The fields themselves retain the general verve of their predecessor, but it’s hard to shake the impression that, subtly, the developers have tried to draw your attention away from the more outlandish elements in the backgrounds. The character models and animation slicker but also less amusing. The character portraits are so much more serious. Super Mega Baseball 4 seems dour and dry by comparison. It was very much in the same vein as NBA Jam, just for an even better sport. Super Mega Baseball 3 was whimsically colourful and popping with bright, silly humour.

However, the first and most immediately noticeable thing about this new game, the first published by a publisher famous for tearing the soul out of things, is how little soul it has. I’m not inclined to guess what creative influence EA exerted in the development of Super Mega Baseball 4. The game itself, meanwhile, is a step back from its predecessor. Super Mega Baseball 4, now owned by EA, has cards. Apparently, there’s something deeper about it, because every sports game developer is now putting “collectible” card features into their work, even though there’s nothing tangible or potentially valuable about them. But I always thought the appeal in those was the tangible collectability (and potential value) of them. I used to collect basketball cards myself. What is it with sports video games and card-based modes being the focus? I do understand that sports and cards go together fine.

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