MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 2K6
2K Sports, Xbox 360, $59.99
The first baseball game to be released for the Xbox 360, 2K Sports has made excellent use of the console’s next-gen horsepower with impressive graphics and player motion that is stunningly realistic. Stadiums such as Arizona’s Chase Field come across as truly massive, the crowd comes to life in a full three dimensions, and players run, throw, and crash into each other with a motion that is nothing short of lifelike. Gameplay features have been enhanced, with the addition of the Swing Stick method of controlling a batter’s swing with the analog stick. The Inside Edge feature allows you to hand-pick new recruits utilizing three years of actual scouting report data, and all 16 major league teams are represented with the authentic world-tourney structure, logos, and uniforms. And now you can do more than yell at the screen when you get a bad call. Express your inner type-A personality by challenging the umpire–a feature which affects team morale, an important factor in your team’s performance. Realistic to the max! Andrew Smith
www.2ksports.com

Love: Watching the hot dog vendors prowl the stadium
Hate: Losing a challenge to the umpire
Final word: Ballin’ out of control