Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this baseball game features the full line-up of Major League Baseball players and ballparks. It also includes a smattering of in-game ads, though nowhere near what fans encounter at a real ballpark. The simulation-style gameplay may be a bit complex for younger gamers. Parents should also be aware that the game has an online mode and that Common Sense does not recommend online play for anyone under 12.
Families can debate the link between sports and consumerism. Does playing sports games make you want to own other sports-related gear -- or make you aware of other things you can buy? Are ads in sports games just part of creating a realistic experience, or are gamemakers attempting to sell things to young players? Parents can also use this game to talk about good sportsmanship or to discuss proper online etiquitte.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Chris Jozefowicz
After securing an exclusive license from Major League Baseball, the 2K sports series has brought the old national pastime to fans of the new national pastime (video gaming, of course) with mixed results.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 2K6 is fully juiced with innumerable player statistics and ways to tweak the plays, which should please stat-obsessed simulation fans. But the game stumbles in presentation and action.
MLB 2K6's license is definitely one of its strengths. Gamers will be able to field all of this year's players in accurate representations of all the major league ball parks. MLB 2K6 even throws in teams from the World Baseball Classic, a handful of historical teams, and a choice of throwback uniforms.
One of the game's nicest features is the Inside Edge, a "scouting report" that players can purchase to fill in information about how opponents play, including things like where a pitcher might try to throw the ball against a given batter at a particular pitch count.
Controls are initially daunting, but players who are 8 and up are likely to learn them fairly easily. They eventually provide a nice sense of control, particularly in the duels between pitchers and batters. Controlling the fielders is a chore; sure, they can perform a showboat catch if they're positioned under a fly ball early enough, but they often move slowly and clumsily, making field action feel sluggish and muted.
Graphics and sound are both uneven. In some situations, players move realistically and sport stunningly accurate physiognomies. Yet some in-game videos look like they're from a previous console generation, and player animations can be choppy and robotic. Announcers occasionally lag behind the action or get simple things wrong, like the pitch coun.
Overall, MLB 2K6 has some rough edges, but with so many options, control features, and play modes, it will likely impress anyone with an interest in video game baseball, from casual fans to obsessed devotees. Even online, players can chose to play a quick one-off game or help organize huge tournaments.
Rate It!
| Content | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual Content |
 |
 |
||
Violence |
|
|
||
Language |
|
|
||
Message |
|
|
||
Social BehaviorFielders can perform a behind-the-back-type showboat catch to "embarass the other team." |
 |
|
||
CommercialismAll of Major League Baseball's players, teams, and fields are present. Ballparks have some baseball-related (Rawlings, Topps) and videogame-related (2K Sports, Kush Games) ads. |
 |
|
||
Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco |
|
|
||
Educational Value |
|
|
||
