MLB '09: The Show for PlayStation 3 Reviews by Gamers

I dont normally play baseball games (mostly because they are not challenging). Well this one is a very challenging game.

Game Play - The game play is fun and its difficult to bat over 250. I like this because its more realistic. Most people think they should always bat 400. Why play if its easy. The one major flaw was base running. I got in run downs (never succeeded) on base hits because the screen changed and that changed the direction I was running getting me hung between bases. This detracts from the game but only a little. I give game play 7

Graphics were very good. The stadiums look great and the players look good. I give Graphics a 9.

Controls are very intuative and easy to learn. Batting is tough (which I like). I give controls a 8.

I did not play online as I was mostly doing RTTS.

Overall I think this could be a buy. The RTTS could easliy be played by multiple postions (pitcher, catcher, first base, short stop). I really enjoyed this game and I will be purchasing in the future.

great gameplay pitch guess is also a new element only different thing i would of like to see is mybe home run derby but road to the show is improved

I absolutely love the gameplay for this game. The RTTS is very addicting. Loading time is a little slow. Im sure that will be fixed more and more as the newer games come out.

The thing I hate the most about this game is the online play. Everytime I play someone online there is always a lag. I know its not my connection because mine is very fast. I tested it with a friend who has a great connection and it still lags. Not sure why others out there believe the online gameplay is good.

I have played baseball my whole life, in video games and real life. This game is by far the best one out. If you are a fan of baseball, that has a deep franchise mode, also has a very unique Road to the show, which allows you to create a guy and take him hopefully up the the big leagues and make him a legend or a single A bust. Best part is online is fun and easy to figure out. Plus they do roster updates very frequently. This is the only baseball game that I have played more than a full 162 game season. Highly addicting style of play, a little frustrating when you first start to play not gonna lie. It took a little while to get used to the controls especially stealing bases and having one guy tag up and the other not. Believe it or not, its not an easy game. You will lose periodically, unless you turn it off or cheat some how. This one is worth every penny, so just go buy it instead of rent it.

From the interactive training in RTTS mode to the great additions to Franchise mode, MLB the show 09 does not dissapoint loyal fans of the franchise. Graphics: 9/10 Graphics in this game are about as close as you can get to being at the game. From the fans in the stands walking around and getting up to catching fly balls to the day/night transitions, it is very realistic.
Gameplay: 9/10 The gameplay this year in a normal game is nearly identical to last years. This is not a bad thing though as last years gameplay was great. The amount of errors is about as close as you can get to the real thing. In RTTS, the days of easily baiting the pitcher and stealing home are over with the new baserunning system.
Sound: 8/10 The song selection with the game is not my cup of tea but the ability to put your own music in the game really makes this a non issue. I like the addition of the HR celebration music and the music they play out of the bullpen, adding more to the game.
Features: 9.9/10 the only issue i can have with the features is the non-inclusion of the HR derby on all star weekend. But Road to the Show and Franchise are easily the most indepth modes on any baseball game available.
Replay Value: 10/10 This game will have you hooked with all the depth until the world series champions are crowned this fall.
All in all, MLB the show 09 has succeeded in bringing the most realistic, and most enjoyable baseball game of the year and possibly of all time.

First off, I have been in love with this franchise since the beginning. The road to the show feature is just plain fun. These days it seems like if there isn't a game where the player has an option for customization, the game doesn't seem to appealing. Besides the revamped RTTS mode, playing against the computer with a very in depth franchise mode (finally) provides its own challenges as well. The Show keeps getting better every year and this year is the best yet. Look out for me online. Peace.

The game is rich in detail and has beautiful graphics but the learning curve is to hard without a tutorial. Probably a great game if you are a baseball fanatic who has a deep understanding for the game but way to hard even on rookie mode. Understood timing but kept popping out and hitting grounders that resulted in immediately getting thrown out at first. Would occasionally hit a home run and think I was getting the hang of it but would go another 6 innings without anything but popouts, foul bowls and getting thrown out at first. Pitching was just as big a nightmare as I would finally get the timing down, well sort of, but still would give up hits constantly. Way to hard even on rookie. Returned the first day.

The road to the show mode is a lot like it was in 2008 with refined batting and base running. The fielding pretty much remains the same. A couple problems that I found were little things like if you get caught in a rundown say between first and second your player will stop halfway between the baseline this is due in part to the PS3 thumbsticks having 2million directions so it has a hard time reading exactly which way you want to go. Another flaw is when you complete all your required goals you do not advance as you did in MLB'08. For instance if you are in AA and you complete all of your achievements in MLB'08 you would move up to AAA so on and so forth. Not in MLB'09 you get a pat on the back and you are still a bench warmer. I am sure if I owned the game I would have been in a lot better position to sit down and play it for a lot longer but I would rather go lay the beat down on noobs in Killzone 2. In conclusion the game is very nice looking and the game play is smooth. The collision detection in this years model is a lot better than last years and is worth putting in the time an effort if you are going to actually buy the game.

