The Bigs
Encyclopedia
The Bigs is an arcade-style baseball video game for the Xbox 360
, PlayStation 3
, PlayStation 2
, Wii
and PlayStation Portable
. It was released in June 2007 in North America, and in October in Europe. A sequel, The Bigs 2
, was released on July 7, 2009.
a more "street" feel to it. The game features online play capability for up to four players on most of the seventh generation consoles
, though online play is not compatible on the Wii. The St. Louis Cardinals
' first baseman
, Albert Pujols
, is on the cover. Minnesota Twins
first baseman and former MVP Justin Morneau
is featured on the cover of limited edition Canadian version sold exclusively by Future Shop and Best Buy. Radio host Damon Bruce
provides play-by-play commentary. It was released on June 25, 2007 in the United States on all formats. The game was also released in Europe exclusively on Wii
on October 26, 2009.
When the first trailer was released, gameplay bore a striking resemblance to Midway Games
' MLB Slugfest series. However, in an IGN
interview, producer Dan Brady stated that "The Slugfest design team made a lot of choices that really made it difficult for a fan of baseball to take the game seriously. Punching on the base path was just one of many of those decisions. The Bigs is authentic baseball taken to arcade proportions."
The Bigs 2 has Prince Fielder on the cover
support for two.
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
and PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
. It was released in June 2007 in North America, and in October in Europe. A sequel, The Bigs 2
The Bigs 2
The Bigs 2 is a baseball sports video game developed by Blue Castle Games and published by 2K Sports for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii, and PlayStation Portable. The game performs as the direct sequel to The Bigs...
, was released on July 7, 2009.
Gameplay
It features "outrageous visuals and intuitive gameplay mechanics," focusing on stylistic rather than realistic design, and gameplay featuring power-ups and turbo. It has also given the game of baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
a more "street" feel to it. The game features online play capability for up to four players on most of the seventh generation consoles
History of video game consoles (seventh generation)
In the history of video games, the seventh generation of consoles is the current generation , and includes consoles released since late by Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony...
, though online play is not compatible on the Wii. The St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
' first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
, Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
, is on the cover. Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
first baseman and former MVP Justin Morneau
Justin Morneau
Justin Ernest George Morneau is a Canadian Major League Baseball first baseman for the Minnesota Twins. At 6 feet 4 inches and 225 lbs, Morneau was originally drafted as a catcher by the Twins in 1999. He converted to first base in the minor leagues and made his MLB debut in 2003...
is featured on the cover of limited edition Canadian version sold exclusively by Future Shop and Best Buy. Radio host Damon Bruce
Damon Bruce
Damon Bruce is a sports talk radio host in San Francisco, CA. He hosts the "Damon Bruce Show" - Monday - Friday on KNBR 1050. He is also the post-game host of the San Francisco 49ers.Bruce joined KNBR in October 2005 as the host of, SportsPhone 680...
provides play-by-play commentary. It was released on June 25, 2007 in the United States on all formats. The game was also released in Europe exclusively on Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
on October 26, 2009.
When the first trailer was released, gameplay bore a striking resemblance to Midway Games
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
' MLB Slugfest series. However, in an IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
interview, producer Dan Brady stated that "The Slugfest design team made a lot of choices that really made it difficult for a fan of baseball to take the game seriously. Punching on the base path was just one of many of those decisions. The Bigs is authentic baseball taken to arcade proportions."
Game modes
- Rookie Challenge: The user designs a custom player, assigns him to an MLB team and guides him through spring training and the MLB season. Attribute points to improve the player are rewarded for offensive prowess and the completion of various mini-games that test the player's skill in a variety of areas. The player can also steal 10 players from opposing teams after defeating them in certain games.
- Home Run Pinball: This mode that puts the player in the middle of Times SquareTimes SquareTimes Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
, New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with the objective of hitting baseballs into neon signs and windows in order score the highest points possible. The player can then upload their score to the online leader boards and see where they rank. - Home Run Derby: A first-to-10 showdown between two hitters.
The Bigs 2 has Prince Fielder on the cover
Multiplayer
Offline multiplayer supports up to four players, with Xbox LiveXbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
support for two.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack features mostly Alternative and Indie rock with the exception of music from the 70's, 80's and grunge of the 1990s. The official soundtrack contains the following:- "PlushPlush (song)"Plush" is a song by American rock band Stone Temple Pilots. It is one of the band's biggest hits, and was released as the second single from the band's debut studio album, Core .-Composition and inspiration:...
