Super Mega Baseball 3 coming next month

Metalhead Software today officially announced Super Mega Baseball 3. The game will feature cross-platform play across Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam with release set for April at a price of $45.

♦Challenge your hand-eye coordination or relax and hit dingers with fluid gameplay that scales seamlessly from novice to beyond-expert levels of difficulty.

♦Apply and refine your baseball instincts with a sophisticated baseball simulation featuring new pick-off and base stealing mechanics, wild pitches/passed balls, designated hitters, and situational player traits.

♦Take in the sights and sounds of 14 richly detailed ballparks, each featuring unique day, night and alternate lighting conditions.

♦Guide an evolving team to greatness over multiple seasons in the all new Franchise mode featuring player development, aging, retirement and signing/releasing of free agents.

♦Compete online to win pennants and climb to higher divisions in the cross-platform Pennant Race mode.

♦Create your ideal league with a comprehensive customization suite that includes season length/structure, team names/uniforms/logos, and player names/appearance/attributes.

♦Play or simulate any combination of games/teams in customized Seasons and Elimination brackets, solo or with friends.

The first Super Mega Baseball in 2014 and its sequel in 2018 have been among the best sports games of the generation despite the limitations of having come from an independent developer and lack of professional league licensing. SMB 3 is a step up in price however (SMB 2 was $30 and offered free on XB1 w/ Games with Gold) which could prove to be a barrier for some consumers at least initially in the weeks that follow the release of MLB The Show 20.