The graphics are incredible. However, I can't hit or score runs. I had a couple of games in which I scored 7 runs but other than that I either lose 7 - 1 or I win 2 - 1. I don't know how many times I hit the ball hard and thought that I timed it right only to hit a slow grounder and roll into a double play to stop a rally. The worst part is that when I would push L3 to see if I had timed my swing right it would say that my timing was perfect and that the my contact was in my wheelhouse. I don't know what the problem is but I think that problem needs to be fixed for next years game. I am not asking to score 15 runs a game or anything but if I time my swing right and hit the ball on the sweet part of the bat that should NEVER result in a slow ground ball to second base. Also I have read the directions over and over again to see if I have read them wrong and still can not figure out to control the accuracy of my pitches. The pitchers almost never hit their spots. Espcially with back door sliders. For some reason they always hang. They never break. The just look like slower fastballs.

This game has great controls. I like the ease of hitting and pitching. It has auto fielding so you don't have to worry about your fielders like in a real game you can be the pitcher. Graphics have a wonderful look to them. Take this over 2k.

This was a very good game but its missing one thing...a Home Run Derby.

This game got good reviews. It's a fairly deep game--feature-laden--to be sure. But the gameplay is baffling. Perhaps i needed an instruction book to fully understand how to do x, y, or z. Maybe i should've looked it all up on the internet.

I gave this game so many chances, however. After playing the demo off of PSN (and loving it), i was convinced i was just having a series of bad games. Nope. I can't tell you how many times i've nailed my pitches only to have world-class pitchers throw the ball a ridiculous distance from the place where i spotted the ball. I can't tell you how many times i've hit the ball solidly with "perfect" timing and gotten a base hit. Wait, maybe i can: 5 times out of 8 games.

I suspect many people have played this game and not ran into the same problems. Others might shout back that there are plenty of sliders provided for me to fiddle with until i'm happy. But does that actually address, or better yet, fix my issues? By no means!

Of course, i'm always open to the idea that i stink. But i'm ok playing games i stink at (really, i am!) However, i cannot stand playing a game that tells me i'm doing well, but punishes me anyway.

2 games on Rookie: 2-0 (Ryan Dempster throws a 1-hitter, Zambrano a CG)

6 games on Veteran: 0-6 (three of which turned off prior to completion)

Do RENT it, though. It's just not something i could imagine buying.

The only thing harder that getting a single in the actual big leagues is getting a single in this game. The hitting is way too frustrating for the casual gamer. Pick this one up if you want to spend a Sunday afternoon frustrated.

This game is great. It has great graphics and the best game play.2k9 doesn't stand a chance.

I love the The show franchise but it took a wrong turn this year. The base running in RTTS is horrible and there's no way to change it, also the game crashes after 2 seasons just when you get called up to majors and there's no way around that either. All the aspects of the game are great but these 2 problems alone are enough to toss this game in the trash.

The commentary can be a bit repetitive over time, but after weeks and months of playing it would. The commentators have improved and keep talking about relative stats and scenarios about what is actually happening in the game. Those who played the earlier editions remember when the commentators seem to always talk about last years stats, even after 15 years.
Game play still has a few bugs to work out, but you mostly will never notice them. It is still the most expansive baseball experience with plenty of modes and a much more advanced road to the show mode. I am still playing this version, and I cannot imagine needing the next version. Tremendous re-playability.
What can I say about graphics? I am an old school gamer that remembers the Atari. Using an HDMI connection has given the perfect experience. Just experience a truly beautiful game.

The games not perfect but real life aint perfect. Great game play. It looks great. I would give it a 10 but base running can be a pain sometimes (its like the camera dont turn right sometimes).

Let me start by saying i love the show franchise. they totally screwed up the rtts mode for me. i see all these guys with 9 and 10 ratings and talking about how easy and realistic the batting is. are they on drugs or am i losing my skill with video games.i dominated last year and had a blast. i 've had the new game for two days and want to throw it in the trash. my guy cant even get a basehit when theres a fastball down the middle. Out of 99 at bats i had 23 hits and 0 hrs! In the show 08 I'd make it to the majors in a year or two as a average guy and soon evolve into a 40 hr hitter. at the pace im going on 09 i'll be lucky to get resigned. and the baserunning sucks. and theres glitches with the mechanix. for such a realistic and detailed journey as the RTTS, they sure ruined it with the gameplay. better off playing my own 08 copy. thanks alot developers!!!!

