PS2

CHICAGO – I have long-defended 2K Sports’ “Major League Baseball” franchise, more commonly referred to as “MLB2K,” against the claims that it doesn’t compare to Sony’s more acclaimed “MLB The Show” and encouraged hardcore baseball fans to play both games. In fact, while I understood that “The Show” was a “better game,” recent installments of “MLB2K” actually took up more of my personal playing time.

CHICAGO – Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, who just won the MLB Players Association’s Player of the Year Award, was named the new cover athlete for “Major League Baseball 2K12” this morning. The game is scheduled for release on March 9, 2012.

CHICAGO – When talking about sports stateside, it is pretty common to discuss the major four: football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. Even golf and tennis come up frequently. One sport that really hasn’t taken off is soccer. Maybe you have to call it football to be obsessed with the sport, but soccer tends to be pretty low on the average American sportswatcher’s list of favorites.

CHICAGO – “NBA 2K12” is tough. And I mean that in the most complimentary way. I’m old enough to remember basketball games that were all about the timing of a button press but 2K Sports has revolutionized the way we simulate the game in the comfort of our own homes. The detailed controls along with the best audio/video presentation yet produced for this award-winning series make this a strong contender for the best sports game of the year.

CHICAGO – Maybe you’re still shaking off the hangover of an amazing first week of NFL football that saw the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, and Baltimore Ravens successfully start their run at another post-season, but you should know about a video game that a vast majority of pigskin fans have probably already plunked more time into than Jay Cutler does his practice.

CHICAGO – I have defended the 2K Sports baseball games in the past, even personally preferring the “Major League Baseball 2K10” edition for gameplay during last year’s baseball season over Sony’s “MLB 10 The Show,” but this year my denial defenses have fallen to an incredibly faulty release, one full of glitches and generally annoying design decisions.

CHICAGO – Sports games are like automobiles — every year produces a new release but it’s bound to drive in much the same manner as last year’s model. It’s especially rare for a bestselling, highly-acclaimed franchise to make radical changes in an attempt for an even higher level of greatness. And yet that’s exactly what’s happened with Sony’s “MLB 11 The Show,” one of the best sports games ever made.

CHICAGO – It must have taken a lot of guts to suggest radically altering one of the most successful video gaming franchises of all time. The “Madden NFL” series of video games are as influential and wildly popular as any on the market. With loyal fans lining up at midnight tonight to buy their new copy, the developers at EA Tiburon merely had to update the rosters and spit out last year’s edition before they counted their money.

CHICAGO – With only a few tweaks to last year’s very successful edition, “NCAA Football 11” maintains the franchise’s pole position as the best sports title available. “Madden NFL” is a great game. So are “MLB The Show,” “NBA 2K,” “FIFA,” and “Tiger Woods PGA Tour.” “NCAA Football” wins by a field goal.

CHICAGO – The PS3 version of “MLB 10: The Show” is a beautifully rendered sports simulation that has received nearly universal acclaim (including in our review) and Sony was nice enough to send over a PSP version for us to contrast and compare for our readers considering taking their team on the road. Unsurprisingly, Sony delivers for their handheld version as well, connecting with a solid hit that has only a few notable flaws.