Fantasy baseball fans who also happen to own a Nintendo DS are about to have their two favorite hobbies wrapped up in a single package. 2K Sports today announced Major League Baseball 2K8 Fantasy All-Stars, a DS-exclusive game, is in development for the Nintendo handheld and will ship in April.
Major League Baseball 2K8 Fantasy All-Stars will let gamers choose from the starting lineups of all 30 Major League Baseball clubs, a variety of exhibition and tournament modes and All-Star training mini-games. These games will all be played in fantasy-themed baseball stadiums, and just so you know, the “fantasy” bit extends over to the gameplay as well.
You see, players will have the ability to obtain special Power Ups to complete incredible batting, pitching and fielding performances. Players can force their opponents to chase after the “chicken ball” that runs away from fielders once it’s on the ground, or confuse them with a “crazy ball” that takes an unpredictable flight path. Meanwhile, pitchers can throw pitches such as a “super splitter,” which splits the ball into two pieces to confuse the batter, or a “fireball” that rockets over the plate while engulfed in flames.
Then there’s the fielding fantasies, such as the “brick wall” that causes a wall to instantly rise out of the ground to stop the ball in its tracks, or the “super jump” that allows fielders to jump incredibly high toward the ball in flight.
This craziness won’t just be against the AI, though: Major League Baseball 2K8 Fantasy All-Stars will utilize DS Wireless and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connections so players can go head-to-head in multiplayer games against real people.
Utilizing the functionality of the Nintendo DS touch screen, Major League Baseball 2K8 Fantasy All-Stars will let players control the power and technique of their swings, as well as the speed and accuracy of their pitch. This will be accomplished by performing specific gestures and intuitive usage of the stylus.
Fielding, baserunning and other controls will also utilize the DS touch screen, as players drag and trace lines to execute the specific actions.