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counterparts, and while commentators Matt Vasgersian and Dave Campbell return, tertiary broadcast member Rex Hudler has been replaced by former Nation League Rookie of the Year Eric Karros.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

The Cabela's-licensed hunting series continues on PlayStation 2, with this installment focusing on more than 20 destinations across North America. While the play mechanics remain the same as those found in Big Game Hunter 2010, emphasizing marksmanship, stealth, and tracking, new features have been added as well. Hunters will be able to customize their guns by choosing from a variety of receivers, barrels, scopes, and stocks. A cameraman will now follow your hunting exploits, trying to capture quality footage as you show off your skills. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Madden NFL 11 is the 22nd annual release in video gaming's longest-running and best-selling sports series. With a number of refined features, the 2010-released game aims to make play more accessible and efficient, without sacrificing the depth and flexibility valued by hardcore gridiron strategists. The new "GameFlow" system puts gamers in the position of the quarterback, suggesting suitable play-calls that can be quickly selected through a streamlined interface. By making it easier for gamers to immediately locate and select the most commonly called plays in each situation, the system can reduce the real time a full four quarters of football takes, however, virtual coaches still have the option to pull up over 350 pre-designed plays, or to create their own. Following a trend in recent Madden games and other EA Sports titles, the default control schemes in NFL 11 rely more heavily on the two analog sticks, instead of multiple button-press sequences. Madden NFL 11 features all the contemporary arenas, teams, and players of the real-life league, including cover-athlete Drew Brees, quarterback and MVP of the Super Bowl 44-winning New Orleans Saints. The voices of Gus Johnson and Cris Collinsworth provide play-by-play and color commentary. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Making its unprecedented tenth appearance on PlayStation 2, Electronic Arts' NCAA Football series continues with the same play modes and core design features as found in 2009's game, albeit with updated rosters and revised playbooks. Once again the main focus of play is the "Road to Glory" mode, which involves creating a high-school athlete in his quest to earn a college scholarship. Other returning features for the PlayStation 2 version include a "super sim" option, which lets you jump into a game at any time while simulating match-ups between schools; a freshman difficulty setting that simplifies the playbooks and controls; and a leaderboard that lets you track your school's progress in a number of key areas. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide