MVP Baseball 2003

Rating:
Summary: Good - not great
Review: As a long-time EA Sports customer, this game is a definite improvement over the Triple Play series, but still has a ways to go to be on par with the Madden and NHL franchises.

I think this game is, at best, a 6/10. Baseball is historically difficult to represent in a video game, but there have been some good ones (Earl Weaver, the very early Triple Play versions, All Star Baseball 2002/3/4, etc.). It just seems if you can't simulate the gameplay, you might as well spend extra time on graphics/sound. EA clearly didn't do this.

Here is a breakdown:

Gameplay
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+ Games go pretty well - fluid for the most part
+ Scores are "lifelike" in all difficulty modes
+ Statistics are accurate for players league-wide
+ Batting, pitching, fielding, throwing meters are easy to use and customizable -- you just need a gamepad with 8-10 buttons
- Computer pitching is too fast - often I can't pinch hit because the computer is in the windup in < 1 second after an inning begins
- Home runs are extremely rare; computer never hit a home run off my pitchers in games I played throughout season
- There are a *lot* of bugs - ie: statistically a player sometimes doesn't get credit for a hit when extending a double to a triple, infield fly sometimes doesn't work (even though announcers announce it)
- There is an inordinate number of line/fly outs to the infield

Graphics
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+ Players look lifelike (in everything but mouth action)
+ Long-distance stadium view is good-looking, as is grass (except in SkyDome (too green for Astroturf) and Bank One Ballpark (dirt from pitchers mound > home looks cheap))
- Players don't appear to be correct height/weight
- Stadiums are a step back from any recent game -- the backgrounds are *very* low-res, cities (ie: Pittsburgh) are improperly rendered, and the scoreboard animations are the same rotating [stuff] from NHL series
- Fans look HORRIBLE - like NHL 2001 "cardboard cutouts" (only attempt at differentiating stadium to stadium is shirt colors - nor are stadiums more or less full based on game)

Sounds
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+ Sounds of ball off bat are rendered well
+ Crowd noise grows in a rally
- Stadium sounds are okay, but ballpark announcers aren't accurate (ie: Fenway and Pac Bell women)
- Play by play is inaccurate, annoying, and repetitive

Features
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- "Franchise" mode is HORRIBLE - nowhere near NHL 2003, All Star Baseball or World Series Baseball's (Xbox/PS2) franchise mode
- The Homerun contest is foolish, since it's extremely difficult to hit them...
- Franchise trade offers are unfair and biased towards the computer (similar to the NHL series)

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: EA Sports' MVP Baseball 2003 is the best baseball game I have ever played. I'm not sure how they are going to make a better game next year. The pitching and batting interfaces are ingenious. The graphics are amazing, the best I've seen of any of the games I've ever played - and that's a lot.

The game has four different modes (besides "Play Now") - Franchise, Season, Tournament, and Home Run Showdown. I think Franchise is the most fun because in Franchise you are the manager. You are given a set of goals you must complete within a 5-year period. Your team has a budget and payroll, and the players have contracts. Your team may not go overbudget. You will learn this when you first try to trade a half-rate mediocre pitcher for Barry Bonds. The currnecy is in "Points". For example: A-Rod is about 8,000 of 40,040 points the Rangers have. Also when you create a player they are given point values depending on how good or bad you make them. When you sign free agents, they will want a certain amount of money, and if you can't give it to them, they will become angry and refuse to negotiate. Only play Franchise mode if you are an experienced gamer, who plays fair and is experienced in economics. You are graded on your managing skills (F-A+), good grades increase your anual budget.

Season mode is for those who like to stack up their own teams and blow all others out of the water. You can create a mass of elite soldiers and simply add them to your team. And this is where you can trade a half-rate pitcher for Barry Bonds. There is no Payroll of Budget, and you are not graded.

There is really nothing to say about Tournament mode, except that there is pool play or playoffs.

Home Run Showdown is different from a derby, you set a distance, and the first one to reach that distance with all your combined hits (homeruns, flyballs, groundballs) wins. It is a lot of fun.

