MVP Baseball 2005 is a baseball video game based on the 2005 Major League Baseball season, developed and published by EA Sports, the makers of the popular Madden NFL series. MVP Baseball, however, did not last quite as long, as the 2005 installment would be the last in the series after EA Sports lost their MLB license to Take-Two Interactive after an eight-year run.
Menus: The menus in this game do not get the job done at all. There are no spaces available for menu options that should exist, such as checking the attributes of players on other teams in season mode, do not exist to the best of my knowledge, which brings me to the other problem, some options that do exist are difficult to find. For example, to edit a player, who would've thought to go to the transactions screen?
Commentary/ Game Audio: The live commentary is provided by play-by-play analyst Duane Kuiper and color commentator Mike Krukow, both of which former players and current San Francisco Giants TV announcers. Their commentary is realistic and accurate most of the time, except for the occasional moment when a pitcher has a shutout going and Krokow will chime in with "he's out there with no stuff today," or something of the sort. As is the case with most sports video games, the statements are repetitive and largely generic. If you are against a pitcher who walks a lot, get used to hearing "Hey meat! Make him earn it! You're killin' me!" numerous times. However, the crowd and field noise is a different story. The noise is actually pretty advanced for it's time, with the level of cheering adjusting with the inning, score, and baserunners. There are even subtle additions such as team-specific chants and organ songs in the background. In a hilarious bonus, if you are playing against Tom Glavine at home, a voice will occasionally scream out, "Hey Glavine! You stink!"
Game Modes: The game includes a variety of modes, although only a couple are original. The modes include standard fare like Exhibition, Owner Mode, Dynasty Mose (my personal favorite), and Home Run Derby, but the two original concepts are the hitting and pitching mini games. The hitting mini game is very enjoyable, and has the look and feel of a good iPhone game. The objective is to score a certain amount of points (starts at 2,000 and goes up 500 each level) in ten pitches or less. You score more points based on how well and how far you hit the ball. There are also obstacles on the field, such as ramps, tractors, and even vortexes that kick your ball backwards. You can also get bonus points for hitting tractors, buses and even junked cars. The pitching minigame, however, is not nearly as fun. What you do in this game is pitch inside a cluster of different colors that correspond with a pitch in your arsenal, knocking out more colored squares will result in more points, which, like the hitting minigame, you need to make a certain number of points.
Gameplay: Up to this point, MVP Baseball 2005 has been a run-of-the-mill baseball game. However, the gameplay is where it shines. The pitching mechanic is outstanding, which works as a slider you need to get into a specific spot to throw in the optimum location at the optimum speed, getting more difficult as their stamina decreases, or changes depending on who is pitching. This game also makes it more challenging to position your pitch, a problem that is common even in later baseball video games, as this one forces you to hold the control stick steady throughout your pitch. Hitting is complex at first, but understandable once you figure out the method that works for you. The game realistically portrays hitting and pitching, not making them too simple, complex, or cartoonish. The game does, however, fall short in the baserunning department. This may just be me, but I simply cannot steal a base, regardless of how fast the runner is or how good of a jump I get. On the flipside, I rarely ever have an opportunity to throw a runner out, as the runner is usually at second by the time the ball gets to home plate. I would just avoid stealing in general. It's just not worth it.
Music: The music in the menu screens are a little bit catchy, but not particularly memorable and definitely not anything I would listen to on my own time. Fortunately, it's nothing deplorable, and there is a variety of songs, which is good because, like I said earlier, the menus are tough to navigate, so you'll be spending a lot of time listening as you search around.
Overall: I would certainly recommend this game to any baseball fan or hardcore baseball gamer. If you prefer a simpler or more cartoonish baseball game, such as ESPN Baseball Tonight for the SNES or Baseball for the NES/Game Boy, I wouldn't recommend getting it at a high price. This game is very good, awash with realistic gameplay and solid game modes.
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