The Bigs

2K Sports, $59.99

While Sony's The Show and 2K Sports' Major League Baseball 2K7 pride themselves on replicating the intricacies and subtleties of an actual big-league game down to the most minute detail, 2K's The Bigs prefers the fireworks and flash of arcade-style ball and the power-ups and special effects that accompany this fun and fluffy style of gameplay.

Much like the casual baseball fan prefers the thrill of cover boy Albert Pujols knocking the ball out of the park over a well-placed bunt or exquisitely turned double-play, the casual baseball-video-game fan will prefer this quick, action-filled, bells-and-whistles-packed version that more resembles a pinball game than a baseball sim.

The basic premise of The Bigs is to accumulate Big Play Points by performing well during the game -- striking out a batter, getting a hit, robbing the other team of a home run, etc. -- in an effort to fill the Power Up Meter. Once this Power Up Meter is full and activated, it's time to unleash a Power Blast or some Big Heat. The Power Blast is an almost-guaranteed colossal home run, while the Big Heat makes your pitcher virtually unhittable for one batter. There is also a five-sectioned Turbo Bar that allows players to enable more subtle yet effective attributes.

Amazingly, the graphics improve upon MLB 2K7's already highly impressive visuals, and overall, The Bigs proves to be a fun summer thrill for casual and serious baseball fans alike.