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VS: Battle at the Plate

Product: MLB 2K10 vs. MLB 10 The Show

Spring is here and that means so is America's Pastime. This year brings out two Major League Baseball titles for the PS3, Sony's MLB 10 The Show, and 2K Sports' MLB 2K10. We're here to help settle the score, as well as give a breakdown of the side-by-side features of each in the Battle at the Plate.

The first things that you'll be aware of from the moment each disc gets popped in are the visuals and audio. While both titles look great, there is definitely an edge that goes out to The Show because not only do the uniforms look better, but the animations are absolutely beautiful. The transitions from one motion to another are spot-on, unlike that of 2K's unfortunate popping. When it comes to audio, there is a mixed bag for each of the games. Both have forgettable Menu music, but the sound fx in-game for both are quite nice. Similarly, the commentary works well in both titles, but 2K10's dynamic commentary is near-perfect, making the TV-style presentation even better than ever.

From a gameplay standpoint, both titles are actually very, very similar. Both have game modes that directly compete with each other, from Season and Franchise modes right down to the included Home Run Derby. Both titles also have a strangely similar main feature where you'll be able to take a created player from the Minor League into the Majors. The Show's Road to the Show has been around longer, so it has been a bit more battle tested, but 2K's My Player has been set up really well also. All said, players are going to enjoy each in its own right, so there's really no separation between the two titles.

Where the two actually differ is in gameplay mechanics. The Show's controls revolve more around button-clicks while 2K10's controls focus on using the Right Analog Stick to control both pitching and hitting. In fact, it is this difference that will likely stray gamers one way or another more than anything else. My personal hands-on thought is that from a pitching standpoint, I preferred the amount of control involved in MLB 2K10. Having to move the stick in precise, yet simple, movements (for example, up-down or up-semicircle) gave a feeling of precision. When combined with the Left Analog Stick's aiming, one could purposely even throw an intentionally "flawed" pitch (say, not enough power) in the general area that you want based on the batter you're facing. On the flip side, The Show's power/accuracy golf-style meter may have been easier to grasp, but the inconsistent speed of the meter and difficulty when it comes to accuracy implied a lack of true control. Both titles did a great job of adding pitching difficulty during moments of stress by taking away the visual aiming cues to rattle the man on the mound.


From a batting and fielding standpoint, MLB 10 The Show felt a bit better on both counts. The button-click batting (instead of the analog stick) just felt better, and allowed for check swings in times of indecision... something that 2K's game is strangely missing. The fielding controls in The Show also felt a bit better and seemed easier to use. Simple things like tracking down fly balls and turning double plays just worked better, although both titles are very similar. The only area of concern with The Show was that the fielders did feel a bit slower, and more importantly, would often commit errors on routine grounders or bloopers hit directly to them... an issue that will surely raise your blood pressure when the opponent gets undeserved extra bases that lead to runs.

Since both titles are more or less equal in all departments, minus a few minor things that sway one way or another, it is very difficult to declare an outright winner. My biggest recommendation is to either rent each of the games to get a feel for which you like better, or purchase based on your control preferences. Both titles are truly worth a purchase for any baseball fan. Fans of the 2K series can rest assured that the improvements made to MLB 2K10 are great in number and quality, more so than its competitor. However, the tried and true methods of MLB 10 The Show also make it worthy in its own right. In short, I'm calling it a near-draw between the two titles, but MLB 10 The Show's overall gameplay mechanics is what puts it into a slight edge. Of course, the decision only comes if you own a PS3 (or other Sony product), since The Show is an exclusive first-party title and not available on Xbox 360.

For more in-depth details of each title, please take a look at the links below for each of Game Vortex's original reviews.




-Woody, GameVortex Communications
AKA Shane Wodele

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