NYM Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 After working your way through all of the new content in this year's Major League Baseball, you can't help buy eye MVP like you would an old pair of cleats. The new material that EA has implemented is minimal at best, and most of the additions don't generate a lot of excitement. With that being said, this is still the best-playing baseball game on the market. It may feel old hat, but it handles the funamentals and nuances of the game much better than Major League. You really get the distinct feeling that the team spent a lot of time polishing the game to attain the highest level of authenticity possible." Fielding is tighter than last year, allowing players to really get a food feel for each position on the diamond. The implementation of a perfect marker on the pitching meter makes it more difficult to paint the corners, so you shouldn't throw as many no-hitters as you did last year. Batters can also read pitchers thanks to the new Hitter's Eye feature, which briefly color-coats the ball as it is thrown to tell you what you are swinging at. This looks a bit goofy in my opinion, but since you can't read the spin on the laces like players do, it's a nice solution. Most of the changes are found in the frontend. As in Madden games, players can now run the finances of their team and build their own stadium. I really got a kick out of this new feature. Enticing people to come to games be selecting free gifts for fan appreciation days is a lot of fun, and actually having a winning team that brings in enough funds to upgrade the stadium facilities makes sense. It's very gratifying to watch your stadium grow from a rinky dink park to a colossal sporting venue. The only drawback is that unlike football's quick 16-game season, you'll need to play or sim through hundreds, maybe thousands of games to get your team where you want it. Going even further with the minor leagues, players can now play and manage rosters for their club's A-ball team. Franchise options don't get much deeper than this. EA has also included addictive minigames for both batting and pitching. Like Tetris, you can't seem to put the controller down once you start playing. Thankfully, you'll receive points for performing well in these games that can be used to purchase legendary players (new Hall of Famers like Carlton Fisk are included), classic stadiums, (Bloomington, anyone?), and tons of throwback jerseys. This game is put together incredibly well, but fans who vested hundreds of hours on last year's iteration will likely be let down by the familiarity of the field. Conversely, if you are just looking for a solid gameplay package, MVP is still the game to beat." Here are the official ratings... Bottom Line: 8.5 Concept: A highly polished, yet slightly changed follow up to last year's release Graphics: Virtually identical to last year. The detail of the created stadiums is exceptional, however Sound: The commentary team doesn't even come close to delivering on the same level as Major League's dynamic duo. The soundtrack is better than last year, however Playability: Pitching is a bit more difficult this time around (as it should be), fielding is easier to get a grasp on, and batters can now read pitches Entertainment: Owner mode offers an unprecedented level of depth, and the gameplay is still in a league of its own Replay Value: Moderate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The H Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 That's more than enough for me... just what the Doctor ordered . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCH3900 Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 like NHL 2005 I'll judge it when its released Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jg2977 Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 classic stadiums, (Bloomington, anyone?) Wonder what he's referring to here. Maybe it's the first Minnesota Twins stadium? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emil Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 Who wrote this??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleedingCubbyBlue Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 Link? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snash13 Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 this article is straight otta a magazine. there is no link as far as i can find Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoserthehorrible Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 Wonder what he's referring to here. Maybe it's the first Minnesota Twins stadium?Bloomington is the city where the original Twins stadium resided. It was called Metropolitan Stadium. Mall of America stands where the old Met Stadium use to stand. In fact, a bronze replica of home plate is on the ground floor of the Mall and a chair where Harmon Killebrew hit a 500+ ft home run is enshrined in one of the top floors of the Mall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jg2977 Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 Bloomington is the city where the original Twins stadium resided. It was called Metropolitan Stadium. Mall of America stands where the old Met Stadium use to stand. In fact, a bronze replica of home plate is on the ground floor of the Mall and a chair where Harmon Killebrew hit a 500+ ft home run is enshrined in one of the top floors of the Mall. Anyone know where I could find pictures of this stadium? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The H Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 Here you go... not great pics, but at least you'll get a good idea of how it looked when it was used by both the Twinkies and Vikings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LetsPlay2 Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 here is a pic, but not too good of a pic: doesn't really look like too distinctive of a stadium they better have Ebbets!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LetsPlay2 Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 The final dimensions for Metropolitan Stadium were: LF:343 LC:360 CF:402 RC:370 RF:330 Backstop:60 I wonder why they picked this one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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