PSP

MLB 08: The Show

Baseball at 30,000 feet never felt this good. A perfect companion for an international flight or cross-country train ride, MLB 08: The Show is handheld hardball at its absolute best. Last season, I lauded this series' innovation, and while the game doesn't reinvent itself this year, it didn't need to. Instead, it's righted almost every one of last year's wrongs and sprinkled in enough new content to keep it from feeling like a repeat.

MLB 08: The Show may have its issues, but it is easily the best portable game of baseball available and a solid purchase for baseball fans on the go.

Despite a handful of nagging issues – all cosmetic – we can easily say that MLB 08 is a handheld version of a five-tool player. Silky smooth gameplay, solid controls, a stellar single-player campaign, and a fully realized online component all combine to deliver a Hall of Fame experience. Even if you’re a veteran of the series, MLB 08 deserves to be your opening day starter this season.

Given that MLB 07 was pretty solid on PS2 and PSP (compared to not nearly as good on the PS3), MLB 08: The Show isn’t the same leap over its predecessor that the PS3 version demonstrated. However, on the PS2 and PSP, Sony San Diego was able to bring over a lot of the gameplay and AI improvements, making MLB 08 one of the best playing baseball games on either platform. The PS3 version is definitely the version of MLB 08 to pick up thanks to much better graphics, improved online matchmaking, and replay vault, but these versions hold their own and are definitely recommended if you don’t have a PS3.

All in all, my first experience with a baseball game was more than enjoyable. I quickly found myself getting into the game, with a constant desire to continue advancing through the seasons. MLB 08 The Show is a very distinguished and well made game, and a fantastic addition not only to the MLB franchise, but to the PSP lineup as well.

When it all comes down to it, MLB 08: The Show is just a great game of baseball in an era where a lack of competition tends to hurt the games that sports developers put out. While it’s much easier to recommend the PS3 or PS2 version of the game if you have those consoles, you won’t miss out on much, besides visuals, if you just have the PSP version. With a dearth of features and tweaks that make this experience the best out there, gamers will have plenty to do before and after the first pitch of the season.

Quibbles aside, MLB 08 The Show packs quite a bit into this smaller platform and it makes a great companion to the console counterpart and is easily the best handheld baseball game on the market.

Thanks to the inclusion of pitcher/batter tools and P.B.P. system, as well as the inclusion of in-game saves and My MLB Music, MLB '08: The Show is a much stronger title on the PSP. While the framerate drop from last year has been resolved, the camera angles and some gameplay issues hold the game back from being truly excellent. Perhaps next year, these problems will be addressed, along with PS3/PSP connectivity and rivalry mode...

On its own MLB 08: The Show is a great game but when compared to last years version it feels more like a glorified expansion pack rather then a full game that made a lot of improvements. It is this reason alone that I am a little disappointed with it. That being said, if you have never played any of Sony’s previous efforts you won’t even notice this fact as the game still has good graphics, great sound and solid gameplay including a mess load of stats. Bottomline, if you have the itch for a baseball game on the go then MLB 08: The Show is definitely a solid purchase.

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.

MLB '08: The Show is everything you'd expect from a handheld baseball title. It doesn't offer anything really groundbreaking or new, but it does offer the game of baseball you grew up enjoying and finding a love for. You won't have to deal with a steroid scandal or with players outing one another - instead you can just enjoy an authentic and engaging game of baseball, wherever you might find yourself.

This year, the difference between Sony's handheld game and that from 2K Sports is wider than ever. With MLB '08: The Show boasting a new and deeper pitcher-versus-batter experience and the ability to save games at any point, it's clearly the strongest version of the game to date. 2K's handheld game was hamstrung by development that concentrated more on the large console versions of things and seems a whole lot like 2007's -- and 2006's -- game. Hopefully next year there'll be a tighter fight for the title.

There comes a time when every franchise hits a wall on any given platform, and the folks at SCE Studios San Diego have seemingly hit that wall on the PSP this year. MLB '08: The Show is now in its third iteration on the PSP, and while MLB '08 is still entirely competent and polished, any gamer who has played the previous two versions may feel a sense of déjà vu while playing the '08 version of The Show.

All in all, the game itself is fairly solid. MLB 08 will give you a relatively deep experience with most of the game modes that you select, but there will be some headaches depending on how far you go. The Road to the Show mode will certainly give you a great experience away from your console, but it still could use some work. The framerate issues have been solved, which certainly improves the feel of the game. For those with the itch for baseball on the go, you will not be disappointed with this choice. It's worth the money.