#3 of 2008: MLB 08 The Show

by pastapadre
Posted December 22nd, 2008 at 9:41 am

There was probably no sports title out this year that replicated the authenticity and nuances associated with its respective sport to the extent that MLB 08: The Show did. The overall gameplay experience is excellent. What The Show really achieves is the true feel of baseball. Not only in the gameplay, but the presentation, pacing, commentary, and lots of other small elements of the sport. This is a game that is considered by some to be the best baseball game ever made, and by many others to be in the same league as MVP Baseball 2005.

Road to the Show is another great secondary mode in the realm of Be a Pro. The quick pace of completion is a stark contrast to playing the standard way and is refreshing in that regard. They also made some of the goals more reasonable this year. However there were some aspects that kept it from being completely enjoyable. I soon realized that a relief pitcher was the only position I wanted to play. Forcing you to wait on the bases during the at bats is a real waste of time. After realizing I would attempt to steal every time I was on (I’d rather get thrown out than wait around) I relegated myself to pitching. Also the loading times for The Show are on the slow side, and with RTTS moving quickly through your games that was another area of slight frustration. Still the mode adds a ton of value and variety to the game.

The main area of weakness for The Show was its online play. It was very inconsistent in performance, with some games being unplayable due to lag. The league system was also flawed because of some puzzling restrictions. However The Show did have a great website in SportsConnect that displayed lots of info about the completed online games as well as a tracker to monitor those that were ongoing.

MLB 08: The Show was first game to provide frequent and consistent roster updates. It could be seen as having started the trend that led to many other major sports titles improving themselves in this area. The Show had weekly updates that were more accurate and detailed than had ever been provided before.

Looking forward there are few sports titles that will be more highly anticipated than MLB 09: The Show and for good reason. MLB 08 did most things right. The potential of improved online play and Road to the Show along with the regular enhancements to gameplay and franchise could result in of the best sports games of all time.

#3 MLB 08: The Show
#4 FIFA 09
#5 NBA Live 09
#6 NBA 2K9
#7 Madden 09
#8 Blitz: The League II
#9 NFL Tour
#10 Tiger Woods 09

Tags: top 10

greg

Thanks

Ian

NCAA 09 DEFINITELY belongs in the top 2 (I think 1). It is FAR AND BEYOND better than Madden, which sucked this year. I won't lie, NCAA 08 was a little sloppylast year, and Madden 08 was much funner. This year, they made Madden 09 LESS fun and NCAA 09 10x funner. Just love some of the extra effort they put into NCAA 09 this year!

As for NHL 09, I can't comment yet, since Santa has yet to come ;) . But I'm certain it's lived up to the hype, especially with EASW :)

I'm very happy with the top 2!

Carlos Gomez

Pasta will probably put Nhl 09 #2 and Mlb 2K8 #1.............LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

08 the show #2 NHL 09 #1<<<<<Man this game is amazzing

swizzy

DIS GAME???

LIVE maid dis game itz BIZNITCH

AINT NO TRU Gs B PLAYN NO SHOW

HOLLA HOLLA HOLLA

greg

Will madden roster update come out early cuz of x mas?

Pasta Padre

pretty sure there coming out wednesday.

Justin Flu Tuck.

MLB 08 the show?? you have got to be kidding me! number 2 will probably be NBA 09 the inside lol.

But seriously why hasn't MS released a basketball game of there own. I really loved the Inside Drive series.

cabrillo24

Probably because there are two established giants already in place. . Too many basketball games can saturate a market, usually the established ones survive. The benefits if any would be minimal at best. MS is only interested in system moving software.

Andrew

You're right. ADD kicking in I guess. I just feel like I spend most of the game waiting with nothing to do.

Andrew

I thought I was the only one that had a problem standing on first with no outs and having to wait 20 pitches for the computer to strike out the next three batters. If I was successful in stealing 2nd... I'd go for 3rd. If I made it to 3rd, I would try to get the computer to try to pick me off and I would try to go home.

How can they fix this? I want to run the bases... I just don't want it to take all day.

cabrillo24

I'd always attempt to make the steal to second, I wasn't going to wait for a million pitches. I'd rarely steal 3rd. It's not a real bad trade off, remember back in the day when you had to wait through every pitch before a game would be over? A game can be done in like 5 minutes.

CubFan

MLB08 The Show is the best sports game of all time, not just last year. I am pumped for The Show09!

KingLoyd11

his #2 is NCAA Football 09 and his #1 is NHL 09

Keith.

The Show is the best baseball game ever released. For you to have any Tiburon football game ranked ahead of it sure shows who's buttering your bread. What a joke.

cabrillo24

Not again, but I thought MLB should be #2, but he's right about the online, can't really argue that.

Smokez4Dayz

Pasta, I'm so upset, your shitty Seahawks defeated my even shittier Jets. I cant believe we lost to the raiders and seahawks this year. We don't deserve to be in the playoffs. Congrats

Matt B

wow.. uhm im not sure here i thought this would be number 1 ! :S :)

cabrillo24

I think you're the only one who's thought that. Everyone has been predicting NHL 09 #1 since he announced he'd make this list.

Matt B

loll yea i know.. i just thought that i liked mlb 08 the show better than nhl 09.. 09 for me is kinda just like 08 except for some defensive shit! :)

Regy

NHL09 & MLB:The Show 08 are the two best sports games of the year....bar none! Everything else can share last place.

SIMMONS44BLUE

Sorry, I meant 2k8 though 2k9 will probably suck too.

SIMMONS44BLUE

You hit the nail right on the head HustlinOwl. I'll be playing it up until the release of MLB 09: The Show. I had it at #2 on my list, right behind NHL 09. I've had my PS3 for over a year and I have 2 games for it, Metal Gear Solid 4 and MLB 08. I bought the system for 08 because 2k9 was so horrible. System seller for me? Hell yes!

Smokez4Dayz

only two games for a system he's had for a year? I don't have a problem with the best baseball game being no.3, its just couldnt be No.1. its system exclusive. NCAA 09 and NHL 09. Thats all thats left. I can live with( even though no one plays NCAA 09 anymore )the top 3. The rest of your list is craptacular.

SIMMONS44BLUE

Thats right, only 2 PS3 games. The other 20+ games I have bought this year are for the 360 because they usually look better, have better frame rate, and the online is better. I know the 2 games I mentioned were exclusive, because if they were not, I would have bought them on 360 also. Thats why I feel MLB 09 was a system seller, for me at least.

kbomb1upc

For me this would be number 2 and head coach would be number 1

HustlinOwl

Still play this game constantly and for a Sports Game to be a system seller this game is clearly ahead of any Sports Title out there.

cabrillo24

I agree, it's very rare for a sports game to be a system mover, and MLB the show does that. I don't follow baseball, but last couple of years I've purchased this game and enjoyed it. After reading this write up I think I'm going to fire up this game, haven't played it since April.

pastapadre

If only the online play had been better. That's really what held it back this year unfortunately.

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