We’re well into Spring Training and this season’s baseball games are making an impact, whether good or bad, on consoles around the country. If you’re looking to get your pitch on while on the go, Sony has released MLB 08 The Show for the their handheld. Does it hold it up to its console big brothers? Here is a breakdown of some of the facets of MLB 08 The Show for the PSP:

Presentation and Graphics: The graphics in MLB 08 The Show for the PSP are pretty good for the handheld, but nothing to write home about. You aren’t going to be making out the faces of players too often. In fact, while batting, you won’t even be able to make out much from the pitcher. Animations are done very well, something that translated from the consoles nicely. However, many of the unique batting stances and pitching mechanics didn’t make their way over. You’ll notice your favorite player may step up to the plate and swing a little less realistic than on the PS3. 7.5 of 10

Sound and Music: Sony did a great job with sound effects in the game, just like on the PS3. The crack of the bat and pop of the mitt sound terrific. The announcing in the game isn’t as good as on the consoles, which is to be expected. You won’t hear a ton of repeated calls, but there will be times when you don’t hear anything. With the addition of custom soundtracks, you can take total control of the music in the game, which is already pretty good. 8 of 10

Gameplay: Gameplay is always the most important factor, and MLB 08 The Show definitely shines in this respect. Controls remain largely unchanging from last year, especially in respect to pitching, batting, and throwing in the field. This is not a bad thing, and it all works very well. Standard gameplay modes are available such as exhibition, season, etc. No franchise mode is available on the PSP, but would you want to invest that much time on the handheld anyway?

The critically acclaimed Road To The Show mode makes a return with some nice upgrades. In this mode, you create your own player and take him through the ranks of the minor leagues to make it to the Show. New this year is a Goal Result System that provides rewards and penalties based on your performance. To go along with this, an Advancement system has been added to track your progress from draft class hero to the Hall of Fame. These new additions provide even more depth to the already amazing gameplay mode, which will end up taking a good portion of your time. It’s just that addictive.

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the pitcher/batter analysis feature from the console versions of the game available on the PSP. It was something I thought would be scrapped from on the portable, but it is there in full force. If you want to see how Josh Beckett pitches to your left handed hitters with one man on base with two outs and he throws his curveball, you can. 8.5 of 10

Multiplayer: Not much has changed online since the 2007 iteration of the game. The new Scout feature from the PS3 doesn’t appear in the PSP title, something I think would have made a nice addition to the online multiplayer aspect of the game. Otherwise, standard single games and 30-team leagues make their return from last year. Downloadable rosters make a nice addition to the PSP. 8 of 10

Lasting Appeal: The new Road To The Show is great on the PSP, as well as the online multiplayer. Sports games on portables are not something you usually dedicate a lot of time to, especially when one game takes upwards of 30-45 minutes. Thankfully, an in-game save feature now exists allowing you to hop back into your game at a later time. 7.5 of 10

Final Word: MLB 08 The Show provides a lot of bang for your buck. With the very deep Road To The Show mode, standard exhibition and season modes, as well as the online multiplayer and leagues, there’s a lot for you here. However, it could use some refinement. One addition I’d love to see next year would be the ability to continue your franchise, season, or Road To The Show career from the PS3 on the PSP. Put your save on the memory stick and move back and forth to complete your season or career on either platform.

Overall: 8 of 10

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