OK, I am tired of people putting 2K MLB 09 down while praising RTTS 09. First of all, I own RTTS 08 and thought that last year it was definitely the best baseball game that I have ever played. Sadly, RTTS 09 offers very little substantive in improvement, and in some cases ruined what was a nice intuitive feel. By contrast, 2K MLB 09 addressed some major issues and made a really fun, nice-playing BB game.

First: Hitting
The idea that if you guess a pitch and a location and then push a button to swing the bat great things will happen is ludicrous. In 2K MLB 09 you have to position the bat where you think the pitch might be, time the swing with the right analog stick,and simultaneously determine the type of swing you are going to use. Time it right, and hit the ball on the sweet part of the bat, with the right stroke, and good things happen, like in real baseball. Pushing a button to swing a bat is one of the worse methods ever devised. The hitting in 2K MLB 09 more accurately simulates baseball.

2nd:Pitching
The pitching mechanics in RTTS 09 are as bad as they were in RTTS 08. First, turn off any and all visual aids like a power meter, a strike zone, etc. and use the position of the arm to release the ball, and you have a little better resemblance to baseball. 2K MLB 09 gets it right. Setup your catcher and throw the pitch with an actual arm action. If only one could turn off the stupid collapsing target and instead rely solely on the release point 2K MLB 09 would blow RTTS 09 away in this department.

3rd: Fielding
Finally, after many years of frustration, 2K MLB 09 actually starts a fielder toward the ball to make up for the artificial delay from the player. Fielding in RTTS 09 is horrible. 2K MLB 09's is fun. Enough said.

4th: Graphics
RTTS 09 looks great, while 2K MLB 09 looks a little more cartoony. But that doesn't mean that 2K MLB 09 is bad; just not as polished as RTTS 09.

In summary, both games got a 4/5 from X-Play. Since I have RTTS 08 I am for 2K.

Before you fanboys get all up in arms over my title, let me start by saying this is a GREAT overall baseball experience. BUT, it is not necessarily total leaps and bounds above MLB 2K9. For example, the weird graphical glitches complained about in 2K9, I found some of those in The Show. Most of those glitches were related to animation transitions. I do favor The Show's graphics over 2K9, but not by a whole lot. I do LOVE the camera work in The Show. But graphically speaking, that is the only area I found The Show to be completely dominant in. Control differences between the two are not that apparent. I do like the hitting interface in 2K9 better than The Show's. And I also favor 2K9's pitching over The Show's.

All that said, for fun, I think 2K9 is the pick. But, for the overall baseball experience, The Show wins out, but not in a commanding fashion. Graphically, The Show is a much cleaner look, but, 2K9 is a bit more dynamic. The obvious area 2K9 falls short is the jaggies, which is more of an issue on the 360. The other area where The Show reigns supreme is the presentation. But, load times are longer than 2K9. I have yet to play online, so I can't help you in that area. So yes, this is a somewhat incomplete review.

Anyway, in the end this game is more like an 8.9, just shy of totally dominant greatness. I will say, this game is a lot closer to greatness than 2K9 at the moment, and needs VERY minor tweaking to put it in that 9+ score territory. You can't go wrong with picking this game up for your PS3. Hope this review helps out if you are on the fence about which one to pick up. I gave 2K9 for the 360 a solid 8.

the graphics and real like effects were awesome. made it feel like i was watchin a real life baseball game. but the batting and pitching were so tough for me. the toughest i have ever had on a video game. i started on veteran level to get used to the buttons. i lost my first couple games. then i was winning a game 8-2 and i still was doin horrible on batting and pitching so i put the level on rookie. the opposing team hit back-to-back-to-back home runs on me and ended up takin a 11-8 lead and ending up beatin me. and i would strike out so much. anyways i just didnt understand how it took me so long to understand this game. wished the batting and pitching was better.

Making contact as a hitter and hitting the strike zone as a pitcher are seemingly random so picking up this game and enjoying it immediately is impossible. You can hit the meters perfectly on a pitch and it will sail through the opposite batters box. Throw the same pitch again and miss the marks and it'll pass right through the strike zone.

The controls are awful and you have to control everything. Bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, deep fly to the warning track. You have to individually make the guy on second tag and go, and individually make the guy on 3rd tag and go and individually make the guy on first whose halfway to second go back to first. Needless to say, I should have won or at least tied the game but instead hit into an improbably 9-3 double play.

