Baseball Mogul 2010 (PC) Review

Posted by Armando Rodriguez on 05.06.2009

One of the longest-running management sims is back with a new edition. Read on to find out if it's a must buy.

Title: Baseball Mogul 2010
Developer: Sports Mogul
Publisher: Sports Mogul
Players: 1
Rated E for Everyone


In spite of the problems associated with the series, Baseball Mogul has been consistently good over the last three years or so. It can be as in-depth or as simple as you want it to be and that’s something that cannot be said about a lot of text-based sims. So it is with high expectations that I purchased the 2010 installment. Is this version a revolution? Absolutely not, as it is mostly an expansion to the concepts introduced in the 2007 version. However, I can say that this is the best version yet.

Gameplay:

Baseball Mogul is a straight up management game. In does not matter what mode of play you pick, the concept is the same: Select a team and manage it to the top of Major League Baseball. The main screen allows you to play with current MLB Rosters, select any team in history from 1901 to 2008 or start as any expansion team from the 60’s onwards. You can also start a league filled with fictional teams and players.

One of the new additions involves playing as expansion teams. Before you could only play as the team the way it was drafted originally, but now you are also given the option of running the expansion draft and making your own team. The expansion draft is pretty believable since the other teams will protect their best players and leave a combination of bench warmers, over-the-hill veterans and second-rate prospects for you to build around. Chances are you will not do better than the original team did. Another change is that expansion teams pick last in the Amateur Draft during their first season, just like they do in real life. In other words, no more Florida Marlins drafting Alex Rodriguez!



Like I said, Baseball Mogul works as a casual game or as an in-depth game; it is really up to you. If you just want to deal with player and lineup management and sim every game, you can do that. If you are a hardcore enthusiast and tell your guys what to do every single at bat, you can do that as well. Or if you are more like a spectator and just want to watch, you can let the CPU control every team and just watch the results.

Outside of the expansion draft fixes, another area vastly improved is the Trade AI. The CPU is no longer willing to sell you their best prospects or trade them for over-paid veterans. As a matter of fact, trades are usually very fair and it is difficult to cheat the AI. Actually, the AI will try to cheat you!

Outside of these new features, the game is practically the same as the 2008 version, which is not necessarily a bad thing. However, you are paying full-price for what is basically another year of updates and this does not sit well with a lot of people, me included.

Graphics:

Menus are well detailed and the player pictures are good looking. However, there are plenty of players with missing pictures and plenty more with outdated ones. Curt Schilling still has a Diamondbacks picture, for example. However, the community works hard to make new content for the game and there is plenty of picture packs already available. Baseball Mogul 2010 is one of the better looking text-sims out there.



Sound:

Like in every text game, sound is pretty limited. However, Mogul features full in-game sounds like the crack of the bat, the ball hitting the catcher’s mitt during strikeouts and plenty of crowd noise. It is not the greatest audio experience, but it is serviceable and way better than any other sim out there.



Lasting Appeal:

The great thing about Baseball Mogul is that one version can last you forever. You have over one hundred baseball seasons to replay, the possibility of playing with fictional players and the fact that the game never ends! I am already in the year 2021 in what originally started as a 1995 Cleveland Indians dynasty. Add the fact that the game is easily customizable and allows for the creation of your own scenarios and the replay value is through the roof.

Fun Factor:

There is no doubt that Mogul is fun. The gameplay fits a wide variety of players, from casual to hardcore. Plus, who doesn’t want to take the reigns of their favorite (or most hated) team and rewrite history?

The 411:

If you skipped Mogul’s 2008 or 2009 editions or simply you are a hardcore sim addict, you can’t go wrong with Mogul 2010. The fact that you have to pay full price for what amounts to a full year of updates and missing things like Rule 5 Drafts and Compensation Picks hurt the game somewhat, but not in a way to dramatically alter your experience. I have followed the series since the very first game back in 1998 and I still enjoy the series today. Thumbs up!

Graphics	8.0	As far as text-sims go, Mogul is one of the best looking, with professional-looking menus and decent animations in the games screen.
Gameplay	8.2	Control every aspect of your team on and off the field. Fits the bill nicely for casual and hardcore gamers.
Sound	7.5	Nice gameday sound effects. Much better sounds than any text sim out there.
Lasting Appeal	9.0	The game can last forever with over a hundred baseball seasons to play and never ending dynasties.
Fun Factor	8.3	Mogul is lots of fun. The ability to alter history and create a dynasty is very appealing and the game can last forever. One of the best and most accesible text-sims in the market.
Overall	8.4   [ Very Good ]

Screenshots
All 5 Baseball Mogul 2010 Screenshots