In past years, the PSP version of Sony's MLB series has been a bit of an afterthought. While it has always been a strong portable baseball game, it never felt completely up to spec when compared to the console versions. This year, things are different; more elements from the console versions have been brought onboard, making MLB 08: The Show one of the series' best portable showings to date.

Last year's game was plagued with framerate issues, all of which have been improved with this year's version. However, there are still a few minor issues - most of which are probably a due to system limitations than anything else. Most of the big things, like player animations and notable stadium landmarks, are around and look great. At the same time, the texture work is really flat and some of the camera angles only help to make these issues stand out a little more than they normally would.

Sound is handled really well, though with an odd bit of lag. Surprisingly enough, the commentary (which is pretty verbose for a portable game) is spot on and manages to keep up with the on-field action. However, a slight bit of lag comes into play with calls from the umpire. It doesn't kill the gameplay and you aren't left hanging for a call, but it is still weird when it happens. One neat addition is the ability to take songs stored on your memory stick and have them play while navigating menus outside the game.

Unless you're playing Road to the Show, a bulk of your time will be spent in Season Mode - where you choose a team and play through a 29, 82 or full 162 game season. For quick games, there's Exhibition as well as two mini-games, Home Run Derby and King of the Diamond. Home Run Derby is self-explanatory while King of the Diamond is basically a duel between a pitcher and a batter. MLB 08 also supports online play if you'd rather play someone other than the A.I.

Road to the Show is MLB 08's core gameplay mode (after all, it does appear in the title). Once you create a character, you can try out for a major league team and depending on your performance (and team needs) they'll pick you up or send you to a farm club for a bit of extra polishing. In order to make it to the majors, you are given a set of goals that you must accomplish. These include working on certain player attributes or reaching career milestones. The system has been tweaked a little to allow more flexibility, but there are sporadic issues with getting your promotion. It's completely possible to complete all of your goals and still be told that you're "not ready" or to be suddenly bumped back down to the minors despite your success on the field.

MLB 08: The Show has typically been one of the easier sports games to just pick up and play. The controls are kept simple and while the A.I. makes some dumb moves, it never feels like you're being cheated out of something. One of the more noticeable aspects of MLB 08 that the A.I. has been slightly improved; it still makes mistakes, but it doesn't make them nearly as much as in past years. Another noticeable gameplay hitch is the camera angles, which are pulled in a little too much at time. In an odd case of style over playability, some of the angles are zoomed into much, producing a nice view that is hard to react to and makes parts of the field difficult to see. Although you can always readjust the angle, it doesn't always help.

A core addition to MLB 08: The Show is a new batter/ pitcher assessment tool. By hitting (L), you can bring up a tool that indicate which type of pitch a batter is more successful hitting or what types of throws a pitcher favors. You can also bring up a menu that highlights what type of pitches a player has in his arsenal and which have the higher strike percentages. When looking at a batter, you can pull up info that will help a pitcher get a better idea about how to handle the guy at the plate. You're not obligated to use the provided info, but it helps when determining how dangerous a pitcher or batter is.

The biggest addition to MLB 08 is the option to save mid-game. If you've ever attempted to play a sports game, especially a baseball game, on a portable you know that it isn't the most friendly of formats. Though it might seem minor when compared to other additions, it is a huge addition and one I'm really glad was added.

MLB 08: The Show may have its issues, but it is easily the best portable game of baseball available and a solid purchase for baseball fans on the go.