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The latest in EA’s baseball franchise is a throwback to the college days. 2K Sports, in retaliation of EA Sports grabbing the exclusive NFL license, did the same for the MLB license essentially shutting down EA’s MVP baseball franchise. Not one to give up without a fight, EA Sports signed an exclusive deal to develop the first college baseball game. While not quite as flashy as it was in previous years, MVP 06 still has the solid gameplay that fans expect from the series.
You’ll find a number of gameplay modes in the game. The game includes exhibition, scenario (where you’re placed in a particular situation), practice (where you can practice batting and pitching), home run showdown, tournament and dynasty modes. In dynasty mode, you’ll be recruiting players out of high school by giving them campus visits, sending them various flattering emails and calling them frequently. You can also visit them to show that you’re interested, and react to their changing interest level in your school. The game gives you a limited number of recruitment points to recruit new players, though you can earn more by winning games. When a recruit is ready to sign, you’ll have to promise play time and scholarships to seal the deal.
MVP 06 NCAA Baseball includes around 30 stadiums (most of which are fictional) and over 100 NCAA Division 1 teams. You’ll find teams like Stanford, USC, and Texas and conferences like PAC-10, Big 12 and SEC. However, no Division II or Division III are schools included. Even within Division I, some conferences like the Ivy League were not included. The game does include stadium, player and team editors to try to make up for this though. Because the NCAA doesn’t have an equivalent to the MLB’s player association, all players in the game are fictional.
The core gameplay isn’t all that different to a MLB game however EA Sports has added the nuances to the game. For instance, there is a 10-run rule where the game will end if a team goes ahead by 10 runs. Runs are more common since the stadiums are smaller and the aluminum bats are more effective than the typical wooden bats. Other things like the strike zone being smaller and home plate collisions being prohibited can also be found. The game does let you play with MLB rules if you want with the “summer’ settings. This replaces the bats to wood, turns off the 10-run rule, and enables the home plate slides.
That said, this game very clearly uses the MVP engine. You’ll have access to EA’s meter-based interface for pitching. The meter-based system for power throws in the field returns as well. The same goes for the powerful baserunning controls. EA Sports changed the batting system though to utilize the right analog stick.
The game includes an online mode where you can engage in exhibition games against another player or enter tournaments. The game lets you manage a friends list and has a leaderboard. There is a quick game option to quickly enter a game, while the server keeps track of stats including everyone’s win-loss ratio. The quick game option tries to pair you up with an opponent of similar skill. There’s very little lag to be found in the game. In addition, EA has added its version of Xbox Live Aware to the PS2 in a feature called Online Everywhere. Basically, you can receive game invites while you’re playing offline.
The game’s visuals are technically sound though they are less impressive than the typically flashy MVP MLB games. The players are quite detailed with sharp textures, good looking uniforms, and solid animation. The stadiums are aptly decorated though their architecture is decidedly plainer than a typical MLB stadium. That said, though smaller in scale, what is there is more detailed. For instance, you’ll notice that the crowd is more detailed than it was in previous years. The game still has amazing replays that really help enhance the action.
The game’s audio performs just as well. Commentary is provided by ESPN’s Mike Patrick whose comments flow into the game very naturally. They are constant and vast in scope, so you’ll rarely hear repeat lines. Kyle Peterson provides color commentary though his comments are generally less interesting and far less frequent. The sound effects are pretty good. The sounds of baseball are accurately portrayed in the game. You’ll hear the crowd clap when the home team is doing well and yell at the away team when they have a good play. That said, the game just doesn’t have the excitement that you would expect from a college baseball game. This is a problem that EA’s NCAA football series struggled with when it began, and it’s something that EA Sports will undoubtedly improve upon next year.
MVP 06 NCAA Baseball’s core gameplay remains as strong as ever and EA Sports has implemented enough college nuances to make the game authentic. The presentation, while technically solid if not stunning, lacks the excitement of a typical college baseball game. This is something that EA Sports can improve next year, and shouldn’t deter fans of the MVP engine. If you’re looking for something with a bit more oomph, though, MVP 06 NCAA Baseball may not provide it.
-- Jose Liz & -- Adam Nunez, PGNx Media
---- Feb 26, 2006
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