Baseball games have never faired too well on handheld systems, except for the PSP versions of Sony’s long-running “The Show” series.
But with two screens and a decent graphics processor, nothing but hard work could stop 2k sports from delivering gems on Nintendo’s DS console.
A complete lack of effort ultimately dooms what could have been a great handheld sports title.
The problems are huge. When you can’t even get player stats right, you know there’s a problem. When you can’t make player trades, there’s an even bigger problem. When the game makes every single element of the sport a total bore, the line has been crossed. MLB 2K12 on the Nintendo DS is such a poor excuse for a baseball game that it’s a wonder it got past quality control. Everything about this game reads of unfinished business, from the lack of gameplay modes to a general lack of precision in the hitting, running, fielding and pitching schemes. This game is an utter joke.
Aside from some of the best play-by-play commentary in a handheld sports title, MLB 2K12 will go down as one of the worst titles 2K sports have ever released.
Graphically, the game isn’t terrible. It looks like a cross between “Super Bases Loaded” and “Ken Griffey Jr.’s Winning Run” on the Super Nintendo. There are no names on the back of jerseys and for the most part, players look exactly alike. Aside from seeing R.A. Dickey’s beard and a stance that kind of resembles Ichiro’s, the game offers little personalization and ways to show the developers actually cared. Overall, it’s a rushed mess. It could have benefitted so much from some tender love and care.
As a whole, the game just feels cold- like an old friend you lost touch with and can’t reconnect with. Nothing here is inviting. Even the team select modes are bland and by the numbers. Random bugs along the way also hamper the action. The fielding engine, which looks like it was stolen from “Super Play-Action Football,” makes it almost impossible to know if you’re catching a grounder or a fly ball. It takes strategy and logic out of a game that is bound by it. Hitting as well makes little sense as pitches break unrealistically. Even when you hit a home run or a bases-clearing double, you’ll get little satisfaction.
Why would anyone want to play this abomination? Even the world’s biggest baseball fan won’t find enough here to warrant multiple plays. Unlike a handful of former stars in the sport, this game is in desperate need of a steroid injection.
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