"MLB 2006" PlayStation 2 989 Sports B
"MLB 2006," a game about Major League Baseball made by 989 Sports, is similar to the mythological Greek Sirens. Both the game and the Sirens look and sound beautiful, but in the end cause one's destruction. The gameplay is fluid, the franchise mode of the game is deep and the career mode is unbelievable. But the system crashes are also unbelievable. Stability is a major issue with "MLB 2006." The game can crash anytime, without warning.
The graphics in "MLB 2006" are phenomenal. It truly looks like watching a real baseball game. Catching fly balls is more of a challenge that last year's edition, because this year, the size of the fly ball's landing zone is directly related to each player's fielding rating; the better the rating, the smaller the zone, and vice versa. Players pitch using a pitch meter, similar to those in golf games. Besides a standard batting mechanism, "MLB 2006" also lets gamers "guess the pitch." If the guess is correct, the location of the pitch is shown. But, if the guess is wrong, the chances of getting a hit decrease. Another excellent feature in the game is the ability to fast forward. This is very useful for gamers who don't feel like playing defense.
The simulation modes of the game, career and franchise, are excellent. The franchise mode is similar to that of "Madden '05." Players have the ability to change rosters, prices and advertising. However, it goes even deeper: In franchise mode, not only can the team go bankrupt, but it can actually borrow money from a bank. This depth adds great new challenge to "MLB."
Career mode is by far the most intriguing part of the game. In it, gamers create a player and control only him throughout his career, playing however many games they want during the season. Points are given for playing time, and these can be added to 16 different attributes. There are also eight player interactions to choose from at any time, ranging from demanding playing time or a trade to spilling secrets about teammates to the media. The option to fast forward in games to the next at-bat is especially useful in career mode to dramatically speed things up.
If the game didn't crash as often as it does, "MLB 2006" could easily be considered a great baseball game. The simulation modes are far and away the best parts of this game, featuring amazing depth. The gameplay has few hitches. But the game borders on unplayable because of the repeated crashes. This game is recommended for those people who truly enjoy the simulation aspects of sports games and are not easily frustrated by the game's lack of stability.
