Super Mega Baseball 3 (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC) Review

Fresh off the heels of last month's Review Round-Up, SuperPhillip Central has the first review of June for you. It's for the third installment of a fantastic baseball series that strikes a nice balance between sim and arcade sports game. It's Super Mega Baseball 3 from Metalhead. Here's my review, which is based off of the PlayStation 4 version of the game.

When you can't take yourself out to the ballgame, stay in and let the ballgame come to you.

Major League Baseball has been postponed from its April season debut to at least July, and there's plenty of disappointed baseballs fans out there feeling the pain of the current missed season. Thankfully, video games come in when real life sports are unable to be played. PlayStation's MLB The Show continually does well for itself on an annual basis, but that's far from the lone quality baseball game series on the diamond. Metalhead's Super Mega Baseball series sees its third installment walk up to the batter's box. Does it strike out or score a grand slam?

Super Mega Baseball 3 returns with a lot of familiarity with its accessible sim-like approach, but an approach that doesn't get nearly as involved or as complicated as Sony's MLB The Show series. This is a great thing for a rookie to the sport like myself who just knows the basics of baseball and little else. That said, there's still more than enough depth here to keep the most hardened of baseball fanatics enjoying the game.

Metalhead's third offering for the series brings with it the return of the Mojo system, where as individual teammates do well, their abilities and performance in the game will increase. Meanwhile, players who continually strike out or otherwise play poorly will find themselves tensing up more on the field, dropping easily-made catches, among other relatively unforced errors. The game also has a fitness system, which starts at Fit and goes down from there. Generally, pushing a particular player more than required will result in them becoming more susceptible to an injury, such as performing frivolous dives for errant baseballs.

Super Mega Baseball 3 brings with it a brilliant balance of accessible fun
and simulation-like qualities to make for one terrific game of baseball.

Alongside the Mojo system making its grand return, so does the Ego system, where you can set an Ego number from 1 to 99 to determine how difficult your Super Mega Baseball 3 experience will be. Like past games, you can either set a number for the entirety of the experience or set an Ego number for individual categories, such as making pitching and batting easier or more challenging on you, the player. To get back into the swing of things, I found myself starting at the easiest of Ego numbers, 1, which saw me effortlessly wiping out my AI opponents with endgame scores that looked more like an football game than a baseball one. I finally found the right balance for me where the AI gave me a run for my money (and some genuine soul-crushing losses here and there).

Pitching, batting, and fielding are relatively unchanged from Super Mega Baseball 2. With pitching, you target a spot and when a type of pitch is made, you try to aim the cursor as close that targeted spot as possible within a strict amount of time so your pitch isn't off the mark, or worse off, an easy pitch for the batter to knock a multi-run ding-dong from. A key difference here in Super Mega Baseball 3 is the addition of being able to step off the pitcher's mound to pick off potential base stealers. When batting, you can either perform a normal swing or a contact swing that requires you to hold down the leftmost face button with proper timing and a required increased level of precision to successfully hit the ball.

No matter where you are on or off the diamond, Super Mega Baseball 3 delivers.

Base-running has been improved since Super Mega Baseball 2, offering both simple controls to send every runner forward and backward by holding down one set of shoulder buttons, as well as individual base running. Both old school "retro-style" base-running controls, where a shoulder button and a D-Pad direction corresponding to the base you want a runner to rush to, and traditional controls are available. Like base-running, stealing is as easy as pressing the D-Pad to the corresponding base you want to attempt to steal. It took a few innings to get the controls situated in my head, but once I was returned to a state of being accustomed to them, I was playing baseball like I belonged in the majors.

The most anticipated and advertised feature to Super Mega Baseball 3 is the addition of a Franchise mode. In this mode, you take a team through at minimum a 16-game season. Unlike Season mode, Franchise mode is meant to be played multiple seasons, and as seasons end, players grow older (thus losing their youthful playing abilities and are more susceptible to injuries), some retire, while others become free agents. It's during the off-season where big moves can be made--signing new players to fill in gaps left by players that retire or otherwise vamoose from your ball club, and formulating a winning lineup to hopefully go for the championship next season.

Even during the regular season there are ample opportunities to develop your players--for a price, of course--giving them new traits and temporary stat increases and decreases. While one developmental opportunity may strengthen one's batting capabilities, it might also weaken their ability to make proper contact with the ball. Traits are a new component to the Super Mega Baseball series, offering conditional abilities at given times during ballgames. For example, an RBI Dud negative trait will more likely result in that player leaving their teammate stranded on base, while the Tough Out positive trait will allow a batter with two strikes to stay in the batter's box longer, doing a war of attrition with foul balls.

