Little League World Series 2008 Review for the Nintendo Wii

System: Wii	Review Rating Legend
Dev: Now Production	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: Activision	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: Aug. 5, 2008	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-4	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Everyone	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

Little League World Series is a decent-looking game; the different fields you can play in, while few, look pretty nice. Animation is smooth and the physics of the game, particularly as they relate to the baseball itself, is surprisingly impressive. The anime-inspired visuals of the title do little to push it forward as a realistic baseball sim, but I suppose they do get the job done. The music is a bit worse, with little actual "music" and some less-than-great commentary.

Little League World Series 2008 screenshot

Ultimately, the biggest problem with Little League World Series, try as it might, is that it just doesn't offer enough depth. Admittedly, it's got more meat to it than Wii Sports baseball, but frankly that's not saying much. The batting and pitching feel great, but the same just can't be said for other aspects of the game.

We haven't gotten a truly great Wii-specific baseball game yet, and Little League World Series does little to change that. It does showcase what's possible for a Wii baseball game, but an MLB license and a fully-fleshed-out gameplay mechanic would go a long way to showing fans how great a real baseball game could be on the Wii.

That's not to say it's not worth a look. If you're really into baseball, you'll still find something to love with Little League World Series. But it doesn't always feel like a full-fledged baseball game, despite the inclusion of some addictive collectibles and mutliplayer modes. MLB Power Pros remains the best baseball game on the Nintendo Wii thanks to its surprising depth, limitless customization, and MLB License. But if you're looking for a baseball game that could only be done on the Wii, give Little League World Series a chance.

By Joseph Catalanotto
CCC Freelance Writer

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

3.6

Graphics
Crisp, clean, if not particularly impressive visuals. Animation also looks quite nice.

3.4

Control
Batting and pitching are pretty fun, but beyond that controls are somewhat limited.

2.7

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Boring, forgettable music and commentary.

3.6

Play Value
It's a fairly simple game in terms of control, but there is some depth to it and plenty of replayability.

3.3