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MLB 08: The Show Review for the PlayStation Portable (PSP)

MLB 08: The Show Review for the PlayStation Portable (PSP)

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

Another edition of Sony’s MLB simulator is here just in time for Spring Training. The title released for the entire Sony family of consoles. As you might expect, the PS3 version stands head and shoulders above the other two, however, the PS2 and PSP versions are very compelling in their own right. All three games do a good job of using the available computing power of their respective consoles to bring the professional baseball experience to gamers everywhere. If you own a Sony and like hardball, stick with the home team; SCEA San Diego has created a near-perfect baseball simulator.

MLB 08: The Show screenshot

In MLB 08: The Show, players can select from a number of game modes, including Franchise, Season, Manager, Road to the Show, Mini-Games, and Online play. These modes are almost identical to last year’s edition, but they do incorporate various improvements that make the game even better. Some enhancements include Road to the Show 2.0, Progressive Batting Performance, the Rob Home Run Indicator, Batter and Pitcher Analysis Tool, SCOUT (for PS3 only), Pitch Grips, and Three-Man Progressive Commentary. All of these features combine to make for smooth play and the most realistic baseball game ever made.

The Road to the Show 2.0 mode has seen quite a bit of fine tuning this time around. For those of you unfamiliar with the original Road to the Show, it allows you to create a Big Leaguer and mold him into a superstar by taking on in-game challenges that are pertinent to your player alone. Like last year, your created player will still be able to play both offense and defense, but now the goal system has been greatly expanded. Your player will earn points by meeting the challenges and achieving his goals or even lose points for failing to reach them. These points will then be applied toward the new career advancement system which will determine when your player is ready for a promotion. If you’re playing as shortstop and can’t consistently “turn two,” you’ll see your player’s league rank steadily fall. The new challenges and improved goal advancement system make for a much more gripping experience.

MLB 08: The Show screenshot

The new Progressive Batting Performance feature is a great nuance too. This is only available on the extended career modes of play because the new system actually tracks your players’ hitting streaks over time. If you’ve got a couple of guys that are hitting far above their averages, they will enjoy a nice boost in confidence. The opposite is also true. If you’ve got someone who’s slumping badly, you’ll have to become more disciplined by laying off pitches for a while in order to get him on base and back on track.

The new Rob Home Run Indicator is a fielding meter that is useful for both deep balls and pop fly foul balls that stay close to the field of play. The way the system works is as follows: if a fly ball is hit deep and looks to be going yard, you can rob the hitter by tracking back with the ball and timing your jump. You’ll know the line you’re supposed to take and when to leap because of the indicator. The indicator will use a series of fading rings that represent the path that the ball is taking. When the last ring of the bull’s-eye fades, jump and you’ll rob the batter of a home run or simply get him to take a seat.

MLB 08: The Show screenshot

There’s also a really neat Batter and Pitcher Analysis tool which can be used during ABs (at bats). It allows you to analyze the tendencies of batters or where pitchers typically locate their pitches. This gives players an edge in tight situations. It also helps to more accurately capture the duel between pitcher and batter, and that’s what baseball’s all about. This tool changes with every pitcher and every batter that you use or encounter. If you make a habit of checking the analysis during every duel, over the course of a season you’ll become uncannily familiar with the oppositions’ players.

Online play is very good for all three systems, but drawn out games on the PSP can grow tiresome and both of the minor consoles don’t support SCOUT. SCOUT (SportsConnect Online User Tracking) allows gamers to save their online gaming preferences and settings to the MLB server. Then the system will look for a Quick Match within the online community in order to find players that will be a good fit. The SCOUT option is available from almost any screen and can be easily changed or shut off. All in all, online play mirrors last year’s 30 team Online League Play and MLB score ticker. I also really liked the ability to download up-to-date rosters via MLB Live Rosters. This function allows the game to stay current on your favorite team’s acquisitions, player attributes, and player injury status. This definitely ups the overall authenticity level of the game.

MLB 08: The Show screenshot

The graphics are very good for both the PS2 and PSP. However, they are fantastic for the PS3 version. Players and stadiums look very good on the minor consoles and do a good job of bringing you into the game, but the quality of the player facial models on the PS3 and the eerily realistic animations are phenomenal. The PS3 supports up to 1080p, but it is optimized for outputting at 720p. In addition to the visual quality, the commentary is amazingly deep. The Three-Man Booth and Progressive Commentary by Rex Hudler, Matt Vasgersian, and Dave Campbell makes it feel as if you’re actually listening to a game. Every team and every stadium will trigger specific dialogue that is both insightful and engaging. The comments do get repetitive after a while, but even still you’ll want to crank up the volume because it adds so much to the overall feel of the game.

