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11 May 2009
When it comes to baseball games I always look for the most realistic one in terms of graphics, game mechanics, and game stat maintenance. Well actually this can be said for every sports game I buy, but it’s more prevalent in baseball games for me. I mean I can play madden and NCAA football till I’m blue in the face because of the amount of realism from every facet of the title. I can also play NFL blitz which is an over the top football game with ridiculous amounts of exaggerated super powered animations and moves. But for me the idea of an arcade style baseball game never really caught my ear or eye. This is probably the biggest reason I skipped out of playing 2K’s The Bigs when it came out. But after reading up on The Bigs 2, my thoughts have changed. And I’m very excited they have.
2K’s The Bigs 2 is an over-the-top baseball arcade game with tons of interesting features and nuances that take every exciting aspect of a major league baseball game and inject it with steroids. We’re talking big muscle-headed baseball players, fireball pitches that literally leave vapor trails, and ridiculous diving catches. And yes there are even more eye-grabbing animations and maneuvers in the game. What I love most about what 2K is trying to do here is take everything that we love about baseball and push it to the comic book level, meaning take it to super-human heights. 2K isn’t trying to replace your normal common MLB game that you have on your shelf. They’re trying to add another dimension to your baseball experience. That dimension rests comfortably within the realms of super-human baseball. Just seeing some of the screenshots makes me drool. After catching these glimpses, I went over to IGN and was able to catch some video of the game and became even more excited and obsessed. The video I watched was the Power Mini-game where my boy Manny Ramirez is batting right next to Justin Morneau and they’re both trying to hit homers off two pitchers who are throwing simultaneously. Rule wise, both batters are trying to hit different parts of the stadium with their dingers, accumulating different points in the process. For example hitting the scoreboard with a shot offers different points versus hitting the bleachers. It’s a jaw-dropping video and I suggest heading over there to see it when you can or if you’re interested in this type of game.
The Power Mini-game is just one of the many cool mini-games you participate in. There’s a Glove Mini-game in which your player is in charge of making ridiculous catches and dives. There’s a Speed Mini-game in which you race an opponent up and down stadiums avoiding different pitfalls in the process. There’s a Contact mini-game where players hit a number of balls that are being tossed in a continuous stream at you. Like Power and Glove, you again are standing right next to your opponent which is both unique and badass looking. The game is apparently color dependent, meaning you want to hit balls of a particular color and stay away from another color. There’s also this insane mode called Pinball mode where its basically Home Run Derby but set in cool backgrounds like on the streets of Vegas or New York. Picture you and a pitcher in Times Square and you’re banging hits off of buildings in bright lights. Unreal to say the least.
All these mini-games and modes sound very cool but The Bigs 2 is actually a little more than that and the team at 2K is trying to prove that this year. For the first time you’ll be able to partake in a full season with full on stat tracking which is something 1 was missing. There will also be a “Become a Legend” mode. In this, players try to attribute points throughout the season by accomplishing different task and eventually get the opportunity to battle bosses like Babe Ruth in games. Once these special legends are defeated you can play as them in other modes. In terms of other specials, different players on teams will have different special abilities that others won’t. These can also be referred to as Power Ups and these players always carry them with them. For example, Albert Pujols might always hit a homerun no matter what.
From what I’ve read and seen and heard, 2K is building a monster of a game and I’m geeked to see the final result! I’ll be writing another article and review once I get my hands on this game. I’m sure that article will go into further depth of the game and if I know 2K, even more surprises will arise. It’s supposed to land in July and I guarantee I’ll be one of the first to have it. *fingers crossed on a winner*
Thanks for reading!
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