What is Retro Mode in MLB The Show 21?

While MLB The Show 21 is the premiere baseball simulator video game, you can play an abundance of different game modes to help the game remain fresh. Whether it is building your team over time in Franchise mode or slowly developing a minor league player in Road to the Show, there is a lot you can do around the game of baseball. Nothing else changes up the game, though quite like Retro Mode. Here is a complete explanation of what Retro Mode is in MLB The Show 21.

Retro Mode in MLB The Show 21 is a returning mode that changes the gameplay to be a more arcade-like experience. It essentially plays like the original R.B.I. Baseball game that released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. In fact, if you want an old-style feel to the game, you can enable an 8-bit filter in the settings of Retro Mode to give everything a much more pixelated feel.

In Retro Mode, everything is controlled very simply. Pitchers can only throw with one button and control the pitch as it comes into the batter. You can make the ball curve either in or away from a hitter instead of straight fastballs. Fielders throw the ball by selecting the base with the left stick and pressing X on PlayStation or A on Xbox. Hitters also have a much more simplistic control scheme. The left stick controls where they stand in the batter box, and there is only one swing button as opposed to the Contact and Power swings in normal game modes.

Retro Mode is not meant to be a serious mode. As stated above, it is primarily a callback to the original R.B.I. Baseball game which was a lot of fun back in the day. If you are looking for a quick arcade experience, this is the mode you want to give a try.