The list of grievances is long, but there are a few bright spots. The presentation is stellar as I mentioned earlier. Animations for pitches, batting stances, and even some pretty solid pro moves are cool (when they work). It looks awesome. Watching Jermaine Dye snag a pop fly with a diving catch or seeing an outfielder run off a wall to gun a runner out at third is an enjoyable sight compared to the rest of the game.

After a game, players are treated to a number of cool features including Top 3 Plays, Great Grabs, and the Pepsi Clutch Performer of the game. It definitely gives off that elusive major league vibe, and it’s really cool to see your best plays in automatic replay. This will definitely give gamers something to compete for.

Commentary is really solid and the sounds are also pretty great. All things considered, MLB 2K9 looks and sounds like the old ball game. The soundtrack is a veritable who’s who of artists that make you say ‘Who is that?’ With the more “recognizable” artists being Cheap Trick, Lit, and Ted Nugent, you may be wondering if Blink 182 was busy or something. Graphically, character models are okay and crowds and stadiums are well done. Up close, however, things get a bit less attractive. Shadows have PS2-like pixelation, hair looks like a single, painted blob with no texture, and most players look like nameless create-a-sluggers. You might not notice it at first but the repeated slow motion close-up replays will start to wear thin with these subpar graphics. In HD (I played in720p) this is unacceptable and probably could’ve been fixed with a few more months of spit shine.

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Aside from a few other features that are mostly standards in modern games (dynamic roster updates, custom tracks for stadiums or players, online two-player versus mode, etc.), there’s not much more than multiplayer here. There’s a homerun derby, but between the hitting and pitching, it seems a little redundant. All in all, this one just can’t measure up to the heavy hitters.

By Leon Hendrix III
CCC Freelance Writer