MVP Baseball 2004

Publisher: EA Sports
Developer: EA Canada
Platforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PC
Players: 1-2
Roster Status: Current as of 01/15/04 (built-in player and roster editor)
Video Options: 480p progressive scan, widescreen (GameCube, PS2). 720p progressive scan (Xbox).
Online Features: The PS2 and PC versions offer exhibition games, rankings, and roster downloads for broadband or dial-up players. The GameCube and Xbox versions do not have any online features.

MVP Baseball 2004 lives up to its name.

ATMOSPHERE
GRAPHICS
SIMULATION DEPTH
FEATURES AND MODES
ONLINE OPTIONS (PS2, PC)

Perhaps "It's in the game." isn't just a slogan. MVP Baseball 2004 has the nuts and bolts of baseball covered, but it also incorporates dozens upon dozens of the sport's tiny little nuances--the kinds of things you'd never, in a million years, expect to see in a video game.

Want to choose whether your runner slides sideways into the bag at second or barrels into the second baseman's legs? You can. Want to make your fielders slide under a liner or climb up the wall after a home run shot? You can. Want to visit the mound to give your pitcher renewed confidence and stamina when there are runners in scoring position? Go up at the right time, and you'll see it happen.

During a game between the Mariners and Angels, we watched Edgar Martinez fail to touch home plate while trying to score on a sacrifice fly. Both he and the catcher sprinted back to touch the plate, but Edgar lost the race and was called out. MVP Baseball 2004 is chock-full of these sorts of nuances.

Whiff at a pitch and the game will show it using the new strike cam.

The folks at EA didn't skimp on overall style, either. Players' uniforms get scuffed up during the course of the game, the giant Jumbotron screens in the outfield display a variety of different stadium views during each at bat, and individual members of the crowd wave and cheer in response to the action on the field. Take a look at the shadows on the field as the innings go by, and you'll notice that they gradually get longer as the sun goes down. Best of all, between the roaring cheers, authentic stadium music, and player-specific catcalls, you actually feel like you're sitting in the stands. The only big nitpick concerning the presentation is the blurring that's used to simulate an autofocus effect during wide shots and camera transitions. It distorts the stadiums and just doesn't work right.

Here's the skinny on what your 50 bucks will get you. All 30 actual MLB teams are present, along with their AAA and AA minor league affiliates. Casual players can pass the time playing in the exhibition, home run showdown, and pitcher showdown modes. Simulation geeks will especially adore the dynasty mode, which allows you to manage a franchise for up to 120 seasons. You can set up trades, renegotiate contracts, and make call-ups from your team's farm system. Variables such as team chemistry, momentum, and individual player moods also have a bearing on how well your team performs. The inability to make staff moves or to schedule days off for individual players are the only major options missing from the dynasty mode. Some people also may not be pleased to learn that the dynasty mode doesn't let you import a new roster unless you start the season over, but the real complaint here lies with the failure on EA's part to include a true season mode among all of the game's other play options.

If you grab the PC or PlayStation 2 versions of the game, you can also go online to download roster updates and to play exhibition games against other players over the Internet. Overall win/loss rankings are recorded. Unfortunately, you can't set up your own tournament brackets, but EA Sports has announced that it will be holding its own tournaments throughout the year.

Read the Reviews - PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PC
See the Game in Action - PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PC