MLB 07: The Show [PS2]

In sports, the rookies tend to get the buzz and veterans are taken for granted. Sports video games are very similar, with Sony's PS2 and strong MLB series not receiving the credit they deserve. While it's showing its age graphically, MLB 07: The Show still swings lumber as good as anyone else in the game and deserves the attention of baseball fans everywhere.

For starters, you really couldn't ask for more modes. While it has stuff to cater to those with short attention spans like Home Run Derby and the pinball-like King of the Diamond, Season and Franchise give hardcore players loads of depth. The new Road to the Show mode is extremely creative: make a character, then participate in game moments only relevant to his career while you watch him grow. The old saying goes, "There's no 'I' in 'team'," but with this mode, Merriam-Webster may have to rethink the spelling.

Road to the Show is a totally new way to play. An entire game may just consist of a handful of at-bats and a few defensive scenarios. These may or may not come with goals that reward you with training points and accolades from the team's higher-ups. Never before have you been in charge of the baserunner or fielder exclusively -- until now, those aspects have been kept in the background in favor of the pitcher-batter rivalry. Despite the abbreviated game length -- if you're not starting (up to management, not you), it could mean a lone appearance as pitch hitter -- it's still a deep, lengthy mode.

At the same time, this mode's rookie season suffers from a few flaws: running and fielding controls are confusingly reversed from other modes; info like the pitch count is missing while you're on base; and it doesn't fully make you feel connected to the player. We have high hopes for what Road to the Show will evolve into in the future, but it's still a great idea worth playing right now.

MLB 07 tweaks its gameplay in an attempt to make every activity meaningful and intuitive. The biggest improvement is the pitcher-catcher relationship. Instead of being in the dark regarding what to throw, your catcher will suggest pitches and positions. Following this advice adds another dynamic to the game, though we suggest switching the perspective to behind the pitcher for full effect.

Along with the golf-game style pitching and taking confidence into account, being on the mound is actually more fun than being at the plate. Hitting isn't as altered, but swing analysis shows you why you whiffed that last pitch, and it's still fun to try to select the pitch/location before the throw. Even baserunning is improved to make it a little less cumbersome to manage.