PSP Baseball; In search of a decent review

I think a PSP baseball game is just the ticket for summer gaming (and my upcoming beach trip). So now, where do I find a good review? Not that I ever took much stock in reviews in the first place. Nope. Not me. Instead I used to seek out reviews to see what silly reviewers had to say about the big hits, fringe titles, and everything in between.

I am not even sure where to find a good review these days. Most of my gaming friends have stopped reviewing games; something in the water I guess. I do not have time to regularly visit any gaming sites, so I have no idea if there is a decent sporting gaming site. What is a thirty-something sports gamer to do?

I could turn to the likes of IGN, but I fail to see what that will bring me other than a general idea if readers agree with the score. In the case of MBL 06 they generally do (IGN 8.3; Reader Avg 8.4), but no so much in the case of Major League Baseball 2K6 (IGN 6.7; Reader Avg 8.8).

Game Rankings is somewhat helpful; I can at least use it to find mainstream reviews, but once again no idea if any of these sites actually has creditable reviews. For what it is worth, Game Rankings lists Major League baseball 2K6 with a 73.5% average and MLB 06 with an 83.4% average.

A second for what it is worth; when I say creditable review, I mean creditable sports gaming review from my perspective as a sports gamer. I know; so snobbish of me. The list in no certain order …


  • The statistics engine must be believable. I have grown past the days of demanding perfection. Instead I just want something that does not seem so totally unrealistic that it will never happen. Pretty subjective, but still, I am all about the experience, but it does not have to be serious, down, and dirty realistic.

  • These days I do not have limitless time to play countless games in a season (or sadly even multiple seasons in a NCAA or Madden franchise) so a good simulation feature is a must. Simulate a single game, simulate to the end, simulate x number of games, simulate the season, simulate the rest of the season. I love NCAA Baseball’s feature to jump into a simulation.

  • A good coaching mode (or play calling mode) is a must. My fingers have never been nimble, and age (and beer) are catching up with me.

  • In game saves, at any point in the game. Sports gaming on the PSP rules in this respect.

  • I want the CPU AI to challenge me in a realistic manner; not just get faster or guess my plays (cough … NCAA Football … cough) as the difficulty level is increased.

  • Ferrari F355 Challenge with true analog support. Wet dream.

  • I have never been an arcade sports gamer (think NBA Jam or the various EA Sports Street titles) so please do not give me something over the top unless it is in line with SSX, SSX Tricky, or SSX 3.

  • Update Destruction Derby. I mean a serious update, not that Arenas junk.

I do not think I am asking for that much. In the end I want feature rich sports games that are simulation oriented, with challenging (but fair) AI, strong statistical tracking, and the ability to save where and when needed. So where does one find reviews that have the thirty-something gaming in mind? Please do not tell me I have to write reviews again…

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