MLB 08: The Show for PlayStation2 is more or less the same game as MLB 07: The Show, which is more or less is a good thing as 07 was a pretty solid PlayStation2 baseball game (and a merely-adequate PlayStation3 game, it should be noted, which is basically the same game as the PS2 version, but prettier, but also with new-generation expectations that just don't materialize), but maybe they should have just called this 08 version "MLB 07: The Revised Show."

Back in MLB 08 are all the same modes of MLB 07, from the homerun derby to the touted "Road to the Show" mode where you can create a player and take him all the way from the minors to the big time, the pros, the major leagues... you know, "The Show."

A cool feature of Road to the Show mode specifically is that you only control your guy and skip all events that you are not involved in... a career mode, fast-tracked.

And back for 08 is the crazy "Adaptive Pitch Intelligence" and "Pitch Command Systems" that gives you all the statistical information you can possible handle, detailing what the batter likes to do in certain situations, for example, or what pitch the pitcher likes to throw in set situations, and every nuanced thing in between.

Not to be unbalanced, back also is the "Progressive Batting Performance" mechanic that tracks how well a player is performing at the plate, with batting stats affected accordingly. If a player is on a hot streak, for example, up goes his chances of making contact because his confidence is higher. Conversely, obviously, if a player is struggling, it'll take some good at-bats in a row to get him out of his slump.

Also back, sadly, are also some of the pedantic issues that plagued the 07 version, like limited body types -- there are only 3 --, the lack of individual facial feature options so everyone looks related (Deliverance 08: The Show), plus occasionally shoddy artificial intelligence (A.I.), occasionally really-shoddy.

To be fair, the A.I. of MLB 08 has improved some, but not nearly as much as you'd hope, let alone expect. During a play where there are runners on the corners and nobody out, for example, and a ground ball is hit to the shortstop, he'll throw the ball to home but then the catcher will inexplicably throw the ball to first base for the obvious forced "out" but also letting in a run because he didn't think to tag the runner first. Dumbass.

So, basically, if you've already got MLB '07: The Show on PS2, there's little reason to buy MLB 08 (and even less reason to but the PS3 version), not at the "brand new" price, anyway, pre-played or bargain-bin pricing would be wiser... unless you like to pay full price for updated rosters and little else.

Of course, if you don't own the 07 iteration of MLB The Show, or any other version for that matter, and you are a fan of baseball, definitely get your hands on the MLB 08. It's flawed, but it's also probably the best baseball game on PlayStation2 to date.