XboxAddict
Sign In Join

STAFF REVIEW of Super Mega Baseball 3 (Xbox One)


Monday, June 8, 2020.
by Adam Dileva

Super Mega Baseball 3 Box art While I’m not usually one for sports, one of my favorite classic NES games was actually a baseball game, albeit it wasn’t a real simulator. (It was Base Wars by the way, in case you were wondering). While most may look for realistic takes on their favorite sports games, sometimes that’s not entirely possible on all consoles. Case in point, try finding an official MLB title on Xbox One in recent memory. If you wanted authentic MLB action, sadly you’ve had to play elsewhere.

While Super Mega Baseball 3 is not licensed by the MLB in any way, shape or form, don’t let its cartoonish style fool you, it can hang in there with some of the better sport sim games, regardless of its visual aesthetic. No it won’t have any of your official teams or players, but as a pure baseball game, it can surely hold its own. Even better, it’s very simple to just pick up and play, but has a ton of options and other things for super fans to do as well.


To be honest, I was totally expecting a very arcade-like experience when I took this review on. Yes, I falsely judged it from its visual style and full expected there to be wacky power-ups and the like, but instead, I was greeted with a quite authentic baseball simulator that just happens to have cartoonish visuals.

You can of course simply hop into a quick exhibition match and set the amount of innings to try things out, but where Super Mega Baseball 3 really shines is in its newly added Franchise Mode. Here is where you’ll take your team of choice across multiple seasons, constantly growing and evolving them into hopefully the top seeded team. Not only will you play every season game in this mode, but also participate in the postseason, develop players, handle retiring ones, signing and releasing free agents and more. For someone that’s not a big sports buff, it was all accessible and easy to understand what each option did and how it would benefit my team.

While there’s no trading of players, you can purchase special traits for players which can make a drastic change. These work like buffs and can add bonuses or weaken your players, so there’s a bit of a gamble. Maybe you’ll get a buff for your pitcher that greatly increases their fastball, or can boost someone’s power for when they are at bat. There’s a ton of options after each game and added some variety and development to the team which I enjoyed.


You’ll begin with a handful of tutorials, teaching you the basics like hitting, pitching and fielding, each of which are simple to understand but will take some practice to really get the hang of the timing. Batting is quite simple; with a press of ‘A’ you’ll swing, seeing where the ball will travel in the strike zone or not. Of course this will be very reactionary, and the better contact and timing you have with the ball, the better chance for a homerun. If you want to try a power hit you can hold ‘X’ and release it just at the right moment, improving your chance of a heavy hit. Timing is what will take getting used to, but it’ll eventually become second nature after a few games.

Pitching is another aspect that will take some time getting used to. Each pitcher has different pitches they can throw, which you pick with the Right Stick. You choose where you want to pitch to within the strike zone box, and you’ll need to match the moving cursor to your desired aim spot before it reaches the batter. It can be quite tricky to pitch exactly where you want, but again, with enough practice it’ll become second nature. Fielding is much simpler, as the players will automatically run towards the ball, though you can dive and leap for the ball if need be. Timing for these is also a little tricky, but it feels great to make a diving catch for an out.

With 14 different ballparks to play in, there’s variety with its different day and night settings. Not only can you customize and create your teams, uniforms and logos but you can even make leagues and custom seasons. There’s also multiple levels of difficulty you can set, from super beginner where I was netting like 20 runs a game, to hardcore expert where I couldn’t get a single base.


For those that want to take on competition online, you’re able to play 1v1 matches in cross platform Pennant Race Mode. From the matches I played, I had no lag and you can communicate with some preset hotkey phrases which was entertaining. For those wanting to know if Super Mega Baseball 3 is going to be for them, you can actually download the free trial which actually allows you to play an unlimited number of games in said Pennant Race mode.

I admit, I completely misjudged Super Mega Baseball 3 from its cartoonish looks, expecting a wacky baseball arcade game with a ton of over the top power-ups. What I got was a pretty decent baseball simulator that just happens to have a cartoony aesthetic. Don’t let its visuals fool you. Super Mega Baseball 3 may not be officially licensed by the MLB, have actual team or players, but it does offer some decent baseball gameplay for casual or serious fans of the sport.




Overall: 8.0 / 10
Gameplay: 8.5 / 10
Visuals: 8.0 / 10
Sound: 7.0 / 10

Comments

Site Statistics

Registered Members: 81,001
Forum Posts: 725,969
Xbox One Titles: 6,504
Xbox 360 Titles: 1,086
Xbox 360 Kinect Titles: 95
Xbox 360 Arcade Titles: 586
Original Xbox Titles: 987
Staff Reviews: 2,605
Member Reviews: 10,339
News Articles: 16,557
Screenshots: 39,528
Xbox 360 Achievements: 45,112
Xbox 360 Faceplates: 2,016
Cheat Codes: 1,706

Latest News

Bulwark: Evolution Out Now on Consoles

Bulwark: Evolution Out Now on ConsolesThis major free update, which has already been successfully launched on Steam, brings a new layer of depth, strategy, and innovative gameplay mechanics to the immersive world of Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles.

Thrustmaster Unveils T.Flight Hotas One

Thrustmaster Unveils T.Flight Hotas OneThrustmaster’s best-seller is back with a new look featuring the official license of Microsoft Flight Simulator. This complete, precise and easy-to-use hands- on throttle and stick (HOTAS) is the ideal companion for Microsoft Flight Sim 2024


See News Archives

Community Forum Activity

KeyWe Giveaway!
Post by Variation-XBA
0 Replies, 26713 Views

2021: XBA is still here
Post by shrew king
40 Replies, 260306 Views

Watch Dogs: Legion
Post by Nato King
0 Replies, 125580 Views

Xbox Series X or S
Post by Nato King
5 Replies, 143429 Views

Spellbreak Grand Magus Pack (3) and Starter Pack (7) Giveaway!
Post by Variation-XBA
0 Replies, 131642 Views

I pay $ 1000! I search the Element 54 Canadian launch Team signaturen Faceplate
Post by Smill
0 Replies, 154547 Views

Xbox one no signal
Post by debrartin
0 Replies, 143923 Views

do you remember?
Post by SnoochyBoochy
3 Replies, 214327 Views

i haz xbox
Post by SnoochyBoochy
0 Replies, 167990 Views

Claiming the first thread of 2020
Post by Kraft
7 Replies, 264385 Views

Important! I pay $ 1000! I search the Sweden launch and the Element 54 Faceplate
Post by Smill
3 Replies, 149654 Views

Squad Up
Post by samslophead
0 Replies, 254698 Views

TERA Skinned Xbox One X Giveaway!
Post by Variation-XBA
0 Replies, 179331 Views

Starfield Release expectations?
Post by DJ tx
4 Replies, 310140 Views

Issue with Xbox live on Xbox home
Post by rcmpayne
0 Replies, 167724 Views

© 2000-2024 XboxAddict.com - All rights reserved. All trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
Xbox is a registered trademark of Microsoft. XboxAddict.com is not affiliated with Microsoft.

Made in Canada
Site Design by Cameron Graphics