Power Pros Forum

I once owned MLB 09 The Show for PSP. Maybe it's much better on the PS2 and PS3, but this game is pure garbage. This is easily the worst baseball game I've ever played.

The primary problem is pitching is completely nerfed in this game. As every baseball fanatic knows, pitching is most of the game. You basically have the option of either using a meter or holding down the button longer to throw a faster pitch. Both are worthless. There are several times when you will hit the meter PERFECTLY and the pitch still misses for a ball. This is especially prevalent for off speed breaking pitches. Sliders and curveballs are completely worthless. I understand no pitcher throws strikes all the time, but why do they make you use a meter if it's going to miss randomly anyway? Oh, and by the way, the meter will suddenly speed up approximately 50 times faster than the speed of light once there are CPU baserunners.

The other method isn't any better. The hold down the button option basically yields two results: either don't hold down the button long and throw a 80 mph 4 seam fastball that sometimes goes where you want it to, or hold it down for a decent fastball that will probably miss the strike zone completely.

Unfortunately, fiddling with the sliders doesn't seem to help. The CPU will constantly knock balls out of the bark and hit balls perfectly down the lines regardless of how you adjust the settings. Even on the easiest difficulty, the game is ludicrously difficult.

And yes, I do have some baseball video game experience. I've played: RBI Baseball (NES), Legends of the Diamond (NES), Ken Griffey's Baseball (SNES), Triple Play Baseball (PS2), MVP Baseball 2005 (GC), MLP Power Pros 2007 and 2008 (Wii and DS).

It's a shame games like this have the limelight, while quality baseball games like MLB Power Pros fade into the shadows. Never played the 2K series, so I'm not sure if it's any good.

I did enjoy Legend of the Diamond, Ken Griffey's Baseball, and MVP Baseball. Maybe EA will pick up the MVP franchise around 2013 once the contract MLB has with the first party developers expires. MVP is leagues better than this mess heap called The Show. The people responsible for this franchise deserve to be fired... preferable out of a cannon.

Well this is the first "I'm terrible at this game so it's obviously the game's fault." topic here.

Okay, let's review my post, shall we?

1. I explained in detail how the pitching mechanics are poor. It's impossible to dominate as a pitcher since the pitches go in random directions, regardless of how well you do with the meter. Therefore you'll give up a lot of hits and homers that should've never happened in the first place. There is absolutely no logic whatsoever to how pitching works. If someone can explain this feature in this game to me, please do.

2. I explained I have played other baseball games. It's not like this is the first baseball game I've ever played. I finished Legends of the Diamond for the NES. I have had some success on harder settings on MVP and Power Pros.

There is a difference between what you said and a game being challenging because of terrible mechanics and faulty controls. Way to actually read my post.

I get the impression that most games like that are very home run happy because let's face it that's what people want. I remember playing the demo for MLB 2k8 or 2k9 and after several tries I kept getting rocked no matter what the difficulty was on. I'm not even talking in an 'oops I left that down the middle' kinda way but it was like every batter had immaculate batting control. Plus if they even got even a little bit of lift it was a homer. I heard The Show is a little bit better but I'm guessing it's almost the same way.

If you think this is garbage, then take a look at ESPN Baseball Tonight on the Sega Genesis...it's pure crap. Batting and pitching mechanics are bad, and when your opponent hits the ball, you obviously have no idea where it went, so you have to rely on the camera most of the time. That's garbage right there.

Kinda strange how apparently you can set the settings on the easiest and give up cheap home runs. But when I do it, it's usually a 15+ strikeout shutout. That's obviously credited to faulty controls.

The last baseball game I had aside from Power Pros was MLB07. The pitching meter worked just fine for me and there were people WAY better than me online, so I think your argument that the game is too hard is kind of disproven. And I totally agree with you about the MVP series. I got so ticked when I saw a commercial for MLB07 that called it "the most realistic baseball simulation ever" when MVP 04's graphics were MILES ahead of it. We definitely need EA Sports to take ack the reigns of the MLB video games industry.

Maybe it's not as hard as I think. Maybe for whatever bizarre reason, I just struggle with this particular baseball game more than others. I should also remind you all I'm discussing the PSP version. Perhaps the PS2 and PS3 versions don't have these issues. It might just be particular to the PSP. I know the Wii and DS Power Pros 2008 are completely different in terms of subtleties and mechanics. As I was saying, if someone would be willing to give me some pointers, I would listen.

I don't mind giving up a home run every now and then, but I do think I have a valid case with bad pitching mechanics when I

1. Do not go into the yellow or red during the power phrase

and

2. Hit the white spot during the control phase

and

3. The ball still sails nowhere near its intended destination

I would be okay with # 3 happening, but not if they are going to make you use a meter. If it's going to be random anyway, then why not pick a spot and have it hit based on the pitcher's attributes? The meter appears to compeltely worthless.

So Cooldude, since you're obviousy and expert at this game and are calling out my analysis of the game, maybe you would like to explain how the pitching is supposed to work. Tell me the steps you take to achieve all these 15+ strikeout games.

Well, the most important part of it is obviously practice, the pitches go a lot closer to their intended spots if you hit the right spots on the meter, and if your pitcher has good control, obviously.

You could ask around on other sites too, like GameFAQs: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/gentopic ... ard=971262

And, for future reference, being more polite would probably be more effective than calling out that the game is garbage, and then asking for pointers.

Oh, and I just noticed, PSP version, I haven't had an MLB the Show for PSP since the 06 version, which did have a few control issues with pitches, but nothing like what you're describing.

So, actually, considering it's the PSP version, and I don't have the PSP version, there's not really anything left for me to say.

I have the PS3 version, and, with all the glitches they neglected from last year, and new glitches from this year, pitching seems like one of the few things that isn't broken.

Oh my god, I'm SO tempted here... but I won't. Mr. Arrogant...

<i>And, for future reference, being more polite would probably be more effective than calling out that the game is garbage, and then asking for pointers.</i>

Excuse me? You're the one who made smart comments inferring about how I was being whiny because I'm not very good at the game.

I didn't realise calling a game garbage or saying a game sucks was considered rude. I didn't realize inanimate objects had feelings too. I'll make sure to buy my copy of MLB 09 The Show a box of chocolates as a way of saying I'm sorry. Or maybe some flowers would work nicer. Oh I know! I could go to Jared!

Just ingnore him dude,hes usually like that.

Have fun with that.

honestly DJ,just stop,Everyone is freaken annoyed of your comments.