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"It may well be that we spectators, who are not divinely gifted as athletes, are the only ones able to truly see, articulate and animate the experience of the gift we are denied. And that those who receive and act out the gift of athletic genius must, perforce, be blind and dumb about it -- and not because blindness and dumbness are the price of the gift, but because they are its essence." - David Foster Wallace
"You'll not find more penny-wise/pound-foolish behavior than in Major League Baseball." - Rob NeyerComment
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Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions
I wonder if he's just as blind on the base paths."It may well be that we spectators, who are not divinely gifted as athletes, are the only ones able to truly see, articulate and animate the experience of the gift we are denied. And that those who receive and act out the gift of athletic genius must, perforce, be blind and dumb about it -- and not because blindness and dumbness are the price of the gift, but because they are its essence." - David Foster Wallace
"You'll not find more penny-wise/pound-foolish behavior than in Major League Baseball." - Rob NeyerComment
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Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions
I've seen umps on bases behind the plate and the last game I played, Woody Keller was at second.
I'm convinced he calls runners out or safe based off a coin flip.
I can't shave with my eyes closed, meaning each day I have to look at myself in the mirror and respect who I see.
I miss the old days of Operation Sports :(
Louisville Cardinals/St.Louis CardinalsComment
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Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions
I think every single one of us married guys have had this exact same circumstance.
I feel for you brothaComment
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"It may well be that we spectators, who are not divinely gifted as athletes, are the only ones able to truly see, articulate and animate the experience of the gift we are denied. And that those who receive and act out the gift of athletic genius must, perforce, be blind and dumb about it -- and not because blindness and dumbness are the price of the gift, but because they are its essence." - David Foster Wallace
"You'll not find more penny-wise/pound-foolish behavior than in Major League Baseball." - Rob NeyerComment
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Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions
I second that. However, my wife is pregnant and while she has not been sick...she falls asleep at like 8PM every night. When her eyes shut, The Show comes on.
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Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions
Ok, I tend to lurk on these boards and soak in what everybody is saying about the game. I like to get in several full games under my belt before I form my overall opinion of the game. I know that for the most part, my impressions are coming late, but for those of you who still don't have the game, or are on the fence on whether to buy the game (or buy a PS3 in order to have the ability to play the game), let me just say that YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!
I was one of those people who didn't want to spend $600 for a PS3 just so that I could play the Show, so I sat out last year and tried MLB2k8 for XBOX360. Rookie mistake on my part. After countless posts that I read about the greatness of The Show for '08 I started considering the purchase of a PS3 back in November. I won my fantasy football league in December, and suddenly I had a little extra cash to purchase a PS3 and that's what I did! I bought the SHOW '08 as my only game, and let me just say that I was wowed! But as the weeks passed, and anticipation grew for the SHOW '09, I became a little bored with '08. So, I finally stopped playing so that I would feel that NEWNESS when '09 finally hit the shelves.
Here we go, I pick up the game on Tuesday, but because of my work schedule, I could not play it until Wed. night. I took Thursday off to engulf myself in the SHOW, and I have played probably about 12-15 full games. Here is what I think:
The SHOW '09 is simply a marvelous game. The "little things" is what truly separates this game from the pack (and I mean all sports games). The attention to detail is stunning. The first thing that I noticed when playing with the Dodgers is of course, the lighting and the graphics. WOW!!!! I am not a graphics whore, but I feel a little bit slutty right now. Truly sensational graphics, and the stadiums are so well done, I feel like I am a kid in a candy store checking out all these ballparks. Now, because of the game, I want to go visit all these stadiums in real life because they look so breathtaking!
The second thing I noticed was that almost every single Dodger has their batting stance perfected. I had heard about this Batting Stance Guy and was excited about it. But dude, you made a tremendous difference this year! I had no idea how many stances this guy would perfect. Great job, dude! And thanks to SCEA for having the balls to hire this guy. I hope you continue to use his real skill in future games.
