Reasons I'm playing ESPN 2k4 again

[griffy97]

I just played a fantastic game of baseball last night on ESPN 2k4.

Angels at White Sox...Jeff Weaver vs. Jose Contreras (I since updated by trading Weaver to St. Louis)

Starting lineups: Angels

Figgins cf
Cabrera ss
Guerrero rf
Anderson lf
Rivera dh
Erstad 1b
McPherson 3b
J Molina c
Kennedy 2b

ChiSox:

Podsednik lf
Iguchi 2b
Mackowiak cf
Thome 1b
Konerko dh
Dye rf
Pierszynski c
Crede 3b
Uribe ss

Game settings were LEGEND, VERY SMALL CURSOR, REAL PITCH SPEED, LOW WIDE CAMERA BATTING, PITCHER CAMERA, CLASSIC 1-BUTTON HITTING.

A pitchers' duel through the first 6 innings. Contreras was keeping me off balance with a wicked changeup and had 6 K's and was shutting me out 1-0 on just 2 hits. Meanwhile, Weaver was almost as impressive, striking out 4 but walking 4 as well. Walks kill. In the third, Weaver walked the leadoff hitter, was bunted to second, and scored on a gapper by Uribe. Weaver got into trouble in the sixth as well, walking the first two batters on 10 pitches. A quick mound visit helped Jeff regain his composure though. He got Pierszynski to pop out to first then got Crede to hit into a 6-4-3 DP!!

The top of the 7th is what made this game a classic. Guerrero lined a sharp single to left. Garret Anderson fell behind 0-2 but worked a walk. Rivera popped out to 3rd. So, 1 out, 2 on, Erstad up. Erstad falls behind 0-2. Then a ball. Then two fouls. Then ball 2. Then another foul. Then ball three. Then Erstad fouls off six straight pitches until Contreras throws a belt high fastball and Erstad pulls one into the right field bleachers for a 3-run jack and a 3-1 lead!!! I was pumped! My wife looked at me like I was nuts.

Then the bullpen went to work. Scot Shields worked the seventh and I brought in J.C. Romero in the eighth. Romero started the ninth as I had him pitch to Pierzsynski. Then I brought in K-Rod. He strikes out the first hitter then promptly gives up back-to-back singles. He closes the game by getting Juan Uribe to fly out to center. Game over!! 3-1 Halos. What a classic!!

Final linescore: 3-6-1 for the Angels. 1-7-1 for the Sox.

This is the only game I've been able to work the at-bat like I did with Erstad. Fouling off pitches. You could in HH as well, but not quite like this. The DP I turned in the sixth to kill the ChiSox rally was so bang-bang it was sick. It was intuitive and just "felt right". Weaver had moments of brilliance, like striking out Thome on some high inside cheese after falling behind 3-0. Then, he couldn't put the ball over the plate and walked two successive hitters. The hit variety and ball physics are just simply superb in this game. And, while many people didn't like "cursor" hitting, it flows so smoothly and I NEVER feel like the ball being hit is scripted.

It's just too bad they couldn't have continued to develop this game with Blue Shift.

[baa7]

Re: Reasons I'm playing ESPN 2k4 again

The hit variety and ball physics are just simply superb in this game. And, while many people didn't like "cursor" hitting, it flows so smoothly and I NEVER feel like the ball being hit is scripted.

It's just too bad they couldn't have continued to develop this game with Blue Shift.

Agreed. The swing animations are bad and the player faces are awful, but boy: 2K4 is a deep, well-programmed game. Someone on the soccer site was saying the WE series is maybe the best-ever programmed, all-around sports series. I'd probably vote for 2K4 baseball, and maybe 2K4 football as runner-up.

[puja21]

Re: Reasons I'm playing ESPN 2k4 again

i love both 2k4 bball & football, but i would still agree w/ whoever that was on the soccer forum:

WE series is flat-out amazing sim in terms of programming

[baa7]

Re: Reasons I'm playing ESPN 2k4 again

i love both 2k4 bball & football, but i would still agree w/ whoever that was on the soccer forum:

WE series is flat-out amazing sim in terms of programming

Sure, but WE doesn't play like real football. It plays like video football. Plus many of the player ratings and even difficulty settings to a degree have no effect whatsoever on the gameplay -- they're there for show basically.

2K4 baseball and football play like the real thing. And ratings and sliders are fine-tuned to a fault. Superior programming as far as that goes, IMO.

[coffeeholic]

Re: Reasons I'm playing ESPN 2k4 again

Never played this one and now my curiosity has got the best of me after reading the posts here. How does it stack up to the current gen titles? I might have to pick it up being it's like 6 bucks used at Gamestop. Any comments would be appreciated.

[DirrtySouth78]

Re: Reasons I'm playing ESPN 2k4 again

I still have my 2K4, Where did you get rosters for it at??? I'd love to play that again with up to date rosters

[matthewk]

Re: Reasons I'm playing ESPN 2k4 again

I still have my 2K4, Where did you get rosters for it at??? I'd love to play that again with up to date rosters

Ditto. If there are current rosters available, I'd bring this one back out of the closest. Games this good I keep around even if they are old. It's not worth selling for a couple of bucks when I may have te urge to play it again.

[griffy97]

Re: Reasons I'm playing ESPN 2k4 again

These are rosters I'm currently working on for the game. Again, there's SO many new players from 2k4 til now, I have a long way to go. But, like I said in the rosters thread, most of the starting lineups are complete, about 70% of the rotations are accurate. Many of the bench players and relievers still need work though.

