Lawrence.com

This is EA's last year to make an MLB game; they lose the license to Take-Two Interactive next year. Even though it's the last MVP Baseball until said contract expires, EA didn't slack on it whatsoever. MVP Baseball 2005 resembles its predecessor yet has many little improvements to make the game better than last year.

The game plays very similar, if not identical to last year's game. The problem with last year's game was that there were little annoyances that would frustrate the gamer. One particular problem was the transition between animations. Fielders would pause between picking up a ground ball and their throw. This would give more time to the runner to get to base. Well, this issue has been solved as not only are there more animations, but the animations seem very fluid. There's no more pause, and double plays and other ground-out plays move very smoothly. EA worked on the whole "wind up before the throw" concept. This means the player can hold the base he/she wants to throw to before picking up a ground ball or making a catch. It works well.

The batting and pitching systems are the same except for one new, and pretty big, feature. EA has implemented a color system that helps the batter read the type of pitch it is. When the pitcher winds up and releases the ball, the ball will have a specific color on it that will let the batter know what type of pitch it is. The batter will know if it's a fastball, breaking ball or change-up. How long the color is visible depends on the pitcher's rating and the batter's rating, so there is some balance offered. The batter can now move his placement within the batter's box. This changes the placement of the hot and cold zones. Now pitchers won't be able to just focus on a cold zone as the batter can change it. Base running is the same, which is great news. Fielding is also the same as you can dive, slide, and jump with the right analog stick. Everything is mostly the same but very fine-tuned.

There are new modes to beat this year, including a new owner's mode. Here you don't play any games, and you have 30 years to take your team to the top. Instead you'll be more concerned with stadium tickets and other prices, how to upgrade your stadium, and other such front-office tasks. It's a very fun mode, especially if you are obsessed with simulating seasons. There are some mini games added, too. One is a pitching mini game and the other is a batting mini game. What a surprise! Seriously, though, the mini games are a nice addition. Not only do they have a bit of an addicting value to them, they are great tools to master hitting and pitching.

The franchise mode comes back as strong as last year's. I didn't notice any significant changes. The game is still deep all the way to the minors. Sometimes I think there are too many things you have to take care of. You can spend hours in between days doing various things: checking the scouting report of your minor league players, scouting the next opponent, managing your lineup for the day, checking your players' happiness, etc, etc. There's a ton to do.

Graphically the game looks the same. Even the menus look identical. The game doesn't necessarily have great detail or great player models, but the motions of the game are what stand out and look great. It's also great that EA was able to smooth the transition from animation to animation. The audio is probably the worst part of the game. The announcers are pretty weak. Their dialogue is very choppy, and none of their comments flow together. The crowd sounds are nice, though; you are able to hear individual comments, which can be very funny at times. Also the attendance number has an affect on how the crowd sounds. The fewer people who show up, the more individual comments and cheers you'll hear. I was kind of disappointed with the sound of the ball being hit by the bat. Every ball hit sounds the same. A bloop into left field sounds the same as a 512-ft. homer.

The best part of the game is the replay value. You'll want to take your team deep into the years, and the online play mode makes the replay better. It's easily the best baseball game when it comes to franchise mode and gameplay. Like I said earlier, this is the last MVP game for awhile and with the $30 price tag, it's something you shouldn't miss out on.

Graphics: B+

Sound: C+

First Play: B+

Last Play: A-

Gameplay: A

Overall: 90% A-