MLB 10 News Post

MLB '10: The Show Review

05:07 PM - March 10, 2010 by Steve_OS

The month of March is by far my favorite time of the entire year. Why? Because March signifies the return of baseball. I have been playing the game ever since I was old enough to walk; I still pick up a pack of baseball cards whenever I get the opportunity; I viewed my trip to Fenway Park as a religious experience; And I am one of those twisted individuals who will watch all 162 games of my beloved Detroit Tigers (and even game 163 last season, which I do not want to talk about). March is the month of baseball's rebirth.

March also happens to be the month baseball games are released, an added bonus that makes the month even sweeter in my eyes. I have been gaming for as long as I have been interested in baseball, so naturally the two would go hand in hand. I am proud to say that I have played quite possibly every baseball game ever created. From Hardball to High Heat to the Tiger Electronics monochrome baseball game, I have experienced them all, loving many, despising a few, and with many others falling into various levels in between.

Knowing this I am sure it will come as a surprise when I say that I was a bit underwhelmed by Sony's MLB 09: The Show last year. The game was most definitely a solid overall baseball title, but my biggest issue with the game was that after playing the '08 version to death, there was no aspect of the '09 game that really compelled me to invest a great deal of time into the title. I never felt that addictive pull as a baseball fanatic and hardcore sports gamer to keep playing.

But when I was told that I would be handling the review of MLB 10: The Show this year, I was definitely excited for the opportunity. With the promise of revamped real-time presentation, a new broadcast camera angle in the field, numerous RttS improvements (including the ability to call a game as a catcher) and upgrades to the series' awful throwing meter, MLB 10 seemed to have enough new content to differentiate itself from its 2009 iteration. So does MLB 10 deliver that elusive pull for this baseball junkie? Read on to find out.

Read More - MLB '10: The Show Review - Written by: Christian McLeod

MLB '10: The Show screenshot gallery - Click to view

Game: MLB '10: The ShowReader Score: 9/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3Votes for game: 66 - View All

MLB '10: The Show Videos

Member Comments

# 1 Jimbo68 @ 03/10/10 05:13 PM

Yipee! A review, finally!!!

# 2 Jimbo68 @ 03/10/10 05:25 PM

I'll read it later. Just so excited to see it up!

# 3 paysworld @ 03/10/10 05:31 PM

I cannot agree with you more in your assessment of the game, Steve. MLB 10 clearly has this feeling of deja vu. It's an awesome game that has been stuck in time, since MLB 08. From presentation, to its menu, it just has that dated feeling.
They have failed to innovate, I'm just glad that you have picked up on that. Case in point, a lot of review site knock the NBA 2k series for not reinventing the wheel and keeping the same gameplay mechanics year in and year out, but the Show does the same thing but yet, they gloss over it. Let's just hope next year brings a slew of changes starting with the commentary team, new menu presentation and a new pitching mechanic for starters. I love this franchise but its starting to get stale. That if it aint broke don't fix it mentality can only last for so long. It happened to NHL 2K, Winning Eleven, here is hoping that we see some tweaks to make this series fun again, the reason I bought my PS3 in the first place.

# 4 bukktown @ 03/10/10 05:35 PM

I found the onfield gameplay to be the best thing about the game. Thanks for the review

# 5 shadyridr @ 03/10/10 05:39 PM

agree 100% with this review except the pitching meter doesnt bother me.

# 6 HustlinOwl @ 03/10/10 05:40 PM

Great review

# 7 budsticky @ 03/10/10 05:48 PM

While I agree that the game is largely similar to 09 (never played 08 or previous), I am also wary about developers adding things just for the sake of adding things when they have something already as good as The Show. This is something Madden has been guilty of over the years IMHO. I'd rather see changes under the hood to make the game as realistic as possible rather than have them add some new flashy feature. That said, I can see where people are coming from when they talk about a feeling of sameness. In that regard you are correct about The Show being a victim of its own success.

Also, you mention meter pitching vs. classic pitching. I agree that meter pitching doesn't individualize the pitchers enough and relies more on human input. Classic pitching takes care of this, though again there is really no interactivity in classic pitching. Basically it's pick your spot and throw your pitch and let the ratings take over from there. I'm fine with that as I prefer the realism that provides, but I can definitely see how others might find it dull. For me, I want my baseball video games to play like a text sim with pretty graphics which is why I do a lot of Manage Mode stuff. I realize I'm in the minority though.

# 8 jonitony190 @ 03/10/10 05:51 PM

I would luv to c a video review already..

# 9 HokieB @ 03/10/10 06:13 PM

Spot on about the meter pitching. I've switched to Classic Pitching this go round and won't look back. It's much more challenging (I actually throw 3-6 walks per game) and can enjoy the ambiance of the game without having to focus on the meter.

Am I the only one that likes the commentary? Sure it can get repetitive at times, but I do seemingly hear something new every time I play. I thinks it's the deepest commentary audio around.

