baseball

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)

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. ;)

This is the game of the year. I enjoy playing this game so much. It has great graphics and the rosters are the same as the 2003 baseball season and that is the best thing ever and they also have a pitching bullpen just for the home tam and the vising team<br />