Little League World Series 2008 (Wii) Review
Posted by Ramon Aranda on 09.22.2008
These little kids can play ball but can they hang with the big leaguers?
Title: Little League World Series 2008 Publisher: Activision Type: Baseball Players: 1-4
While fans have continued to enjoy baseball on Wii Sports for its accessibility, controls and fun, there have been other baseball options that add more depth or a different style of play to the mix. So with another baseball title introduced to the Wii courtesy of Activision, you may wonder what else can be brought to the table that we haven't seen. Well for those who have enjoyed Wii Sports and haven't embraced other titles such as MLB Power Pros or The Bigs but wish for a meatier package, Little League World Series 2008 may be the game for you.
Gameplay
For starters, the game uses the Wii remote only and there are no other control options as they really aren't necessary. When you first fire up the game, you'll be asked to partake in a Training which serves as the game's tutorial. It's actually a pretty good idea to go through it and it's pretty lengthy but will be beneficial to learn all of the game's different options, specifically the pitching mechanisms. The tutorial will take you through pitching, batting, fielding and running and talent training. Batting is pretty straight forward as you'll simply swing the Wii remote though you don't get that complete control that you get in Wii Sports before the pitch such as moving the bat around. You can swing the remote fast for a powerful swing or swing it slowly for an average swing but with a better chance of being a hit. If you want to control the angle of your swing, you can swing upward to try and hit the ball in the air, swing downward to try and hit a grounder while a level swing results in more line drives. Holding the A button will allow you to bunt and you can tilt the remote upward or downward if you want to bunt towards the lines. On the defensive side, you don't get too much control over your players which is a bummer and you simply shake the Wii remote if you want them to run faster towards the ball. Pressing A will either make the player dive or jump for the ball if that calls for it. Running is also automatic but you can shake the remote to make them run faster.
Pitching is where the game is pretty impressive. It seems simplistic at first but offers enough depth to be a major factor of a game. For those who don't care much for the intricacies of a pitcher, can simply swing the remote up and then downward when the player begins his throw – if you time it just right, you'll get a more accurate throw. If you don't press any buttons, you'll throw a two seam fastball, while holding A gets you a four seam pitch. There are other combinations that allow you to throw change ups, sinkers, sliders and curveballs to name a few by adding twists of your wrists and pitch locations with the D-pad. As someone who pitches, I was impressed by the amount of options that were present though you wouldn't know it unless you went through the tutorials or figured it out along the way.
There is also a Talent meter that you'll have to keep an eye on. As you play through a game, you'll get points for making good plays, scoring runs, getting hits etc. The meter has three parts and every time you fill up a third, you'll be able to press the B and A buttons to use “talent”. Using this talent, allows you to pump up your stats depending on when you use it. For instance, accessing it during a plate appearance, makes the player's hitting stats improve, while doing so while pitching, running or on defense will also improve those traits. Say you have a line drive that looks to be going in the gap and you decide to use your talent, then there's a good chance the player will make a spectacular catch. You can use all three parts of the Talent meter at the plate or on the mound to increase the stats even more, but not while running or going after the ball. Also, every team has a star player who's obviously better than everyone on the team. If you enable the talent for those players then you'll see some awesome stuff happen. Say you're at the plate and you use the talent (which means you'll have to have the meter full) then connecting with a pitch will likely result in a homerun. Likewise if you're on the mound, then you'll see your pitcher unleashing some massive heat. Both players (teams) can use the talent meter even at the same time. It's a neat addition that can help you turn things around when you really need it or get that strikeout in a sticky situation.
The game features exhibition games, the World Series itself, Skill Challenge mode which features mini-games for up to four players such as homerun derby, a pitching gallery and horse to name a few. You'll also have access to the Clubhouse which is where you'll see the various trophies, championship banners and other awards that you can win during the tournament which includes 16 total teams.
When playing in a World Series tournament you can select one of the existing teams and change their logo and uniform if you so choose. You'll also get to create your star player and customize his/her name, gear, playing style and look. It's really not a bad create-a-player at all.
Graphics
The look of the game is somewhat unique in that it combines the sharpness and details of a Wii Sports with some Japanese flare. The players themselves have big heads and big eyes with an anime look. You'll notice shadows and reflections off the player's helmets and aluminum bats. The player animations are quite smooth and the it's all presented in 480p and 16:9 widescreen. While you may find other better looking sports games, this one still looks pretty good and I think it goes well with the type of game. You'll also find official gear including real uniforms and New Era caps for instance.
If you access the Talent meter, you'll be taken to brief cut-scenes to either prep you for what's to come or to highlight what just happened.
Sound
You'll get the expected sounds of the game such as when you hit the ball while the Wii remote's speaker also makes sound effects. There is basic commentary in the game frmo the announcer but it lacks a true announce team. You'll hear the announcer informing the crowd who's coming up to the plate. The music isn't catchy but isn't annoying either.
Fun Factor
Though I was a big fan of baseball on Wii Sports, it's nice to finally get to play more than three innings. I still would have liked to have more control over my defense but it's still pretty fun to play. Whether its an exhibition game with a friend or going through the tournament or perhaps playing with others in the Skills Challenge, there's a little something there for anyone looking for a quick fix. The tournaments aren't very long though so it's not a game you will likely play every day so unless you have someone to play against, you may tire of it after a few tournies.
Lasting Appeal
Again this goes into the fact that the tournaments aren't especially long and there's no regular season so to speak. There's a lack of online play which would have been great so it's really a game best enjoyed when you have other friends looking to get onto the field.
The 411
Little League World Series 2008 is a game that caters to the casual fan. By that I don't mean you mom or little sister, but for those who want a quick fix and don't look to play in lengthy seasons or care too much about stats. It's like a game that bridges the gap between something uber simplistic like Wii Sports and something more deep like MLB Power Pros. At $49.99, it may be a tad pricey but if you've got cash to spare then LLWS 2008 is a fun little diversion that can be enjoyed by everyone in your household.
Graphics
8.0
Say what you will by I like the look. It's a combination of western and japanese styles and the animation is quite smooth.
Gameplay
7.0
Easy to play but still lacks true defensive controls. Not the deepest baseball game out there but has enough meat.
Sound
6.0
Nothing special though it lacks true commentary.
Lasting Appeal
7.5
World Series tournament will keep you coming back. Decent mini-games but not much else.
Fun Factor
7.5
It's a fun game with other players but can get stale if you're on your own.
