Sports games deserve the same criticism every year. Often the changes are so small that it feels like a $60 roster update, and the development team rarely has time to actually overhaul the game. Some of those charges could be attributed to MLB The Show 23 , but not when adding its Negro League mode.
Never has a game added such thoughtful history mode. This isn’t just an old-fashioned scoring filter of some former players, but a series of playable documentaries about the eight legendary players who ruled the era of baseball before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. Good enough to buy the game, praise for the game mode
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24568600/negro_league.png)
The game mode starts naturally with Satchel Paige. This is the perfect starting point for an introduction to the Negro League. Lovingly narrated by Negro League Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick, the blend of archival footage and graphic art allows players to not only better understand who Satcher is, but to feel Why he is unlike any baseball ever.
Negro League mode will never become obsolete History mode. Instead, you’ll be assigned an inning or two and given a very specific task. For Satchel, it might not allow a hit in two innings and strike out — using only Paige’s 105 mph fastball. Then everything was flipped, and all pitching types were replaced by Paige’s own unique nicknames: “Bee Ball,” “Dipsy Doo,” and “Bat Dodger,” for example.
It adds an overall uniqueness to the game and feels so different because Paige uses his logo Sexual whirlwind clockwork and his high-leg kicks deliver unparalleled heat. Then, shortly afterward, Kendrick was back on screen, recounting Page’s hit record on the first at-bat when Satchell’s Kansas City Monarchs played against a semi-professional all-white team. On hearing the racial jeers from their dugout, and claiming that Paige was no good—he called his entire team, all of them, and sat in the infield and watched him pitch, daring his opponent to hit him again. They don’t, and MLB The Show 23 lets you play this.
Paige deserves credit as a mod, but there are seven more players, many of whom all but the most die-hard baseball fans probably don’t know. Of course, everyone knows who Jackie Robinson is – but Hilton Smith, the Monarchs’ second-biggest ace behind Paige, has largely been lost to history.
After practicing a 105 mph fastball with Paige, the player takes on the role of Smith – who is primarily a A slow pitcher with one of the most destructive curveballs in baseball history. Drawing the corner of the board with his ludicrous curveball array was a lot of fun, and then Kendrick came back with another amazing comment, pointing out that Smith was the Shoehei Ohtani of the Negro League, batting . 298 for his career, And as a two-way legend. So naturally we had the opportunity to hit the ball and change the feel of the whole pattern.
It continues to give so much to every player in Negro League mode love and attention. This is so much more than just Paige, Robinson and others calling. Every Player is a 1-2 hour documentary (including playtime) that feels completely real and complete.
We’ve never seen this in a game before – it’s The gold standard for sports video game handling history mode. The Michael Jordan model that debuted in NBA 2K11 has a lot going for it, but it pales in comparison to the care and attention of MLB The Show Powerless) team did with this game.
when it comes to the Negro League. With many players never getting the recognition they deserve due to segregation in baseball, this mode seeks to find a small way to right the wrongs of a new generation of fans. Still, it lays out the blueprint for every sports video game moving forward.
Imagine if Madden Having time or attention takes us back to 1943 for someone like Sid Luckman, when the leather helmet quarterback for the Chicago Bears threw for over 400 yards, the seven most quarterbacks throw in a season 600-800 yard eras, touchdowns. How about starting to play the role of Jim Brown in 1963, when he ran for 232 yards per carry against the Cowboys with an astounding 11.6 yards per carry?
We are in a lull in many ways when it comes to sports. Besides making sure there are no bugs (which seems impossible when it comes to Madden), before we reach the next generation. So why not add value through history like MLB The Show 23? I’m not asking for a mod that’s as deeply ludicrous as the Negro League, but give it the time and attention we deserve.
Anyone who loves sports and sports history needs to attend Negro League in MLB The Show 23. Even if you’re not a baseball fan. It’s a real game changer and one of the best things about video games. Seriously, it’s incredible.
