After hearing that MLB 2K7 was barely a retread for the current gen consoles (and since a Wii baseball game won't be coming out until later this year), rather than plunking down $600 for a Playstation 3, I decided to void my usual policy of renting before buying a new game series and picked up MLB '07: The Show for a cool $39.99.

Let it be said - if you're a baseball fan, who appreciates the subtleties and statistics and all that other junk, who likes realistic video game scores and a game that plays like a TV broadcast?

You're in luck.

MLB '07: The Show may just be the best baseball game I've ever played (next to RBI Baseball by Tengen for the NES, of course...who can forget DMtngly or DGdn? ). The graphics, while still current gen, defy the system and really seem to shine, even with some mediocre player face models. They're still better than the generic ones I saw in 2K7. Crowds are pretty bad, but hey, if you want to start hitting under 10 FPS's, then you can add in a fully interactive crowd. It's beyond the PS2's limits. Nonetheless, the gameplay is superb, everything from batting to pitching seems to really bring a lifelike feel.

What I like most of all though is the realism and presentation. Besides having signature animations, batter walkups and mannerisms (which 2K claims is a next-gen exclusive, yet Sony Sand Diego has pulled it off nicely on current-gen), there are instant replays, plays of the game (even without a hard-drive, which defies my brain capacity, since we've been told this is impossible by everyone from EA to 2K), and the stats overlays are great. The announcers are a bit dry and leave a bit to be desired, but I give them credit - their calls and analysis are spot-on and not glitch laden (i.e. Jeter catches a ball, and it actually says he did it...I know, a revolutionary concept).

Most impressive? Realistic scores. I've played a handful of games, and my scores were - 4 to 3, 5 to 2, 10-7, and 6-1. All with realistic levels of hits. Plus, the computer isn't a pushover - I love the difficulty, and the sliders make it even better.

Basically, if you've got a current-gen console, and can't splurge for a next-gen game, then MLB '07: The Show is your ticket to baseball nirvana this spring. I give it two thumbs up, and 5 out of 5.

Double-J's Individual Ratings
Graphics - 4 out of 5
Gameplay - 5 out of 5
Presentation (Sound, Music, Etc.) - 5 out of 5
Controls - 4 out of 5
Overall - 5 out of 5 (not an average)

Pros:
- Extremely realistic baseball simulation
- Great presentation and stats
- Realistic scores, attributes, and gameplay

Cons:
- Not enough real prospects on rosters
- Slight framerate slowdown with wide-angle shots, especially in the outfield
- Online servers seem to be problematic at this point

I got MLB 2K7 for the XBOX 360 and have enjoyed very much so far. The online play is great, and the new GM and Franchise modes are time consuming and addictive. The graphics are fantastic, and having the ESPN commentary crew adds an authentic atmosphere while playing. I got it for free since my dormmate works at a EB Games.

I've been thinking of picking up a new baseball game this year.
I was going to get MLB 2K7 until I read the reviews. None were really good. It supposedly is full of bugs and the player ratings are a joke.

"MLB 07 The Show" gets much better ratings. The only negative seems to be the stadium and crowd graphics are terrible. I'm going to pick it up this week.

The crowd graphics are pretty bad, but are pretty irrelevant, since you'll be paying attention to the gameplay 95% of the time. The stadiums aren't half bad.

I'd rather keep my framerate high and have a crappy, generic crowd than have a slow-ass game with a fully 3D crowd.

What is the minor league system like? Are the minor league players actual prospects? There always seems to be a player or two that makes the team that wasn't supposed to be there at the beginning of the season because of injuries, or they just kicked butt in spring training. Then when you play the game, those players aren't there, and only some of the minor league players are in the game to promote.

It's not that big of a deal though because I would just create a character as accurately as possible to play that person.

My other question is, what is the pitching like? As you know Double-J from my other thread, I was a big MVP fan mostly for the way you could pitch in the game. I felt like it was the most realistic with the pitchers tiring over the course of the game, but it was still possible to make good pitches as long as you had excellent timing. How does MLB '07 compare to this? Is the pitching realistic? Or is the game more focused on hitting?

Thanks for the information Double-J. I just started an online blockbuster rental deal for movies, so I'm hoping I get a coupon or something for video games so I can test it out. The games cost so much to rent normally that I almost would rather take a chance and just buy it.

But by opening day, I probably won't be able to take it anymore and just rent it or buy it.

I bought this yesterday. I've played a couple of exhibition games and am still getting used to the hitting. I'm glad I took your advice, it definitely looks fun. Especially the career mode where you create your own character and have to meet goals throughout the games.

Mmm, also, the sliders (i.e. gameplay options) really seem to be good, I've only modified them slightly (i.e. a notch lower on player power and contact and a notch higher on CPU power and contact, and also a couple of notches to increase pitch counts, because I like more longer, realistic games).

Great game. I'm doing a career/road to the show as a starting pitcher. I agree that the best part of the game is how realistic it is.

I'm having difficulty getting online though...when I get to the "Allocating" screen, I waited over ten minutes and it just sat there. Tried again, same deal. Have you had any problem getting online?