A Lead-Off Double

For four excruciating years the staff over at 2K sports has tried to get their MLB series right. After a shallow, but promising 2K6 and a solid 2K7, the last two years have been a nightmare, producing two bug-ridden disasters that forced many hardcore baseball fans to go without a new version of America’s pastime on their console. Some even wondered if the team at 2K was ever going to be able to challenge the PS3’s “The Show” series with a quality counterpart.

While the game still has its own issues that at times rob the fun like a Curtis Granderson wall climb, MLB 2K10 is a step above anything 2K sports has recently produced on the 360. Full of options and ripe with polish, its shortcomings pale in comparison with the bevy of quality content squeezed on the disc.

Right off the bat, the MLB Today feature allows gamers to play the contests occurring on that day. Everything from the day’s starting pitcher is already set up and a more than accurate batting line-up and fully up to date team rosters. Above all else, while being incredibly in-depth and thorough, this mode goes a long way in making you feel like you’re in control of the entire league.

If that wasn’t enough, the in-game presentation is top-notch. Never before have there been so many stats available at your fingertips while playing. As a matter of fact, after every pitch, you’ll see your hitters’ stats with that count flash up on the screen. The same thing goes for the pitch count, which is consistently being shown, helping you keep track of your hurler’s stamina and composure.

Simply put, for hardcore fans, this presents a once in a lifetime experience that makes the game unlike anything on the system and perhaps the deepest of its kind.

Add in a more than competent franchise mode, solid online play and a My Player mode, which much like the “Be a Pro” mode in EA’s NHL series, creates a symbiotic bond between the player and the game and is chock full of things to do and ways to have fun. As a result, MLB 2K10 has more than enough content to keep even the most hardcore gamer happy.

However, there are some hiccups along the way. For one, base running has its share of bugs, especially in the My Player mode. Often times, players will slow down while diving back to their respective base, defying gravity and giving the opposing pitcher an easy pick-off. Base running overall is a bit tricky and takes some time to get used to, but is eventually intuitive, in spite of its original clumsiness.

The same thing can be said for fielding in the My Player mode, which shows off some of the kinks in the game’s glove work. While playing first base, you’ll often be able to turn double plays on-line drives hit to you. That’s because the base runner, for some reason, isn’t able to stand on the base he was last on while the ball is in play.

Nonetheless, these problems don’t hamper the overall experience enough for baseball hunger gamers to not give it a whirl.

However, you have to wonder how amazing this game could have been had these small problems been fixed.

As a result, MLB 2K10 for the 360 is like a lead-off double. It’s exciting enough, but just lacks the power to score the go-ahead run. It does have some speed and craftiness though, thanks to its flood of content, amazing character models, animations and overall polish. That however only manages to squeeze it over to third base in the end.

Ultimately, the aforementioned setbacks stop it from scoring a real run with gamers hungry for their baseball fix.