Major League Baseball 2K8 Fantasy All-Stars (E)

A good start, but this game is still minor league.

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details

Publisher: 2K Sports
Genre: Video Games - Sports
Release Date: 04/14/2008
Platform(s): Nintendo DS
Online Enabled: Yes
ESRB Rating: E
ESRB Explanation: Everyone
Price: $29.99

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that while this E-rated game can be fun, it can also be frustrating for kids. The fun part comes with the comic book-like graphics and the over-the-top arcade play. The frustration comes with the touchscreen controls which are difficult to master -- especially pitching and fielding.

Families can talk about how cool the players look as caricatures. Do you think it would be hard to draw someone as a cartoon? What characteristics would you exaggerate if you drew yourself as a cartoon? Did you find the controls in this game frustrating? Why? Why would a game company create a game with so many glitches in the game controls?

Message
Violence
Sex
Language

Message

Social Behavior:

You'll be playing coop modes via WiFi.

Consumerism:

You will see real team logos.

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Educational Value:

You'll learn to pitch, hit, field, and run bases.

Violence

Sex

Language

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Harold Goldberg

There are some admirable qualities to MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 2K8 FANTASY ALL-STARS, a new baseball simulation from 2K Sports. The renderings of baseball superstars are kooky and fun. And the idea of playing a baseball simulation game using the touchscreen for everything from pitching to batting is ambitious.

But it's the way the touchscreen controls are made that's make this a minor league game, not a major league one. Yes, you can play a season. You can play a quick game, too. And you can even play online without a lot of lag time. Yet when it comes to drawing some of the pitches on the touchscreen, the game proves daunting and difficult. A fastball is easy: just draw a straight line. It's curves and screwballs that a nearly impossible to get right. And accuracy in fielding can be even worse. While it's not too hard to learn to throw to first, third, and home, throwing from center field to second base is a nightmare. It just can't be done well most of the time.

Is it any good?

The highlights of the game is its attention to detail in environments and in arcade-like powerups. You'll play in locations that are based on everything from Halloween to Alcatraz to the Florida Everglades. And powerups include everything from a fiery pitch that no one can hit to a chicken pitch, one that starts running away when a fielder tries to grab it.

While there's some intriguing gameplay within this baseball offering, you should rent before you buy to see if you can handle all the glitches. Your best bet? As they say in sports, "Wait 'til next year." If 2K Sports comes out with a sequel, by then, the errors should be fixed.