2K Sports tries its hand at the arcade baseball experience with this title for the Wii, Xbox 360, and the Playstation 3. The publisher hopes to rekindle some of the magic from Midway’s defunct Slugfest series, minus the mature themes. Without further ado, let’s step up to the plate with the Wii version of The BIGS and see if it deserves to be called a major league player…
Graphics:
The Wii’s BIGS graphics are very much on par with the best baseball engine on the original Xbox. The faces are full of detail and the ballparks are enormous. There are some issues, though. A noticeable flaw comes during power-up plays, when the same recycled special effect is used when the ball interacts with the stadium’s environments. 480p and 16:9 are supported, but the resolution pales in comparison to its 360 and PS3 counterparts. Even so, it’s one of the best looking sports games on the Wii so far.
The players look beefed up in the game. It may be by design, but the ‘experts’ would probably love to use it for their steroid accusations anyway.
Gameplay:
The BIGS intends to market baseball towards a casual audience, much like Jam did for the NBA and Blitz did for American football. With the Wii, this marketing becomes even more crucial, because that casual philosophy is what the system is built on. Well, I’m happy to tell you the biggest question mark – the controls – are the bread and butter of this game.
Gamers of Wii Sports will pick up The BIGS batting scheme right away, as the same flick of the wrist technique is used and is just as responsive as Nintendo’s pack-in game. Pitching takes some time to master, because after you wind up, you must press and hold the A or B button just as you begin your wrist’s downward motion. When a cursor lands in the on-screen gauge’s sweet spot, you consecutively release the button and halt your motion to pitch. Think Wii Bowling. Various motions of the wrist change up your throw accordingly. There is a slight learning curve involved, but nothing that can’t be worked out in the main menu’s training mode.
Yes, The BIGS feels like an arcade presentation, but it’s not as over-the-top as you may expect. For example, holding A while batting gives your swing a little more oomph, but it won’t send the ball into the stands flawlessly. A well-timed pitch may fire the ball at amazing speeds, but it still winds up in the catcher’s glove at the end of each play. One of the few flashy aspects of the game is found in the Power Up Meter, which closely resembles the Gamebreaker feature of EA’s NBA & NFL Street series. Once your team earns enough points through outstanding performances, your player unleashes a superhuman burst of energy that hurls the ball into the stands when batting on offense or sends it whipping past the batter when pitching on defense. This sequence effectively builds anticipation in each game and rewards hard work, as well. Very nice.
See that jumbotron over there? Powered-up homers routinely crash into it. All you can do is watch as the sparks are sent flying.
The selling point of The BIGS is its exhibition mode, which can range from one to the standard nine innings of Major League Baseball. The other modes are nice, but lack the polish of the main attraction. Home Run Derby is a mini-game challenge in which the first of two batters to hit ten home runs wins. It's fun at first, but loses its luster after you figure out it's not much more than a glorified batting practice. Rookie Challenge – where you create your own rookie and place him on a journey to the World Series – is the closest option to a season mode in the game. Your challenges are varied enough, from mini-game training sessions to being thrust into crucial moments with the game on the line. The only problem is the mode follows a strict path; if you fail a mission, all you can do is go back and complete it successfully. No alternate routes, no season-ending consequences. These modes show promise, but fail to produce anything worthwhile for the long term.
Sound:
If you’re expecting raging rock tunes every time you step up to the plate, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. The environmental sound effects reflect that of real baseball stadiums. The crowd is hushed when the home team’s batter is preparing his swing, and they explode if he nails the ball out of the park. The rock anthems sound after every big play, but they don’t punch you with the in-your-face excitement that is normally associated with an arcade sports game. Damon Bruce shows flashes of greatness as the play-by-play announcer, but is too tame too often to add to the arcade experience in any significant way. Sound effects produced by the Wii Remote’s speaker – that of a ball zipping towards you, for example – do a tremendous job of further engaging you in the action.
Lasting Appeal:
If there is one glaring flaw about the Wii edition of The BIGS, it is that this port is very shallow in features compared to its next-gen counterparts. The arcade mode can keep you occupied for hours, but beyond that, there isn’t much worth visiting more than a few times. Because it follows a preset path, the Rookie Challenge mode is really only worth journeying through once. The Home Run Derby is good for quick challenges but gets repetitive quickly. There is no online function incorporated, and Home Run Pinball found in the 360 and PS3 versions is also absent.
Fun Factor:
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of The BIGS is that you are involved with nearly every aspect of the game. The game is fast-paced, meaning you have to be on your toes at all times. One second pondering whether to run extra bases could determine your success or failure. Utilizing the Wii Remote to its full potential (motioning directions for fielding and drumming for a boost of speed while running the bases) makes for the most complete Wii baseball experience yet. The BIGS offers a simplified form of baseball, but both diehard fans of the sport and casual onlookers will be easily sucked into the game.
You think Albert Pujols is sick in real life? He’s downright nasty in The BIGS.
The 411:
2K Sports’ ‘heroic’ tag for The BIGS is appropriate. You won’t hear about any controversy regarding steroids or violence in this game. Instead, The BIGS is more of a nod to the positive side of America’s favorite pastime. 2K’s arcade baseball experience serves as a hybrid between Wii Sports (easy-to-learn controls) and a traditional sim (largely untouched mechanics of the sport) with your occasional over-the-top play thrown in. While the presentation is not as crazy as NBA Jam or NFL Blitz, The BIGS provides its own spin to professional baseball that will keep your friends entertained for hours. It lacks the depth of a masterpiece, but for a first-time venture, The BIGS knocks expectations out of the park with emphasis.
Graphics
7.5
Graphics engine on par with original Xbox. Player and stadium designs are very detailed. 480p and 16:9 supported.
Gameplay
8.5
Intuitive pitching and batting. Steeper learning curve than most arcade sports games. In-game sequences stretch the imagination, but rarely pass ridiculous.
Sound
7.0
Captures the feel of a realistic baseball game well. Too tame for an arcade presentation. Wii Remote’s sound effects add to engaging you in the experience.
Lasting Appeal
6.0
Exhibition matches will keep groups of friends entertained for hours. Rookie Challenge lacks the depth of a real season mode. Home Run Derby provides a few cheap thrills but tires quickly. Home Run Pinball and online modes are noticeably absent.
Fun Factor
9.0
Fast-paced action that feels complete without being too complicated. Accessible to the casual gamer, but not at the expense of insulting baseball geniuses.
