(continued from previous page) ...same thing.

As for the gameplay elements added last year such as the Adaptive Pitch Intelligence and Pitch Command System, there seems to be a bit more focus on the chess match between pitcher and hitter. This is never more evident than with the new pitcher/batter analysis tools that are found throughout all versions of this release. This addition will give users the ability to learn the tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses of the batter or pitcher they’re facing. If the batter is known to chase a slider to the outside portion of the strike zone, the tools will let you know. If a pitcher is usually found throwing a high fastball with a 0-2 count, you’ll be in the know.

The addition of this key component has definitely added an entirely new element to the gameplay portion and has allowed the chess match between the two positions to increase more so than ever before. Batters are also given a Progressive Batting Performance system to look into during season play or Road to the Show mode. This system will indicate how your hitter has been performing as of late. Depending on if you’re in a slump or not, the indicator will be a blue for cold or a red for hot, which is pretty easy to acknowledge the meaning of.

Much like in the PS2/3 version of the game, you’ll notice the new indicator when you’re able to steal homeruns or foul balls that are headed into the stands. The three red rings will appear and slowly count down as the ball approaches. This will help you time the jump and help you perform a potential game changing play. It’s not a guarantee to work every time though, as the timing must be near perfect in order to execute how you’d like it to.

Another fielding upgrade also revolves around the pitcher. Unlike last year where the pitcher allowed a lot of balls to roll by for easy singles, the reaction time has been greatly improved. Your pitcher will now make plays on the balls hit directly back to him allowing for more putouts from the mound, much like the real-life game itself.

One of the fielding problems that do seem to rise to the surface is the lack of a throwing strength indicator. Unlike the console versions that give the user a meter to indicate throwing strength, the PSP version of the game just throws the ball. This doesn’t allow you to give the appropriate amount of power behind each throw and will sometimes result in overthrows or wild throws in general. This can be very frustrating as you can imagine.

The graphics and look of the title are as good as you’re going to find and come to expect from a handheld. Though they are surprisingly decent, there seems to be a lot of visual tearing throughout gameplay and cut scenes that detract from the authentic feel of the game. Despite The Show offering up some aliasing issues as well, they could have given the polish a bit more tuning in order to look like a more finished version of the game. Obviously we can’t expect it to look as great as it does on the PlayStation 3; however, we can expect it to at least run smoothly and not have to experience all of the tearing throughout.

With My MLB Music feature, you can pretty much customize the menu music to anything you’d like, as it will sync up with your memory stick. This is a nice feature to have with any game and definitely gives you reason to leave the sound on. As for the announcers, they’re a big upgrade from last year’s title. The majority of their calls will be spot-on and just add to the game’s ability to draw you into the experience itself.
In the end, MLB 08: The Show is everything you’d expect from a handheld baseball title. It doesn’t offer you anything really groundbreaking or new, but it offers you 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’ll just be able to go into the ballpark ... (continued on next page)