Nicktoons MLB

North American cover for the Wii version
Developer(s)	High Voltage Software, Black Lantern Studios (DS and 3DS versions)
Publisher(s)	2K Play
Distributor(s)	Major League Baseball Nickelodeon
Platform(s)	Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS
Release date(s)	Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS NA: September 13, 2011[1] EU: October 21, 2011 Nintendo 3DS NA: March 6, 2012 EU: April 11, 2012
Genre(s)	Baseball game
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer

Nicktoons MLB is a baseball game released for the Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS. The game was developed by High Voltage Software and published by 2K Play. It features playable characters from Nickelodeon shows including SpongeBob SquarePants, Invader Zim, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Danny Phantom, Planet Sheen, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Fanboy & Chum Chum, T.U.F.F. Puppy, and two characters that only appear in the 3DS version, one which is from The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, and the other from the Nickelodeon game Monkey Quest. Characters from Rugrats, Rocko's Modern Life, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, Hey Arnold!, The Angry Beavers, CatDog, El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, Back at the Barnyard, and The Mighty B! make cameo appearances in the game's loading screens. In addition to Nickelodeon characters, the game also features players from real Major League Baseball teams.

Not only does the Nintendo 3DS version have two additional characters,^[2] it has more stadiums and modes as well.

Playable characters

Nicktoons

^1 3DS-Exclusive character.

Trivia

Many of the Nicktoons voice actors will be returning for the Nicktoons MLB game as their characters from various crossovers featured in the game, but there are some exceptions.

• Zach Tyler Eisen didn't reprise his role as Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender. He was replaced by Benjamin Helms.

• Dee Bradley Baker didn't reprise his role as Perch Perkins from SpongeBob SquarePants. He was replaced by Matthew Yang King.

• David Kaufman didn't reprise his role as Danny Phantom from Danny Phantom. He was replaced by Keith Ferguson.

• Jerry Trainor didn't reprise his role as Dudley Puppy from T.U.F.F. Puppy. He was replaced by Jack DeSena.

• Billy West didn't reprise his roles as Ren & Stimpy from The Ren & Stimpy Show. He was replaced by Chris Edgerly and Eric Bauza.

• Gary Owens didn't reprise his role as Powdered Toast Man from The Ren & Stimpy Show. He was replaced by Corey Burton.

• David Hornsby didn't reprise his role as Fanboy from Fanboy & Chum Chum. He was replaced by Tim Dadabo.

Reception

Nicktoons MLB has received mixed reviews. Operation Sports gave the game 4 out of 10, stating "As it is, you should only buy this for the Nickelodeon characters or if you are dying to play a Kinect baseball game. Otherwise, just treat yourself and your kids to The Bigs 2, a game with more polish and much more to do. Then, when you are done, watch Spongebob."^[5] Official Xbox Magazine gave the game a score of 6.5 out of 10, saying "Nicktoons MLB is fun but frivolous, which should work just fine for kids and families". They also both praised and criticised the usage of Kinect, saying "having your arm angle determine the pitch type is downright genius — though sadly, occasional gaffes (such as seeing swings you didn’t take) muddle the execution".

However, there have been some positive reviews as well. 123Kinect said "If you are buying this for yourself and are older it’s probably around a 6/10, you will notice the flaws, which is why I rated it at 7, it’s one of those on the fence titles. It’s by far no means a real MLB title, however it’s a step in the right direction."^[6] Anime Courtyard also gave it a 7 out of 10, stating "At the end we can say that Nicktoons MLB is not spectacular but not a bad option if you want a baseball game without complications. For children, a good game if they like the Nicktoons. And of course for a grown up who wants a trip to memory lane with their favorite Nickelodeon characters."^[7] Nintendo World Report's review gave the game an 8 out of ten, concluding with "Nicktoons MLB is a simplified but very fun baseball game. Don’t let the kid-focused presentation scare you off; this game is worth a look from anyone in the mood for an arcade baseball game.^[8]

References