xbox sports games (nfl/mlb)

Understandably not for everyone but I would recommend the new Ncaa over new Madden everyday. The gameplay just doesn’t “flow” in Madden like it used to and there’s just something special with playing with college teams. Of course you don’t get the names on the roster so it’s best if you have xbox live and can download rosters that fans put out with the names already on it. I haven’t played a baseball game consistently since they ended the MVP series. John Dowd FTW!

MLB 2k10 is the only baseball game for 360 and it is awful. It’s great if you just need a quick baseball fix but if you’re looking for any depth you might be out of luck.

The online is terrible. It’s impossible to get used to the timing delay of hitting if you switch back and forth between the franchise mode. The worst part is that MLB 2k9 had no delay at all.

Franchise mode is fun but it’s lacking in a lot of parts. The pitching numbers are completely unrealistic. The best pitchers in the league often finish with an ERA of 4 or higher. At the begining of my latest Giants franchise I edited some player ratings to more accurately reflect how players were playing by the end of the season. Buster Posey ended up with a 91 overall rating but finished the season with like a .244 BA and 15 HRs. I think it has a lot to do with the stamina system. He was constantly at a 70, presumably because he is a catcher, which is the lowest it can be before that player is considered injured.

The trade system is annoying too. If you’re a buyer at the trade deadline you can’t trade a top prospect or two for an impact player. You have to trade a player of equal or greater value which negates the whole purpose. I do like the draft system however. Players are listed by their overall rating at the time of the draft but unlike previous years they’ve added a “potential” rating which allows you to find some gems in the later rounds, despite their poor ranking during the draft.

It’s hard to sign free agent superstars as well. Bad teams still find ways to re-sign superstars that would walk in real life (Read: Adrian Gonzales).

Overall it’s a good game I guess. I’m pretty hardcore when it comes to sports videogames so I think my expectations are always a little high. I’m a full time college student so if I’m not studying I’m probably gaming. But for someone that has a family and isn’t going to put a ton of hours into turning the Pirates into the next MLB dynasty, I think it’s worth a pickup.