GAME STUDIO DESCRIPTION: Level the playing field with the EA SPORTS™ Hitter’s Eye in MVP Baseball™ 2005. With unprecedented control of your at-bat, the ability to move in the batter’s box and the power to read the pitch, master the art of hitting and own the plate with an unprecedented offensive toolbox. Along with an enhanced Dynasty Mode™, you can take complete control of the team with the all-new Owner Mode. Make key financial decisions off the field, dictate ticket and concession prices and much more. On the field, make your run for the pennant beginning in a fully featured Spring Training Mode where you can try out your up and coming stars in a series of exhibition games. With all-new unlockable legends, classic stadiums, uniforms and head-to-head online play*, MVP Baseball 2005 is the most fun, polished, innovative, and authentic baseball simulation ever created.
Key Features
* EA SPORTS™ Hitter’s Eye: An all-new visual indicator allows the hitter to pick up the pitch the moment it leaves the pitcher’s hand. Admire a sweet swing or learn from your mistakes with an all-new enhanced EA SPORTS Hitter’s Eye Replay where you can detail, analyzes, and attain feedback on your last swing.
* Own the Plate: Change your position in the box to adjust to where the pitcher is working you, or keep the defense honest with a bunt for a hit.
* Precision Pitching: Paint the corners or send a message with the new Precision Pitch Meter, or catch runners napping with unparalleled pickoff control.
* Enhanced Big Play Control: Make an underhand toss to the pitcher as he sprints to cover first, slide around a tag at home, and make user-controlled stretches and dives. While leading off base, exercise your reflexes by beating pickoff throws with the all-new manual leadoff control.
* Build an Empire: Control every aspect of your organization in all-new Owner Mode. Create your line-up based on player progression during Spring Training, or help build player attributes by competing in a variety of mini-games.
* All-New Create Ballpark: In Owner Mode, build a pitcher’s paradise or a hitter’s dream. Will you spend your earnings to upgrade your ballpark or to sign that key free agent who could bring you a championship?
* Expanded Minor Leagues: Advanced Single A squads and additional stadiums have been added to round out the list of teams available in the minor league system.
* EA SPORTS Online*: Available for the PlayStation®2 console, PC and now on Xbox Live™, users can run the bases against the best online players – anytime, anywhere. With new quick tournaments and alerts for important EA SPORTS online events, see if you can earn badges and trophies to help jump levels in your online career.
PLAY: Batting a favorite of baseball games. What’s better than dropping a bomb over the fence for a homer or over a players head for a triple? The update for 2005 comes via the “hitter’s eye” which allows the batter to read a pitch before it gets to the plate. The balls are colored for different types of pitches and a path is created to allow for an understanding of the pitch. An ingenious addition.
This year’s version has tweaked the pitching for the better. EA makes those dominant pitchers more realistic by making it harder to hit certain pitches. Let’s be honest, if you get the heat from some of the best pitchers in the league it’s harder to hit than a hanging curve ball. MVP Baseball duplicates that aspect. At the same time if you go out throwing nothing but heat your pitcher will wear-out and begin to throw more erratic. This is the best implementation of pitching yet on a video game.
Anyone that buys MVP Baseball will want to play a season. This year there are two different modes: Owner and Dynasty. Owner mode is more of a sim style where you control the financial and team aspects. You handle everything from ticket prices to the grass to contract negotiations. It’s interesting because this game could be released as Sim Baseball alone. It’s a great value. The ability to tweak every aspect of the sim right down to the players is exciting—and certainly going to keep players busy into the fall.
Spring training allows players to work on their hitting and pitching. It’s an invaluable part of the game for anyone that wants to master MVP 2005. The pitching practice is quite good and very valuable as you have to learn how to hit spots with your pitches.
GRAPHICS: This year’s players are better modeled than last year’s version–unimaginable. Thankfully the players look realistic. The animations are crisp and it’s necessary as MVP 2005 is full of them—especially when the pitchers are involved. Even fielding is given some animations. One necessary addition is the design of catch and throws in one motion—this is particularly good for making double plays.
SOUND: The announcers Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper are what you expect today from video game announcers. You will hear the same things after a while but they do offer some insight. The sounds from the field are great. There isn’t as much noise in baseball as in football but its done well here so that you get a sense of being there.
FRANKLY: MVP 2004 was a brilliant game as the dynasty mode was deeper than any other baseball game previous. EA upgraded that version and gave us 2005. With the amount of adaptability and tweaking that can be done in MVP 2005 creates a game that is perfect for the old pros and the rookies.
+ Richie Wright
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