December has never been a traditional month for a new sports video game to launch but recently those with a PS4 or PS3 received a unique option to consider. "Super Mega Baseball" made it to market — it's available digitally for $20 on the PlayStation Store — and is the type of game that has largely gone extinct on consoles in recent years. Fans of the sports gaming genre have instead been left with almost entirely traditional yearly league-licensed simulation games to choose from.
An unlicensed (no MLB teams or players), arcade-simulation hybrid, from an independent developer is almost unheard of now. Any one of those things on their own could strike the concept down before it even gets off the ground but Metalhead Software, a tiny studio working on its first project, has produced a terrific game despite those challenges.
"Super Mega Baseball" was released digitally on Dec. 16th for $20 with the hopes of filling what has become a huge void in sports gaming. Gone are the games that acted as a bridge to the increasingly complicated sim offerings. An argument can be made that the loss of those arcade games are one factor in why most annual sports games now have seen their sales slipping year-to-year. There is no learning ground for those with interest to get a better understanding of concepts and strategies while developing skills that increase their comfort level and in doing so prepare them for something more demanding.
Certainly that could apply to "MLB: The Show," the critically-heralded game from SCEA that is available on the same platforms as Super Mega. In general, baseball games have never sold in huge numbers and growth for "The Show" has been difficult to come by despite how well it has been regarded. While the developers have tried to make that series more accommodating there's simply no getting around how intimidating it is to those who aren't experienced with it. That's a problem for the games like "Madden," "FIFA" and "NBA 2K".
It's then a breath of fresh air when something like "Super Mega Baseball" enters the fray. The last great arcade-style baseball games came with 2007's The BIGS and its sequel in 2009. While the game looks "arcade" it plays more like a sim — and that should help it appeal to a wide audience. The gameplay is grounded in reality despite the art design and simplicity. A sliding difficulty scale called "Ego" also assists in this regard. Adjustments to it can alter the experience dramatically, with greater rewards for moving up and creating a tougher challenge. Not only does this encourage learning and playing the game strategically well but it means there can be balanced local multiplayer competition with a more experienced user essentially handicapping themselves. Both head-to-head and co-op are available offline.
For $20, the level of content can't be expected to match the huge league-licensed sports games. However it's really not necessary that it does. There are a decent number of teams (with their own strengths and weaknesses) and a Season Mode to go along with Exhibition games. Seasons offer up rich stat tracking, the ability to upgrade players through modifiers and coaches, player editing (names and appearances), and the accumulation of "Starpoints". Unfortunately there is no online play but "Share Play" on PlayStation 4 could largely replace the need for it.
It's interesting and maybe a little surprising just how effective the "Starpoints" social aspect has been in creating a competitive nature to a game that doesn't have that online functionality. Players receive points for positive actions and results in games. The higher the difficultly (Ego) the higher the multiplier. Tracked are the most points for a single game and total for a season and the numbers are compared to those on the PlayStation friends lists that have made their own attempts at the game.
"Super Mega Baseball" is a joy to play in a gaming industry where, as of late, that's become much rarer. A "sim" game that presents itself as "arcade" it offers potential fun for just about anyone with an interest in baseball regardless of age or skill level. Independent developers need the support and for taking on a challenge and succeeding in almost every regard. Hopefully Metalhead Software will be rewarded and other games of this nature will be produced.
Bryan Wiedey posts sports gaming news and analysis daily at Pastapadre.com, is a regular participant in the Press Row Podcast and Press Row Hangout shows, and can be reached on Twitter @Pastapadre.