baseball

Having attended a few games of MLB for the first time last year on a visit to the States I was suprised how easy it was to understand the game - not bad for a Brit!!

EA Sports have done a great job of recreating the excitement of baseball, from the big hitters to the sly pitchers this game has it all and more!

Not only does the game concentrate on the Major League but incorporates the two minor leagues as well - the Dynasty mode has plenty of depth and I can see myself playing the game for a long time yet. You can call up future stars from the minors all the way to the "big time" and vice versa, make trades and even create your own players who can be added to your favourite teams.

There is a very challenging Pitching and Hitting showdown element - which needs alot of practice!!

Having only visited Shea Stadium and US Cellular Field last year the stadiums as far as I could see were recreated very accurately, and home run celebrations are worth it too!!

The graphics are fantastic - the animations and player models being the best but unfortunatley EA never can get the crowds and spectators right - but you only notice that if you manage the home run - or hitting a foul.

The true swing batting system is fairly easy to understand, and with a little bit of practice you will be hitting the ball into the stands for a home run. The Pitching system is easier than I had expected and gives you a lot of variance with pitch placement and the use of different pitching combinations.

On the whole a great game, you will be playing it for ages - and easy enough to learn for all Baseball novices like us Brits, yet challenging enough for all you die hard fans.

I've always thought that EA has produced the best sports titles, starting with NHL Hockey for Sega Genesis and right up to MVP 2004. The game is simply amazing. It is as realistic a sim as you will ever find. The extras are fantastic also. Dynasty mode allows the user to play through the 120 years of baseball history. Almost every player you could imagine is part of this game. The graphics are flawless, as is the gameplay. User controls are simple so you can pick up the game and start winning right off the bat. Addictive is the best word I can use to sum up this game. If you're a baseball fan, then this is a must buy. Highly Recommended.

For years I have been a fan of the "All-Star" baseball games. When 2004 came around, I was hoping Acclaim would release All-Star 2005 for Gamecube and they didn't. So I was stuck with All-Star 2004. Then this new game came out called "MVP Baseball 2004" created by EA Sports, which was the game that was to replace All-Star. I finally rented the game because all my friends were bragging about how great the gameplay and graphics are. THEY WERE RIGHT! After 2 days of using the game, I was hooked. I bought my own copy before the rental was even due back.

I started my season with Baseball's greatest team, the NEW YORK YANKEES. I created my player to replace Soriano at 2B. I got my whole bullpen of All-Stars and my ultimate line-up of MLB's greatest players.

Here are the Best Features of the game:

Graphics - The faces, the uniforms, the stadiums, everything looks so real. Every time I play this game on my 36" TV, my parents mistake the game for a real-life Yankee game.

Gameplay - The pitching is unbeatable. The different types of pitches are extremely realistic as to the movement, the spin of the ball and the speed. The cool thing is if you pay close attention in instant replay, you'll notice the spin of the ball goes with the pitch. If the pitch is a curve, the spin is the real-life spin of a curve. The amazes me a lot. The small details like that are cool. The pitching gets a few tries to become an expert at. Also the baserunning and fielding is extremely realistic. The awsome jumps, dives, slides, and flips are utterly amazing. If you see Derek Jeter in action in this game, you'll see what I mean. The hitting does take some time to get used to. You don't have a hitting circle to line up with the ball to hit. It's not too hard to adapt to.

Features - This game features some gameplay modes that no other baseball game features. The first one is Homerun Showdown. Your up against any batter of your choice. The object is hit up to a certain amount of distance total from all your hits before your opponent does. For example, the total distance is 1 Mile. With all the distances of your hits adding up, you have to hit a total of 5,280 feet before the other guy. Be careful. If you hit a foul ball, you total will decrease based on the distance of the foul ball. If you miss a pitch swinging, you lose 100 ft.

The next feature and my personal favorite, the Pitcher's showdown. You can be any pitcher you choose and you pick the pitcher you're up against. You have to get a certain amount of strikeouts against any batter you choose before the computer. If the batter gets a homerun, you lose a strikeout.

There are so many new features in this game I can't even list all of them. This game definitely has All-Star Baseball beat by a mile.

Buy this game and you will find out why EA Sports is the BEST and always will be.