All you young guys should consider yourselves very, very lucky

[Eski33]

Re: All you young guys should consider yourselves very, very lucky

Okay, I lied: my first baseball video game was that Mattel handheld that was shaped like a baseball diamond, and had little red blips that represented the players. But I figured most of you wouldn't know what the heck I was talking about.

I know exactly what you are talking about along with Head-to-Head Football.

I played baseball on the Atari 2600 and Intellivision and video games has turned into a huge hobby. I agree that many of the younger generation of gamer don't appreciate what they have. When I was a kid, I dreamed of games having the real teams, let alone real players. Never did I imagine that we would have players' likenesses, custom music, actual stadiums that are detailed to the hilt.

People who dog Madden, The Show and other games need to stop and look. Go into instant replay and enjoy the little details. Games have come a long way since I started playing and although I understand some of the issues with games that hurt playability, getting on game designers because refs aren't in a game or so-and-so is missing finger tape is ridiculous.

I played baseball at the collegiate level and know that baseball is the most difficult sport to emulate because of averages and the million nuances involved. The Show is not perfect but it is the best at emulating the real game.

[Eski33]

Re: All you young guys should consider yourselves very, very lucky

Wow, I was going to start a threat asking where this game ranks all-time vs. other baseball games and sports games -- considering some have said it's the best.

And to see at the top of this page, someone mentioned High Heat with Schilling on the cover. I was going to say this is the best baseball game since then. That game was great! A total simulation that was easy to pick up and play, was intuitive and could appeal to arcade and simulation lovers alike.

Since that High Heat, I've struggled to find a baseball game that let me do as much and just had as much detail. The simulation aspect was spot on, you could warm up your pitchers (something that, believe it or not was hard to find before and after High Heat) and it was just a ... relaxing experience. I wanted the 2K baseball games to be that, and I thought they had something when the ESPN license was in full use. I'm big on controlling any team's lineup whenever I wish and play any game I wish as the season progresses. A lot of games (ESPECIALLY MVP) did not provide that.

This MLB 09 does!

So, I ask two things:

1) Where does this game rank, baseball-wise?

In baseball titles, I think it's the best since High Heat with Schilling on the cover. (That game may have made the biggest improvement in one year than any game. High Heat the year before with Vlad on the cover was good on the PC, but horrendous on the PS2. Probably the worst baseball game I've ever played.) High Heat with Schill was great, but technology gets better, and MLB does so accordingly.

2) Where does this game rank among all sports games?

This is where I disagree from what I've read. I think last year's NBA 2K8 and College Hoops 2K8 were the best sports gaming experiences I've had. Nothing may beat NBA Live 96 for me, but going with progression -- and my love for basketball -- I loved those two hoops games last year. Those rank No. 1, but MLB 09 is definitely the prettiest game ever. And you know what, baseball games should be the prettiest.

To answer the first question, it depends on what you are talking about. I have always enjoyed text-based sims and Statis-Pro Baseball on the Commodore 64 was absolutely awesome. In terms of console games, here are my top five:

1) The Show -- I won't list a year because the game has been solid since '06
2) MVP -- EA finally started to get baseball right before it was ripped from its hands
3) Baseball Stars -- The ability to create your own team and raise the attributes was outstanding...Not to mention this game updated batting averages with each at-bat
4) The original RBI -- This is where I first got hooked
5) Earl Weaver (yes, this was on the PC but it was awesome)

To answer question #2:

I think The Show has to be in the top two or three in terms of visuals and gameplay. The NHL series has made a huge comeback over the past three years and is the lone sports title to dominate on the next-gen consoles in terms of playability, options and visuals...However, games I enjoyed over the years:

1) Double-Dribble (NES) -- Game made shooting 3-pointers fun
2) NBA Live (Genesis) -- The best versions of Live were on the Genesis
3) Madden -- The game people love to hate
4) NCAA Football -- This game has moved past Madden in terms of playability
5) Tiger Woods Golf -- Finally, the game is playable again...

[EightbIts]

Re: All you young guys should consider yourselves very, very lucky

34 here. Baseball has always been my favorite video game sport. I just feel the most in control, less scripted than others (football specifically). Probably because of the batter pitcher interface. Never the less this game has reinvinted sports video gaming for me, I feel like I am twelve again, excited before each game...truly awesome, If the devs were here with me i would hug um..non gay style. Side note I even played the APBA dice baseball game...that is hardcore. Where double Sixes was a HR...lol that game was pretty tight.

