Best Baseball Game of 09! HANDS DOWN!
The Graphics: Of course this is the first thing that comes to mind when purchasing these sports games. Of course I am pleased to say that The Show doesn't let you down in this category. With top notch graphics (provided its a PS3 exclusive) it is the best looking baseball game of 09. The realism of the players and their movements at the plate and on the field put 2k9 to shame. The players look as realistic as possible from looks, height, stance, posture, and most importantly pitching wind up. This game could only be made possible through the PS3's great graphics and hardware. The fielding is also pretty smooth and plays with little to no lag what so ever. *Very rarely will the game glitch a little in the graphics porting which could cost you a catch or a punch out, but hey every game has these very minor glitches that prevent them from perfection. *Also the crowd is really repetitive and very glitchy which isn't a big deal at all but it would still be a nice addition to the realism of this game
The Controls: This feature is only 2nd to the graphics because we all know that when it comes to sport games the feel is just as important then looks. The game has many controls but are all simplified and you need not use them all as well. The controls are as simple as swing, locate, pitch, slide and can get as complex as slide head first leaning to the right, get into a pickle, and even play with a shift or the infield in. You are provided with all the controls you need for a successful win and give you the managerial feel rather then just the game from the players prospective. The game absolutely feels great and smooth with the ability to change your controls at anytime in the options menu. The game also gives the option to use the six-axis controller provided by Sony to make diving catches or things like leaning for your steal. The fielding is also broken down to be a real simple function. You can simple hold the bottom and with more force the stronger your throw grows and of course the more aggressive the throw the less accurate and more likely you are for an error. Base running is also made simple, if you wish for your runner to continue to second simple aim the analog to the base and he will go for it. You and also aim the analog at the runner at second so that only he can steal and not the runner at first. Once again the game sticks to its realism even in the controls and game play.
The Game play: The game play is yet another fun aspect of the game. With Road To The Show being the most used feature to this game then all the others it will provide you with hours of fun. The game has 7 game types that I can remember off the top of my head which include Exhibition, Multiplayer, Season, Franchise, Managerial, Rivalry, and Road To The Show. Exhibition is your typical 2 player mode where you and a friend pick a team and play each other. Then Season allows you to pick a team and play a set amount of games in a season and lead your team to the world series. Franchise is the same thing but you have a managerial control over everything (you have the option to allow the CPU to control all that for you as well) including ad's for your club, trades, free agents, stadium rebuilds, training, and so on. You also have the ability to play as your team in franchise as well. Managerial provides only the Managerial side of franchise which is also fun for those into looking for young players and hiring scouts and all that good stuff. Rivalry allows you to play as a team and develop rivalries with different teams....which is kinda pointless but hey it's kinda cool i guess.
The one game mode that is left is Road To The Show which I will write about in a paragraph of its own. This feature is what made The Show far more superior then its competition. In RTTS you start off with the option of being a hitter or a pitcher. You then get drafted by a MLB team and you work your way up from their. Depending on how you do in your games will decide on the amount of points you will earn to train specific skills to improve your player. Also in order to reach the next level the club gives you goals to reach in a certain amount of time. Once your at the top of your game you will progress into the Majors and put your name out there. Your goal of course is to be the best player out there. Depending how your player does he will be on the All-Star Team, get an award, be traded, or re signed for a contract. RTTS of course provides you with goals to do during the games as well that will help you gain more points like striking out someone, or getting the runner in. With the purchase of this game you will probably find yourself playing this mode then any other modes provided.
The Sounds: While on the field you will feel the sounds of the game and it will really feel that you are in the game yourself (provided you have the equipment to boast your sound quality). MLB 09 The Show provides the player with the feature to upload their own sounds and chants and also upload any music they have on the PS3 hard drive and play it as their song entering the game. The crowds chants change depending on how you do varying from a roar when getting a strike out in a World Series game to boos when your at bat at an away game. Sony also provides a nice sound track that goes with the game and some announcer clips of historic games. The announcer's in the game are also great and also provide a great break down of plays as well as pitching and batting.*The only bad thing again is the repetitiveness of the announcer's along with he sounds of the game but this unfortunately can't be prevented.
Multiplayer: The online play provides many feature that you can dip your fingers into. You can start a fantasy league via 09 The Show and also go into game rooms and talk to people. The multiplayer itself all really depends on the connection you have which is shown before you play someone. Even so the multiplayer experience is no where near as good as the single player. *Players become impatient and don't give the batters enough time to prepare their guess pitch or players will do the most ridiculous things on the base paths to screw up the game. *There is also a delay in pitching sometimes or batting that ruins the flow of the game. * Online also forgets about all strategies with batters vs hitters and you will be lucky if you even get a pitch in the strike zone to hit let alone a non breaking pitch. *You'll find yourself a lot more frustrated in online then happy. The good thing about online is that it automatically updates the rosters of all your teams in the game including moves to the minors and the disabled list. Online also provides live updates on games and news around the MLB.
Overall: This is probably one of the greatest game I have ever played overall disregarding the disappointment I had with the online play. The single player mode and RTTS are so powerful that it covers for the flaws found in online play. I can't imagine how Sony has topped 09 with the release of the 2010 version of The Show. I will look into getting 2010 into my collection but without a doubt in my mind I am absolutely sure the MLB 09 The Show will provide me the entertainment to pass the time as i collect my money to buy myself a copy of the latest installment. I recommend this game for anyone who is a fan of baseball or a fan of sports games in general or those who are looking to get into sports game. I'm sure this game will provide any player with the fun needed to learn to love sports games. Until my next review, you are dismissed! This is Marshalldbdx signing off!