(Another from our new contributor, GP)
It’s Springtime and even though most of us really haven’t had that much of a winter, it’s time once again to dust off our virtual gloves, pick up our pixelated bats, and head out to our digital ballpark of choice. And to what do we owe our time to now? MLB 12 The Show. Is it a ballpark hotdog, or a stale weiner? Let’s get into it.
Presentation: The game PLAYS like you’re watching a game on TV, and that really impressed me. Menu’s are easy to navigate except when it comes time to change pitchers. Then it becomes a pain. 8/10
Graphics: Beautiful renditions of all your favorite ballparks from Wrigley to Kauffman. Players don’t suffer from “Same Face Syndrome”. Crowd graphics are lively in any view, not flat or rigid. Frame rate leaves a bit to be desired, with the given that on the Vita it’s a small feat to run this game at all. 8.5/10
Sound: On the PS3 the commentary is a bit more lively than the Vita version, but they’re almost exactly the same. What made me fall in love with the game though was how on the Vita the commentary and sounds were like listening to the ballgame on an FM radio. Yes, not great quality, but nostalgia out the wazoo. 9.5/10
Gameplay: You can choose multiple levels of control capabilities before you start each game. From rookie, to Expert. The harder the level, the more you have to do. Easy to understand interfacing is a plus, while Expert modes make it freaking hard to hit a Homer. “Never Stop Playing” function between PS3 and Vita is almost seamless. It does exactly what it promises. 8/10
Replay: I played a shortened season from Spring Training to World Series and even a draft and found myself wanting more. Took the STL Cards (God bless a Missouri boy) to the Series and came away with a win. Now onto the Royals! 10/10
Overall: 9.0/10
Worth the dough? Yes.