The crowd is ready for this batter to give them something to celebrate.

Each mode, including Franchise, comes in two varieties: Standard and Custom. With the latter, you can freely simulate games, edit stats of your entire team, decide on how many innings each game is, how many games are played, and so forth, whereas with Standard rules, you're locked into playing the entirety of the season with little wiggle room for customization. Apart from Franchise, there is the Season mode, Exhibition for casual games, Pennant Chase for online players to compete against one another, and the round robin-style Elimination mode.

Speaking of which, the customization options go deep in Super Mega Baseball 3, allowing you to create your own team, logo, roster of players, uniforms, and much more. Every facet of your custom team can be tinkered with to your delight.

If I had to consider a controversial point to Super Mega Baseball 3, that would easily be its asking price. Past games in the series had a price point of around $20 or so, while Super Mega Baseball 3 has a $45 price tag to it. Quite the hefty upheaval of price. Whether it's worth the newfound asking price really has to do with how much you consider the major new addition of the Franchise mode to be. You'll definitely get a lot of play time out of Franchise mode, especially if you're one to enjoy tracking stats, changing up your lineup, increasing your players' abilities, and attempting to build your own multi-season-winning dynasty. Thus, for me, Super Mega Baseball 3 is something I can easily see worth its jump in price compared to previous SMB installments, and I'm a passing fan of stuff like that.

...And that's the game with a sensational walk-off home run!

The Super Mega Baseball series is known for both its entertaining and accessible gameplay, and now Super Mega Baseball 3 further hammers this point home like a long, powerful drive over the center field wall. It makes even finagling with team budgets, lineups, and free agency--stuff that I found difficult to wrap my head around in more sim-like games--to be incredibly approachable and dare I say, fun. While the high cost of entry robs the game from being a complete grand slam, as it might be a barrier of entry for some prospective players, the welcoming gameplay and robust lineup of modes gives Super Mega Baseball 3 the walk-off home run all the same.

[SPC Says: B+]

Metalhead provided a code for the purpose of this review.

Super Mega Baseball 2 (PS4, XB1, PC) Review

We're in the midst of baseball season here in parts of North America, and the boys of summer are swinging for the fences, playing their hearts out, going for the pennant... and other baseball jargon that sounds somewhat competent of me. Our first review of June regards a game complete with grand slams, stolen bases, and relief pitchers, it's Metalhead's Super Mega Baseball 2 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Here is the SPC review.

Prime Time Players

Baseball games used to be in great abundance a decade or so ago, and even more common a decade before that. Nowadays, PlayStation's MLB The Show franchise dominates the field of baseball games, and pretty much has the market to itself outside of decidedly far lesser experiences like RBI Baseball. That said, now a returning challenger approaches, eschewing the realistic, lifelike graphics presented by PlayStation's MLB gaming franchise and going with a more cartoony appearance. It's Super Mega Baseball 2, offering a more grounded baseball game than its predecessor. While it doesn't exactly hit a grand slam, Super Mega Baseball 2 knocks one out of the park all the same.

Super Mega Baseball 2 has multiple modes to it, and the main ones for players will be the Season and Elimination modes, which both come in standard and custom varieties. The difference between standard and custom is that the former does not allow you to change players' stats while custom grants you that ability, as well as the option to simulate games. Season mode gives you a choice of how many games the season is, and you play against the teams in the league, trying your best to get a serviceable enough winning record to make the playoffs to try to win the championship. Elimination has you play a number of games and then based on your winning percentage you're placed in an elimination-style tournament to determine the champion.

Keep your eye on the ball and swing for the fences.

These modes could have an infinite amount of features to them, but it wouldn't matter if the actual batting, pitching, and fielding wasn't up to snuff. Fortunately, Super Mega Baseball 2 succeeds at giving players a satisfying baseball experience that can be custom-tailored to each individual playing the game. That comes in the form of an Ego system that ranges from 0-100. The higher you place the number, the more difficult your AI opponents will be, as well as the more challenging pitching and hitting will be, too. Ego can be altered at any time in a game, so if you're easily handing the opposing team's collective butt to them, then you can raise the Ego number. On the other end of the spectrum, if the AI is readily rubbing your face into the dirt, you can lower the number of your Ego.

