Nintendo Wii Fanboy

In a slightly surprising move (wait ... baseball games have music?), 2K partnered with Pitchfork Media to make the soundtrack for Major League Baseball 2K8 (which comes to NA this week). By "make," of course, we mean "pick a bunch of different pre-existing songs," but that's neither here nor there.

If you ask us, the soundtrack for the game is looking pretty damn sweet. Then again, this blogger has a musical taste that is often disliked by the norm, so many of you may hate the track list. But, don't worry too much: supposing bands like LCD Soundsystem and Dinosaur Jr. don't do it for you, there's also a lot of good bands on the soundtrack that are more well-known, such as The Cure, The Cars, and Modest Mouse.

To feast your eyes on the full track list, make sure to check past the break.

This week's releases have something for just about everyone. You can be a hero on the baseball diamond, in the classroom or ... wherever it is that ninja train. A bamboo thicket? Well, whatever, the joke had no chance, anyway.

The point is that there are some decent games available this week. That is, unless you hate America's pastime and aren't a fan of Rockstar or things that train you to be a more effective killer. If that's the case, then try to find ways to pass the time before a certain something releases.

• Major League Baseball 2K8
• Bully Scholarship Edition
• Ninja Reflex

MLB Power Pros might have been too cute for a tough guy (or girl) like you, or maybe you've simply been waiting for a more realistic baseball experience. If so, you'll have the chance pick up 2K's Major League Baseball 2K8 next week on March 4th.

The press release for the game reveals tons of waggle, which (as we've seen in Wii Sports Baseball) can be a lot of fun, if pulled off correctly. Aside from pitching and hitting, though, the game will also let you field with motion controls. You control the player's destination with the Nunchuck, but then use the Wiimote to throw the ball to the designated fielder.

The only think we're a bit skeptical about is the motion-controlled baserunning. To increase your speed, you shake the Wiimote and Nunchuck simultaneously, which might get annoying over time. Still, we suppose this is probably the most immersive baseball video game to date.

Alas, waggle comes at a price. The game doesn't support online play, and lacks the minor league and trading card features found in the other console versions.

[Via press release]