Over the years, I’ve come to expect a lot from 2K Sports. Their games are always top-notch, ultra-realistic and super-connected to the actual sports the games emulate. So it was no surprise when I strolled into 2K’s offices this morning to find the most realistic looking video game I’ve ever seen: NBA 2K10.  (more…)

Despite the fact that I’ve been playing and reviewing video games for years, I seriously, seriously suck at baseball games. Watching me play MLB 2K9 would send any serious sports-game fan into an uncontrollable fit of rage from my complete and total lack of skills. And that’s why I like The BIGS 2.

Building on The BIGS franchise, The BIGS 2’s over-the-top, arcade-style game play can cover-up even the worst player’s half-assed attempt at seeming athletic. In this latest release, 2K has juiced-up the “Become a Legend” mode with a fuller story mode that picks up after the “Rookie Challenge” from The BIGS, allowing you to create your player and follow him through from the Mexican minors all the way through to the Hall of Fame.

On top of that, they’ve added Season Mode, with full MLB schedules, stat tracking and roster management, which allows you to keep your fantasy team and your real team in sync. And the awesomely amped arcade action, like Legendary Moves, Batter’s Wheelhouse and Big Slam will make you feel like A-Rod after a trip to the Dominican Republic.

The BIGS 2 is available now on Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP and Wii

Every calendar year sports titles roll out their latest entries, mostly consisting of updated rosters, one new gameplay feature (that gets nixed the following year) and slight tweaks in the graphic department (high-resolution goatees).

2K Sports, the company that handles MLB exclusively, is well aware of this, and has reevaluated their franchise, rebuilding it from the ground up.

I recently played a test demo of the upcoming Major League Baseball 2K8, scheduled for release next Tuesday – and the changes this year are more than cosmetic.

For starters, the gameplay that was marred with inconsistencies last year (shoddy errors and bugs galore) has been completely revamped. Most controls, whether pitching, fielding or batting, utilize the right analog stick this time around (I played the XBox 360 version; the PS3 uses the same control scheme).

For pitching, buttons have gone by the wayside, with different combinations of analog stick movement determining what pitch you throw and how accurate; batting controls require a back-and-forth upswing to make contact. Throwing to each base is also done with the analog control. (more…)