Over the past ten years, sports video gaming has become more popular and advanced. Although many times the games are virtually the same year after year, it’s the tweaks and improvements to the gameplay that can make or break the impact of the game. Using this concept better than most, Sony has completely changed the way I feel about their MLB franchise. When I first bought my PSP one month after its inception, I purchased MLB simply because I didn’t want to wait another month for EA’s MVP Baseball to hit the shelves. For hours at a time I played and played season mode because that was all that appealed to me besides quick play, exhibition, and the limited online mode. I didn’t think that the series could get any better than that. I was wrong. Sony has completely blown me away with the new features that MLB 06: The Show is offering. Not only can I play season, quick play, exhibition and online game modes but now I can create a player and role play my way to becoming a potential hall of famer in the big leagues or even a bust who never makes it out of the minors. Not only that, but I can pit my favorite players versus the rest of the MLB roster in King of the Diamond and Home Run Derby. With the return of both broadcasters as well as a new addition I can feel like I am playing in a real game. One other thing I would like to note is that although “The Show” has some problems, it overcompensates with a heavy graphical and technical presentation overhaul. Hopefully by reading this review I can help you make the right choice if you happen to be eyeing the field for picking up a PSP baseball game.



When a sports fan or even someone with basic knowledge of athletics thinks about baseball, what immediately should come to mind is the idea of baseball having a “season”. In baseball an official season lasts one hundred and sixty two games and this holds true in MLB 06 as being the default settings for games you can play. Other variations of length are available if you do not have either the time or patience to play one hundred and sixty two games. However, if you happen to be a returning MLB owner I would highly recommend that you jump right into Career Mode. Not only can you create your own player but you can also assign him to the team of your choice. The best thing about this is you do not start out as an all-star. What you have to do is have impressive play during spring training in hopes of being offered a contract. When you finally get a contract it is your time to prove to your major league team that you are too good to play in the minors. When you have good performances you receive points that you can use to boost your player’s attributes. Be careful though, a more balanced player is more likely to fit in on a major league team better than a player skilled in only one aspect. Also with the option to interact with your team it is important not to anger them. Trust me I know! The one thing about career mode is you cannot decide what your position in the franchise will be by manually changing it. So be sure to try and perform your best for more satisfactory results. The better you play, the more compliments and feedback you will receive from your team. Plus playing above the subsistence level of play can even land you a big contract. If you do not understand why you are not getting enough playing time or you are batting low in the order, ask your manager in the interaction mode and he is likely to change your situation. Like the original MLB; you can play season mode and guide your team to a good season or a championship run. New additions to the MLB franchise are King of the Diamond and Home Run Derby. King of the Diamond pits one hitter and one pitcher versus another pair of the same. Whichever team gives up the least runs, while at the same time amassing the most on the batting side, will win. The Home Run Derby allows for up to ten hitters in one competition. The player with the most “dingers” wins and attains power hitter glory. If you are just looking to play one game or a quick fix of baseball, then exhibition and quick play modes are the right way to go. Exhibition mode is virtually the same as quick play except for one thing. In exhibition mode you can choose your own game settings while in quick play you are stuck with the default options. The new edition of MLB allows you to play new material while at the same time enjoying your classic game modes.



One of my favorite things about sports games and MLB in particular is the fact that there is no endpoint. So you can play this game for as long as you possibly can and still have fun with it. You can play season mode where you pick your favorite or random team and try to help them win a championship. With a default setting of one hundred sixty two games per season there is a plethora of games to play and possibly even more if you can manage to get your team to the playoffs. Make sure you do not put injured players in games because you can risk their chances of playing the rest of the year and your teams’ opportunity to win. If you’re not feeling up to playing a full season you are welcome to play either fourteen, twenty nine, or eighty two game schedules for a faster season. Another long lasting experience is Career Mode. This mode allows you to create a player and assign him to a team. In order to acquire a contract from that team you must put on an impressive performance during spring training. After that you must wait sixty days and play satisfactory to have a chance at the big leagues. When you finally make it to “the show”, you then have to earn your keep so you can stay in the majors. Depending on your ability to produce, you will have a long career over many seasons. If you’re unsuccessful you can always create a new player and continue to try, try, and try some more. When you are looking for a quick fix of baseball then you should head for quick play or exhibition mode. If you want some other forms of competition then try and take on others pros in Home Run Derby and King of the Diamond. Another feature that will take up your time is wireless play, either with a friend or a user online. You create your own profile and interact with other gamers. Plus you can instant message with others via the virtual keyboard. However remember, disconnecting from a game early will lower your stats and your place on the leader boards. One other option that is available is downloading. You can download current and updated roster lists as well as news concerning your favorite teams. Most sports games have season modes but with baseball it’s a different story. Baseball has the longest season of any sport and that is true in video games too. So there will be hours upon weeks upon months and maybe years of playing depending on how much you like baseball.



As expected, as well as needed in sports games, is the presence of someone telling you what is going on. Sometimes a public address announcer can make or break the feeling of a game. Returning from MLB is the duo of commentators Matt Vasgersian and Dave Campbell who follow up a great job with an even better one. With the new addition of Rex Hudler you get three well known team announcers at your service. For any action that occurs in a game they always will have something to say. They may be disgusted at a bad play or call or perhaps overjoyed by a historic moment. Besides the commentary there is the typical background music for menus that feature many artists of today. With the comprehensive commentary and the catchy tunes, MLB 06: The Show isn’t rough on the ears.



As solid as the graphics were in last year’s MLB, MLB06 obliterates the PSP the previous standard with slick overhauled the graphics in this year’s edition. They started out with the box cover and ended with the game itself. Real life images are used now instead of graphical images used by its predecessor. These images show the players from the neck up with their team affiliation. There are also pictures of the commentators as well as bios and interviews with them spread out across the game and loading screens. This is the same for the players as well with in-depth analysis of their careers’. Another improvement made with the visual aspect of the game is the overhauled menus. New fonts are used in different colors and sizes to better emphasize your options. With this years version of MLB, I am really impressed with the new changes made to the graphics and presentation. It gives the game a good aura and makes it more fun to play and carry around. While the stadiums and players didn’t exactly receive drastic changes, the game definitely looks more up to the level of its Playstation 2 counterpart.



MLB 06: The Show is game that’s very easy to have fun with. Although learning how to control everything can be a bit overwhelming at first, it’s all simple to learn and master with practice. With the improved graphics, it’s easier to feel like you’re playing in a stadium, or at least a lot more like playing its console brother. However with near excellence comes frustration because the improved graphics and gameplay seem to yield to excessively long load times which can be upwards of a minute and a minute and a half. Putting that aside, with the new game modes I believe you may just find yourself playing MLB 06: The Show quite a bit more than the usual baseball game. Its not perfect by any means as the game omitted the PS2 version’s rivalry mode and some small bugs remain, but overall it’s a great portable sports title. The game is perfect for baseball fans looking for some action on the go and it’s easy enough for newcomers of the sport to pick up and play.