I'd be willing to upload them once I get - if not 100% - closer to completion.

[griffy97]

Re: Reasons I'm playing ESPN 2k4 again

Never played this one and now my curiosity has got the best of me after reading the posts here. How does it stack up to the current gen titles? I might have to pick it up being it's like 6 bucks used at Gamestop. Any comments would be appreciated.

It's still worth every penny and at 6 bucks it's a bargain. How does it stack up to the current generation? Well, in many ways it's still superior and, of course, in ways it's, well, a two-plus year-old title. Overall, I think MVP 2005 is a good title, but I personally cannot grasp the hitting model. So, I'll compare it with my impressions of 2k6: (Xbox version, as I have yet to purchase a next gen console)

Graphics: 2k6 hands down.

Audio: Again, 2k6. (This was a weak link in 2k4, although hardly a game killer)

Options: 2k6

Features: 2k6

Pitching model: 2k6. I really like what they did here, actually.

Hitting model: 2k4. Although I like the swing stick in 2k6, I LOVE the cursor hitting in 2k4.

Ball physics: 2k4

Player physics: 2k4 (2k6 overdid the momentum, although it has potential.)

Camera options: 2k4 easily.

Overall gameplay: 2k4 by a mile.

Programming: Again, 2k4. This game had a tight feel with very few glitches. Rosters always seem to be an issue with the series (resetting lineups, etc), but 2k6 is just a rather sloppy effort with a lot of bugs and just some questionable AI. In 2k4 on Legend setting, this is just simply a wicked game of baseball. The AI plays a smart game.

I like fluff and pretty graphics. With 2k4, it's all about feel and gameplay. And, mind you, 2k4 still gives you excellent graphics and presentation, albeit not on par with 2k6, but still very solid.

If Visual Concepts/Blue Shift would've kept production of the game, improved the animations and player faces, enhanced the franchise mode and player editing, and implemented something similar to what Kush has now with the pitching model, I think we'd be talking about an all-time legendary game in 2k6. As it is, I went back to 2k4. Just a matter of preference.

[coffeeholic]

Re: Reasons I'm playing ESPN 2k4 again

Thanks for the comparison. As for me-I dumped 2K6-put The Show on hold for this title. This one is right up there with HH for getting a realistic pitch count-nice.

[baa7]

Re: Reasons I'm playing ESPN 2k4 again

This one is right up there with HH for getting a realistic pitch count-nice.

Yup. And it has Miller announcing, better than Robinson and 2K3. Plus Rex as color guy, who I actually like; the guy's pretty funny IMO. Overall a very playable game still, regardless of the swing animations and -- ugh -- player faces.

I dropped down a difficulty level in The Show BTW. I'd been playing on HoF, but the game just doesn't click programming-wise on that level. Allstar seems much better, plus it still has zone hitting, which is why I was playing on HoF in the first place. Definitely more CPU batters strikeout on Allstar. And the easier 4-zone hitting is actually nice for a change -- I even get a hit now once in a while

[coffeeholic]

Re: Reasons I'm playing ESPN 2k4 again

I'm not Show bashing here(still like it-but)If only Blue Shift could work with Sony's programmers for next years version of The Show........... Nuff said.

[griffy97]

Re: Reasons I'm playing ESPN 2k4 again

Guys, I posted that I'm about 85% complete with the 2k4 roster update. Check it out in the roster threads. Thanks!

[Crucial Mike]

Re: Reasons I'm playing ESPN 2k4 again

Guys, I posted that I'm about 85% complete with the 2k4 roster update. Check it out in the roster threads. Thanks!

Great work griffy.......I was not even thinking about picking this one up again.

I too am not a huge fan of EA's hitting model. I remember being a bit sub-par at using 2k's cursor, but I'm sure I can improve.

The thing that I've always liked about 2k is CPU pitch selection. With MVP05 and now NCAA06, I just find myself scratching my head when it comes CPU pitching. You get a lot of offspeed pitches thrown on 3-0 counts, etc...A lot of sinkers that start at your eyes and then drop in for a strike at the letters.

Not sure how 2k4 is going to look on my widescreen, but who cares!

[griffy97]

Re: Reasons I'm playing ESPN 2k4 again

I've gotta tell you guys...playing this game again has got me pumped up!

The new rosters are progressing nicely. I figure I have about 100-120 more edits to do. It sounds like a lot, but it's not so bad. Considering how many changes there are from the original rosters, this is nothing.

Now, let me tell you what I'm thinking. Currently, I have over 100 or so player edits. Name, height, weight, handedness is correct. I plan to thoroughly update each team's roster, then go back and tweak attributes and update ages by adding 2 years. This way, there is integrity between my edited players and stock players. Batting stances and pitching motions may not be accurate. Also, a pitcher's repetroitre may not be 100% PERFECT. I do plan to pull scouting reports to try to emulate each player the best I can. You, however, may want to (and I encourage this) make your own edits and re-post updates to this roster. This can be become a community project as well!

Just please keep in mind: I'm not an expert at this. I just decided I wanted to update 2k4 for my own personal use and decided, since I've been pleased so far with them, to share them with the community. I think you'll be quite pleased. I want to bring this game back to life and this has become my pet project.

However, I will NOT upload these until they are practically complete. Why? I want my first roster upload to be one that EVERYONE can say - "WOW". I don't want to send something half-hearted. I'll keep you guys posted and will let you know when they're ready. (I warn you - I'm a perfectionist.)