As baseball season comes to a close, we all cheer for our favorite teams. Many don’t realize that the hardcore baseball fan will be somewhat sad to see it go. This is where gamers have the advantage, they can experience it all year around through the wonderful art of gaming. One of those titles to really show the true aspects of baseball is MLB 10: The Show. The idea circling it is the showmanship of it all, and the pure entertainment value. The realistic nature in the title is also uncanny. Is it enough to warrant some between season play? Or is it best to wait until spring rolls around once more.

Top Of The 1^st
MLB 10 is simply one of the most realistic looking baseball games I have ever had the pleasure of playing. Year after year we see hosts of MLB titles come out and some strive for realism and authenticity. I feel that MLB 10 is the most realistic baseball title period. The difficulty isn’t simply just hit X and you get a home run, there are many factors. Pitch, stamina, the batter vs pitcher stats and of course timing. One thing that has to be perfect while playing this game is your timing. The presentation is simply superb, the authenticity and detail to watching a real broadcast is uncanny. This is being completely honest, while playing during some of the scripted opening cinematics for the games, I thought it was real footage. Now call me blind or whatever but I love baseball and I am a diehard Yankee fan. If that isn’t a compliment to the superb polish that went into this game nothing is. There is also an optional broadcast camera like your watching it from the comfort of your own home. You can even record and edit your own highlight reel for that ‘perfect play’.


Road To The Show
The highlight of MLB 10 is Road To The Show mode. This year if you choose to be a catcher you can be immersed in the new Calling The Game mode where you will call the whole game from the catchers perspective. Also this year you will be able to watch games from the bench and not just participate when your player is on the field. You can manage injuries and emails now during Franchise and other season-based modes. Another addition is the MLB All-Star Week including the game itself, and Home Run Derby. If you are a diehard fan to a specific team, you can customize the Team Audio Editor to play certain tracks from your hard drive. What would be cooler than playing ‘New York, New York’ after you win a game at Yankee Stadium? There is also the addition of 30 player season or franchise mode for everyone of your friends to take control of a team and battle it out. Also new to the game features is mound warm up, you will be able to warm up prior to a game just like real life players. The authenticity is simply mind boggling.


On The Road
Multiplayer is a big part of any sports title. MLB 10: The Show has made many improvements to the game from users feedback. Online Season Leagues has gotten a bit of an overhaul now including features seen in the games season modes such as trades, incurring injuries, and setting lineups and pitching rotation. You can also now commission two leagues at once if you feel the need to be busy. The online system will now track every game you have ever played and give you a history of games played as well as stats for every game. Finding a match has even become easier with the Scout Now feature that lets you set the settings you prefer to look for in an opponent and searches based on your criteria. The rating system has been tweaked so sore losers can’t get the best of you by degrading you. The system is self aware of all the players actions and rates you based on your performance and sportsmanship. To go hand in hand with the new rating system we have the Gamer Card, which was formerly known as the ‘Player Card’ it now shows everything you and your opponents need to know about your playing habits and league history and everything you have done in the world of MLB 10.


Going Back, Way Back!
In typical fashion to the sport, MLB 10 hits a home run this year with this amazing outing. That does not mean it is at all perfect. The controls will take even the most avid gamer time to get used to. Depending on what difficulty you choose the controls seem to switch slightly between hitting with Square or X. The overall mechanics are there but the response time seems a little lagging, and sometimes a well timed hit can be a miss even if you swore you did it on time. Timing is something that is important in baseball, as well as the controls for a finely oiled machine like this game is. If you pick up one game during the off season to quench your thirst for America’s pastime make it MLB 10: The Show.[starreview tpl=16] 4.5/5