I can’t believe how fast time has flown this past year, it seems like only yesterday that football season started, and now we are already playing Pre-Season games of baseball. To coincide with the 2004 baseball season EA Sports recently released an update to last year’s game: MVP Baseball. Last year they threw out their old game, Triple Play, in favor of starting fresh, and they hit a solid run with it. This new version really put the developers to the test, not only do they have to incorporate everything that made last years game good, but they have to expound upon it making it better than any other game out. Read on to find out if they succeeded.

There are quite of few modes to play in this game, Play Now, Exhibition, Dynasty Mode, Manager Mode, Home Run Showdown, and the brand new Pitcher Showdown. Play Now allows players to quickly get into the high intensity action of baseball by selecting two different teams and going at it. An exhibition game is a one time game, where you can choose all of the rules, meaning that it is the same as Play Now, but you get more control over the rosters.

Just like every other sports game ever conceived, the Dynasty mode is the real meat of the game. In this mode players gain control of everything that baseball has to offer, from being the manager, signing players, playing the game and everything else your heart desires. It is a real baseball fans treat. Another big thing is that the game features both AAA and AA teams, full with the rosters, logos, and uniforms. It is very interesting to be able to play any baseball team, from majors to minors in this game, and it is something that is very welcomed in any baseball game!

For those players who want to sit back and make all of the executive decisions but not actually do any of the action, the manager mode is for them. In this mode players can make all of the administrative decisions in the game without going on the field to do it themselves.

My two favorite modes in this game are the Home Run Showdown and Pitcher Showdown. In the Homerun show down, players compete to get a targeted combined distance of all the balls you hit. To make it challenging, everytime someone gets a homerun they get 100 extra points while foul balls will subtract from your score. Not wanting to leave the pitchers out in the cold, EA created a new Pitching Showdown. Players attempt to get the most strike-outs to win, players get one point for every strike out, but loose one point for every walk and hit. These two modes can be very challenging, but they will provide hours of entertainment.

EA Sport’s powerful pitching interface returns this year. Here is how it works, and it works very similar to EA’s own golfing games. Players must first select a pitch they want to do, curve, slider, fastball, and others. Then players hold down the button and they will see a bar to the right fill up, the closer it is to the end, the faster the pitch will be. Once they let go the bar goes back down, but there is a new small green bar in the middle of this bar, this is the accuracy meter. The closer players get it in or around the green bar the more accurate the pitch will be. If players can get both of the bars correctly, this will help get a strike. To make this even deeper, in the batting zone there are colored boxes due to the hitting traits for each batter: blue for cold, red for hot, and gray for neutral. When pitching it is in your best interest to make sure that pitch is in the blue so to assure a strike and get that batter “outta there!”

The batting interface has been overhauled in this year’s game and has been dubbed the “Pure Swing System”. Players will have to keep a sharp eye on the ball as it is being thrown so you can accurately adjust your swing to ensure the best possible outcome. Players do accomplish this by pressing on the left analog stick left, right, up, down, then hitting the X button to swing. This gives the player a lot more control over the ball, and gives players greater chances to get a homerun or adjust your strategy to get that guy on third base to home.

The biggest innovation in MVP Baseball 2004 is the “Big Play Control.” This feature allows players to pull off a variety of new moves and gives players greater control over everything in the game. While playing in the outfield, players can climb a wall and grab a ball to prevent it from becoming a homerun, make a sliding catch, or dive for a ball. While running around the baseline, players can do a head-first slide, pop-up slide, hook slide, or take the ball away from the catcher.

Just like all the other EA games released this year, MVP Baseball 2004 supports the EA Sports Bio. The idea is that the higher points and the better that you do in the game, players will be rewarded with goodies that makes the game even better.

To get unlockable goodies in this game player’s will have to complete different challenges such as win a game in extra innings, hitting a grand slam, and other tasks. Once you accumulate enough points you will be able to unlock legendary teams, stadiums, and retro outfits, and many more.

Just like the rest of EA’s sport games, the Playstation 2 version of MVP Baseball 2004 is the only one to feature online play. Players have to create an EA Sports account (or you can use an already created one).  Online will let players keep track of who is the best player online, and EA has put in some cheating deterrents. If you are using a broadband connection the game will let you use EA Sports talk to talk to other players while online. The game also supports USB keyboards if you do not have a microphone.

MVP Baseball 2004 is rated E for Everyone. It requires up to 1.3 MB on your memory card and can play up to 1-2 players. To play online you must have the Network card and broadband or dialup. It is also is compatible with AOL Dial-Up. The game also supports Logitech PS2 USB Headset for talking while playing online.

Gameplay: 9.2
MVP Baseball 2004 plays a whole lot better than last years game, and with good reason, the Dynasty mode is now bigger than ever, the homerun and pitching showdowns will last for hours on end, and the improved hitting interface makes this game one of the best baseball games on the market. The new “Big Play Control” makes playing in the outfield and running along the baselines feel more realistic and is something that will set a good precedence for all future baseball games.

Graphics: 8.8
The graphics are a lot better than last year, the majority of the players models, look like their real life counter parts. The best thing is the animations, there are tons of different animation sets in this game, and they match the players perfectly. This game has some of the best player animations I have seen in any baseball game. The downside is the stadium crowds still look like cardboard cut outs, but they do look improved over last year’s crowds. All of the stadiums are meticulously detailed to look like their real life counter parts, and it really shows.

Sound: 8.9
The sound for this game is pretty good, the play by play for the game is just like previous games. Players will hear a lot of the same jokes and phrases over and over again, but it really doesn’t get old. The sound in the stadiums is really realistic; the crowds react realistically, even from stadium to stadium. As you may know, when you are in your hometown stadium you will hear some familiar taunts, and team specific cheers, and you will more than likely hear them in this game. It is this attention to detail that really impresses me!

Difficulty: Medium
Just like all sports game, it is only as hard as you set the difficulty. If you are a beginner the lower settings will provide a challenge, but if you are brave enough just try the highest settings and you will be lucky to get first base, let alone win a game.

Concept: 9.0
I love the new additions that EA has brought into this years game, from the new way to bat to the wonderfully executed “Big Play Control” system. Each year the developers are coming real close to making it seem like you really are playing the game, and this year is no exception.

Multiplayer: 9.1
Playing head to head with another human, whether online or with the person sitting next to you is what this game is all about. No matter how real the AI seems, nothing gives you the same satisfaction of playing with another human and beating them. Playing the two showdowns is really a lot of fun as well. Online didn’t produce any noticeable lag at all.

Overall: 9.2
Time and time again, EA proves to us why they are the king of sports games. Every year they expound upon their highly praised franchises, and give people more reason to praise them. Now that they have finally got a good baseball franchise, you will have even more reason to laud EA for their gaming prowess. If you enjoy playing baseball games, then look no further than MVP Baseball 2004. This game will offer you hours upon hours of entertainment with the deep Dynasty Mode, Homerun and Pitching showdowns, and the wonderfully crafted online play!