Pitching is a breeze in Super Mega Baseball 2, having each pitcher in the game equipped with a varying variety of pitch types. You select the pitch by flicking the right analog stick in the direction of the pitch you want to let loose. Then, you can either throw a normal speed pitch with the press of the X button, or throw a stronger, more powerful pitch with the Square button. There's some skill involved in pitching outside of the obvious "should I fool the batter with an outside pitch or not" as you need to center the cursor on top of the spot of your intended pitch to throw with most speed and accuracy. Miss the zone by too much, and your pitch will be an easy hit for the player in the batter's box.

Use the right stick to select a pitch. Just try not to be a belly-itcher in the process. We don't want that.

Similar to pitching, batting uses the X button to swing normally, while pressing the Square button initiates the start of a power swing. Alternately, you can wind the right stick back and thrust it forward to swing, but I found this setup a little too challenging and wonky to consistently make contact with the ball.

On low Ego settings, there is a reticle to display where the baseball is being pitched to.

When you successfully get on base, base-running gets a little more complicated, as I often found myself not being able to always get different base-runners to advance while getting the other to stay put. It's sort of like trying to rub your belly and pat your head at the same time--and if you think that isn't hard to do at all, then imagine trying to do that while plastered.

Meanwhile, fielding is more nuanced, and it's helped by the AI who is pretty good at catching hit baseballs. In my experience, I've never had the AI on my team drop a ball that should have been an easy catch. I did, however, need to hustle them over to a ball's potential drop-in point, and as soon as I got them in vicinity, they were able to take over and catch the ball from there. If a ball does drop in, fielding is as simple as pressing one of the face buttons, each of which is assigned to a base (e.g. the bottom face button for home plate, the top face button for second base, etc.).

Super Mega Baseball 2 possesses a Mojo system with all of its players. When a particular player makes a great play like hitting a home run or striking out a series of batters, their Mojo goes up, granting them more confidence on the field and improved stats. Likewise, Mojo can also go down from poor plays, such as being the pitcher on the receiving end of a home run or a player costing his or her team the inning for the third out. Players who have high Mojo make their performance all the better, able to hit the ball harder, throw the ball faster, and run the bases with more velocity. This Mojo system encourages consistent play with all of your teammates, as it makes competing against more challenging or competent opposing teams and players much more manageable to do. Plus, it's always fun to light up the scoreboard on the competition.

While the players in Super Mega Baseball 2 aren't as deformed as in the original,
they are still quite cartoonish in appearance.

In addition to Mojo, each player has a Fitness level. This doesn't come up too much in single exhibition games, but in Season and Elimination modes where you take a team through a series of games, Fitness is an important stat to take note of. Having players slide into a base, dive for a ball, or any other potentially dangerous maneuver slightly lowers their Fitness level. If it gets too low, they have a high risk of becoming injured. Thankfully, you can substitute players and sit them out for several games to get their levels returned to normal. While most injuries come over time, there is the chance that a player can get injured instantly like in a recurring scenario where the pitcher would throw the ball at the plate and I would hit it right into them, injuring them immediately. That never failed to get a raucous chuckle out of me.

While not having real teams to its name, Super Mega Baseball 2 features a collection of colorful players and teams with creative names and appearances. If you want to go all-in, you can even design your own team, complete with original jerseys, logo, and more. The customization options are much more exhaustive than I was willing to get into, but for those that want to go the distance, you absolutely can and will probably enjoy all the details that can be altered. The creativity continues with the game's nine stadiums, each modeled after real life locations like the New York City-styled Apple Field, the industrial setting of the Detroit-like Motor Yard, or playing long ball in the Pacific Northwest-inspired Emerald Diamond.

A look at one of the nine stadiums to play ball in as featured in Super Mega Baseball 2.

Super Mega Baseball 2 delivers a more than adequate baseball experience that is both thrilling and highly competent. It won't give you real, licensed MLB teams, a simulation-like feel, or lifelike visuals, but what Super Mega Baseball 2 will give you is a terrific party game that is a fantastic complement or even substitute for PlayStation's The Show franchise in case you yearn for a less realistic take of running the bases, throwing a sinker, or hitting one out of the park.

[SPC Says: B+]

Review code provided by Metalhead.

