberties with the layout of a handful of Major League ballparks, they just don’t impress. In fact, the stadiums look the same as they have for the last few years, and that’s just unacceptable. I had some issues with the way grass looked in MLB 09: The Show, but 2K9’s fields look terrible. It’s not so noticeable during actual gameplay (thanks in large part to the zoomed out camera), but during replays or cutscenes, the “grass” is clearly composed of nothing but blurry pixels. Though that’s nothing compared to the sad excuse for shadows 2K9 has. People, we have the technology to do so much more. Hell, your other games have some impressive lighting techniques, so how is it possible that this game is left with blocky messes of gray instead of something more appealing to the eye? <a href="/contributed/1236621053u7MhxnsA1Z.jpg"><img src="/contributed/1236621053u7MhxnsA1Z.jpg" width="440" height="248"></a> Player models continue to look terrible as well. While the big name players are vaguely recognizable, most of the pros in the game have some seriously deformed features. When playing a game against the Angels, I noticed that John Lackey’s face looked like it was sculpted from constantly melting wax, and he wasn’t the only one. One thing 2K did right this year was getting rid of their strange desire to replicate actual uniform physics. Instead of the wildly blowing jerseys from previous incarnations, this year 2K went with a much more subtle approach that looks pretty decent. If it weren’t for the BOTOX injected monsters inhabiting those unis, 2K might have had a positive to work off. It also doesn’t help that player animations are the worst I’ve seen in any sports game in years. Part of 2K’s problem lies in their devotion to making sure the players on the field move with real physics. That means no sudden changes of direction without coming to a complete stop. While I’m all for realism in games, this feature doesn’t add anything to the game, it actually detracts from it. It has ever since they first implemented it, and I can’t quite figure out why they haven’t abandoned the feature yet. Jerkiness in the player motions is also a huge issue. Nothing in the game looks fluid, from batting and base   running to pitching and fielding. It takes you out of the game completely, and at this point in the game’s lifecycle, it’s completely unacceptable. Perhaps the most disappointing thing about this year’s presentation is the commentary of Gary Thorne and Steve Phillips. Thankfully, 2K finally got rid Joe Morgan and Jon Miller, and news of the replacement announcing team was exciting. However, Phillips and Thorne are even more boring thanks to how underutilized they are. When the two do get a chance to exchange, it’s much better than in year’s past, but there’s almost no dialogue between the two that isn’t repeated ad nauseum within the first three innings of a game. While there are some strides in making the game much more true to a broadcast presentation, the game fades in and out of commercial breaks, even though there are no commercials. That’s not to say you won’t have your fair share of advertisements. Look, I like Pepsi as much as the next guy, but seriously, you’d think you were playing as the Los Angeles Dodgers: Brought To You By Pepsi Cola, or the State Farm Philadelphia Phillies. We know in-game ads are important, but 2K certainly pushes the envelope of taste. Like a television broadcast, the camera will sometimes switch to showing players conversing in the outfield, or to peek in on the dugout. If anything, it helps add another layer of immersion for players. Now, if only the game was worth being immersed in. <a href="/contributed/12366210283BL58mgByM.jpg"><img src="/contributed/12366210283BL58mgByM.jpg" width="440" height="248"></a> When 2K first started implementing the right analog stick for batting controls (after EA did it with NCAA Baseball), it was like the Red Sea parted. The new control scheme was an absolute blast to play with, even if many games ended up being a home run derby. This year, the mechanics still work, but for some reason, 2K decided to make it easier to hit home runs. While upping the difficulty makes it harder to hit them by making your hitting zone smaller, you’ll find yourself smashing quite a few dingers each game. I understand that chicks dig the longball, but it should never be possible to hit 20 homers a month with a player. Maybe things would be a little different if the computer wasn’t so fixated on always throwing over the plate. It’s almost as if the AI doesn’t know you can throw outside the strike zone. And yes, I know you can adjust sliders, but the average person isn’t going to be sitting down to fine-tune difficulties to make the game play like a more true to life experience. Base running is fine, save two exceptions. You’ll get caught in the occasional run down thanks to the goofy physics, and the AI will often not try to throw you out. If there’s a man on second, and you hit a ball in the infield, as soon as the computer throws to first, you can almost always run home without trying to beat out a throw. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, and it doesn’t happen every play, but it occurs enough to question how something like that made it through testing. I didn’t really like it when MLB 2K switched to right analog pitching controls in last year’s game, but clearly having another year of the control scheme has served 2K well. Instead of button presses, pitching is handled by performing fighting game-like movements on the analog stick. A fastball is a simple down then up, while a 12-6 curve relies on a push to the right, followed by a three-quarters clockwise circle. Sure the movements aren’t exactly what the pros use, but the control style is slick, and enjoyable to use. Certain pitches do have some movements that are too close to others, which usually ends up with you throwing the wrong pitch if you’re not super-precise, but that doesn’t make it any less fun to do. Throwing the ball around the field is also handled with the right analog stick this year, and while it’s easy, I’m not too crazy about it. Holding the stick right throws to first, up throws to second, and the rest are pretty self-explanatory. There’s a little green bar in the middle that counts for your accuracy, and it works, but the whole mechanic makes throwing much more awkward and slow than it needs to be.  <a href="/contributed/1236621066ClH6dhCIui.jpg"><img src="/contributed/1236621066ClH6dhCIui.jpg" width="440" height="248"></a> MLB 2K9’s Franchise mode is deep (as usual), but boring and unfulfilling. Contract negotiations boil down to you trying to max out a “Desire” meter, and once you do, the player signs no matter how much a player like Manny Ramirez wouldn’t play in Kansas City. You’re also able to trade for just about any player if the price is right. Every team has a value assigned to how much a particular player means to the team, and if you are able to match that value with other players, consider the guy from the other team yours. In the real world, the Phillies would not trade Chase Utley. They just wouldn’t. No matter how much you offer them, that guy is a part of the team until he decides to leave (note to Chase: please don’t leave. You’re my favorite), but for the low price of Matt Holliday and Justin Duchsherer I was able to acquire one of the best second basemen in the game today. Nonsense. The rest of the game mode is excellent though, as long as you don’t mind scanning nearly identical menus over and over again. Seriously 2K, you need to get someone on updating your menu system. It’s just awful. Online is a giant joke. The lag is so bad that most of the time you end up having to swing before you can even see where the pitch is going to be located. Hope 20 strikeout games are what you bought the game for, because that’s what you’re going to get. And while player’s glitching their way to hits and wins isn’t exactly a fault of the developers, leaving those glitches in the game certainly is. Not every player should be able to beat out a bunt directly in front of the mound, but thanks to the lag and the awkward throwing controls, just about every bunt results in a base hit. Why anyone would ever bunt when almost every time your batter makes contact with the ball it’s a home run is beyond me. There were a few leagues open, but having had such a terrible time playing just a single game I can’t imagine anyone wanting to play online all the time. This year’s version will implement 2K’s Living Rosters, which updates player attributes and team rosters weekly. Since it’s only Spring Training I didn’t get to see how it worked, but it’s a neat feature that should appease the few people who will use it. It’s hard to believe that the same company that makes the absolutely stellar NBA 2K series is responsible for the travesty that is Major League Baseball 2K9. In all honesty, MLB 2K9 plays like it might have been a good game three or four years ago, but it’s graphical inconsistencies, lackadaisical AI, and gimmicky controls feel very dated in today’s gaming climate. Major League Baseball 2K9’s exclusive deal means 360 owners are pretty much S.O.L., but PlayStation owners can rest easy knowing the best baseball game for their money happens to be an even more exclusive game that is so far ahead in the pennant race, 2K9 would do well to start rebuilding to focus on next season. <img src="/contributed/1179941584gmmg5YQnz2.jpg" width="275" height="175"> <img src="/contributed/1204908946PhJqwa60Wv.jpg" width="275" height="35"> <a href="http://www.gamerankings.com/"><img src="/contributed/12049090913D6uenyIJz.jpg" width="111" height="42"></a><a href="http://www.metacritic.com/games"><img src="/contributed/1204909164Gepk74pXtB.jpg" width="154" height="51"></a> Related Articles: <a href="/gamer/00_19/reviews/article/mlb_09_the_show_playstation_3">Video Review: MLB 09: The Show - PlayStation 3</a> <a href="/gamer/coop/reviews/article/killzone_2_ps3">Reivew: Killzone 2 - PlayStation 3</a> <a href="/gamer/00_19/reviews/article/mlb_front_office_manager_playstation_31">Review: MLB Front Office Manager - PlayStation 3</a> review

