MLB 2006 The Show
Posted June 4, 2006
In the interest of full disclosure, I should start off this review with an admission that, in all likelihood, completely
invalidates my opinion in the eyes of the overwhelming majority of the people reading this.
I don't like baseball.
I don't watch it on TV, and I don't play realistic video game versions of it. I can't compare a 2006 version to a 2005 version, or say what they've improved, or why you should care. I don't know the "norms" of the genre. I can only give you my honest opinion about the game as a fellow gamer with fresh eyes. For the other kind of review, you're better off looking to IGN or GameSpot.
The problem, as I see it, is that the stats-heavy sports games make very little effort to appeal to people like me. After all, I'll play just about any sport that features cutesy Mario characters putting or batting or shirling. It's not because I have a particular soft spot for Mario—the games are just easy to control and fun. I can sit down, learn the basics in a few minutes, and spend the next hour or two having a good time, whether I'm playing nine innings or 18 holes.
Gameplay:
I've got to give MLB 06 The Show some credit for trying to strike a balance. As you might expect from a game like this, there are a zillion options for you to manipulate, and several of those are devoted to customizing your level of involvement in the game. You can go from controlling all aspects of a game to just pitching and (one-button) batting, while letting the computer manage fielding and base running.
But regardless of the control scheme, I could never really escape the feeling that I wasn't the one actually in control of my team. Base running is the best example. I can't tell you how many times I would get a hit and stop my runners after advancing one base only to have them stand just off to the side of the base and wait there while they watched a player from the other team slowly run up and tag them out. Maybe there was a special "don't be a moron" command I missed in the 18-page control listing, but I think stepping on the base when an opposing team's player is jogging towards you with the ball should be automatic.
Of course, you can let the computer manage base running, but the computer is a bit "ambitious" when it comes to stealing bases. Whenever I turned it on, runners would attempt to steal after every few pitches, and would fail, pathetically, every single time. It got to the point where I hated either option, nevermind the control scheme that required a complicated combination of d-pad and buttons to advance individual players. Would it be too much to have a simple base advancement scheme where Circle (right button) advances all runners, Triangle (top) advances both second and third base, Square (left button) advances third, and when threatened the runner would automatically try to evade the guy trying to tag him out?
On the other hand, fielding is probably handled the best of
the various modes. A gyrating, gradually-shrinking baseball icon on the ground indicates where the ball will land, and from there it's simply a matter of throwing to the appropriate
base. If you have "fielding assist" turned on, though, the fielder will (as far as I can tell) ignore your command if it's not very bright—for example, trying to throw to home when there's a runner heading to second.
So I appreciate the options to customize your level of control, but I wish there were more of them, that there were alternate control schemes, and that base running control was revamped. A tutorial mode couldn't hurt, either.
Moving on, every sports game seems to have a franchise mode, and MLB 06 The Show isn't an exception here. You can micromanage to an absurd degree here, from the grass pattern and training facilities to television exclusivity contracts to the price of beers, brats, and bobble heads. If you're the type to get into that kind of thing, there's plenty to keep you occupied.
Other modes include the standard exhibition and season, a career mode with the ability to create your own player (works with EyeToy), and a handful of others like team rivalry, home run derby, and king of the diamond.
The thing that's most in the game's favor is the fact that it really does feel like you're watching the game on TV. Players talk and joke in the dugout, batters do little things while approaching the plate, and the announcers' commentary is fluid and varied. Plus, every major league stadium is recreated, and you can unlock older eras to play as well. While I can't say this is the game for people who are new to baseball sims, experienced players will probably have fun with the different modes and little added touches for realism.
Graphics:
Decent, not jaw-dropping. Like most sports games, the top players are all recreated pretty well, but lower-tier players are just generic cut-outs. The audience is full of cardboard clones, too, which is still one of my major complaints about the look of just about every sports game.
The create-a-character mode is also pretty simplistic—not even in the same ballpark (pun!) as Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2006. For example, increasing the height of your character simply stretches the image vertically, and increasing the weight stretches it horizontally. It feels silly and tacked-on.
There's also a 16:9 mode, which is always nice to see.
Audio:
For the menus there's a surprisingly good selection of 16 quasi-visible rock and hip-hop bands that you might see on
MTV2, including Motion City Soundtrack, Hard-Fi, and the Moving Units. You can turn off the ones you don't like.
I was really impressed with the commentary from the three-man team of Dave Campbell, Matt Vasgersian, and Rex Hudler. Except for the inning tallies, everything was completely seamless, with almost no repetition. Plus, they're fairly merciless if your team is doing poorly, which is pretty entertaining if you're playing against someone.
Crowd sounds are great, and very responsive. They cheer and jeer teams like you would expect, but there are also player-specific catcalls and cheers—hearing the crowd at Safeco Field chant, "I-chi-ro! I-chi-ro!" when he steps up to bat is fun. And when you pause to change settings (a time out), the crowd slowly gets antsy.
Conclusion:
Baseball games aren't my thing, but I mostly enjoyed MLB 06 The Show, even if the controls did feel overly-complicated to a novice like myself. The graphics are underwhelming, but the audio is top-notch and there enough modes to keep baseball sim fans engaged for quite awhile. Nevertheless, spend a few bucks to check it out over a weekend before you go all in. Rent it.
invalidates my opinion in the eyes of the overwhelming majority of the people reading this.I don't like baseball.
I don't watch it on TV, and I don't play realistic video game versions of it. I can't compare a 2006 version to a 2005 version, or say what they've improved, or why you should care. I don't know the "norms" of the genre. I can only give you my honest opinion about the game as a fellow gamer with fresh eyes. For the other kind of review, you're better off looking to IGN or GameSpot.
The problem, as I see it, is that the stats-heavy sports games make very little effort to appeal to people like me. After all, I'll play just about any sport that features cutesy Mario characters putting or batting or shirling. It's not because I have a particular soft spot for Mario—the games are just easy to control and fun. I can sit down, learn the basics in a few minutes, and spend the next hour or two having a good time, whether I'm playing nine innings or 18 holes.
Gameplay:
I've got to give MLB 06 The Show some credit for trying to strike a balance. As you might expect from a game like this, there are a zillion options for you to manipulate, and several of those are devoted to customizing your level of involvement in the game. You can go from controlling all aspects of a game to just pitching and (one-button) batting, while letting the computer manage fielding and base running.
But regardless of the control scheme, I could never really escape the feeling that I wasn't the one actually in control of my team. Base running is the best example. I can't tell you how many times I would get a hit and stop my runners after advancing one base only to have them stand just off to the side of the base and wait there while they watched a player from the other team slowly run up and tag them out. Maybe there was a special "don't be a moron" command I missed in the 18-page control listing, but I think stepping on the base when an opposing team's player is jogging towards you with the ball should be automatic.
Of course, you can let the computer manage base running, but the computer is a bit "ambitious" when it comes to stealing bases. Whenever I turned it on, runners would attempt to steal after every few pitches, and would fail, pathetically, every single time. It got to the point where I hated either option, nevermind the control scheme that required a complicated combination of d-pad and buttons to advance individual players. Would it be too much to have a simple base advancement scheme where Circle (right button) advances all runners, Triangle (top) advances both second and third base, Square (left button) advances third, and when threatened the runner would automatically try to evade the guy trying to tag him out?
On the other hand, fielding is probably handled the best of
the various modes. A gyrating, gradually-shrinking baseball icon on the ground indicates where the ball will land, and from there it's simply a matter of throwing to the appropriate
base. If you have "fielding assist" turned on, though, the fielder will (as far as I can tell) ignore your command if it's not very bright—for example, trying to throw to home when there's a runner heading to second.So I appreciate the options to customize your level of control, but I wish there were more of them, that there were alternate control schemes, and that base running control was revamped. A tutorial mode couldn't hurt, either.
Moving on, every sports game seems to have a franchise mode, and MLB 06 The Show isn't an exception here. You can micromanage to an absurd degree here, from the grass pattern and training facilities to television exclusivity contracts to the price of beers, brats, and bobble heads. If you're the type to get into that kind of thing, there's plenty to keep you occupied.
Other modes include the standard exhibition and season, a career mode with the ability to create your own player (works with EyeToy), and a handful of others like team rivalry, home run derby, and king of the diamond.
The thing that's most in the game's favor is the fact that it really does feel like you're watching the game on TV. Players talk and joke in the dugout, batters do little things while approaching the plate, and the announcers' commentary is fluid and varied. Plus, every major league stadium is recreated, and you can unlock older eras to play as well. While I can't say this is the game for people who are new to baseball sims, experienced players will probably have fun with the different modes and little added touches for realism.
Graphics:
Decent, not jaw-dropping. Like most sports games, the top players are all recreated pretty well, but lower-tier players are just generic cut-outs. The audience is full of cardboard clones, too, which is still one of my major complaints about the look of just about every sports game.
The create-a-character mode is also pretty simplistic—not even in the same ballpark (pun!) as Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2006. For example, increasing the height of your character simply stretches the image vertically, and increasing the weight stretches it horizontally. It feels silly and tacked-on.
There's also a 16:9 mode, which is always nice to see.
Audio:
For the menus there's a surprisingly good selection of 16 quasi-visible rock and hip-hop bands that you might see on
MTV2, including Motion City Soundtrack, Hard-Fi, and the Moving Units. You can turn off the ones you don't like.I was really impressed with the commentary from the three-man team of Dave Campbell, Matt Vasgersian, and Rex Hudler. Except for the inning tallies, everything was completely seamless, with almost no repetition. Plus, they're fairly merciless if your team is doing poorly, which is pretty entertaining if you're playing against someone.
Crowd sounds are great, and very responsive. They cheer and jeer teams like you would expect, but there are also player-specific catcalls and cheers—hearing the crowd at Safeco Field chant, "I-chi-ro! I-chi-ro!" when he steps up to bat is fun. And when you pause to change settings (a time out), the crowd slowly gets antsy.
Conclusion:
Baseball games aren't my thing, but I mostly enjoyed MLB 06 The Show, even if the controls did feel overly-complicated to a novice like myself. The graphics are underwhelming, but the audio is top-notch and there enough modes to keep baseball sim fans engaged for quite awhile. Nevertheless, spend a few bucks to check it out over a weekend before you go all in. Rent it.