This game is wonderful for the baseball fanatic. Most of the players' faces are edited to look like them in real life. And there are many signature batting stances and pitching motions (that you can assign your created players.)

The controls in this game are your basic number pad controls.
For pitching and defense: When you pitch, you control how fast the pitches will be and how much movement is on them. Any pitcher may have up to 5 pitches, and Pitch Types are rated on a scale of 100. There is a pitching meter that will tell you how much speed and movement is on the ball. And finaly, there are different types of curveballs and sliders, some sink, some move across the plate, and ect. Controling your fielders is difficult at first but you will adjust quickly. Use the arrow keys to throw to a base. You can also contol how hard your fielders throw by holding in the key.

For Batting: All you realy need to know is CTRL is swing. But you can control if you will hit a fly ball of groundball by using the arrow keys.

For Baserunning: Use the arrow keys to control which base you want them to run to.

This game is excellet. If you love baseball, you will love this game.

The only thing was - When I first got the game and installed it, there was too much choppiness to play. I was very fustraited. I soon realised that the feature "Live Big Screens" was on. I turned it off and the game worked fine. all the feature is, is a screen on the score board showing the exact same thing on the monitor. It really makes no difference.

Overall Presentation: Brilliant. Menues, Gamplay, Graphics, all brilliant.

Graphics: The best I've ever seen on any console.

Gamplay: Outstanding. Will not take up much time, the games seem to be long, but when you look at your clock you realise it's only been about 25 minutes.

Sound: Excellent quality sound. Commentators can be repetative (but who isn't) but they will keep you in the game.

Lasting Appeal: This game will last you a long time. Once you are done with a season, play another one, you won't get tired of it.

Difficulty: Not too difficult. Rookie, Pro, and All-Star. Rookie is increadibly easy, you will soon move on to Pro and All-Star.

If you ever read a negative review about this game, DO NOT LISTEN!!!! This game is a masterpiece by EA Sports.

Rating:
Summary: Baseball Heaven
Review: Excellent game with awesome graphics! EA Sprorts has done an excellent job.

Rating:
Summary: Wow...
Review: Finally, EA Sports junked Triple Play and created a game from scratch. Now the graphics are even better than that of High Heat Baseball and gameplay is more real. The pitching/batting is completely redone with a realistic sense of speed (you'll really be tricked by offspeed pitches) and they also added strength meters for fielding for those who would risk a wild throw for an impossible pick off. Pitching is a bit tricky at first, but at least now you can have more than 4 pitches. There's also a new kind of Homerun derby that is more fun than the typical ones.
I'm sure there are negative points we'll eventually find with the game but for now it's the best baseball game out there. If you like baseball, get this! BTW, I do not work for EA...

Rating:
Summary: Stranger in a strange land
Review: I got a computer that would play my son's harry potter ame a year ago, and am not a real afficinado of computer games...I don't know an interface from a poker face, and I think that gameplay sounds like an Ice Cube Movie...but I have a little bit of an affection for baseball...again I am not a crazy man, but I go to the ballpark occasionally, and I used to play a little in high school.
With that being said I love playing mvp. Again I don't know alot, but I am having fun. I do not win every game, but I am kicking butt in my division. It is challenging enough to have to make decisions. I lost Barry Bonds a month in, and it actually affected the outcome of the game. I have him back now, and it seemed to bolster the playing of Jose Cruz jr, who bats behind him. You really do get to make decisions that seem to make a difference.
Again, I don't know anything...but I know what I find fun. Sorry, that seems simplistic, but if it is fun, why carp about it. I"m having a blast, and can't wait for the big series against the diamondbacks.

Rating:
Summary: Very Impressive... but with a few problems
Review: I love MVP Baseball 2003. I am not a very skilled player when it comes to computer games, so I am not put off by the lack of you having to aim your bat as well as get the timing right. Stealing bases is pretty hard, and sometimes I feel the spectacular catches are a little too common. In addition, I wish the game had the bullpen warmup system and it would also be cool if the pstchological side of baseball ( anger at getting hit by pitch, frustration on a missed play, would show, but maybe that'll be in MVP Baseball 2004.

