Major League Baseball 2K6 (Xbox 360)

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 2K6 is fully juiced with innumerable player statistics and ways to tweak the plays. Gamers will be able to field all of the 2006 players in accurate representations of all the major league ballparks. 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.

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 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; they often move slowly and clumsily, making field action feel sluggish and muted. 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.