Man I still love APBA baseball. Nothing better than the feeling of rolling a 66! I absolutely wore out the card set from the 1985 season. All that said, MLB 09 The Show is in a single word...amazing.

[Ohpityme]

Re: All you young guys should consider yourselves very, very lucky

I used to think this game was amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI123iAUbDY&feature=related

Its weird in my head when I look back at it...it looks graphically the same as The Show 09 does.

Nostalgia aint what it used to be

[Heelfan71]

Re: All you young guys should consider yourselves very, very lucky

Remember playing this game like crazy

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[DrUrsus]

Re: All you young guys should consider yourselves very, very lucky

Remember playing this game like crazy

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Heelfan, I played that game like crazy. Brings back memories. I remember driving to downtown Chicago just to get that game early since it was the only store within 100 miles that had it a few days early.

[Shamrock_11]

Re: All you young guys should consider yourselves very, very lucky

35 yrs old here. I've watched the sports video game genre grow from day one. I've watched baseball series come and go on system after system. 95% of the time I'm constantly let down. I went out and bought a PS3 last spring just to play MLB The Show 08....one of the best sport investments I've made. This game is one for the ages. This is THE game I've always dreamed about that won't dissapoint me and leave me wanting. After 20+games I can safely say that. The "must buy" endorsement is thrown around very loosely these days, but MLB The Show 09 is a MUST BUY if ever there was one.

[DrUrsus]

Re: All you young guys should consider yourselves very, very lucky

35 yrs old here. I've watched the sports video game genre grow from day one. I've watched baseball series come and go on system after system. 95% of the time I'm constantly let down. I went out and bought a PS3 last spring just to play MLB The Show 08....one of the best sport investments I've made. This game is one for the ages. This is THE game I've always dreamed about that won't dissapoint me and leave me wanting. After 20+games I can safely say that. The "must buy" endorsement is thrown around very loosely these days, but MLB The Show 09 is a MUST BUY if ever there was one.

I agree, I just want a few things patched, and this game will be the ultimate baseball game.

[brahmagoul]

Re: All you young guys should consider yourselves very, very lucky

What do you want patched?

By the way, that Sports Talk Baseball clip was awesome. Takes me back to Joe Montana Sports Talk Football ... "a loss of 5 ... b-yards!"

Looking back. I think RBI Baseball was really ahead of its time. I think that was the first game to have some real stadiums because I remember the fountains in K.C. It might have been RBI 4.

[Rebel10]

Re: All you young guys should consider yourselves very, very lucky

Okay, I lied: my first baseball video game was that Mattel handheld that was shaped like a baseball diamond, and had little red blips that represented the players. But I figured most of you wouldn't know what the heck I was talking about.

Played it... many pre-Christmas's as a kid were spent with that. My parents never let me have videogames/TV in my room as a little kid (good decision) so on Christmas or Birthday mornings, when I'd wake up at like 5am, the only electronic stimulus I had was that handheld baseball game.

After that, it was Bases Loaded on the NES, then I took a haitus for a little while, picking up Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball for Genesis... took a break before trying Triple Play Gold for the genesis, that I hated, and then High Heat 99 which I played a lot of... then MVP Baseball 2003, 2004, 2005, '06 (NCAA), and I've bought 2K the last two years and hated it... so I finally made the jump to The Show and PS3. Love this game and the extra's... every time I see a baserunner flipping out at a close play at 1st, and they do it so well... I love it.

[Iron]

Re: All you young guys should consider yourselves very, very lucky

I'm 33 and first baseball game I ever played was Major League Baseball on Intellivision. My friend and I wrote down stats of all the games we played against each other; hits, rbi, sb, etc... we just had such a great time...

[baseball88]

Re: All you young guys should consider yourselves very, very lucky

All these sports video games have come along way through the years.

[Rebel10]

Re: All you young guys should consider yourselves very, very lucky

Haha, I also used to have this one when I was a kid. This was my "PSP" of the past that I used to take everywhere!

Haha, dude that's what I had.

[ChicagoSparty]

Re: All you young guys should consider yourselves very, very lucky

Heelfan, I played that game like crazy. Brings back memories. I remember driving to downtown Chicago just to get that game early since it was the only store within 100 miles that had it a few days early.

That clip of Sports Talk Baseball looks way better than I remembered! Loved that game so much.

[RealManOfGenius]

Re: All you young guys should consider yourselves very, very lucky

With the way the economy is going, people might start having a lot more time to play this game than they want.