Overall, the game was great.

Rating:
Summary: Great game
Review: I LOVE this game!!! The only problem (and it's not really that bad) is that I cannot figure out how to save a game in progress. The graphics and wonderful and the game is easy to play once one gets used to the controls. I play at least one game a day and enjoy every minute!

Rating:
Summary: Average Just Average
Review: I picked this up from an EB store this week and can say this is very very average. Nothing great:

Pros:
(1) Good visuals of players and stadiums
(2) Nice baseball AI
(3) Updated Rosters so far

Cons:
(1) Game moves very slowly
(2) Announcers are boring and repetitive
(3) Computer makes baserunning mistakes
(4) One game takes way to long

Unless you are a die-hard baseball fan, I would skip this one.

I enjoy the NHL 2003 and NBA game from EA sports much better.

3/5 stars

Rating:
Summary: Quite a bit of fun
Review: If you're a baseball fan, you'll certainly enjoy this. It very much has a "you are there feel," thanks to outstanding graphics (I prefer playing with the classic center field camera POV, rather than the more popular "catcher cam" one), pretty good game play, and play-by-play commentary. The commentary can get redundant after awhile, and I have no idea what this "can of corn" analogy refers to.

Rather than go through all the good points which have already been mentioned, I wish more miscellaneous features were included and would be implemented in a future version. While I understand the designers decided to focus on mostly on the action so as not to bore the player, I would like to see, for instance, the catcher throwing the ball back to the pitcher, rather than having the ball mysteriously materializing in the pitcher's hand every time!

Also, where are the coaches and manager? Yes, a team's staff can change at any given moment, but if you have the options to trade players so they appear in different uniforms, why can't they do the same for managers/coaches? I'd like to see managers visiting the mound when the pitcher starts to become inefficient. And views of the bullpen, so the announcers would say, "Now warming for [particular team], [relief pitcher.]

In-between innings, they should also have the box score in addition to the upcoming players for the inning. And when a player comes up for bat a second (or more) times, I want to see the stats for the current game, not the updated batting average and such.

There should also be more signature calls to their respective stadiums. It's rather generic to hear: "and it's off the wall!" when you're playing at Fenway Park and the ball bounces off the Green Monster. When you hit a dinger at Yankee Stadium, why not mention when it lands in Monument Park? And why are players so complacent about an ump's call? Can't they argue and even get thrown out of the game if they get too far? There should be more camera angles and also a more active crowd. Why every stadium seems to be sold out is beyond me, no matter how bad a team is. There should be some kind of random element to this, based on how well they're performing in the standings.

There should be some views of the crowd during the game, like the "real" game itself. It gets boring when MVP 2003 is all game, but lacking the bells and whistles that the "real" version has.

The players don't always respond correctly. When you see instant plays of dingers, you see the pitcher running and reacting like a normal base hit had occurred. Most pitchers usually stand on the mound, turn around to look at the trajectory, and hope it's not gone. :) Also, the fielders tend to be too proficient for their own good. A lot of them seem to run toward the ball, with the back facing home plate, rather than simply taking a few steps back to make the catch. If you hit a foul down the first base line, the first basemen turns towards the area of the ball and extends his mitt, as if he was going to catch it.

Another thing missing is when the home team gets a winning run in the bottom of the 9th or extra innnings. It's especially annoying when you get the proverbial walk-off homer. The announcers just talk away before duly mentioning that the homer is hit and that the game is over. I'd like to see more jubliation on the field, not just the team clapping for winning every game. And the losing team should show more emotion, too, not just linger on the field. They should be dejected, heads bowed, sitting in the dugout ready to eat their towel, etc.

Weather and other elements (ballboy/ballgirl, flying debris, birds, etc.) should also be included. And the scoreboard for stadiums should be worked on so they show real information. And during the game, they should flash scores in progress, so you have an idea where your team is. Not every stadium uses fireworks, so it is out of place seeing it just about every time.

