Sports packs are nothing new – they popped up right when the Wii came onto the market. The novelty of them is matched by a few inconveniences, which generally means that you either love them or you hate them. The new Nerf Sports Pack probably won’t change that opinion in the slightest.

Fans will love the lighter weight and softer texture of the equipment, which translates into less unintended injuries to fellow players (and hapless lamps). Having even a fake golf club in your hand encourages you to work on your stance, and swinging even a small foam bat or racket is just more fun than swinging a plain controller.

However, people who got hung up on the inconveniences of sports packs before will have the same complaints with this product – sometimes the responsiveness of the Wii suffers a bit for the added heft of the controller, and more irritatingly, the controllers have to be switched out fairly often. This quirk is especially exasperating while playing baseball – while it is possible to pitch with the bat attached to the controller, it certainly seems inconvenient and more than a bit silly.

So, while this product won’t change your mind one way or the other about sports packs, it’s not a bad investment. At a reasonable price, it is well made and might be worth the extra cost to have a more accident-proof way to better imagine yourself sweeping the World Series.

With single player and 2-player action (including online play), MLB 09 is the way to experience baseball. As they say on their website – “nothing gets you closer.”

If you’re a baseball fan, you’re also going to appreciate the attention to detail when it comes to the teams and players on the teams.  MLB 09 The Show is more about making MLB 08 the Show better rather than trying to invent a totally new baseball game. And it shows. The latest game in the series is one of the most realistic ways to experience baseball … in a video game anyway.

If you’re not a hardcore baseball fan, you might have a little trouble getting into the game. It’s definitely not an ‘arcade’ or ‘action’ baseball game. This is more of a fun simulation of what baseball – the game the passtime – is all about.

Dave Campbell, Rex Hudler,  and Matt Vasgerian are the ‘broadcasters’ in the game, giving you the play by play action. While they’re pretty good, things do get a little repetitive after a season or two, especially the cliches. What would baseball be without the cliches, though?

If you’ve played MLB 09: The Show, we’d love to hear what you think. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on one of the best baseball video games ever created.

Til next time …. Batter up!