This brings us full circle to 2K and Kush Games' latest offering. The big question is, were they able to deliver a title that has a bright future into the next wave of videogaming? Or are baseball fans going to go on a strike of their own when it comes to videogame baseball. While 2K does show some bright spots, this is far from what we would hope that next generation baseball would be.

I'm not just talking strictly visuals here either, but since I'm on that subject, 2K has a long way to go in this department. Sure, at first glance, it looks pretty, but once you look a little closer, the game's graphical flaws begin to show. First off, the animations range from very good to downright horrible. Even though 2K have taken the extra time here to add animations and a bigger variety of moves, the transition between animations is still quite jerky. There is also a collision detection problem with the player and the ball. This leads to missed plays, missed dives, and sometimes the game gets confused on what to detect. A good example is when I had a hit against me that went all the way to the corner. My outfielder kept going into his "don't hit the wall" animation and never picked up the ball that was directly below him. It is little technical glitches like this that happen quite often, and can not only turn the tide of a baseball game, but also almost ruin the experience entirely. The player models are more realistic looking compared to the current gen 2K titles, and even star players get the 'scary real' treatment, especially in close ups. Other players are not so good. All the little subtleties are here including grass and dirt stains, batter stances, and pitcher motions. I was unhappy to see that specific swing animations are still not included, only stances. The only time you get to see player specific HR swings is during cut scene replays. One thing is for certain though, the stadiums are gorgeous. Real time lighting, wind, and weather effects including rain and rain delays are as much a part of this world as they are in real life. I was bummed to see NO stadium specific HR celebrations, and instead, only the same fireworks display over and over again. The presentation and menus are easy to navigate and are far less cumbersome than some sports titles. Overall, the game has its bright spots, its low spots, but in HD, is still one of the prettiest baseball titles around…but next gen?

As we all know, it is never really how the game looks, but how it plays. Take for instance the High Heat series. It was never a real looker, but it played an incredible game of baseball. Alternatively, even World Series on the Saturn, by today's standards not pretty, but still has the best ball physics ever in a console baseball title. As for MLB 2K6, it does play a solid game of baseball, but there are plenty of issues that rear their ugly heads. I'll be the first to say this…I hate games that rely on sliders to make a baseball game great. Sure, I know we all have different skill levels, but that is ultimately, what difficulty settings are for. 2K has been notorious over the years for having you alter the game by adjusting tons of sliders in order to get realistic box scores. With 2K6, this hasn't changed. Out of the box, the game is very unbalanced, from the base runner speed, outfielder's accuracy, number of errors committed, pitcher fatigue, and many more items that are commonplace just don't mesh with each other to result in a realistic outcome from game to game. I guess once you have all this in place, MLB 2K6 does play a pretty good game of baseball.

I like the fact that finally, there is collision detection in the outfield, I like the idea of the swing stick, just not fond of its execution, and I like the little details such as passed balls, wild pitches, and other factors of when a pitcher gets in trouble. The pitching meter is a better representation over last year's effort, but still giving up walks is a rarity even with the speed of the meter up to full range.

The game includes tons of modes including franchise, season, HR derby, and even the World Baseball Classic. I still think the franchise mode is lacking, as there is very little to do between games. Things like recruiting young talent, rehabbing injured players, dealing with money such as concessions, stadium reconstruction, and promotional giveaways aren't present. The player feedback is a nice addition and provided for a little off the field drama, but that is where it really begins and ends. Impressively though, the game does keep track of virtually every dynamic in the game thanks to the VIP system.

Online, the game plays fairly smooth, but there aren't any cut scenes, batter walk-ups, or any extras for flair. I know this is to cut back on playtime, but there should be an option to choose whether or not you want these little nuances in the game online. You are also treated to tournaments and leagues, which will provide plenty of online replay value.

2K has acknowledged that there is a patch coming to fix some technical freezing issues that many gamers have been experiencing. I for one, after 30 games, only had 1 freeze and it was in the 15th freaking inning, so I feel your pain guys.

In the end, if you only have the Xbox 360 as your console, MLB 2K6 does play a fairly solid game of baseball, provided you have all your sliders in place. But for me, the best baseball game again this year is still 989's MLB 06: The Show. They just have all the fundamentals in place and is the place to be if you are looking for the most accurate representation of the great American classic. I hope that 2K will learn greatly from the mistakes they have made this year and look to give gamers a reason to be happy next season.

	Looks Good...
	...but not quite next gen
	Plays a Good Game of Baseball...
	...when the sliders are to your liking
	Plenty of Game Modes
	Solid Online Play
	The Game Freezes, collision detection issues, weird animation transitions
	This game was play tested, right?