When a player is injured, show it! Show them reeling in agony or trying to walk off their injury. A simple message that a player is hurt and is being replaced doesn't cut it. I suppose I'm pushing it by wishing confrontations between teams (i.e., the dugouts empty) would be included, but I guess they really need to keep the game family friendly. Otherwise signature fan chants from certain stadiums would've been included. :)

It's still a pretty fun game regardless of the trivialities I wish were included. ;)

Rating:
Summary: Quite a bit of fun
Review: If you're a baseball fan, you'll certainly enjoy this. It very much has a "you are there feel," thanks to outstanding graphics (I prefer playing with the classic center field camera POV, rather than the more popular "catcher cam" one), pretty good game play, and play-by-play commentary. The commentary can get redundant after awhile, and I have no idea what this "can of corn" analogy refers to.

Rather than go through all the good points which have already been mentioned, I wish more miscellaneous features were included and would be implemented in a future version. While I understand the designers decided to focus on mostly on the action so as not to bore the player, I would like to see, for instance, the catcher throwing the ball back to the pitcher, rather than having the ball mysteriously materializing in the pitcher's hand every time!

Also, where are the coaches and manager? Yes, a team's staff can change at any given moment, but if you have the options to trade players so they appear in different uniforms, why can't they do the same for managers/coaches? I'd like to see managers visiting the mound when the pitcher starts to become inefficient. And views of the bullpen, so the announcers would say, "Now warming for [particular team], [relief pitcher.]

In-between innings, they should also have the box score in addition to the upcoming players for the inning. And when a player comes up for bat a second (or more) times, I want to see the stats for the current game, not the updated batting average and such.

There should also be more signature calls to their respective stadiums. It's rather generic to hear: "and it's off the wall!" when you're playing at Fenway Park and the ball bounces off the Green Monster. When you hit a dinger at Yankee Stadium, why not mention when it lands in Monument Park? And why are players so complacent about an ump's call? Can't they argue and even get thrown out of the game if they get too far? There should be more camera angles and also a more active crowd. Why every stadium seems to be sold out is beyond me, no matter how bad a team is. There should be some kind of random element to this, based on how well they're performing in the standings.

There should be some views of the crowd during the game, like the "real" game itself. It gets boring when MVP 2003 is all game, but lacking the bells and whistles that the "real" version has.

The players don't always respond correctly. When you see instant plays of dingers, you see the pitcher running and reacting like a normal base hit had occurred. Most pitchers usually stand on the mound, turn around to look at the trajectory, and hope it's not gone. :) Also, the fielders tend to be too proficient for their own good. A lot of them seem to run toward the ball, with the back facing home plate, rather than simply taking a few steps back to make the catch. If you hit a foul down the first base line, the first basemen turns towards the area of the ball and extends his mitt, as if he was going to catch it.

Another thing missing is when the home team gets a winning run in the bottom of the 9th or extra innnings. It's especially annoying when you get the proverbial walk-off homer. The announcers just talk away before duly mentioning that the homer is hit and that the game is over. I'd like to see more jubliation on the field, not just the team clapping for winning every game. And the losing team should show more emotion, too, not just linger on the field. They should be dejected, heads bowed, sitting in the dugout ready to eat their towel, etc.

Weather and other elements (ballboy/ballgirl, flying debris, birds, etc.) should also be included. And the scoreboard for stadiums should be worked on so they show real information. And during the game, they should flash scores in progress, so you have an idea where your team is. Not every stadium uses fireworks, so it is out of place seeing it just about every time.

When a player is injured, show it! Show them reeling in agony or trying to walk off their injury. A simple message that a player is hurt and is being replaced doesn't cut it. I suppose I'm pushing it by wishing confrontations between teams (i.e., the dugouts empty) would be included, but I guess they really need to keep the game family friendly. Otherwise signature fan chants from certain stadiums would've been included. :)

It's still a pretty fun game regardless of the trivialities I wish were included. ;)