MLB10 The Show
SCORE: 88
There is nothing like Spring. With Spring comes sunshine, longer
days...and baseball. And no one provides Major League Baseball like
Sony. MLB 10 The Show brings realistic baseball simulation and a fun
gaming experience to the Playstation Portable (PSP).
MLB 10 The Show contains the standard modes we have come to expect from
simulation games including Season, Exhibition, HR Derby and Sony's Road
to The Show. Ever thought the MLB season was too long? If so, then Sony
has the right baseball season schedule for you. Choose from seasons of
164, 82 , 29 and 14 games. Those shorter seasons can make for some
exciting races to the playoffs, and keep the gamer interested. For those
that prefer the realistic simulation of a 162 game season, then you will
definitely enjoy making a run to the World Series with your favorite
team in MLB 10 The Show. The depth of realism in the presentation,
commentary and statistics will provide more than enough reasons to keep
you engaged for the entire season.
My favorite part of MLB 10 The Show is the bread and butter of this
franchise - The Rode to the Show mode. For newcomers, the Road to The
Show mode allows you to create your own player and then get drafted or
sign directly to your favorite team. The goal is then to become a star,
and you do this by completing goals and achievements. This may be as
close as most of us ever get to playing in the big leagues - and it is a
lot of fun.
The presentation of MLB 10 The Show looks fantastic on the PSP. The
level of detail in the player animations bring the in-game presentation
to a whole new level. The players move and interact like their real life
MLB counter-parts. From fielding the ball to taking a warm up swing in
the box, Sony hit a home run with the new animations for the most part.
One graphical item that did bug me throughout my experience with MLB 10
The Show was the catcher interacting with an umpire that is not there.
For instance, for a foul ball that goes in the stands, the catcher will
turn and get a new ball from the umpire. The only problems is, the
umpire does not exist. So every time I saw the catcher reach back to
interact with the umpire it took a little away from the overall realism
of the game. This is nothing that impacts gameplay, but hopefully the
umpire will make an appearance in next year's version. Also worth noting
is the needed improvement of the crowds. With all of the nice on-field
graphics and animations, the crowds seems out of place.
Commentary is crisp and precise. It felt like part of an authentic
baseball game experience. Whereas some sports games' commentary often
feels awkward and forced, I never got that feeling in MLB 10 The Show.
Gameplay has been enhanced this year with the option for new base
running mechanics, improved hitting types (bat to ball) and improved AI.
You will even see your favorite players take their stance in the
batter's box and swing just like they would in real life with the new
personalized batting stances. The gameplay settings allows you to
customize the gaming experience and choose possible new features you may
or may not want yo use (base running is one example). This will be
greatly appreciated by those you do not anticipate changes in the
gameplay controls. So, if you don't like change, then head over to the
settings and change the base running to "classic".
The only major issue with MLB 10 The Show was the load times before and
after games. This will be a little disheartening to those on-the-go
gamers who are looking for a quick game. It is not as long of a wait as
some PSP titles, but it is longer than it should be (just over 1 minute
to load an exhibition game once).
As with most sports titles, gamers can practice strategy, friendly
competition and patience with MLB 10 The Show. This is truly a Family
Friendly game that any baseball fan, or sports fan can enjoy.
Overall, MLB 10 The Show is a good baseball simulation with enough depth
and realism to keep gamers interested throughout the baseball season.
With the long load times, it may not be a favorite for those always on
the go, but will definitely find a place with baseball fans looking to
add a good sim to their PSP library.
- Alan
Graphics: 86%
Sound: 82%
Replay/Extras: 90%
Gameplay: 86%
Family Friendly Factor: 94%
System: Playstation Portable
Publisher: Sony
Rating: 'E' for Everyone
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