As gamers we like to bemoan that fact that our choices in games are consistently dwindling, and for good reason. I would like to see more than one NFL title each year. College hoops fans are now completely out of luck. We have lost the wide range of quality arcade titles, like NHL Hitz or NBA Street. Essentially, your favorite sport now has one, maybe two, significant options each year to play.

Baseball is not really an exception. I say "not really" because our sim-style choices have consistently been two: MLB: The Show or MLB 2K. But dig a bit deeper, and baseball, more than most sports, has recently offered a wider range of choices for fans. Games like MLB Power Pros, The Bigs and even Out of the Park Baseball offer more options for baseball gameplay than those that exist in the football and basketball genres (probably combined).

What if, though, these choices start to dry up as well? Well, here is what I would want to keep from these games if given only one option -- one "ultimate game" if you will.

Graphics: For me, it is easy to see that MLB: The Show has been the prettiest looking baseball game, probably even the best looking sports game available. In my ultimate baseball simulation, I would keep the stunning stadiums and near-perfect lighting.

Gameplay: While probably a surprising choice, I would rip the gameplay physics and engine out of MLB Power Pros. Despite the cartoon-like atmosphere, I think the game has a great feel and delivers tons of hit variety and exciting moments. It would certainly need some speed tweaks and animation changes to suit a different look, but this game is solid on the field.

Franchise Mode: I hope the day comes when we see a console title that plays as well as The Show or Power Pros, but is backed with the options and information available in Out of the Park Baseball. Text-sim fanatics probably do not want to share the goods that exist in this stellar game, but imagine actually "playing" the games in your long-running OOTP franchise. I know that is not the point of text sims, but for guys like me who like both elements, this would be a dream come true.

Career Mode: If you did not play The Bigs 2, you probably missed out on one of the more exciting and original career modes available in sports gaming today. While Road to the Show is fun, for me it lacks a certain context that makes it that compelling. While a bit scripted and lacking some needed presentation elements, the career mode in The Bigs 2 had an interesting story that made playing around in the world somewhat believable. Add in some Mass Effect 2-style decision making, and this career mode would be lots of fun.

Pitching Mechanics: I hope that the pitching in MLB 2K10 is as improved as advertised, because despite some problems, I still like the rewarding feeling of really "snapping off" a wicked curveball using the analog stick. If the tweaks work like they are supposed to, this mechanic has the ability to become something special. Of course, not everyone likes this system, so we will leave an option to return to standard meter-based pitching.

Batting Mechanics: Compared to pitching, enjoyable motion-control batting is closer to becoming a reality. Wii Sports showed some indication of being able to handle motion controls accurately, and though it did not have baseball, Wii Sports Resort increased the effectiveness of swinging a virtual piece of equipment. The latest MLB: The Show trailer indicates that the development team is working on motion controls -- I am sure Microsoft's Natal will have something to add as well.

Presentation: I have to steal the presentation from MLB: The Show for my ultimate game. However, someday I would love to see localized broadcasters. Too bad we missed the chance to hear Harry Kalas, Harry Caray or Jack Buck in a game.

Extras: Though pretty flawed during its inception, MLB 2K's card-based system had promise. I would add an "Ultimate Team" mode, which would probably be similar to Baseball Boss. To me, the card-collecting element fits baseball more than any other sport.


This is just the beginning of what I would really want in an "ultimate" game. Network integration, online franchise, weekly recaps and playable historic teams would also make my list. If the baseball game market dwindles like the rest of them, what would you choose to add to your "ultimate" game?