Visually, it's krap. A lot of baseball games spend too much time on the details. not this one. There are no extras on the field, ball boys, bat boys, rolled up tarps on the base lines, nope nope and nope. Hit a ball into an on field bullpen and it just rolls through the players and there's no one standing there protecting the catcher from batted balls. There are about 5 different fans in the stands and they all have the exact same reaction at the same time. So a bad call elicits a boo from the 30 identical guys in the hoodie sitting behind home plate. None of these are a big deal, just plain lazy development.

Ok ok where to begin. Ok so on this edition of MLB the show, they did add a bunch of misc. things. More animations, cool features like a newly designed franchise mode, and customizable walk out music, and chants. My character looks cool coming out to some Lil' Wayne. Yea all that stuff is cool, but what about the gameplay SCA?

I was upset about last years release because the RTTS A.I was absolutely terrible. If your hitting .400 50 hrs, 80 RBI's, and your "competition" was hitting like .213 with 10 hrs, and 20 RBI's, your still riding the pine!!

WELL GUESS WHAT BASEBALL FANS!!!!!!!!!!!!
MLB 09 The Show hasn't changed its RTTS mode. What a disappointment. They had a year to work on this game, and all they did was slap Dustin Pedroia on the front, change the 8 to a 9, and put a couple flashy new misc. features. Don't buy this game, rent it, or gamefly it, its not worth 60 bucks.

MLB THE SHOW 2008 WAS A GREAT GAME. IT WAS NOT A PERFECT GAME BUT IT DELIVERED A GREAT EXPERIENCE. THE ONE AND ONLY REASON TO PURCHASE OR RENT A GAME FROM THIS SERIES IS ROAD TO THE SHOW. ALL ELSE SHOULD BE TAKEN OUT TO ADD MORE TO THE SERIES. NOW LETS TALK ABOUT MLB THE SHOW 2009. THIS GAME SHOWS HOW LAZY THE GAMES DEVELOPERS HAVE GOTTEN. JUST AS THE DEVELOPERS OF THE MADDEN FRANCHISE HAVE. ITS THE SAME GAME WITH A FRESH PAINT JOB AND MINOR ADJUSTMENTS. THE PAINT LOOKS GOOD AS ALWAYS BUT THE ADD ON AND ADJUSTMENTS HAVE PROVEN TO BRING THE SERIES STANDARDS DOWN. IF THERE WERE ANY THAT IS. NOW I AM REVIEWING THIS GAME BASED ON ROAD TO THE SHOW PITCHERS POSITION. THE BEST IN THE GAME AND MOST FUN. WELL IT USE TO BE. AS YOU PITCH YOU WILL NOTICE THAT YOUR COMPUTER CONTROLLED TEAMMATES DIVE WAY TO MUCH WHICH CAUSES BALLS TO GET PAST THEM ONES THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE EASILY HAD FOR AN OUT. RATHER THE HITTER IS ON THIRD WITH A TRIPLE CAUSED BY THE EXCESSIVE DIVES. THE AI FIELDER WILL ALSO NOT TRY TO GET A LEAD RUNNER OUT BUT ALWAYS GOES TO FIRST BASE UNLESS A DOUBLE PLAY SITUATION IS IN PLAY. WHICH WILL BRING DOWN THE ENJOYMENT AND RAISE UP THE FRUSTRATION. NOT TO MENTION YOUR ERA. WAY TO MANY ERRORS COMMITTED BY THE AI. WHEN YOU HAVE PLAYED ENOUGH THAT YOU HAVE MAXED OUT YOUR PLAYERS ABILITIES YOU STILL FIND THAT YOU MISS THE TARGET WHEN PITCHING EVEN IF YOU HIT THE RELEASE PERFECTLY. THE ANNOUNCERS ARE GREAT BUT ITS JUST MORE RECYCLED SPEECH FROM LAST YEAR. THE BIG PROBLEM WITH THIS IS THAT IT MORE THEN RARELY SAY'S THINGS THAT ARENT HAPPENING OR JUST DON'T MAKE SENSE. HOW LONG IS TAMPA BAYS 3RD BASEMEN GOING TO BE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR? I AM IN THE YEAR 2019 AND THEY STILL SAY THE CURRENT ROOKIE OF THE YEAR EVAN LONGORIA. IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THEM UP TO DATE IN THE GAME. IF YOUR PLAYER BECOMES M.V.P. OR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR OR CY YOUNG WINNER JUST HAVE THEM MENTION WHO EVER WON IT THE PRIOR YEAR. I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT AWARDS AND W.S. RINGS AND HOW MANY I HAVE.