2009-03-09T13:55:03-04:00

Name: Major League Baseball 2K9 Genre: Sports, Baseball Platform: Nintendo Wii, PSP, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 (Reviewed on PlayStation 3) <a href="/contributed/1236621040BuhvisxtwX.jpg"><img src="/contributed/1236621040BuhvisxtwX.jpg" width="440" height="248" /></a> Major League Baseball 2K9 is the only baseball game available for a large percentage of the gaming community. Until 2012, most fans of hardball will have to hope that 2K cares enough about keeping their fanbase to put together a solid and compelling game. The past few years haven’t exactly been shining moments for the franchise, and sadly this year doesn’t look to stall the franchise’s current tailspin into mediocrity. Immediately upon starting up a game of 2K9, you’ll notice that once again 2K didn’t take one step towards a more friendly user interface. I don’t even want something flashy or fancy, but for what seems like an eternity, all 2K games have been using the most basic and difficult to navigate menu system. We’re nearly 4 years into the next generation of consoles. It’s time to step it up. Once you start up a game, you’ll also notice that not much has changed graphically in this series in the last few years either. While stadiums don’t look bad, they don’t exactly look fantastic either. Never mind the fact that 2K9 took some liberties with the layout of a handful of Major League ballparks, they just don’t impress. In fact, the stadiums look the same as they have for the last few years, and that’s just unacceptable. I had some issues with the way grass looked in MLB 09: The Show, but 2K9’s fields look terrible. It’s not so noticeable during actual gameplay (thanks in large part to the zoomed out camera), but during replays or cutscenes, the “grass” is clearly composed of nothing but blurry pixels. Though that’s nothing compared to the sad excuse for shadows 2K9 has. People, we have the technology to do so much more. Hell, your other games have some impressive lighting techniques, so how is it possible that this game is left with blocky messes of gray instead of something more appealing to the eye? <a href="/contributed/1236621053u7MhxnsA1Z.jpg"><img src="/contributed/1236621053u7MhxnsA1Z.jpg" width="440" height="248" /></a> Player models continue to look terrible as well. While the big name players are vaguely recognizable, most of the pros in the game have some seriously deformed features. When playing a game against the Angels, I noticed that John Lackey’s face looked like it was sculpted from constantly melting wax, and he wasn’t the only one. One thing 2K did right this year was getting rid of their strange desire to replicate actual uniform physics. Instead of the wildly blowing jerseys from previous incarnations, this year 2K went with a much more subtle approach that looks pretty decent. If it weren’t for the BOTOX injected monsters inhabiting those unis, 2K might have had a positive to work off. It also doesn’t help that player animations are the worst I’ve seen in any sports game in years. Part of 2K’s problem lies in their devotion to making sure the players on the field move with real physics. That means no sudden changes of direction without coming to a complete stop. While I’m all for realism in games, this feature doesn’t add anything to the game, it actually detracts from it. It has ever since they first implemented it, and I can’t quite figure out why they haven’t abandoned the feature yet. Jerkiness in the player motions is also a huge issue. Nothing in the game looks fluid, from batting and base   running to pitching and fielding. It takes you out of the game completely, and at this point in the game’s lifecycle, it’s completely unacceptable. Perhaps the most disappointing thing about this year’s presentation is the commentary of Gary Thorne and Steve Phillips. Thankfully, 2K finally got rid Joe Morgan and Jon Miller, and news of the replacement announcing team was exciting. However, Phillips and Thorne are even more boring thanks to how underutilized they are. When the two do get a chance to exchange, it’s much better than in year’s past, but there’s almost no dialogue between the two that isn’t repeated ad nauseum within the first three innings of a game. While there are some strides in making the game much more true to a broadcast presentation, the game fades in and out of commercial breaks, even though there are no commercials. That’s not to say you won’t have your fair share of advertisements. Look, I like Pepsi as much as the next guy, but seriously, you’d think you were playing as the Los Angeles Dodgers: Brought To You By Pepsi Cola, or the State Farm Philadelphia Phillies. We know in-game ads are important, but 2K certainly pushes the envelope of taste. Like a television broadcast, the camera will sometimes switch to showing players conversing in the outfield, or to peek in on the dugout. If anything, it helps add another layer of immersion for players. Now, if only the game was worth being immersed in. <a href="/contributed/12366210283BL58mgByM.jpg"><img src="/contributed/12366210283BL58mgByM.jpg" width="440" height="248" /></a> When 2K first started implementing the right analog stick for batting controls (after EA did it with NCAA Baseball), it was like the Red Sea parted. The new control scheme was an absolute blast to play with, even if many games ended up being a home run derby. This year, the mechanics still work, but for some reason, 2K decided to make it easier to hit home runs. While upping the difficulty makes it harder to hit them by making your hitting zone smaller, you’ll find yourself smashing quite a few dingers each game. I understand that chicks dig the longball, but it should never be possible to hit 20 homers a month with a player. Maybe things would be a little different if the computer wasn’t so fixated on always throwing over the plate. It’s almost as if the AI doesn’t know you can throw outside the strike zone. And yes, I know you can adjust sliders, but the average person isn’t going to be sitting down to fine-tune difficulties to make the game play like a more true to life experience. Base running is fine, save two exceptions. You’ll get caught in the occasional run down thanks to the goofy physics, and the AI will often not try to throw you out. If there’s a man on second, and you hit a ball in the infield, as soon as the computer throws to first, you can almost always run home without trying to beat out a throw. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, and it doesn’t happen every play, but it occurs enough to question how something like that made it through testing. I didn’t really like it when MLB 2K switched to right analog pitching controls in last year’s game, but clearly having another year of the control scheme has served 2K well. Instead of button presses, pitching is handled by performing fighting game-like movements on the analog stick. A fastball is a simple down then up, while a 12-6 curve relies on a push to the right, followed by a three-quarters clockwise circle. Sure the movements aren’t exactly what the pros use, but the control style is slick, and enjoyable to use. Certain pitches do have some movements that are too close to others, which usually ends up with you throwing the wrong pitch if you’re not super-precise, but that doesn’t make it any less fun to do. Throwing the ball around the field is also handled with the right analog stick this year, and while it’s easy, I’m not too crazy about it. Holding the stick right throws to first, up throws to second, and the rest are pretty self-explanatory. There’s a little green bar in the middle that counts for your accuracy, and it works, but the whole mechanic makes throwing much more awkward and slow than it needs to be.  <a href="/contributed/1236621066ClH6dhCIui.jpg"><img src="/contributed/1236621066ClH6dhCIui.jpg" width="440" height="248" /></a> MLB 2K9’s Franchise mode is deep (as usual), but boring and unfulfilling. Contract negotiations boil down to you trying to max out a “Desire” meter, and once you do, the player signs no matter how much a player like Manny Ramirez wouldn’t play in Kansas City. You’re also able to trade for just about any player if the price is right. Every team has a value assigned to how much a particular player means to the team, and if you are able to match that value with other players, consider the guy from the other team yours. In the real world, the Phillies would not trade Chase Utley. They just wouldn’t. No matter how much you offer them, that guy is a part of the team until he decides to leave (note to Chase: please don’t leave. You’re my favorite), but for the low price of Matt Holliday and Justin Duchsherer I was able to acquire one of the best second basemen in the game today. Nonsense. The rest of the game mode is excellent though, as long as you don’t mind scanning nearly identical menus over and over again. Seriously 2K, you need to get someone on updating your menu system. It’s just awful. Online is a giant joke. The lag is so bad that most of the time you end up having to swing before you can even see where the pitch is going to be located. Hope 20 strikeout games are what you bought the game for, because that’s what you’re going to get. And while player’s glitching their way to hits and wins isn’t exactly a fault of the developers, leaving those glitches in the game certainly is. Not every player should be able to beat out a bunt directly in front of the mound, but thanks to the lag and the awkward throwing controls, just about every bunt results in a base hit. Why anyone would ever bunt when almost every time your batter makes contact with the ball it’s a home run is beyond me. There were a few leagues open, but having had such a terrible time playing just a single game I can’t imagine anyone wanting to play online all the time. This year’s version will implement 2K’s Living Rosters, which updates player attributes and team rosters weekly. Since it’s only Spring Training I didn’t get to see how it worked, but it’s a neat feature that should appease the few people who will use it. It’s hard to believe that the same company that makes the absolutely stellar NBA 2K series is responsible for the travesty that is Major League Baseball 2K9. In all honesty, MLB 2K9 plays like it might have been a good game three or four years ago, but it’s graphical inconsistencies, lackadaisical AI, and gimmicky controls feel very dated in today’s gaming climate. Major League Baseball 2K9’s exclusive deal means 360 owners are pretty much S.O.L., but PlayStation owners can rest easy knowing the best baseball game for their money happens to be an even more exclusive game that is so far ahead in the pennant race, 2K9 would do well to start rebuilding to focus on next season. <img src="/contributed/1179941584gmmg5YQnz2.jpg" width="275" height="175" /> <img src="/contributed/1204908946PhJqwa60Wv.jpg" width="275" height="35" /> <a href="http://www.gamerankings.com/"><img src="/contributed/12049090913D6uenyIJz.jpg" width="111" height="42" /></a><a href="http://www.metacritic.com/games"><img src="/contributed/1204909164Gepk74pXtB.jpg" width="154" height="51" /></a> Related Articles: <a href="/gamer/00_19/reviews/article/mlb_09_the_show_playstation_3">Video Review: MLB 09: The Show - PlayStation 3</a> <a href="/gamer/coop/reviews/article/killzone_2_ps3">Reivew: Killzone 2 - PlayStation 3</a> <a href="/gamer/00_19/reviews/article/mlb_front_office_manager_playstation_31">Review: MLB Front Office Manager - PlayStation 3</a>

8884

7759

2009-10-07T20:47:41-04:00

2009-03-09T13:55:03-04:00

11711

5.5

major_league_baseball_2k9_playstation_3 published StateFarm’s East Bound and Down… In The Pepsi Dumps. Major League Baseball 2K9 - PlayStation 3

2009-10-07T20:47:41-04:00

825