Following up on a stellar outing, Sony's baseball franchise has turned into the single greatest thing to ever happen to portable gaming consoles. MLB 06: The Show is just shy of being complete, although its extras are more than enough to make up for a missing franchise mode. Handheld sports games do not get better than this.
It's a stunning effort in every area, but the immediate star is the presentation. Last year, Sony had a one-man play-by-play booth. This year, they've added an additional two announcers who are quick, responsive, accurate and fully believable. Graphically, this is an unparalleled looker. Stadium detail, including full detail behind the stadium looking out into the city, is a show-off piece for the PSP. Although player models are slightly lacking in facial detail, obvious improvements have been made.
Looking past the flash, MLB 06 creates a deep baseball experience. Problems in the batting area have been fully corrected. While it is still a little too easy to whiff on a simple pitch, the amount of customization has taken on a life of its own. There are four different batting systems available, down to a simple "press X to swing" and moving up to the incredibly complex (yet rewarding) mechanics of guessing a pitch, its location, type of swing, and direction.
Umpires consistently make incorrect calls. This initially seems like a flaw, but in the end, creates an involving experience that never lets the general rigid feel of baseball video games take hold. The announcers ensure they point out the improper call, and there's an option to allow for accurate calls if the player desires.
Pitching is the same. Using a simple mechanic of aiming and then using a meter to gauge power/accuracy, this also opens the game up to wild plays that makes the game exciting. MLB 06 goes out of its way to create an out-of-control game of baseball that doesn't feel restricted by computer code. Wild throws, pitches bouncing off the catcher, and diving grabs have rarely been represented in this way.
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