Super Mega Baseball 3

 PlayStation 4
Super Mega Baseball 3 Image
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 13 Ratings

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  • Summary: Run up the score in a relaxed slugfest or push the limits of your reflexes in this refined baseball simulator. The third entry in the series features an all-new Franchise mode, major graphical enhancements, and on-field additions including pickoffs and situational player traits.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. GameCritics
    Jul 14, 2020
    90
    Overall, Super Mega Baseball 3 is everything I’ve ever wanted in a baseball game. The jump to triple-A pricing may be a shock for series fans, but SMB3 is worth every penny.
  2. God is a Geek
    May 26, 2020
    85
    Super Mega Baseball 3 is a solid baseball sim, proving grounded gameplay that allows anyone to jump in. With loads of customisation options and a great Franchise mode, it's easily the best in the series.
  3. Push Square
    May 13, 2020
    80
    Super Mega Baseball 3 is a refinement done right. The series’ accessible action remains easy to pick up and play, but teensy tweaks to systems such as base stealing add immeasurable depth to the overall experience. It’s the multi-season Franchise mode that’s the real star of the show here, though, adding just enough economical depth to keep you engaged in the storyline of your squad, while still ensuring that you spend more time out on the field than in spreadsheets.
  4. IGN
    May 12, 2020
    80
    Super Mega Baseball isn't as deep a simulation as MLB The Show, but doesn't have to be: it gets the fundamentals right and has taken meaningful steps toward being a more complete baseball game.
  5. Game Informer
    May 13, 2020
    80
    Super Mega Baseball 3 could use some tweaks to its gameplay, such as the automatic triggering of small defensive animations to prevent your player from getting turned around on a routine fly ball or missing an easy tag, for example. But on the whole, it provides solid gameplay in a fun, stylish wrapper. Add in the series’ own touches, such as extensive customization options, cross-platform online play, and the abundance of co-op (online or off) opportunities, and you’ve got a game that makes an already-familiar sport stand out.
  6. Screen Rant
    Jul 5, 2020
    80
    SMB 3 is yet another winning entry in what is swiftly becoming the best baseball series on the market. To any who have yet to try a Super Mega Baseball game, SMB 3 is an easy recommendation. Franchise Mode and other improvements add on to a rewarding and accessible experience that shows the indies can square up to and maybe even surpass the AAA giants, even if the series appears to be hitting a ceiling. In the absence of live sports, Super Mega Baseball 3 is a perfect way to fill the void.
  7. PSX-Sense.nl
    May 28, 2020
    75
    More of the same, with the addition of a fun franchise mode. The lack of innovation is the game's biggest problem however. Frankly, it's kind of hard to recommend this to people who already own Super Mega Baseball 2. New to the franchise, then it’s a fine game that delivers hours of fun gameplay.

See all 11 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. dipietro25
    May 13, 2020
    10
    I know mlb the show has the mlb license and authentic presentation but smb 3 looks great is so much fun, plays a great game of baseball. TheI know mlb the show has the mlb license and authentic presentation but smb 3 looks great is so much fun, plays a great game of baseball. The show has become a roster upgrade ala Madden. The game is great, and the franchise enhancements are so welcome. Good buy in my opinion. Enjoy.… Expand
  2. AFW
    Aug 2, 2020
    10
    SMB 2 got me back into playing baseball games after a long layoff. SMB 3 is enough of an improvement - with a much-needed and wellSMB 2 got me back into playing baseball games after a long layoff. SMB 3 is enough of an improvement - with a much-needed and well implemented Franchise mode - to warrent the upgrade.

    Here's where baseball games lose me: how long does it take to play a game? The Show is a good game, but I really start to lose interest when it takes me 45 minutes to play through a game. Expand that to trying to play a season and it's just too much of a slog.

    SMB 3 (and older versions) makes it possible to breeze through games in roughly 10 minutes. I play 5 inning games - which is heresy, I know, but I've played through a bunch of seasons and after a while it just feels right. To me, this brings back the fun of classics like Ken Griffey Jr. baseball on SNES (probably my favorite of all time).

    Pitching mechanics are good, and challenging. You aim, but then you have to kind of wrestle the reticule onto your chosen target. This is a good system because you don't get to have ungodly accuracy - you have to work at it.

    Batting is a standard move-the-target-and-swing, which is very familiar. What I like is that you can use the right stick to swing (contact) or pull back to load your power and push forward to swing, which can be a challenge to time correctly, especially if you're sitting on a fastball and an offspeed pitch is thrown. I like it.

    There are minor grumbles. Baserunning can be confusing when trying to select a single runner. I feel like the controls at times don't respond; fielding is pretty automatic until you get to around 50 ego then your outfielders will, at times, stop running for no reason - you think you're set up to catch the fly ball, but it lands behind them - a fly ball marker of some sort would be nice; I feel like the players in the field should be 10-15% smaller and 10-15% faster. It's just a feel thing.

    But overall these issues aren't serious enough to detract from the game. I LOVE the difficulty control - adjust hitting, fielding, pitching and baserunning from 0-100 difficulty. The beginner default is 15 for everything, but that becomes too easy pretty quickly. I've slowly crept my ego numbers up as I've gotten better in order to keep the game challenging. I don't want to win every game 10-0, or whatever. I'm at the point where all my numbers are between 55-60, and will bump things up a point or two if things seem to be getting unbalanced in my favor.

    This system works great, and to have this kind of fine-detail adjustment is really fantastic. I'm a gamer who is more casual. I don't have any interest in playing online, I just want a reasonable challenge. Often with sports games, for me, "easy" is too easy, "normal" may be OK for a bit, but then whatever that next level is becomes too difficult for me to enjoy.

    And I don't care about the MLB license. It's fine if you've got it, but getting to know your team is just part of the fun. And with the Franchise mode you can now bring in new players, etc. It adds a lot.

    This is the kind of game that you play many seasons and create your own league history, states and lore. To me that's fun. This is arcade baseball with plenty of depth and tons of replayability. The gameplay is good enough that I keep coming back.    … Expand
  4. DesertBowler
    Apr 23, 2021
    10
    Very impressive baseball game. Has all the features to make the game a full simulation. The game is fully customizable in every aspect. YouVery impressive baseball game. Has all the features to make the game a full simulation. The game is fully customizable in every aspect. You can copy a pre-made team, or make a new one from scratch, customizing every stat, position, pitching style, player’s looks, team logos and uniforms, and so forth.
    The new franchise mode is a great addition to an already incredible series. Managing your salary cap can help pay for skill improvements for your players. So you have the option to buy your team on the free agent market, or try and spend less money so you can boost your players’ attributes. Your choice entirely.

    Gameplay is as solid as ever with the addition of pick offs, wild pitches, and real time base stealing. The little things, imho, give the game its shine. The cartoony nature of the game is a very welcome trait. Too many sports games try to have life-like graphics, essentially making them all appear the same on the surface. This game delivers a modern style, retro gaming feel. In my experience, I feel that there are many instances where the strike zone does not seem to be fixed. Strikes and balls that appear to be close do not seem to be called the same every single time, which gives it a realistic feel. The mojo system allows players to ride hot streaks or slump really bad, making them ineffective at times. This really creates a unique experience with each player on the roster. The game does have its challenges. Pop ups and fly balls do need to be tracked without any visual aids other than a fielder calling for the ball. The ego (difficulty) setting is perfect in every way. You can adjust it from 0-99 generally, or you can adjust each of the four aspects of the game (pitching, fielding, running, hitting) individually. The lower your ego level is set, the slower the game moves, and the more the computer assists your players.

    The speed of the game is another area this game get right. Full 9-inning games take roughly 20-25 minutes. There are some cinematic cuts that can easily be skipped. I feel that this allows the user to play the game at a pace that suits them. The different situations in the game can make it easier or harder for some players. After a handful of games, it is pretty easy to hone in on what your true ego level should be and can be adjusted at any point, even in a game.

    The franchise mode is quite impressive given that this is the first installment to incorporate it. It makes playing over many seasons truly an experience. Like any game, there are some things that could be improved. One great feature about the series is that the developers available to talk to online and they have released updates based on feedback that they have received from their fans. There are not very many franchises that can make this claim. No micro transactions make this game a steal at $45, but even more so if you can get it on sale at $22.49. I have had the game since its release and it is, by far, the most played game I own. Metal Head cares about its product and, I believe, that it is going to keep making great games for many years to come. I highly recommend this game to anyone who is looking for a great sports title.    … Expand
  5. albert29
    May 14, 2020
    9
    One of the funniest sports game I've ever played. I love it more than The Show.
  6. MisterGodfather
    May 15, 2020
    9
    The gameplay is solid arcade style baseball. The addition of franchise mode for the franchise adds extra fun for those who want to playThe gameplay is solid arcade style baseball. The addition of franchise mode for the franchise adds extra fun for those who want to play manager, but don't care for the complexity of more realistic sports games.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

46
#46 Best PS4 Game of 2020

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