35)MLB 09: The Show PS3/PSP Review

Best Baseball Game Ever...PERIOD!

MLB 09 The Show Ps3/PsP continues to be one of the most consistent sports video franchises of all time. Since I came upon the series in 2006 when Acclaim went under and with it my beloved All-Star Baseball died with it, I have been on board with this franchise and have seen it grow into one of the few sure things in sports video gaming. Simply put, MLB 09 The Show is a gem of a video game and the only other sports game worth it's $56.99 price tag besides NHL 09. If you are a fan of sports games this is a MUST BUY!

The Break Down

Presentation/Graphics: 10
The presentation in this game is unmatched by any baseball game EVER! The pregame fly ins into the stadiums, the panoramic shots of the ballparks, the views from inside the seats that make you feel like you just went through the turnstiles, got a hot-dog and a coke and sat down really get you geared up to play. You are then treated to a "Player to Watch", basically a key player, player warm-ups and then the line-ups and pitcher profiles. The replays an cut scenes in this game really add to the depth and TV feel, and are usually mixed up really well. On occasion you will see things that surprise you and occasionally make you laugh. From dug out gags, to walk off home runs, to after brush back stare downs, to team mascots it's all here, it's all well timed and all enjoyable to see in action.

Sound: 9
The sound in this game is really a treat as well. I have 5.1 surround sound and this game really makes use of it, with THX Technology the ballparks come alive with great crowd ambiance, player specific cheers and taunts, vendors and all the oohs and ahhs you could ask for. The PA announcers sound great with the stadium reverberating his every word and the organ player gets the crowd going with all your ball park favorite ditties. The announcers in the game are by far the best as well, as they rarely repeat phrases and really deliver a seamless performance that truly reacts to game situations.

Pitching: 8.5
The pitching is a meter based system that accounts for effort (speed/break) and release point for accuracy. Basically you aim for the center of the accuracy area, anything too soon accounts for a high release point making for mistake pitches up in the zone, anything beyond that point and yer killing worms and throwing into the back stop. This is a really solid system, the pre-pitch aim icon needs to be toned down though in my opinion. The yellow arrows basically show you the break of the pitch, so there's no real need to learn your staff because you are shown the starting point and break points of all your pitches. There should be a little more skill involved in making your pitches and learning each pitcher's tendencies.

Hitting: 8
Hitting in MLB 09 The Show Ps3/PSP is the familiar Timing/9 Zone button press system. You also have the ability to guess pitch type and location to receive a tip-off, but this is a feature I wish was removed from all baseball games, all the guessing should be contained in your mind and not on-screen to tip off your opponents.....especially online. At least there is the option to turn this off or at least reward yourself without knowing by selecting the NO FEEDBACK option. Another sore spot with me is the POWER SWING. There needs to be more of a trade off for using the power swing other than not being able to check your swing. If you use power swing you should have to be dead on accurate with yer swing to be rewarded with a HR. I basically use power swing with power hitters until I get behind in the count and then switch to contact.It's just an area I think needs to be looked at and more balanced. Yet all in all it's a decent system that also allows for pre-pitch placement to try and hit holes in the defense and has a great variety of hits. If you get under the ball expect pop ups and long fly outs, if you are on top expect grounders, if you swing at inside heat expect to get nubbers and saw off jobs that splinter your bat into a million pieces. I would like to see more innovation in the hitting interface, as I still hold a fondness for the Icon Hitting found in old All-Star Baseball. When you got a hit on that game, you felt you earned it.

Fielding: 8
The fielding n MLB 09 The Show Ps3/PSP remains, as in every baseball game ever made, the hardest part of the game to make a seamless and flawless experience. You will still encounter the scratch your head moments, especially with the new approach angles fielders take to the ball. You will still curse the preloaded throws that never happen because you got to your branch point too late. You will still cringe at the weak throws from your RF when you maxed his throw meter and he lolly gags the throw and allows a runner to advance from 1st to 3rd. You will still gasp at the amount of balls the go through your 3rd baseman.......but all in all it's still solid enough to not be overly frustrating. There are errors in real baseball all over the field, and this game is no different. You will be using the replay feature to check out a sweet double play or backhand stab deep in the hole. For as many bad moments there are, there are 15 good moments. So I think it's balanced as well as a complex AI system can be.

Base Running: 8
I can only vouch for the CLASSIC base running mode. I love this system due to the fact that I can hit the runner Icon and the base I want that runner to advance to. Priceless on 1st to 3rd's and 2nd to Home's. Once you get the system locked into your mind you will rarely make mistakes and get caught in run downs.

Online: 6.5
The online set-up for this year is outstanding. All the things you want, One Vs. One, 30 Team Leagues, Full Live fantasy Drafts, Tourney, Rankings, Buddy Lists, Player Cards, SCOUT, Roster Updates, Live Buddy Game-Cast with Audio, plus being plugged into MLB.com where you can read stories, stats and scores to keep up on your favorite trams news as well as news from around the league. I'd say this is as robust as you can get. The reason this gets a 6.5 is because the LAG really ruins a lot of the experience of playing online. Lag effects the pitch meter as well as the batter's timing and hitting......which basically ruins the game. It's like trying to kick a game winning field goal on Online Madden only to have lag screw up yer power and you miss your mark, but MLB is this horrible experience pitch after pitch after pitch. It's been this way for years with MLB, and I'm not sure it's something that can ever be fixed. Baseball is just a game that is adversely affected by online lag due to the fact that all the core mechanics of the game of baseball rely on timing and any amount of lag destroys that delicate balance. I hope this is something that in the future can and will be addressed. It's a shame that a game this solid can't readily be enjoyed online. So basically it's great to have all these online features this game has, but what's the motivation to use them all if the core game mechanics are so flawed by the lag?

RTTS: 8.5
Road to the show remains a solid game mode, although one I only use when I want a quick fix. Generally I stick to Season mode. I find road to the show to be a lot of fun, but I preferred the Be A Pro mode in NHL 09 to RTTS in MLB. I guess it's due to the tedious nature of the game of baseball. But please form your own opinions on this game mode as I'm sure that it will be many people's favorite game mode.

Verdict: 9
BUY THIS GAME! This might be the best sports franchise in video games today with NHL 09 a step behind it. This game is a must have for sports fans that own PS3s.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10

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