I have been converted!

[gear02]

Just played about 10 games on MVP Baseball, EA's attempt to make a good baseball game. I've long been a fan of the High Heat series, as it was the most realistic, fun baseball game on the market. I hate cursor batting and pitching styles since it was basically hide and find the cursor rather than baseball.

Well, MVP is now my favorite baseball game. It has the MOST innovation in a sports game in a long time. The pitching interface is outstanding. It adds so much fun to a once dull event. The batting interface is roughly the same to HH2004, but you can actually aim your ball to where you would like it to go. It's a bit rough, though, since apparently the ball can be diving and you could hit a high fader.

However, the best part is the picture in picture baserunning. It's something that you'd think would be in a baseball game much sooner. Now you can see what your baserunners are doing rather than some dot.

The franchise mode is also a revelation. You can sim your games and jump into that game at any point. So if you're down by 2 with 2 innings, just jump into the game and rally. Brilliant idea. Also, there's the idea of momentum. Each game is rated a certain level of importance. So if the Astros are playing the Cards (a big rival), the importance of the game will be high. If you win that game, your momentum will go up and when you sim you will most likely do better. With this and the intervention of simmed games, it provides players with a good balance of gameplay and management. I mean, you really don't want to play 162 games, but now you don't have to cross your fingers and hope you win a simmed game.

This game is really really good. If you love baseball games, try this one. Welcome back EA to the elite of baseball gaming.

Btw, I took a break from Zelda to play this since I got obsessed with baseball today. GO ASTROS!

[Cantacuzene]

So this game doesnt use the cursor batting system? I hate that system. If I enable the cursor in most games I cant get more than 2 hits a game. If I disable the cursor I never get struck out. I want a happy medium.

[gear02]

It uses a cursor for pitching aiming. Then it has the bar system to measure accuracy and speed. I really love this system.

Batting has no cursor.

[gear02]

The one thing I failed to mention was the little things that make this game great. The graphics and player animation are really good, much better than HH2004, where you had jumps in the animation. Second, the players behave fairly realistically. When you hit a homer, they don't just keep on running into the wall, they watch it go sailing by.

Also, the defense throwing is more fun than ever. The meter system is also used when throwing from base to base. The meter is like the others, with a red zone at the end. You can hold the thrown button all the way down, but you risk throwing off the base, just like real life. So if you're trying to get a runner heading home, you have to hold it down as hard as you can risk it from sailing over the catcher or pulling the catcher off home plate. It's a good touch and an element of baseball I've never seen done.

The homerun derby mode is cool. Instead of just hitting the most HR, it's based on distance. So the first person to hit a cumulative 1 mile or so wins. The cool part is that it's split screen, so both participants hit at the same time. It creates a really cool tension as you try to outslug your opponent at the same time.

Truly remarkable. You know that I usually don't lavish praise on games like this, but this is a giant leap for baseball games.

[apmiller]

Baseball? W-what? All you do is play baseball? No going to get the power gloves so you can swing stronger? No defeating the evil lord so that your team can once again play in the sun? Just play baseball?

Do you at least get to save the world from disaster by beating all the teams? Any strange alien teams?

[gear02]

Originally posted by apmiller
Baseball? W-what? All you do is play baseball? No going to get the power gloves so you can swing stronger? No defeating the evil lord so that your team can once again play in the sun? Just play baseball?

Do you at least get to save the world from disaster by beating all the teams? Any strange alien teams?

go back to playing zelda

[Johnnymac]

Originally posted by gear02
Well, MVP is now my favorite baseball game.

Agreed, I got this game for my Bday and I played it all weekend. Great game!

-C

[Booyamos]

I just bought me a baseball game actually. I had been looking at a couple, and decided to go with World Series Baseball 2003, MVP was another one I was looking at but we'll see.

Too many addicting games, Zelda, Xenosaga, and now Baseball.. uh oh