GAME TITLE: MLB 08: The Show

PLATFORM: PSP

STUDIO: Sony

RATING: E for Everyone

SCORE: 6.5/10

THE REVIEW

GAME PLAY:

The PSP version has many features, but of greatest appeal and depth is "Road to the Show." "Road to the Show" isn't a new concept — you take a rookie player from nowhere through spring training and into superstardom. The biggest letdown is the lack of a franchise mode. You can play a single game or a season or two, but if you want to create a dynasty, then this isn't the game.

The biggest upgrade for "MLB 08: The Show" is pitching. A lot of grievances of past baseball games comes down to pitching. Now you can feel more in control and expect that you know where the ball will go like the real deal. Also, as a pitcher you can see if a batter has a particular tendency for certain types of pitches and more. This can be fascinatingly in-depth or pure overkill.

GRAPHICS: There isn't a huge upgrade here, and the PSP games that once looked so great are starting to lose their appeal. The players look decent, but it still feels like you're playing on the original PlayStation.

AUDIO: You can count on the crowd to get your team going and the announcers to keep you interested.

THE WRAP-UP

PARENT'S TAKE: As with most sports games, "MLB 08: The Show" is good, clean fun. If you're planning a trip, this is certainly a great way to eat lots of time.

FINAL WORD: One bonus this year is the ability to save a game midstream. "MLB 08: The Show" is fun — to a point.

---

E-mail: ccraine@desnews.com