And talk about a silver lining. If there hadn't been these Franchise bugs, I would have never opted to control all 30 teams. But what I've discovered is that I LOVE the added control. I use to hate it when lineups were out of whack, weird trades were going on, etc., but now I can keep it all to my liking. And rather than being tedious, I'm having a blast with it!

# 10 pistolpete @ 03/10/10 06:20 PM

I think it's a sweet baseball game, and the gameplay is incredible. It just happens to be a glitch fest.

# 11 econoodle @ 03/10/10 06:36 PM

Christian, yet again OS does it.
Another five star review.
when you do it like this, it doesnt matter what the final score is.
All is told and all that needs to be known is in the review itself.

i am hoping to see the Meter pitching 86'd for next year.
maybe they have something new in store for 11.

bravo.

# 12 acarrero @ 03/10/10 07:37 PM

So the huge gap between games has been closed dramatically compared to last season.

# 13 BaylorBearBryant @ 03/10/10 08:31 PM

Nice review. Even better score. I was afraid with all the hype it would drive it up to a 9.0, 9.5. However, if you flip over the back of the game case you'll notice that the potential of this game is an A.

# 14 enice128 @ 03/10/10 09:16 PM

hey steve i agree with you on pretty much every aspect of your review. as fluid as the game is this year, sometimes there is a slight pause when like an infielder is getting ready to throw. my main issue with this game is eventhough i have some solid wins under my belt, i have posted on a couple of forums in regards to the computer comeback issue. i can have a 6 run lead into the 6th or 7th inning with my starting pitcher still at a low pitch count & have a hard time holding the lead. it seems like everything goes the computer's way at this point. and a lot of gamers have replied to my posts about this issue.

# 15 snugglyirishman @ 03/10/10 09:48 PM

Great review...I love the game but have a problem with RTTS...i don't know if it's a glitch or what the deal is but my player's 4SFB velocity is at 99 and the player card says "brings the heat better than anyone" but when actually pitching (in AAA) he only throws 88-91....what's the deal with that?

# 16 HustlinOwl @ 03/10/10 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snugglyirishman


	Great review...I love the game but have a problem with RTTS...i don't know if it's a glitch or what the deal is but my player's 4SFB velocity is at 99 and the player card says "brings the heat better than anyone" but when actually pitching (in AAA) he only throws 88-91....what's the deal with that?

Take a look

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...em-solved.html

# 17 jbaldwin311 @ 03/10/10 11:02 PM

I may get a negative response from some but i'm trying to be honest.

I felt like the review focused on all of the negative rather than any positives or maybe just outweighed, Then it finished with..

"At the end of the day, MLB 10: The Show is a baseball fan's dream come true. Not only does the game completely capture everything that makes America�s pastime so great, it also has polished up many of the issues that bogged down MLB 09 in my eyes."

I would be confused as a 1st timer MLB Purchaser. :?

# 18 sgthalka @ 03/11/10 12:00 AM

Meh. I expect better from Operation Sports reviews ... MLB 10 is the best version of the game to date. The meter pitching is fine and, ultimately, a subjective choice. Plenty of people love this game precisely because it uses MVP-style metered pitching and hitting. I really have not liked analog stick hitting/pitching when I've used it in the 2K games. If SCEA brings that to The Show, I hope they at least give us the option of choosing which interface to use.

The important point is The Show remains true to the game. It creates a realistic tribute to baseball that feels and plays real. Feature creep has ruined plenty of other sports franchises as developers cram more and more useless "innovations" just for the sake of having a new bullet point list on the back of the box.

Just keep the game realistic, SCEA. No one cares about reinventing the wheel each year or adding nonsense features

# 19 CowboyJayhawk @ 03/11/10 12:00 AM

I think any independent gamer would find it hard to believe this game earned a lesser rating than Madden '10.

# 20 rdchili96 @ 03/11/10 12:05 AM

This review sucks. Where is the mention of home Run Derby? How about the fact that you can create your own custom chants, set music as batter walk up music, reliever entrance music, music when you win games etc...?

Where is the mention that there is more variety in hits? I have hit bloopers and balls into gaps that wasn't possible before.

What about the fact that when relievers come in you get 8 pitches for warm up pitches?

Where is the mention in the improvements to RTTS when it comes to positive results? Things that should have been considered positive results before were not, and now are.

Instead of just throwing a crap load of gimmicks (Like MLB 2K games and their crappy analog pitching gimmick), they polished the game. Seems like some people just want change for the sake of change. You don't need to change a whole hell of a lot when you already have the best simulation baseball game there is. If it isn't broken, don't fix it (MLB 2K games have to keep adding stuff to gloss over the fact that the game sucks).

MLB 2K games have a whole hell of a lot of glitches as well (Hitting a ball of the green monster where the ball sticks to the wall).

MLB 10 may have bugs too, but they get fixed quickly, and are less common. You were way easier on MLB 2K 10, and that game is not even close to being on this games level.

Timing meter > gimmicky analog controls

The commentary may be repetitive (Hey just like every other sports game), but it still is the best commentary in a baseball game. I love seeing my batter walk up to the plate and be announced as "2nd basemen, Jeremy Gordon" (My name), gives me chills every time.

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