Sports Video Games

Guide your favorite NFL team to the Super Bowl in this continuation of Electronic Arts' venerable Madden series on PlayStation 2. The 3D graphics engine, play modes, and features are identical to its predecessor on the console, with the exception of rosters, ratings, and team statistics, which have been updated to reflect the 2010 season. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Sony's critically acclaimed baseball simulation returns to the PlayStation 2 for another season of grounders, curveballs, and road trips in MLB 11: The Show. The popular RPG-like "Road to the Show" mode returns, with potential aces and five-tool studs beginning with more present skills, and now earning points for less concrete accomplishments such as inducing easy outs or working a good at-bat. An entirely new co-op mode lets up to four people team up in offline games or 2-on-2 online play, and the new "Online Challenge of the Week" is exactly as it sounds: Each week, gamers will be given the chance to compete in a particular challenge, with the winners awarded real-world prizes, and unsatisfied contestants allowed to retry the challenge for a small fee. A variety of small changes have been made to the presentation of games, including graphical adjustments to player animations, new stadium camera angles designed to mimic their real-life counterparts, and while commentators Matt Vasgersian and Dave Campbell return, tertiary broadcast member Rex Hudler has been replaced by former Nation League Rookie of the Year Eric Karros. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

The PlayStation 2 version of Major League Baseball 2K11 features the same game types and features as previous versions of the game on the console, albeit with updated stats and rosters. Guide your favorite team across multiple years in the franchise mode, or test your skill in a single 162-game season. Practice your hitting and pitching by creating custom scenarios, or enter the Home Run Derby to determine the king of swing. The "Manager Showdown" mode offers a more simulation-style of play, with you setting the lineups, choosing your rotation, and calling the shots from the dugout instead of directly influencing the action on the field. Online play is once again supported for head-to-head matchups against other 2K11 owners. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

This sixth entry in THQ's best-selling pro wrestling series on PS2 emphasizes enhanced customization options, allowing players greater freedom in designing their characters, storylines, finishing moves, and match types. More than 70 pro wrestlers, male and female, are included, along with over 100 match variants. Highlights include "Hell in a Cell," "Money in the Bank," and "Tables, Ladders & Chairs." A new physics system is included to heighten the game's realism, and the "Road to WrestleMania" mode has been retooled to incorporate new storylines, free-roaming locker rooms, and impromptu matches. The most notable addition is the "WWE Universe" mode, which has you making an assortment of decisions to help shape future scenarios, from new rivalries and alliances to championship matches and surprise events outside the ring. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Retired NBA superstar Michael Jordan headlines this installment of Take Two's top-selling basketball series, which features an exclusive "Jordan Challenge" mode. Players will slide into the pricey sneakers of His Airness as they attempt to duplicate Jordan's efforts in ten legendary games. Featured events include 1990's 69-point outburst against the Cavaliers, Game 6 of the 1997 finals, and Jordan's final game with the Chicago Bulls. Once all ten scenarios are completed, Jordan will then become a playable athlete in the main game -- as a rookie -- in a new mode called "Creating a Legend."

You'll "be like Mike" as he begins a new career in the current NBA, gradually aging over the course of multiple seasons until his eventual retirement. In addition to prominently featuring Michael Jordan, NBA 2K11 also features a number of presentation and gameplay tweaks. The animation is designed to be more dynamic in this installment, allowing you to interrupt motions at will for more fluid control. New dribbling and passing schemes are present, and team management options can be changed on the fly. Returning to the game are the same modes found in NBA 2K10 on the console. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

