We'll say this for Nicktoons MLB - there are a lot of different ways to play. The mixture of Nick cartoon characters with real MLB players and teams is a neat gimmick, but ultimately there are many fun modes that can lead to hours of phone - if players are willing to invest large chunks of time into playing the game.
We definitely love the concept behind Nicktoons MLB - mash-up Major League Baseball with popular Nickelodeon cartoon stars. The results are predictably wacky, but at it's heart there is a fun baseball game here, complete with many different modes.
Players can choose to play a single player game, where they choose the teams, ballpark, Nicktoons characters and other stettings. They can also choose to play through an entire season, but that requires a level of patience and dedication that we just don't currently have, but which tweens and teens will love. There is also a tournament mode which was more our family's speed - setting a best of 3, 5 or 7 game series.
In the baseball game modes, there are a few different controls to remember when batting, running, pitching and fielding. After a few innings, these controls seem pretty natural.
There are also minigame modes such as Distance Derby, which is a home run derby in which length of homer matters, Rock 'N Roll, in which you must swing away at boulders hurtling toward you, and Frosty Freeze Toss, which is an augmented reality game that places virtual stacked cups around your play area and you need to knock them down.
Families and friends can also play two play multiplayer, but two games and two systems are required for this mode
.INFORMATION FROM COMPANY PRESS RELEASE:
Nicktoons MLB 3D combines the talent and tenacity of baseball's best players with the spunk and sponginess of Nickelodeon's Nicktoons characters, adding a new dimension of fun and depth to the baseball gaming genre.
Players can step up to the plate with an outrageous roster of Nicktoons characters, including sophomore sluggers SpongeBob SquarePants, ZIM, Ren Hoek, Patrick Star, GAZ, and Aang, as well as rookie players Jimmy Neutron and Hiro Mightypaw, who are new to the Nicktoons MLB franchise. They'll take on - or play side-by-side with - 175 top players from all 30 MLB® clubs including Jacoby Ellsbury (Boston Red Sox), Albert Pujols (Los Angeles Angels), Miguel Cabrera (Detroit Tigers), Jose Reyes (Miami Marlins), Chris Carpenter (St. Louis Cardinals), and Mark Teixeira (New York Yankees).
In addition to updated rosters and logos from last season's Nintendo DS™ version - including the Miami Marlins' colorful new uniform - Nicktoons MLB 3D features 15 ballparks like the all-new Ook Park of Monkey Quest fame and Chase Field™, the site of the 2011 All-Star Game. New gameplay modes allow players to create a custom All-Star match-up in Showdown; use the augmented reality (AR) feature to enhance their cutter in Frosty Freeze Toss; blast line drives at oncoming boulders in Rock 'N Roll and more. Nicktoons MLB 3D also supports wireless two-player action for the ultimate in head to head competition.*