The Video Game Thread

[cpebbles]

I caved and bought 2k10 and a new controller today. I wasn't really sold by those lukewarm reviews, but my father is recording a [expletive] Ghost Hunters marathon, and DISH DVR, for some reason, won't let you record and watch something else, so I was desperate for some entertainment.

First pitch of the game, opposite field HR by Rasmus. 8 2/3 innings later, I lose 2-1 on a Votto walkoff. My offensive game needs a bit of work...

[cards2468]

I've been addicted to Fifa 2010 lately

if peeps wanna play on live, hit me up: "rhesusfeces"

[JackofDiamonds]

I caved and bought 2k10 and a new controller today. I wasn't really sold by those lukewarm reviews, but my father is recording a [expletive] Ghost Hunters marathon, and DISH DVR, for some reason, won't let you record and watch something else, so I was desperate for some entertainment.

First pitch of the game, opposite field HR by Rasmus. 8 2/3 innings later, I lose 2-1 on a Votto walkoff. My offensive game needs a bit of work...

Try moving Razzmatazz out of the 1 spot.

[cardsfansince82]

First pitch of the game, opposite field HR by Rasmus. 8 2/3 innings later, I lose 2-1 on a Votto walkoff. My offensive game needs a bit of work...

My first game Carpenter and Waino combined to go 12 innings of shutout baseball and Rasmus hits a walkoff in the bottom of 12, 2-0 good guys.

[cardsfansince82]

Oh btw, I haven't played much so I can't really give a full review, but some quick notes on the Cards in 2k10:

The Cardinals team ratings are good for hitting, crap for pitching. Which is weird because the only hitters that are rated decent are Pujols, Holiday and Ludwick. Carp and Waino are like 91 and 90 overall, Penny and Lohse are around 80. PJ Walters is listed as the 5th starter and sucks. The bullpen is [expletive] horrible. Only Franklin has a decent rating. Even Miller isn't good. Defensively, Yadi and Pujols are studs. Rasmus and Ryan are both underrated. Freese is rated as a train wreck at 3rd.

Graphics look pretty darn good. Hitting is impossible. The pitching is a little better now...the "gestures" are fairly easy to execute. I'm still trying to get the hang of directing runners, but no game ever gets that right. Announcers discussed Pujols leaving STL and how devastating it would be to the team and city to put me on tilt.

[Jocephus]

Oh btw, I haven't played much so I can't really give a full review, but some quick notes on the Cards in 2k10:

The Cardinals team ratings are good for hitting, crap for pitching. Which is weird because the only hitters that are rated decent are Pujols, Holiday and Ludwick. Carp and Waino are like 91 and 90 overall, Penny and Lohse are around 80. PJ Walters is listed as the 5th starter and sucks. The bullpen is [expletive] horrible. Only Franklin has a decent rating. Even Miller isn't good. Defensively, Yadi and Pujols are studs. Rasmus and Ryan are both underrated. Freese is rated as a train wreck at 3rd.

Graphics look pretty darn good. Hitting is impossible. The pitching is a little better now...the "gestures" are fairly easy to execute. I'm still trying to get the hang of directing runners, but no game ever gets that right. Announcers discussed Pujols leaving STL and how devastating it would be to the team and city to put me on tilt.

yeah screw that game

[cardsfansince82]

OK I've played a few more games and this is officially pissing me off. Navigating some of the menus is flat out re..dumb, the tutorial or practice mode (whatever it's called) doesn't teach you [expletive]. They just throw you out there and don't even coach you on what buttons to push so it's pointless. Once you get to the setting up the lineups part before a game you can't even back out. You can't change the opposing team's pitcher. Motte's "best pitch" is a slider. I struck out DLee with Julio Lugo. The game looks good and fielding from what I can tell is pretty decent, but hitting is ridiculous and baserunning is crap. Impossible to steal. Rasmus is rated meh but he's been my best player by far. I can't do jack with Pujols/Holliday/Ludwick. I'm glad I got it for a free test run, never buying a 2K game ever again until they get it right. I wish I had a PS3.

[cpebbles]

I got a little bit better at hitting already. Got a Freese grand slam and a Pujols 1-0 13th inning walkoff shot in my second and third games. I'm thinking if you adjust the pitch speed hitting will get a lot easier. 95 MPH pitches simply don't give you enough time to decide whether or not they're in the zone, but low 90s pitches do. If every pitcher in the game wasn't capable of sitting 95+ this game would be a lot less frustrating to pick up.

[cardsfansince82]

I got a little bit better at hitting already. Got a Freese grand slam and a Pujols 1-0 13th inning walkoff shot in my second and third games. I'm thinking if you adjust the pitch speed hitting will get a lot easier. 95 MPH pitches simply don't give you enough time to decide whether or not they're in the zone, but low 90s pitches do. If every pitcher in the game wasn't capable of sitting 95+ this game would be a lot less frustrating to pick up.

Are you pushing up/left, up or up/right on the left stick when you swing? Also, are you supposed to do a real quick down-up on the right stick or can you hold down and then hit up at the right time without losing power? I've been trying to play around with it but nothing seems to work except with Rasmus getting a couple of grooved fastballs. I tried a HR derby with Pujols and hit plenty of home runs but couldn't get anything over 410 or so while Prince Fielder was dropping 500 ft bombs.

[ghostrunner]

Another review from Operation Sports for 2k. From a different editor, I think:

[SHOW]

MLB 2K9 was bad. Atrociously bad. It was a half star to a one star on my ratings scale.

MLB 2K10 on the other hand, is everything MLB 2K9 wasn't. It is relatively bug free, it plays decent and while there are nagging issues which a patch will have to take care of, the game is by and large respectable and a huge improvement over last year's title.

The first thing you notice when you hop into MLB 2K10 is that it does everything a lot better than last year. The execution and the flow of the game, much less the looks, are much better than last year's game. The AI is smarter, the game plays more like baseball, and I totally dig the pitching/hitting system.

However, a contender with the perennial heavyweight champion MLB: The Show this game is not. While it has moments where it seems it could be a contender, there are numerous problems which keep the game from really reaching it's potential. The outfielders all have arms which are far too strong and too accurate, you can still hit relatively easy on the default settings -- sliders do help though, and there are numerous moments when you realize the game just lacks a nice coat of polish.

The two main modes of play I have gotten to check out, Franchise and My Player are both solid. I didn't have enough time to get down and dirty with each, but both are solid modes. Franchise produced realistic and believable stats when I simmed through a season and My Player seems like it's a viable option to RTTS. Both will have nagging problems discovered which will bug baseball fans I'm sure. But with Franchise mode, the improvements made over last year's mode are very noticeable.

In the end, what MLB 2K10 does have going for it is exactly what the developers said it would, it's simply a different and interesting take on baseball compared to The Show. And while I wouldn't recommend a PS3 owner even consider MLB 2K10, baseball fans stuck with just a 360 will find the game is now respectable and worthy of at least a look. MLB 2K10 signals a dramatic turnaround in the franchise. If this is the start of a new trend, next year could be a banner year for baseball gaming.