Sony
MLB '09: The Show
By George Damidas
May 1, 2009, 7 :48 am

It’s been a long time since I’ve been addicted to a baseball game. Thirteen years, in fact; it’s been thirteen years since I’ve find myself itching to set foot on a digital ball field, which happens to be how long it’s been since World Series Baseball II was released for the Sega Saturn. I was content to leave it to the pros, after having been left behind after so many years and so many franchises, but that all changed when I tried my hand at MLB ’09: The Show.

It’s easy to go into MLB ’09 unprepared. Despite the series being around for a number of years, accumulating acclaim throughout, it isn’t a stretch to imagine a sports title resting on its laurels, even regressing, after finding its niche. While this year’s iteration certainly builds upon last year’s, there’s also been no slacking in keeping the series up to snuff. The game features standard league play, but the star is definitely mode known as The Show, which has proven to be one of the most ingenious additions to a sports franchise to date.

Baseball fans of all stripes will find plenty to enjoy, for those looking for standard league play to those seeking a more in-depth experience. All major and some minor leagues are represented, and since the game is licensed up you get all the real-life mascots, fields, and players. The season mode by itself offers up hours of gameplay by providing multiple options, giving you the choice to play, manage, or simulate a single team’s season, up to 162 games. Players looking for a quickie can either go with for a quick game or for the slightly more involved and customizable exhibition match. One of the more interesting modes has to be the rivalry mode, which is where you select two teams and go to town for however long you want – a great go-to mode for friends. Handling a team is all well and good, but you can also get so much more by going the role-playing route.

“Role-playing” in MLB ’09 isn’t necessarily what you might think it is – after all, the role-playing and sports genres are rarely confused with one another. Those new to the series will definitely want to know more about those aspects, especially because that’s what “The Show” is all about. Featuring a character creation system so robust that most role-playing developers will blush – all dimensions of facial features, skin color, accessories, batting stances, and even personal taunts, cheers, and walkout music – you can create a close approximation of you, or the pretend you that’s 20 pounds lighter and sporting a killer goatee. Points are also given to allocate towards various aspects of your player’s skills, including arm strength and accuracy, blocking, baserunning ability and aggression, reaction, bunt, right and left contact, and on. The level of customization is just unreal.

Once your player is made, you then take part in however much you want of your team’s games. Want to skip to just the games where you’re playing? Go ahead. Playing as your character on the field is a great experience with the crowd cheering, the other players rocking side to side in anticipation, and tackling the coach’s on-field objectives. Completing the objectives results in points that allow you to do some activates in-between games to improve your performance. The hundreds of pre-recorded first and last name calls also does a great job of putting you, whoever you may be, into the game. With the phenomenal graphics and sound – ignoring the licensed music – you really do feel as if you’re on the field, and you’re always on your toes with the constantly updating objectives.

Be warned, the game is a bit deceiving. What looks like a pick-up-and-play title is actually pretty difficult for newcomers. The manual is on the slim, considering just how much is crammed into the game, and getting used to the mechanics is left largely up to the player and practice mode. Fortunately, the practice mode is fantastic: after a pitch or swing, the result is often given with an analysis that I found actually improved my game. The same analyses are also given in regular games, as well as numerous other statistics to help increase your performance: batter and pitcher tendencies, previous pitches and swings, all are used in selecting the right type of pitch and batting zone.

The HUD does a good job of presenting information, but the lack of detailed explanations slows things down a bit; as a newcomer to the series, I would have greatly benefited from a quick run-through tutorial. The screen cleans up nicely whenever you’re at bat or on the mound, with the hotkeys that bring up data and select which play to make disappearing after a few seconds are given. The boxes, circles, abbreviated text, and controller button icons cut an imposing image on the newcomer: tips help you to make heads or tales of everything, but there are so many options and data that I often felt lost. Despite the clean appearance, there is a lot to digest and it isn’t always easy.

For those who want a little more out of their sports sim, you can always manage a team or guide a franchise. Managers get to watch games and instruct players while guiding a franchise allows you to set stadium promotions, change line-ups, handle injured players and player relationships, with the option to step in and play any of the games. An especially nice option is the ability to sim a game (simulate it so you don’t have to sit through an entire game) using a sportscaster manager mode that you’re treats you to a minimal view but offers greater sportscaster coverage. Being hands-off can be a little disconcerting, especially when you swear you could have done better, but it does save a great deal of time and the option is always there to take the reins yourself.

Rounding things out is a robust multiplayer component. The two big additions this year are the draft and flex schedules. The draft allows for up to 30 players to interact and compete with one another for recruits, adding a bit of camaraderie to the event with live chat. The flex schedule allows for league games to be played ahead, how far ahead based on the number of players in the league and the number of games left, to keep things moving. There are also live roster updates, downloadable player game settings, and MLB stat and score updates – just in case you aren’t getting enough baseball.

MLB ’09 also adds SportsConnect Live and SportsConnect Online User Tracker (S.C.O.U.T.). SportsConnect Live allows you to watch other players going at it via the buddy list or game room, with full audio while the game updates. The scout system attempts to tackle the ever-problematic matchmaking system – the bane of many an online experiences. Scout allows you to determine what kind of opponent you want to be matched up against, so you aren’t hopelessly outmatched or steamrolling over the competition.

As rich and impressive as MLB '09: The Show is, I do have some qualms. My main gripe is that the licensed music is absolutely horrible: I couldn’t stand any of the songs used. The ability to play MP3s stored on the hard drive and the ability to turn the licensed tracks off helps, but I have often found a band or a song from a game’s licensed tracks and was a disappointed I didn’t run into any gems. The poor music is also in stark contrast to the fantastic commentary and effects, both of which I found exceptional. The stated support for 1080p is also a little misleading: the game supports 1080p but is optimized for 720p and defaults to that with no option to switch between resolutions; instead, you have to use the XMB’s advance display settings and uncheck every option but 1080p. The game looks great in 720, mind you, but such an unsophisticated approach to a stated option is just poor form. The avalanche of information – witness the pages and pages of controller inputs in the manual – is only slightly alleviated by the numerous stats and tips, but a more defined approach would definitely help newcomers.

Overall: 9/10