The PSP has some unique features that make the game very handheld friendly. You can now access MP3 tracks from your memory card. That means you can jam to your own tunes by making custom playlists. This doesn’t have much bearing during play, but menu cruising and mini-games such as King of the Diamond will be a bit more aurally appealing. Also, and more importantly, you’ll be able to save the game at anytime and return to it when you’re ready. That means you can save between innings or even between pitches, whatever your situation dictates. The PSP’s standby feature is nice, but now there’s no more worrying about forgetting to finish before your battery runs out. This feature will come in handy time and again. The PS2 game is really just a scaled down version of the PS3’s. That means the graphics and overall presentation suffers, but load times are much shorter, and the menu organization seems to be much more user-friendly. Also, the rumble function of the Dual-Shock 2 controller is a really nice touch when entering pressure situations. This feature is not available with the Sixaxis, which is unfortunate.

The controls are identical for the PS2 and PS3 versions. It is incredibly easy to access all of the in-game data, hit dingers, advance runners, steal bases, slide, field, throw, pitch, etc. There is a steep learning curve for the uninitiated, but savvy sports game aficionados will be satisfied with the deep and varied options available. The PSP on the other hand is not nearly as good. However, you will still be able perform most of the functions and will still admire the level of control to be found even on the handheld.

Bottom-line: As far as I’m concerned, Sony has made the best baseball game ever. Last year’s version seemed tough to beat, but after playing all three versions I can safely say that MLB 08: The Show rocks. Is this a must-buy game for everyone? Definitely not. However, if you’re looking for an authentic simulation of the national pastime, then look no further. No other franchise can match MLB 08: The Show. It’s too bad it’s only made for Sony products because the attention to detail and incredibly realistic gameplay to be found in the title, combined with some great new features make this the baseball game of the year.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.6 Graphics
Graphics are pretty good for a handheld, but the 2D crowd and player likenesses are not quite right. 3.7 Control
The controls are good, but they can’t compare to its big brothers. 4.4 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The commentary is the best I’ve ever heard in a sports title. 4.4 Play Value
For baseball fans, this is the one! 4.0 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Progressive Batting Performance – Progressive Batting Performance is a feature designed to both reward players for superior performance and penalizes them for hitting slumps. Specific to each individual batter, the players will be rewarded with slight contact bonuses for each batter that performs beyond his “natural ability” while under user control. Conversely, the user will be punished with slight decreases in contact for each batter that performs below his “natural ability”.
  • Post Game/In Game Pitcher and Batter Analysis – Stats and match-up analysis’ are a baseball fan’s dream! The Pitch Analysis is a breakdown of all the pitches thrown during the current game being played. Gamers will be able sort by pitcher, LHB or RHB, Pitch type, and result. This feature is also available for Batters, and the batter analysis allows for a breakdown of how a batter has performed based on LHP or RHP, Pitch Type, and the result.
  • Pitch Grips – Adding more authenticity, MLB 08 The Show details the different pitch grips and arm angles that a pitcher has when throwing each pitch. Showing these details in Replay Mode will further enhance the look of the game. 18 different pitch types total! (Four-Seam Fastball, Two-Seam Fastball, Cut Fastball, Split-Fingered Fastball, Curveball, Slider, Sinker, Slurve, Change-Up, Circle Change, Knuckleball, Palmball, Forkball, Knuckle-Curve, Screwball, 10-4 Curve, 12-6 Curve, and Gyro).
  • Online League Play – MLB 08 The Show provides today’s sports fanatics with the ability to set up leagues with anywhere from 6-30 teams with full stat tracking, point benefits, and rewards. Gamers can customize the league including choosing players, teams, length of schedule, and much more. (Note: There are no cross platform leagues available.)
  • MLB Player Motion Captures – MLB 08 The Show features dozens of professional athletes including David Wright, David Ortiz, Eric Chavez, Roger Clemens, Shawn Green, Tony Gwynn, Trevor Hoffman, Tim Hudson, Darryl Hamilton, Troy Percival, Brett Tomko, Mo Vaughn, and more.
  • 3-Man Booth and Progressive Commentary – Rex Hudler, Matt Vasgersian, and Dave Campbell provide the most comprehensive commentary heard in any baseball video game.

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