From the creators of the World Series Baseball franchise back in 2001, 2002 and
2003, Major League Baseball 2K6 has the best graphics seen to date for any baseball game, and for any console.
The next-gen graphics even allow for uniforms that move with motion and get covered in grass stains in the correct locations
after a diving play. Individual members of the crowd, now fight for foul balls hit into the stands. And the same people never
seem to get it twice. The skies are dynamic, there is rain, sun and the lighting for night games is absolutely amazing.
The simulation mode is exceptional as well. As Mike Lewis put it "It's as
good as Baseball Mogul, but with all the bells and whistles."
From around 1990 when myself, Alan Lewis and Steve Pomposello sat around Alan's Apple PC and played Earl
Weaver Baseball, up until the endless nearly unchanged versions of Mogul around 2002, my friends and I played. Then things
grew stale. But Major League Baseball 2K6 has some of my friends and I once again sharing a cool time making wisecracks
and winning World Series (well at least Mike does) from the couch. The game is also on line enabled if you like competing
against people you can't see.
For the first time, console baseball has including real scouting reports on every big league
(and some minor league) players: where they pitch to in the zone and when, how they hit with two strikes and where.
Inside Edge is the same company that provides several big league teams with their scouting reports ...
so if you like strategic realism, there has never been a better baseball game.
And if like most people you like to try your hand at the game, there are both the classic 'timing
button mashing' style, and the MVP-like swing stick method.
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One of the things my buddies and I enjoy the most are the Franchise and General Manager modes. We select
a team, and then go all the way year-after-year in our quest for the top. Mike typically picks the talented Oakland A's, while
I always choose the hapless Kansas City Royals. In fact, you can see my create-a-player (left) going yard for the Royals as
they lose again. And the follwing day Mike Lewis' player (above) stroking and 'oppo' double to win the game ... I
just lost ... again.
The create-a-player mode even allowed us to put 2001-2002 Wombat Wiffleball Cy Young winner Kerry
Lyon on the mound in Cleveland to play for his dad's favorite franchise!
I've been rating console baseball games for this site since 2001, and MLB2K6 from 2K Sports
is Number 1.
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