" - Stone Temple PilotsStone Temple PilotsStone Temple Pilots is an American rock band from San Diego, California that consists of Scott Weiland , brothers Robert DeLeo and Dean DeLeo , and Eric Kretz .... - "Nearly Lost YouNearly Lost YouNearly Lost You is the second greatest hits compilation of the Screaming Trees, released in 2001.-Track listing:# "Halo of Ashes" - 4:05# "Nearly Lost You" - 4:07# "Butterfly" - 3:22# "Alice Said" - 4:13...
" - Screaming TreesScreaming TreesScreaming Trees was an American rock band formed in Ellensburg, Washington in 1985 by vocalist Mark Lanegan, guitarist Gary Lee Conner, bass player Van Conner and drummer Mark Pickerel. Pickerel had been replaced by Barrett Martin by the time the band reached its most successful period... - "Ocean Size" - Jane's AddictionJane's AddictionJane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
- "MillenniumMillennium (song)"Millennium" is a song by Robbie Williams, released as the first single from his second album, I've Been Expecting You. The song was released in 1998....
" - Killing JokeKilling JokeKilling Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,... - "TearingTearing (song)-CD single track listing:# "Tearing " - 5:18# "Ghost Rider" - 10:15# "Earache My Eye" - 3:08# " Next Time " - 7:12-Charts:...
" - Rollins BandRollins BandRollins Band was an American rock band led by singer and songwriter Henry Rollins.They are best known for the songs "Low Self Opinion" and "Liar", which both earned heavy airplay on MTV in the early 1990s... - "More Human than HumanMore Human Than Human"More Human than Human" is the second official single off the Astro-Creep: 2000 album by White Zombie. The song can also be found on Rob Zombie's Past, Present & Future, the greatest hits album The Best of Rob Zombie, and a remix is included on Supersexy Swingin' Sounds.-Music and lyrics:The title,...
" - White ZombieWhite ZombieWhite Zombie was a Grammy Award-nominated American heavy metal band. Based in New York City, White Zombie was originally a noise rock band. White Zombie are better-known for their later heavy metal-oriented sound... - "DreamworldDiesel and DustDiesel and Dust is an album by Midnight Oil that was released in 1987 under the CBS record label.The album is a concept album about the struggles of the Australian Aborigines and environmental causes, issues both near and dear to the band, and drew inspiration from the Black Fella White Fella tour...
" - Midnight OilMidnight OilMidnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie... - "Hung Out to Dry" - Fu ManchuFu Manchu (band)Fu Manchu is a Southern Californian stoner rock band, who released their debut single "Kept Between Trees" in 1990. They have been featured on compilations put together by Tony Hawk and ESPN's X Games, and invited to perform on the US television program Monster Garage...
- "Ace of SpadesAce of Spades (song)"Ace of Spades" is a song by the English band Motörhead, released in 1980 as a single and the title track to the album Ace of Spades. The song spent 12 weeks in the United Kingdom Singles Chart, peaking at #15.-Overview:...
" - Motörhead - "Down on the StreetDown on the StreetDown On The Street is a 1984 song by Shakatak,The song is about the joy of Nightlife.With the song managed Shakatak their long awaited commercial Breakthrough....
" - The StoogesThe StoogesThe Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003... - "Jerry Was a Race Car DriverJerry Was a Race Car Driver"Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" is the first single of Primus's 1991 album Sailing the Seas of Cheese. The song tells the stories of two characters, Jerry, an ill-fated race car driver who collides with a telephone pole while driving intoxicated and Captain Pierce, a retired fireman.-Composition and...
" - PrimusPrimus (band)Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed... - "SomebodyHistory for SaleHistory for Sale is the third album by Blue October. The title of the album comes from a lyric in the song "Amazing". It was recorded at Sound Arts Studios in Houston, Texas, and at Stomp Box Studios in Arlington, Texas, and released in the United States on April 8, 2003, by Brando Records...
" - Blue OctoberBlue OctoberBlue October is a rock band from Houston, Texas. The band was formed in 1995 and currently consists of Justin Furstenfeld , Jeremy Furstenfeld , Ryan Delahoussaye , Matt Noveskey , and Julian Mandrake .-History:Blue October was formed by lead... - "Insanity Rains" - Satellite Party
- "Satisfied" - Highbench
- "Robot" - Anxious Me
- "Moustache Enthusiast" - Anxious Me