The "2011" edition of EA Sports' FIFA Soccer presents a multifaceted virtual experience of playing the world's most popular sport. Although built upon the same basic game-engine foundation and featuring play systems developed over many years of top-selling soccer releases, the game's interface has been updated and key elements have been refined for more balanced action on the pitch. In particular, goalie artificial intelligence is enhanced, for more responsive, perceptive, computer-controlled keepers. In any position, the individual experience of being a member of a pro soccer team is a focus throughout the game, and new aspects of player and team customization are prominent in all versions of FIFA 11. As in earlier editions, FIFA 11 includes representations of hundreds of real-life pro players and teams from various minor and major leagues around the world. The game's revamped career mode allows the gamer to take the role of a player, a manger, or both -- as a player-manager combo -- to lead the team through as many as 15 full seasons of club play, with the chance to participate in worldwide competition every four years. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Rapala Pro Bass Fishing has you testing your fishing skills in a tournament setting against real-life professionals. Structured similarly to a televised event, the presentation includes professional announcing from In-Fisherman TV's Barry Brueland, "live" updates, leaderboards, analysis, and weigh-ins. There are over 20 tournament events in each season as you attempt to win the championship trophy. To ensure your success on some of the leading freshwater lakes in North America, you'll choose from an assortment of licensed boats, lures, rods, and apparel. In addition to the single-player season, a friend can participate in over 50 events geared specifically for multiplayer competition. You'll battle head-to-head in various timed, accuracy, weight, and location-based challenges. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Major League Baseball's only cross-console video game series returns to the field with a 2010 release for PlayStation 2. Built on the same engine as the previous year's game, the 2K10 edition of the MLB game boasts improvements in accuracy and offers new features to give players more control while pitching and hitting. The "Total Hitting Control" system allows players on offence to swing for the fences, aim for a base hit or sacrifice with a well-placed fair ball, or foul the ball out of play, to work against the pitcher's stamina in a full-count battle and wait for an easier throw. The 2K10 edition also introduces a "Batter's Eye" feature for hitters, which occasionally gives players a momentary preview of where a pitch will cross the plate. The frequency and length of the "Batter's Eye" preview depends on the skill and accuracy of the athlete at the plate.

On defense, the game's "Total Control Pitching" system is designed to allow pitchers to put the ball right where they want it, working the corners to wear the hitter out and tempt him to take a swing at a tough pitch. The accuracy of the system depends on the pitcher's real-life skills and stats in the league as well as his stamina and current pitch count. For gamers who want to place themselves in the action, the "My Player" mode allows for the creation and development of a custom player, from the farm leagues through a career in the Bigs and, with dedication and a little luck, on to immortality in Cooperstown. In addition to the new features, the game has undergone dozens of refinements, for smoother transitional animations, more accuracy between the play on the field and the umpire's calls, and a better-integrated presentation. As usual, MLB 2K10 features all the teams, players, and venues of Major League Baseball, based on the most recent 2009 rosters. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Konami's best-selling soccer series returns with updated features designed around consumer feedback. The AI for both referees and goalkeepers has been adjusted, and there are more feints and special moves available on the pitch. Over 300 moves have been added in total, with new animations for dribbling, turning, and kicking. Other refinements include more expressive player faces, dynamic lighting, enhanced stadium details, and new crowd chants and cheers. The franchise-style Master League mode adds depth with new fiscal responsibilities, corporate sponsorships, and youth team coaching. Online play is once again supported with a two-on-two option as well as an assortment of new competitions to enter. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

The top-selling series based on the world's most popular sport, EA Sports' FIFA Soccer returns to the virtual pitch with a smoother, more customizable game for 2010. The drive behind this year's renovations and refinements is twofold: make the game a more authentic representation of real world pro soccer, and give gamers more freedom to play it their own way. Animations and on-field moves have been enhanced, and goalie AI in particular has been honed, for keepers that react more quickly to loose balls and don't hesitate to challenge a rush. The game's "Team Styles" features allow players to adjust their attacking and defensive stances on the fly, according to the opposition and other conditions. Another highlight of the "10" edition of the game is the "Custom Set Piece" mode, which allows gamers to design and practice their own plays for special situations, such as free kicks and corners, and then execute the maneuver in the heat of a live game. In addition to the hundreds of featured real-life pro players, gamers can create a custom footballer and work him through practice and club league play to international stardom. For gamers who like to take charge of the whole team, the game's Season Mode lets them play manager, making the major team-building decisions. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide