MLB 09 The Show & MLB 2k9

[Craig Th 0]

I like the new idea behind the pitching with the RS (unless it was like that last year with the 360 because I only played it on the PS2). However, I still can't stand the swing stick. Will there be an option to change it to classic?

[Guest Smues]

It's incredibly annoying to me how you can't be signed into X-box live if you don't download an update to the game you're playing. I don't want to patch 2K9 yet, but I often chat over x-box live with a buddy of mine while we're both playing random games, and I can't do that if I don't download the patch. Really lame.

 

And as if that wasn't bad enough I just loaded up the game for the first time and I'm getting that awful Steal My Sunshine song. Who thought that was a good idea?

 

What I DO like, is the music option. Like any sports game the first thing I do when I get it is run for the music menu to turn off all the garbage, and whilst doing so I noticed that you can set what plays for each player when they're at the plate, and you use music off of your 360 and not the music on the game. I need to get to ripping some music as I really like this feature. You can also choose what music is used for various events like inning over and homeruns. So awesome.

 

And to answer Mole yes you can turn on classic batting and classic pitching. The day they stop making that an option (especially for batting) is the day I stop buying new baseball games.

 

 

 

 

[Guest Smues]

I'll save my thoughts on gameplay for a later post when I've played more than one game. I just felt that I needed to mention that in a game of 2K9 I just stole 2nd base. Why is this mentionable? Because I was out by a mile, but the 2nd basemen just stood there holding the ball, facing center field. I made it in safely, but because I'm not familier with the controls yet I hit the stick I thought would make me slide, and instead actually made me turn around and head back to first. So I turned him back around and went back to 2nd, all with the 2nd basemen just staring off into space with the ball in his glove. THAT is shitty coding. I mean like really really bad. Not promising.

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

IGN has reviewed both games. I didn't have a chance to read either review yet but The Show gets an 8.7 and 2k9 gets a 6.8. I believe the show only gets an 8.7 due to the fact that it doesn't offer anything really big over last years game. MLB 2k9 gets blasted due to bugs, glitches and not enough in the game compared to the show.

[Cartman 0]

While I agree about not a whole lot of new things were added between Show 08 and 09...The tweaks and few new features they DID add make it well worth the purchase. Just being able to put my music in the game, use it for batter and pitcher intro's, and edit what part of the songs you want for intro's and HR celebrations makes it worth it. The creating of your own chants and taunts via Microphone is an awesome little touch too.

 

Gameplay wise they made it alot more smooth in every aspect. The ball feels like it moves like a real ball would move, speed and momentum wise. The Graphics are MUCH improved also. Last years game was so awesome I am glad they didn't mess with anything major this time around.

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

I had a funny glitch in The Show. The LF catches the ball along the foul line to make the final out. He tosses the ball into the stands and then runs down into and through the stands on his way to the dugout.

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

I am in love with MLB 09 The Show. It is the best baseball game to come out to date. I have been playing on veteran status without using sliders. Here are my thoughts on the game so far.

 

The graphics have set the standard for all sports games to come out. The player models are 90-100 percent accurate for each player in their body shape, face and stance. The ballparks are breath taking and 99.9999 percent accurate. Playing the game is almost like watching the real thing on tv. It is funny to think how far videogames have come. I can only imagine how lifelike the series is going to be on the PS4. There are some minor clipping issues in the game but it doesn't detract from the beauty of the game. It should also be noted that the lighting in this game is phenomenel. The time of day and ballpark all cast shadows on the stands, players and field and you can watch as day turns into dusk or dusk turn into night.

 

The gameplay is pretty fun. I haven't noticed any severe glitches yet that would affect gameplay. The hitting in this game can be pretty tough. You really are forced to work the count and force the pitcher into giving you a hittable pitch. I have only faced #1 pitchers so far (Kazmir, Hamels, Beckett, Santana) so that might be a reason why. The pitching so far in the game is a bit easier than the hitting but you can still get shelled if you make a bad bitch. I find it funny to admit but I love the way the pitching works in this game. Your pitcher can lose control if you do not time the meter right and throw lots of balls and even give up walks. My main problem with baseball games in the past is that pitchers were always 90 percent accurate and hardly ever give up walks or even throw a ball. At the end of the season my starting pitchers would all have like 10 walks on the season in 200 innings.

 

I rate this game 9.5 after 6 hours of gameplay.

[Cartman 0]

The fact that even if you nail the pitching meter dead on, you still throw balls sometimes, is amazingly great. It can be frustrating at times but it's there for a reason. I used to hate how easily it was to dominate while pitching in other games before The Show.

[Big McLargeHuge 0]

That particular part of The Show frustrated the hell out of me. I understand the intention to make it realistic but it was frustrating when it would happen on every pitch and no amount of adjusting the sliders could stop it even a bit. I think it's a neat feature to add a challenge to pitching but there should be a sense of customization to it instead of being at its mercy all the time.

 

I'm with Al, the MVP series is tops for me. Nailed everything just right. Made you actually wanna play a game instead of simming an entire season. I've only got 360, Wii and PS2. I'll probably stick with MVP '05 for now, though I'll probably rent The Show.

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

That particular part of The Show frustrated the hell out of me. I understand the intention to make it realistic but it was frustrating when it would happen on every pitch and no amount of adjusting the sliders could stop it even a bit. I think it's a neat feature to add a challenge to pitching but there should be a sense of customization to it instead of being at its mercy all the time.

 

I'm with Al, the MVP series is tops for me. Nailed everything just right. Made you actually wanna play a game instead of simming an entire season. I've only got 360, Wii and PS2. I'll probably stick with MVP '05 for now, though I'll probably rent The Show.

 

 

It doesn't happen on every pitch all of the time. The only time I have given up walks are when I am completly missing the zone and my pitcher starts to get rattled and the yellow part gets smaller and goes away. That is realistic. I am sick of baseball games wear I can win 7-1, 6-2 easily every single time and have all 5 of my starting pitchers be Cy Young candidates.

 

The Show 09 on the PS3 is a very fun game with accurate gameplay. The game requires strategy in some games to win. It comes down to if you are able to work a walk, bunt the runner over to 2nd, get a key hit with a risp and less than 2 outs. It makes every at bat and every pitch important. I just lose a nail bitter against the Rays because Crawford was able to get a leadoff double in the top of the 9th and the rest of the team was able to to do the little things to drive him in.

 

I am sorry that you do not have a PS3 yet. This game on a HDTV is as close to watching the real thing as it gets. It is even more great because are playing it.

[Big McLargeHuge 0]

It isn't just walks. It's throwing a 4 seam fastball on the outside part of the plate and seeing it take off up and in to a hitter. And that's while hitting the yellow accuracy bar in the pitch meter perfectly. Missing by a few inches is understandable. I like realism but I dread using breaking pitches a lot of the time because I have no clue where the pitch is gonna end up. It wouldn't be a huge problem if I weren't still playing on Veteran difficulty. There should be a bit more leeway on easier difficulties.

 

I will say that The Show is miles better than the 2k games. I got 2k8 used and cheap and I've still gone back to MVP and The Show 08. And I love that you can actually work a walk on offense in the Show.

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

Did you play around with the sliders? What pitcher were you using? Were you using a variable ump or was balls/strikes strict to the strike zone? How tired was your pitcher? Were the pitch types you were throwing his 3rd/4th best pitch? There are so many variables. I am sorry but I have had 2008 and 2009 The Show and I haven't had any problems with the pitching mechanics.

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

Gamespot just reviewed MLB 2k9 and gave it a 4.5 rating. The main points of the review were all of the gameplay glitches, the stat glitches and the fact that you can hit homeruns with ease in the game.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

What platform?

 

I think it's obvious now after four years that exclusivity has been a disaster for MLB gamers. 2K9 Sports has not the foggiest clue of how to design a good baseball game. The Show line is better but only available on Playstation platforms. And beyond that, four years after MVP Baseball '05 and they still have not produced a superior option.

 

I did end up picking up MLB 09 The Show for PS2, since it was only $30. They added a bunch of new features like salary arbitration, service time, etc. to create a more true offseason experience. Great effort but it's a bit overwhelming at first. If I have trouble with it, I can imagine what the average gamer does. I think the main issue is that they don't give salary guidelines or things of that nature, so you're poking at numbers blindly. An MLB club knows exactly what every other player in baseball is making.

 

The Show currently has television advertisements touting the re walism of the game. Specifically the hole in Dustin Pedroia's plate coverage. It amazes me that they'll tag stuff like that and then give Raul Ibanez a better fielding rating than Jayson Werth.

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

What platform?

 

I think it's obvious now after four years that exclusivity has been a disaster for MLB gamers. 2K9 Sports has not the foggiest clue of how to design a good baseball game. The Show line is better but only available on Playstation platforms. And beyond that, four years after MVP Baseball '05 and they still have not produced a superior option.

 

I did end up picking up MLB 09 The Show for PS2, since it was only $30. They added a bunch of new features like salary arbitration, service time, etc. to create a more true offseason experience. Great effort but it's a bit overwhelming at first. If I have trouble with it, I can imagine what the average gamer does. I think the main issue is that they don't give salary guidelines or things of that nature, so you're poking at numbers blindly. An MLB club knows exactly what every other player in baseball is making.

 

The Show currently has television advertisements touting the re walism of the game. Specifically the hole in Dustin Pedroia's plate coverage. It amazes me that they'll tag stuff like that and then give Raul Ibanez a better fielding rating than Jayson Werth.

 

Both the Xbox 360 and PS3 version of MLB 2k9 received a 4.5 from gamespot. I understand that you love MVP 05 but it is not a better game than The Show 2009. The Show is the best baseball videogame not videogame baseball that I have ever played and it looks like the real thing. It also plays like the real thing. It is lacking a little in presentation and announcing but it more than makes up for it in graphics and gameplay. The game doesn't really offer anything new that is innovative or revolutionary. It just does every aspect from above average to great. You are also judging the game off of a port. It is not going to be as good as the PS3 version. IGN rated the game a low 7 for the PS2. The PS3 version received an 8.7.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I assume you're referring to the PS3 version? I'm still playing PS2.

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

yes.. I would love to read some user reviews of MLB 2k9. I would like to rent it to see how bad it really is.

[migoli 0]

I bought 2K9 Friday and it is the first game i've bought since MVP 05. I had a roommate that has got every 2K since 07 so I have played it but never more then maybe 10 games each year. The biggest problem I had with this game everyother year is true this year. If I throw a ball in the dirt low and away you should not be able to PULL it 400 feet . Flat out makes no sense. Well I just started a season with the Twins yesterday and through 6 games I think ive hit 20 or so HRs including 9 with Morneau. I honestly at this point get more excitied when I DON'T hit a HR. Plus does anyone else seem like there are alot of errors in this game? I must have 1-2 personally then the CPU will have 1-2. Its a little much really. And what is the deal with players slowing down before the catch a fly ball? Has it always been like that? It kind of seems like it doesn't happen when you are running side to side but running up or down it seems o really struggle with that.

 

 

.....Wish I still had MVP.

[Guest Smues]

So I've been holding off on writing up my thoughts on 2K9. I wanted to get in a lot of games and so I wasn't just basing my opinions off of just a few experiences. I also wanted to be in a level headed mindset when I wrote this up. But that isn't going to happen, so instead I present to you:

 

FUCK this broke ass game - By Smues

 

FUCK this broke ass game. I have now had not one but TWO different franchise save files become unplayable. Oh sure I can load them, but the moment I try to load up the team's schedule my x-box freezes and I have to power on/power off. And it's not just my x-box, because it does the same thing on my wife's x-box. But first I guess I need to mention a couple of things to set this up. First off, we have two x-boxs, because my wife had one before she moved in with me. We have mine in the living room, with the wifi-dongle connected to x-box live, and hers in the bedroom, with no internet connection. Second, the 2K guys are so incompetent that on launch day there was already an update/patch to download to fix their mistakes.

 

I choose not to immediately download this patch because I wanted to exploit the extra free agents that would be available. I figured I'd have one franchise that I created pre-patch and one post patch. So I spent half a damn day signing and trading guys and making a really over powered low payroll team, played few games with them, and then updated my game. BIG mistake. Pre-patch save files don't mingle well with the patch, and now that save file is broken. Like I said above, the moment I click on schedule it's over. Well fuck that's really sloppy coding, but whatever right? I'll move on.

 

So I'm updated and I create a new franchise. I play 4 or 5 games with them and everything is fine. So last night, as I often do with other games, I move my save file to a memory unit and take it to the bedroom so I can play a game before going to sleep. As I mentioned that x-box is without x-box live so it won't have the patch. I'm not sure if the franchise file will load, but it does and all is well. Until today, when I take it back to my main x-box and discover that file is now fucked. Apparently post-patch saves work on a pre-patch copy of the game, but not vice versa. SLOPPY MOTHERFUCKING CODING. And just to make sure it wasn't my x-box I brought the wifi-dongle over to the over X-box and downloaded the patch, and sure enough now neither of those saves work on it. Cocksucker. So if I want to continue either of those franchises I'll have to delete the updates, and basically only play them in the bedroom x-box. Or I could delete the update on my main one and play them, but then I can't be signed into x-box live ever while playing. FUCK YOU 2K. That's ridiculous. I'm sure not everybody moves save files between machines, but I can't be the only one who does it, and I'm sure there are plenty of people who won't download the update right away, then be assfucked when they do. Like I said, FUCK this broke ass game.

 

So, that out of the way, what about the game itself? Well the first thing that happens when you load it up is it defaults to having a Phillies vs Devil Rays game ready. No problem, except if you push start, like I do by habit thinking it might, I dunno, BRING UP A MENU SCREEN, it loads the game, and you have to wait for the game to load up to play before you can quit out and actually get to a menu. You have to hit B, and possibly other buttons, instead to get a menu and not start an exhibition Devil Rays/Phillies game. It's just annoying because 4/5 times that I load the game up I still hit start out of habit thinking it'll bring up the menus.

 

So once you actually get into the menus and not a game it's fairly easy to navigate, no complaints there. But the game play? Oh boy. No steps forward, two steps back, this game sucks cus...opposites attract? I was a big fan of 2k8. It wasn't perfect, but it was very playable. This one, not as much. For starters the graphics seem to have taken a major step back. I remember the previous 2k games looking awesome, this one is just missing something. And maybe it's just me but the player models seem to have taken a major step back. And this year they've hyped how they switched to this 'tv presentation mode' and I must say I don't like it at all. For example, between each half inning the sound cuts out and the screen goes black, then it comes back, like they went to commercial. It's annoying and I really wish there was a way to turn it off. I'm ok with the new announcers, mainly because I got really sick of Joe Morgan in past games.

 

As for game play itself, again it's like several steps backwards compared to past year. As usually they had goofy 'dynamic' hitting and pitching options that use the right stick, and classic which don't. In past games I just always switch to classic of both and am happy. Well they've kind of nerfed classic pitching if you ask me. It used to be a lot better/more fun. Classic hitting still works fine though. Back to pitching though, they got rid of the payoff pitch system, which I really liked. The catcher also seems to call for the same pitch all game, and he calls for far too many fast balls right down the middle of the plate. Yeah, I'm gonna throw that everytime.

 

They fucked with throwing controls this year, going for an MVP style power bar, but they suck and couldn't code it properly so you end up under or over throwing just about every time. Fielding also is a lot more akward this year, as most every ball hit into the outfield I end up running away from the ball then scrambling back. Never had that problem in past version. And as has been already mentioned homeruns are too plentiful. I always suck at hitting in baseball games, that's just the way it goes. I suck at hitting and have to be great at pitching to make up for it. In the games I've played of this I've already hit plenty of homeruns, and it just seems like they slowed the pitches down or something because it's much easier to make contact every time. Not that being able to hit is a bad thing, but if I can do it so easily it must be fucked up.

 

Did I mention the homeruns? Well don't worry the game won't keep track of half of them. This thing is buggy as all hell when it comes to stat tracking. And it doesn't even try for in-game stat tracking. For example, when I'm at the plate in Turner Field I can see the turner tron and it shows the batters season stats. Except it's the season to-date not including the current game. So after I hit THREE homeruns in Casey Kotchman's first three at-bats of a game, on his fourth at bat it still says on the big screen that he has zero. Say it with me, SLOPPY CODING.

 

And there are probably a hundred other bugs I haven't discovered, but I see new ones everytime I play. Examples include stealing second because the 2nd basemen had the ball and was at the bag when I was 20 feet from the base, but he decided to stand on the bag and stare into the outfield and let me take the base, run off the base because I hit the wrong button, then run back to the base. The outfield must have had something REALLY interesting out there. Or one time I had Kotchman batting, and the announcers say "Kotchman at the plate" yet follow it up with "and the first pitch to McCann."

 

I really don't get it. 2K8 didn't have all these problems, plus it looked a hell of a lot sharper and played better.

 

This ranks up there with the worst $60 game purchases I've ever made. At $20 two years later yeah ok, but $60...man do I regret being a loyal customer of this franchise. Don't waste your money, get 2K8 and update the rosters.

 

 

 

[Guest Smues]

So Jimmy Rollins just popped up to my center fielder. Routine pop up so of course he drops it allowing Jimmy to get safely to 1st...except I notice on Jimmy's little runner icon it says 3, indicating he's heading to THIRD BASE. So I throw to 3rd, and after he finishes rounding 2nd he heads to 3rd and is out by about 20 miles. Huh?

 

 

[Guest Smues]

JESUS CHRIST. I just saw the most jaw droppingly stupid bug ever. And I can't even save the replay, or even just keep it current so I could record it somehow, because I instantly paused it and went to the replay option, but the play was already gone and it just shows the pitcher walking to the mound. GOD I wish I could show this to the world.

 

But anyway what happened? I hit one deep to right that bounced off the wall, Jason Werth picks it up...and RUNS IT ALL THE WAY BACK TO HOME PLATE. I can't even make this shit up.

[Precious Roy 0]

I just got MLB 09 for PS3, it's the first "The Show" game I've played and I could use a little help with the pitching meter. It's kind of frustrating because they don't explain it in the manual or anywhere onscreen in the game far as I can tell.

 

Best I can tell so far is hit X once to initiate the windup, then hit it at the peak of the meter, then one more time before the ball moves out of the hot zone. Is that the general idea? Doing that seems to get me the best speed on my pitches, but not a whole lot of accuracy as far as where I'm trying to place the ball. Everything seems to be going high up in the zone, so I must not be doing it right...

[migoli 0]

So Jimmy Rollins just popped up to my center fielder. Routine pop up so of course he drops it allowing Jimmy to get safely to 1st...except I notice on Jimmy's little runner icon it says 3, indicating he's heading to THIRD BASE. So I throw to 3rd, and after he finishes rounding 2nd he heads to 3rd and is out by about 20 miles. Huh?

 

 

I had something similar happen. I just hit a normal single and turned my head and when I look up Jason Kuble is running to 3B and I know I didn't send him.

 

Oh and in that same game first inning,each one of my OFs were safely where the pop up was going and both literally stood there as the ball bounced .......on them, through them however that can be explained. I honestly wanted to write the most nasty email I could think of to 2K after that game.

[Taxman 0]

Does The Show have the feature in season mode where a retired player can become a coach like in Madden?

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

I just got MLB 09 for PS3, it's the first "The Show" game I've played and I could use a little help with the pitching meter. It's kind of frustrating because they don't explain it in the manual or anywhere onscreen in the game far as I can tell.

 

Best I can tell so far is hit X once to initiate the windup, then hit it at the peak of the meter, then one more time before the ball moves out of the hot zone. Is that the general idea? Doing that seems to get me the best speed on my pitches, but not a whole lot of accuracy as far as where I'm trying to place the ball. Everything seems to be going high up in the zone, so I must not be doing it right...

 

 

Press X to start the meter, press x again when it goes to the left or right (based off of what arm you throw with) and then press x once again when the ball hits the yellow. The higher/harder up the meter you go the less likely you are going to hit yellow as it shrinks. If you do not go that far up the meter you will be able to have a larger yellow area to hit for the last x. Fastballs will usually get in the area you want if you mess up on the meter but you are going to pay if you mistime on a breaking pitch. It's either going to be a ball or hung over the plate.

[Cartman 0]

FYI you can also just hit and hold X until you get to the top of the meter then release X if you want. Both ways work the same.

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

Gamespot.com has a dead on review of MLB The Show 2009. They loved everything about the game except for the loading times for RTTS and that the game is a little diffult for casual gamers. They ended up giving the game a 9.0.

 

I am really loving the presentation in the game. I was playing a game between the Yankees and the Giants. Before the game started Matt V. had a half minute speech about how the teams used to be seperated by a couple of blocks in NYC and are now on opposite coasts etc. When Xavier Nady came up to bat it was mentioned that he was a local college star across the Bay. I then played a game as the Mets in the new Citi Field. After the game the pa over the speakers gave people the correct way to get home via train or highway.

 

It is like the makers of this game thought of every single detail and put it into the game. The gameplay is so flawless and smooth and after 20 hours I have barely noticed any serious glitch. My only minor complaint so far is that there are times when the ball would be hit and the game has you take over the non logical fielder. It has happened once or twice so far where the ball would be hit to Left Centerfield and the lf would be a little bit closer but the game has you control the CF. This leads to you breaking the wrong way until you realize you are controlling the CF and have to run back to the left after breaking right.

 

 

[tonyjaymzretro 0]

the difference between the show and 2k9 is a fucking ocean...I went out and bought a psp just for the show

 

right now im toiling in the minors....and it is amazing

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Did I mention the homeruns? Well don't worry the game won't keep track of half of them. This thing is buggy as all hell when it comes to stat tracking. And it doesn't even try for in-game stat tracking. For example, when I'm at the plate in Turner Field I can see the turner tron and it shows the batters season stats. Except it's the season to-date not including the current game. So after I hit THREE homeruns in Casey Kotchman's first three at-bats of a game, on his fourth at bat it still says on the big screen that he has zero. Say it with me, SLOPPY CODING.

 

Let me share a story about 2K6 for PlayStation 2: I was probably up to about August in the franchise, and A-Rod had around 40 homers or so. All of a sudden, one game, his home run totals become a negative number. So now he had -40 HR and each one he hit after that brought the count closer to zero. Kind of like the doomsday clock that they put on Marvin's post count. It was absurd.

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

the difference between the show and 2k9 is a fucking ocean...I went out and bought a psp just for the show

 

right now im toiling in the minors....and it is amazing

 

 

Do you have the ps3 version as well?