Between the lines, this game delivers a sim experience like no other. The randomness of everything that can happen in a MLB baseball game is replicated perfectly by the Show. The hit variety reminds me of MVP '05. That is most important to me...I have to feel like I can put the ball in any location of the stadium, based on my timing, the pitch location, and how hard I hit the ball. I feel that way, and when I do get ahold of one with Manny and see him in that signature two-hands-up-in-the-air-pointing-to-the-sky follow through I truly feel satisfied.
But, what really gets me immersed in this game, is the feeling that I am watching a televised broadcast. The cut scenes are varied and done just about as well as they can be done. They usually make perfect sense, and bring out the emotion of the game! Guys argue calls, threaten the pitcher after getting beaned, celebrate big moments, kick dirt around in the infield, shake their head in disgust after a bad play, etc, etc, etc. I have seen the bat slip out of the batter's hands and head into the crowd. I have seen so many different cut scenes in the 12-15 games I have played, and then I read about other ones that people have seen that I have not encountered yet! This is what immerses me into the game. Presentation really makes or breaks a game for me, and MLB The Show '09 is the new king on presentation.
The gameplay also is important and the Show nailed it. The pitcher/batter duel is just about perfect. I love it when I am on the mound and I get one of those pesky slap hitters like David Eckstein fouling off all my pitches. We get into a battle and I really feel like I have to concentrate to get him out, otherwise I walk him or he slaps a single into left. On the flip side, I love getting broken off by one of those killer breaking balls. Well done here.
Also, the fileding animations are top notch. They look so real. My only minor complaint is that I still feel like I lose control sometimes to those animations. Also, the throwing meter is pointless IMO, I don't feel like it makes a difference when I release it. Am I wrong?
The ability to create your own soundtrack, create your own walk-up music, and create your own HR music reminds me of the good old days with NFL 2k5. This is an underrated feature that keeps the game fresh for me!!!! I ripped Zombie Nation onto the PS3 so that I could use that song whenever the Dodgers hit a HR at home, like they do in real life! This feature is exciting to me as it gives me the ability to replicate the sounds of Dodger Stadium if I so desire. I can't wait to give all the Dodgers their correct walk-up song. Also, I haven't tried the chant creator yet, but this is another great feature. Having fans chant A-Roid should be a lot of fun to hear!
I know this game isn't perfect. There are some minor glitches, and you are gonna have to let some stuff slide. But, if you simply sit back and soak in the presentation and immerse yourself in the game, you can feel at times like you are watching the real thing, while you control the action. It's simply a lot of fun to play, and with all the little improvements to the game play and the added feature set, this game is much more fun for me than '08. This game is the best sports game I have ever played, bar none. I am astounded at all the little details and cut scenes, as well as the signature styles and tendencies of all the big leaguers that was put into this game. Batting stances, pitcher's nuances, managers, bench coaches, mascots, stadium details, customization, sunglasses, etc all bring this game to life. This is as close to the real thing as you are going to get! The game is not perfect, but it is PERFECT for me.
GRAPHICS: 9.8
ANIMATIONS: 10
GAMEPLAY: 9.8
REPLAY VALUE: 10
SOUND: 10
FRANCHISE: 9.5
CUSTOMIZATION: 9.8 (difficulty in roster movement prevents a 10)
OVERALL SCORE: 9.8
P.S. I am a franchise guy, and rarely go online, so keep in mind that I have no idea how it plays online and my score does not include that aspect of the game.Last edited by laker8la; 03-06-2009, 03:37 PM.Comment
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Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions
My God I cant hit for ish. 6 games played and have a total of 12 hits, 9 of those home runs and the rest singles. No doubles or triples yet in 6 games. Clearly I have not won a game yet. I hit perfectly fine on 08 but this one...not a chance. i play on all star level. guess its time for the lower one!Comment
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Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions
There is no doubt this game has issues. CPU doesn't swing at enought balls, hitting can be very difficult, even on low difficulty settings, sliders don't work as well as I thought they would, WAY to many singles. It's a good game, but for people to say it's perfect is absolutely ridiculous.Comment
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Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions
^^Not having these issues. Game isnt perfect, but it is perfect for me.Comment
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Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions
There are a ton of people saying hitting is harder this year but I actually feel it's a little easier and more to my liking. I sucked last year so anything is an improvement! Maybe playing a ton of the demo helps?
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