Baseball is America’s favorite past time and while there has been a few problems with the sport it is still popular. I have a love for baseball myself since I played the sport for several years in high school. While I would rather play the game, I do enjoy watching it on TV or at the stadium. EA’s MVP 2005 captures that love of the game in a way that surprised me! They added just enough new features and tweaks to make this one something that stands out. While the game is challenging to play, it also looks and plays great. It also has a great online mode and loaded with mini-games that will help any gamer master the game.

In recent years Baseball games have become boring and unable to capture the realistic feel of batting and especially pitching. It’s been those two things I have always complained about. EA somehow managed to capture the realistic feeling this year. So sit back, grab some peanuts and Cracker Jacks as I run down the score card on this years MVP edition.

Gameplay

Ea has loaded this year’s game with so many modes and options it’s almost too much to cover them all. Of course fans are still talking and excited about the online mode. While all the modes are for only 2-players, the game shines throughout every mode. In the mini-games there is a batting game that is sort of like Madden’s two-minute drill mode. There are also 2 pitching mini-games. The folks who designed this game were pretty smart and the mini-games are actually a way to learn the controls and the basics of the game while still earning points towards unlocking certain items found in your MVP Profile. Of course the exhibition and Dynasty mode are back and both have been enhanced.

New to the game this year is the owner’s mode where players try and run a team for 30 years. While trying to make a winning team, you will also need to worry about parking, ticket sales and prices and other details such as the cost of snacks and beer, “err”… cold beverages. Now this mode is not my thing. I know many enjoy this sort of mode and they made it so you could just simulate the games rather than having to play 30 seasons worth. I just think it’s more of a “Sim” like mode and not for me. Also new this time around is a new create-a-ballpark mode where you build the stadium of your dreams. If you ever thought the green monster needed to be taller, you can build it. The possibilities are unlimited and fun to play around with.

Control / Playability

Gamers will have to learn a few new ways of pitching and batting this year. The pitching system will remind you of the way you kick or swing a golf club in certain games. However, the new system is more realistic and will take time to learn. I will warn you it takes time to master, but once you nail it down, you can throw some incredible pitches with dead-on accuracy. It also adds more of a challenge when playing with a friend or online. The “Batters Eye mode” is something that is really neat after a swing. A simple hit of the back button will show you the pitch and the placement and where you swung. This will help you when playing later on in the harder modes or online. It’s not too hard to learn just takes time.

You have more control over the game than ever before including the chance to try to calm down the pitching coach if he wants to pull you and the chance to charge the mound and clear the benches when hit by a ball. There is even a way to get the coach pissed and argue the call. Of course just like in the real sport itself, argue too much or charge the mound and you risk being thrown out and will wind up in the showers early.

EA even managed to make the fielding better and more advanced. You can try and leap over the wall to grab that homerun ball and rob the batter of a great hit. The amount of control makes this one hard not to like. While the fielding is still a little hard to master, EA really made it more realistic and I love that.

Xbox Live

Take on your friend on Xbox Live! Now you can challenge a friend in one of the best EA lobbies I have seen yet! Say goodbye to typing the messages to your friends. I personally hate this feature, as it is a pain and can really slow things down. Everything is at your finger tips. Want to invite someone? It’s easy. If you get an invite yourself, it’s a simple button away. You can even see what room to enter if you’re looking for someone to play against based on your skill level. I really have to give EA credit for making a lobby that makes sense and is easy to use.

The online play is smooth since there are only two players. If there is lag, it’s easy to tell who the cause is. I noticed no lag when playing. I have heard others have experienced some and you can see the other person’s connection before starting. Also for those who love to drop a game when they are getting their butts kicked, you can see how many drops a person has and you get the win. Another great improvement for online gaming and makes MVP a great game to play on XBL.

Graphics / Presentation

EA took scans of every player. They tried to make them look as realistic as possible. It is almost scary at how good each player looks and the small details. You can even see the seam of the ball rotating. Of course you might wind up getting a strike if you pay attention to the detailed graphics too much. Each field looks exactly as the real one and the uniforms are all exact. You can even earn old uniforms that really help bring back some great memories. The staff and coaches look dead on as well. Everything is bright and looks fantastic. Even night games have that part of the field where shadows are formed due to the lights. Hit the right pitch in that area and you can see that the other player or even the AI has trouble finding it as fast. I could go on and on about the graphics. Let’s just say this year’s MVP has to be the best looking one to date. Even when you unlock historic players, they look realistic and even add more to the overall game.

MVP Baseball 2005 Screenshot

View all MVP Baseball Screenshots in the Gallery

MVP Baseball 2005 Screenshot

Audio

In the past I have slammed EA for their choice in music on their games. MVP has music that fits the sport: old piano ballads and other music that is not heavy or makes your head hurt. The announcement team does a remarkable job. They actually say exactly what is going on and there are no editing problems at all. You will also hear the crack of the bat and even tell when you broke a bat. The sound is just as good as the graphics. The crowds react in a realistic way and further add to the overall game. In short it’s almost perfect; however, they can do better. I believe there is always room for improvements and look forward to next year’s to see if it anything is added.

Replay Value

The game is so loaded with modes and options the replay value is really unlimited. A nice feature is the “classic” scenario, which is a mode where you are placed in classic game and this really adds to the replay value. You get the chance to change history, at least in the realms of the video game world. As you can tell, they went all out this year and are on their way to dominate another sport.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 9.1/10 [not an average]

Additional Comments

I am hard on any sports title and I have to admit EA showed me they meant business when they created this game. While the game is not perfect, it’s a great game, fun to play and supports online play. Any fan of Baseball will find a mode that they will love. It also allows you to get better from the mini-games. A must have for any fan of the game!

Related Links

Filed under: Reviews

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!