Baseball season kicked off last night and will continue to do so today. The best thing about Opening Day is that everyone is tied for first and has a chance to fulfill their goals. (Even the Pirates and Royals can say they are in it for another week or so. ) MLB2K10 had two major goals this baseball season. First, close the gap between itself and The Show because it will forever be compared as long as the two are on the market. Second, improve the glitches and bugs that have plagued prior releases. I truly feel that they have accomplished both here.

The changes are obvious and that is a good thing. The graphics are improved throughout. From the player models to the stadiums to the fluidness of the game taking place, everything here looks and feels as it should. They have toned down the sensitivity of the pitching mechanic which was crucial and they do have one major advantage over The Show. Hitting with the RS. The days of using face buttons to swing are last gen. 2K10 using the RS in conjuction with the LS for contact, power, lift, and direction. It’s much easier than it sounds but effective nonetheless.

Is the game perfect? No. There are faults to be seen here. They are not as delbilitating as year’s past, but do take away from the game. First, the arms on the players, especially the OF are rocket launchers. I threw a guy out trying to tag from third base. From the warning track. With Johnny Damon. Yeah. Also, too often do fielders wind up when pre-loading throws for double plays instead of a casual flip. It just isn’t right. The base running can be a chore as well. I don’t have a better solution, maybe I just suck at it, but sending a guy first to third often results in me getting hosed at second because the hitter kept running even though I selected the runner only. Also, ground balls to the right side of the infield where the pitcher has to cover, just wait. You’ll be thrilled when you pitcher catches the ball while running only to come to a dead stop a foot from the base and stand there.

For Xbox 360 owners, this is the only baseball sim you can buy and I would have to say I do recommend it. The game has it faults and they will pop up more often that you would like, but the game does not suffer from the bugs before that made the game unplayable. There is a re-vamped career mode that you can try out as well as online play and franchise. MLB2K10 may be a tough sell to PS3 owners because The Show remains the industry standard. Has 2K10 overtaken The Show as the cross platform king of the diamond? Not this year, but fans of the franchise and especially 360 owners will not be disappointed this year when it comes to console baseball.

[A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes.]