MLB 26 The Show is mediocre at best. It is not worth ~$70 USD when you can pick up Super Mega Baseball 4 for about $5 when it goes on sale. Super Mega Baseball 4 is a better game. MLB 26 The Show is a native Switch1 game. There is no Switch 2 version.
The "big zone" hitting location mechanic and "bare down" pitching mechanic are laudable//ambitious attempts to improve the pitching/hitting loop. They don't improve an already solid system MLB The Show and SMB4 have had for many years already. Perhaps they can refine it and it will be good next year. For this year.. it is blase.
MLB 26 The Show's inclusion of Negro League Baseball is superficial. No additional mechanics are added or adjusted to fit the unique game play style. It would've been really cool to see a 1930 night game with bad lighting... better bunt mechanics forcing real decisions about infield positioning ... just off the top of my head. MLB 26's Negro League is just a reskinned MLB game. A true Negro League variant of an MLB game ... would be super cool. Kinda like how a CFL variant of NFL football would be interesting to play... and break up the monotony.
Anyhow, I suggest sticking with Super Mega Baseball 4. Wait for it to go on sale for $5. There is nothing in MLB The Show 26 making it worth $70 or $60 or whatever the dumb "dynamic price" it is.
Thanks for the review! I don't play many reality/acronym sports video games (MLB, NFL/Madden, FIFA, NBA, NHL, WWE, etc.) - probably because I don't really follow professional sports/teams irl anymore - so I don't have much to contribute to this.... except that MLB 26 The Show indeed has plenty of mixed/negative reception through Metacritic: https://www.metacritic.com/game/mlb-the-show-26/ 72% score from critics, and a 2.0 out of 10 (yikes) from users. Small sample sizes so far, but 22 out of 26 user reviews were negative (as opposed to mixed or positive), and their posts include a variety of significant criticism.
hey , np. Super Mega Baseball 4 is the perfect Switch baseball game. It works great in handheld and on a TV screen. MLB The Show 24/25/26 is really intended for a big screen PS5/XBOX Series X type experience. Also MLB The Show has FPS dips on the Switch and that is deadly during pitching//hitting. Super Mega Baseball 4 runs like a dream on the Switch. Also, learning all the intricacies of MLB The Show is as involved as a college half credit course. Super Mega Baseball 4 is pick up and play.
Super Mega Baseball 4 is game whose engine was made by 5 guys and it has a soul. MLB The Show is an "annualized software subscription" made by 200+ human productivity units.
Nintendo has announced that some future digital games will have discounted prices compared to the recommended prices of their physical versions. This seems to be starting with Yoshi's game in May:
The one game that Nintendo mentions by name, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, costs $59.99 digitally and $69.99 for a physical copy. However, Nintendo has confirmed that it is not increasing the price of its physical games.
"The cost of physical games is not going up," said Nintendo in a statement. "This means that when Nintendo sells digital versions of Nintendo-published games exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 to consumers in the U.S., those prices will have an MSRP that is lower than their physical counterparts. Nintendo went on to clarify that retailers are free to set any price they want.
The bitching, moaning, whining, and complaining has zero logic behind it. Naturally, physical games should be more expensive due to materials and distribution costs. That is also pretending the art and design of the physical product costs $0. Anyone who wants amazing art and design in their physical game collecting experience has to pay for that. This is the same as collecting comic books or coins or stamps or whatever.
I love physical games and I'm willing to pay the extra money for them. Speaking of physical games. Darkest Dungeon 2 Anniversary Edition will be $100 USD. I'm getting it for my wife for her birthday. It is scarey how good she is at the game.
Multiple sources have corroborated the following info/leaks/rumors, including an insider named Natethehate (who's been wayyy more right than wrong when it comes to leaking Nintendo games and news):
Its a weird pull because Starfox has been kinda shafted because Miyamoto put this weird standard on that franchise that it needs to be innovate where other Nintendo franchises get new installments. Regardless, I hope this means we see a new installment soon.
Just watched the new Super Mario Galaxy movie. Almost as good as the 2023 Super Mario Bros. Movie. Music and sound effects and references and cameos and voice acting are spot on, and there are two additional teasers/scenes during and after the credits!
Cool to see Nintendo call an audible and begin offering various memory sizes of physical cartridges. This makes physical versions of non Triple "A" games economically viable. Nintendo navigated the physical cart // keycard mess about as well as could be expected. Nintendo did a solid job fixing the strategic errors they made with their KeyCard idea. Considering the size of the company they diagnosed the problem, fixed the errors, and pivoted to a new strat about as quickly as could be expected.
EDIT: Vinyl reached a billion in sales for the first time since 1983. So lovers of physical media are letting their wallets do the talking.
Great Japanese game creator and innovator Yoshihisa Kishimoto died. Wrestling video game fans world wide mourn his death.
He also made all time NES classics like Double Dragon and Renegade, Super Spike V-Ball, Super Double Dragon for the SNES. Arcade classics like Double Dragon, WWF Superstars and WWF Wrestlefest.
On April 02 2026 05:18 DarkPlasmaBall wrote: Just watched the new Super Mario Galaxy movie. Almost as good as the 2023 Super Mario Bros. Movie. Music and sound effects and references and cameos and voice acting are spot on, and there are two additional teasers/scenes during and after the credits!
2? Sh** just saw one.
What was the second one?
The movie itself was decent. Nothing major but it was a fun experience that hit home on several refences. First time my kid went to the cinema and he loved it so i have that bias as well.
On April 02 2026 05:18 DarkPlasmaBall wrote: Just watched the new Super Mario Galaxy movie. Almost as good as the 2023 Super Mario Bros. Movie. Music and sound effects and references and cameos and voice acting are spot on, and there are two additional teasers/scenes during and after the credits!
2? Sh** just saw one.
What was the second one?
The movie itself was decent. Nothing major but it was a fun experience that hit home on several refences. First time my kid went to the cinema and he loved it so i have that bias as well.
With a 100% completion on Pokemon Pokopia behind me, I'll be looking forward to Pragmata (releases next week!), Tales of Arise, My Little Puppy, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
Nintendo Life gives Pragmata a 9 out of 10, and I absolutely loved the free demo:
I didn't realize that the recently released Pokemon Champions game was free... I just downloaded it, and there's a lot more customizability than I would have thought, even without importing any Pokemon from other games! So far, it seems fun
On April 15 2026 01:46 DarkPlasmaBall wrote: I didn't realize that the recently released Pokemon Champions game was free... I just downloaded it, and there's a lot more customizability than I would have thought, even without importing any Pokemon from other games! So far, it seems fun
Yeah I havent sunken my teeth into it. I really should because I keep getting WolfeyVGC's youtube shorts recommended to me, and the antics they do in pokemon is interesting.
Ill have to do research because im curious how the tension is with competitive pokemon fans and new mainline games.
I'd expect it to be a complete shitshow like Diablo 3 PVP or something, but apparently people are still into it.
I wonder if Game Freak has struggled with needing new shiny feature for combat that appeals to casuals and competitive players.
It was odd to me, because Sword and Shield really leaned into pokemon battle as a spectacle, yet they didnt really get people into the competitive format, which seems like a disservice
EPT
