I recently corrected a mistake of my younger self and re-acquired MVP Baseball 2005 for the PlayStation 2. After a decade playing the Show, these are my initial impressions from a few games of MVP 2005, a title often named in “greatest of all time” discussions.
Keep in mind this was played on original hardware with default sliders and difficulty. The experience is different with mods and emulation, I’m sure.
- Wow, the pitch speed is so fast. Once I trained my reaction to match MVP’s delivery, it made going back to The Show’s hitting seem like batting practice. Two bones MVP does toss the hitter are that colored “hitters eye” pitch tell and the exact location when the pitcher misses his meter.
- Pitching is very similar to The Show’s meter. I suppose there’s a reason this control scheme has been a staple of baseball games for a while now.
- There’s no need for quick counts: you can play every pitch of MVP in the same time it takes to play a QC game of The Show.
- Related to above, there’s fewer pitches thrown in 9 innings than reality. This was an era before pitch counts really mattered, so you won’t find it on the scorebug and there’s less emphasis on working counts to get hits. Yes, there’s occasional walks, but the focus is on pounding the zone and putting the ball in play.
- Hitting and pitching animations are definitely clunky and showing their age.
- Fielding and base running, on the other hand, remain a thing of beauty. I still prefer MVP’s throwing meter to the Show.
- Owner mode still blows away what The Show’s Franchise offers.
- “Cooperstown Effect” on the old stadiums is a famous feature, but the lack of classic teams on the default roster is a gaping hole in the retro experience. It was strange seeing David Ortiz go deep at old Fenway behind grainy film.
- Batting and pitching mini-games remain addictive as ever and, like Maddens of this generation, it’s a great attempt to make pre-season meaningful.
In summary, I thought it was a great change of pace and still a lot of fun. The gameplay, however, doesn’t measure up to the depth of The Show series, or its myriad of options to customize how you play. In 2023, it’s best for one-off exhibition games or GM sims, not the grind of a 162.
Keep in mind this was played on original hardware with default sliders and difficulty. The experience is different with mods and emulation, I’m sure.
- Wow, the pitch speed is so fast. Once I trained my reaction to match MVP’s delivery, it made going back to The Show’s hitting seem like batting practice. Two bones MVP does toss the hitter are that colored “hitters eye” pitch tell and the exact location when the pitcher misses his meter.
- Pitching is very similar to The Show’s meter. I suppose there’s a reason this control scheme has been a staple of baseball games for a while now.
- There’s no need for quick counts: you can play every pitch of MVP in the same time it takes to play a QC game of The Show.
- Related to above, there’s fewer pitches thrown in 9 innings than reality. This was an era before pitch counts really mattered, so you won’t find it on the scorebug and there’s less emphasis on working counts to get hits. Yes, there’s occasional walks, but the focus is on pounding the zone and putting the ball in play.
- Hitting and pitching animations are definitely clunky and showing their age.
- Fielding and base running, on the other hand, remain a thing of beauty. I still prefer MVP’s throwing meter to the Show.
- Owner mode still blows away what The Show’s Franchise offers.
- “Cooperstown Effect” on the old stadiums is a famous feature, but the lack of classic teams on the default roster is a gaping hole in the retro experience. It was strange seeing David Ortiz go deep at old Fenway behind grainy film.
- Batting and pitching mini-games remain addictive as ever and, like Maddens of this generation, it’s a great attempt to make pre-season meaningful.
In summary, I thought it was a great change of pace and still a lot of fun. The gameplay, however, doesn’t measure up to the depth of The Show series, or its myriad of options to customize how you play. In 2023, it’s best for one-off exhibition games or GM sims, not the grind of a 162.
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