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You've probably heard that there aren't too many exciting previously-released baseball games for the Nintendo DS. Well, after you've gotten your hands on this fun and exciting title, you will agree that it is, without a doubt, worth your time and money.
 Little League World Series Baseball 2009 lets you choose from a variety of modes: Exhibition, Regional Tournament, Skill Challenges, and Training when starting a single-player campaign. If you're not familiar with Little League World Series Baseball, it's really important that you get basic training out of the way, or you will find that this game's controls can be a bit difficult at first. Training mode provides a set of basic drills that help you understand the game mechanics by practicing your Hitting, Base Running, Pitching and Fielding. Each drill you successfully complete will get you to the next set and, by finalizing your training, allows you to unlock talent awards.
After completing the training, Exhibition mode is the quickest way to getting your feet wet. Exhibition mode offers two team options, Standard Team and Create Custom Team. Standard Team lets you play with a pre-made baseball team and Create Custom Team lets you select a team you want to edit, offering a full team editor with various customization options. These give the player freedom by adding personalization to the team.
Playing the field is very challenging. While trying to get your opponent's base runner out, it is important to utilize your talent points before making a throw. Talent points serve as an important part of the game, and you are awarded points for every good play your team makes. Your talent boosts depend on how many points you have left in your talent meter. This gives you a better chance of getting the base runner but also makes this part of the game a tad difficult because you must execute an additional action, which can be somewhat annoying when you're trying to pay attention to the runners. But you will soon learn how important it is to use them. There are times when it takes your fielder forever to get to the ball, but you can prevent the opposing team from scoring if you have talent points available to help you make stronger throws.
 Hitting is a lot easier than playing the field. You use the stylus to swing, but what's interesting about this is that you can point to which side of the field you want to hit the ball to by drawing a line in that direction. Hitting the ball where you want makes the game easier because there isn't an option for the computer to shift its fielders between center and left or right field. Again, if you have talent points you should definitely use them, especially in key hitting situations. Who knows, you may get a homerun out of it.
The pitching mechanic is similar. The pitching menu offers a variety of pitches. After making a selection, use the stylus to draw a line toward the catcher in order to execute your pitch. You can also use your talent points here to throw 75+ mph pitches. It's exciting to get the batter out on a strikeout using your power pitch.
Overall the game gives the player a lot more freedom to customize teams and players than other DS baseball games you've probably played. It's easy to appreciate a game that gives players chances to improve their team and skills. Little League World Series Baseball 2009 is a fun addition to your sports collection, and even if you're not really into sports, the Skill Challenges mode includes games like Pinball and Bowling to add variety. With so many modes of play, this game is exciting enough to be a pretty darn good choice.
Fun Factor: Little League World Series Baseball 2009 is nothing but pure fun. In one game I struck out 14 batters using talent points for the most part, nothing better than fanning most of the opposing hitters.
Difficulty: Controlling the base running, fielding, and pitching using the stylus makes it a bit complex, but after training and a few exhibition games, you should be able to get the hang of it.
Game Length: Games can range from 45 minutes to one hour. Season depends on how often you decide to play.
On the Negative Side: Giving the player the option to change pitchers and batters could've added some more realism. Traditionalists might miss going to the bullpen and changing pitchers after they give up six runs or more. But hey, it is Little League after all.
Bang for Your Buck: Definitely worth buying. If you're a fan of sports games and would enjoy a challenging but fun baseball game then you'll appreciate this one.
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