MLB The Show 22

Genre: Sports (Baseball)

Players: 1-4 Team Competitive (Local), 2-8 Team Competitive (Online)

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Review:

MLB The Show 22, released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch in 2022, is a historic title regardless of its individual quality. This is because this is the first Sony game to see release on competing consoles since Sony formed the PlayStation brand. While this is very likely due to contractual obligations to the MLB organization, that’s not to say that this is a lazy effort, unlike another yearly sports game that’s likely only released on Nintendo Switch every year because it’s contractually obligated… but I digress.

I’m not personally a huge sports fan, but I think most sports fans would likely agree with me that the state of simulation sports on the Nintendo Switch is pretty sad. While those who are fine with a more cartoonish experience can still enjoy the superb Super Mega Baseball series, those craving a more realistic version of the sport on Nintendo Switch have previously only had the mediocre R.B.I. Baseball series. Hey, it’s better than what Soccer fans have had to deal with, and it’s unquestionably better than the nothing that Football and Hockey fans have had on Nintendo Switch, but even so, another quality Baseball simulation game is more than welcome on this platform.

Of course, in bringing MLB The Show to Nintendo Switch, you’re not going to get the crisp 4K visuals of other platforms, but the graphics here are still quite good, with a fair amount of detail in the various fields and stadiums, and good use of lighting. The players themselves are good but not outstanding, with character models that look just a tad too archaic in design. And the framerates here do take a hit on occasion too, particularly in scripted cutscenes. It’s nothing horrible, but it’s definitely noticeable. These visuals are backed by a decent but not particularly memorable soundtrack, and some quite good commentary that sounds fluid and fits the game well.

As for the gameplay, MLB The Show 22 is just an all-around solid Baseball game. Sorry, I’ve never been good about comparing yearly Sports franchises, but overall the gameplay here is well-crafted, and one thing that delighted me is that players are given a wealth of control options for batting, pitching, fielding, and throwing, so they can custom-create an experience that better suits them, with simple controls for more novice players, and more detailed controls for players who prefer that. Oh, but take a word of advice here – make sure before you play a game that the “Quick Counts” feature is off. I don’t know what the purpose of this feature is, but it makes it so batters occasionally have random strikes when they first go up to bat.

In terms of actual flaws, I think all the options here can be overwhelming to newer players, and I felt like at higher difficulty levels the timing for timed pitches seemed off. In this regard, I still think the Super Mega Baseball series still has something to offer players that this game doesn’t. However, I think both games excel in different areas.

Alas, there is one area where MLB The Show fails miserably. No matter which version of the game you get, expect to devote a lot of space on your MicroSD card to be able to play the game. Yes, even if you get the physical cartridge, this game will still eat up 14.4GB of memory card space, meaning you’re only really saving 6GB of memory card space by getting this version instead of the digital version.

However, these issues aside, MLB The Show 22 is still a truly excellent Baseball simulation on Nintendo Switch. From Sony, oddly enough. It just goes to show you, never say never – sometimes strange things can happen, and sometimes things do work out in the end. Well, at least, as long as you got the digital version.

tl;dr – MLB The Show 22 is a top-notch simulation-style Baseball game, and while it may not have the same graphical prowess on Nintendo’s handheld as it does on other consoles, it still looks and plays great, with a lot of gameplay customization options. It could stand to be a bit more accessible, and it’s absurd how much memory card space you still need to devote to the game even if you have the physical version, but despite these flaws, this is still one of the best Baseball games on Nintendo Switch.

Grade: A-

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2022 Game Awards:

Winner:

Best Sports Game – Who would have predicted one of the year’s best games for Nintendo Switch would be… a game developed by Sony? While the Nintendo Switch version of MLB The Show 22 of course scales down the graphics to work on Nintendo’s underpowered hardware, this is still a quality port of a truly great simulation-style Baseball game, a genre Nintendo Switch has been sorely lacking in. However, even if that wasn’t the case, this would still be a phenomenal sports game, with plenty of options to customize your experience and play the game in a way that feels right to you. This game is proof positive that simulation-style sports games can work well on Nintendo Switch, and hopefully we see even more in the future.

Runner-Up: Best Port / Remake

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