Super Mega Baseball (PS4, PS3) Review

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through SuperPhillip Central, a new review was posted for a charming little baseball game. The boys of summer might be in hibernation with it being winter and all, but that hasn't stopped Metalhead Software from creating an arcade-style baseball game for the off-season regardless! Here's my review of Super Mega Baseball.

Because Mega Baseball just wasn't super enough

Lately, if you wanted your baseball fix on a PlayStation home console, you needed to play Sony's own MLB The Show franchise, a series that isn't known to be very beginner-friendly, being a simulation of America's national pastime and all. It's taken a small, dedicated team of individuals at Metalhead Software to create a much more accessible baseball game for their first foray as a team in creating a game. While nowadays "more accessible" might make you think "dumbed down", Super Mega Baseball couldn't be anything further from the truth. It's a game that swings for the fences, and while it doesn't get a grand slam, it does knock one out of the park with spectacular style.

The accessibility of Super Mega Baseball is in how easy it is to learn the controls. Even after the controls have been learned, there's the challenge of beating opponents that presents itself. If for some reason you forget how to do something while in a game, you can hold the Start button to have a tutorial menu brought up.

Swing for the fences-- just don't pull
a muscle in the process!

Pitching is relatively simple, requiring the player to select a type of pitch by pushing the right analog stick in one of eight directions. Then it's a matter of selecting a place to throw the ball and line up the cursor with the target mid-flight to create the best pitch possible. Missing the target by a lot makes for a pitch that is easy for the batter to get a piece of, while getting the cursor as close to the target as possible results in a very strong pitch.

This pitcher puts the hot sauce on this pitch!

The greatness of Super Mega Baseball is how you can set the controls to be as simple as pressing X to throw as well as hit pitches or more complex as drawing an analog stick back and then pushing it forward to swing.

Fielding is in part handled by the AI, moving automatically under fielded balls, though it's not entire streamlined. You do have to make the occasionally jump or dive for the ball, and there is the requirement of throwing the ball to the right base to get the desired out. As each base is designated with a face button (e.g. pressing the circle button will throw the ball to first base), it's a quick concept to learn and makes playing defense fun, engaging, and simple all at the same time.

The Ego system allows players of all skill levels to enjoy Super Mega Baseball. The higher the Ego level, the more difficult the CPU becomes. This ability to fine tune the difficulty of the game makes the game able to appeal to a wide audience.

Use the Ego system to make Super
Mega Baseball as hard or as easy as you want.

Super Mega Baseball's main modes consist of one-off exhibition games and the Season Mode. The latter pits all twelve fictional teams, such as the Beewolves, the Sirloins, the Crocodons, and more, against one another in a short, medium, or long length baseball season. It's this mode that offers plenty of stats for you to track, whether it's for your team or the entire league.

On top of Season Mode is the ability to fully customize the look of each player on each team. Whether it's their hair colors, hair styles, facial hair, body type, headgear, or names (but seriously, why would you want to change the adorable name of Johnson Swanson?), there's plenty of means to alter your teammates your way.

No worries. While these bats aren't
MLB-certified, they're allowed in this game.

The cast of players in Super Mega Baseball are indeed larger than life, cartoon-inspired caricatures that have a fair amount of personality. Little things like tears that pour out of a hitter's eyes when he or she strikes out and celebrations when a home run is hit add to the charm of the game. Super Mega Baseball's four stadiums are brimming with the same personality and wackiness that exudes everywhere else in the game. Although, it would have been nice to see a couple more stadiums, or at least the ability to choose the time of day each game takes place in. Additionally, some long loading times and spelling issues detract from the overall package as well.

Outside of my desire for more stadiums and some small technical flaws, Super Mega Baseball sadly only offers local play. There is no online multiplayer to speak of, though there are leaderboards to be found. However, this is a pretty poor substitute for being able to play with folks around the country and the world. That said, Super Mega Baseball does offer local play for up to four players, two to each team, splitting up the duties between batting, pitching, and fielding each inning.

He's opening up a can of corn with this swing!

Super Mega Baseball is best played in small chunks. However, at the same token, it's the type of game that you will come back to time and time again. It frees you from caring about how faithful the graphics are to the real thing, instead delivering a satisfying to the eye visual style. The game makes for a baseball title that all skill levels can pick up, play, and enjoy. All in all, Super Mega Baseball is worth several trips around the bases. It's got heart, it's got fun, and it's got just enough to keep you coming back for more.

[SPC Says: 8.25/10]

Review copy provided by Metalhead Software