Game Card
MVP 06: NCAA Baseball (PS2)
- Publisher:
- EA Games
- Developer:
- EA Games
- US Release:
- 18.05.2006
- EU Release:
- n/a
- Number of players:
- n/a
- Type:
- Baseball
- Sport Type:
- Traditional
- Sport Style:
- No Contact
- Sport:
- Baseball
- Extra:
- Management
Review
We play MVP 06: NCAA Baseball...
So there’s good news and there’s bad news. The good news is, EA Sports has just released MVP 06 NCAA Baseball, the world’s first college baseball video game. What began as a “well, now what?!” when EA Sports first learned that for the first time ever, MLB did not grant them licensing rights (in favor of 2K Games, of all things) has now become both a gaming first as well as an incredibly fun sports-gaming venture.
The bad news is that while the teams and stadiums are real, the players aren’t. While this isn’t that big a deal, all things considered, we can’t help but to miss that special feeling (we think it’s called motivation) from stepping into the virtual cleats of a real live player. Even worse is the fact that throwing wild pitches towards the head of a certain batter has just lost all of its significance. But hey, cheer up! Once the initial stab to your heart subsides, you’re left with an awesome ballgame to play, with all of the MVP series features that you’ve come to know and love, and even a few new modifications, such as the discontinuation of button based bat swinging (which we’ll get to in a moment).
First is the need to mention the fact that MVP 06 NCAA Baseball is more likely to appeal to baseball fans than video game fans. This is not to say that casual gamers won’t have a good time playing, but college baseball fans are sure to be much more enthralled with this title even if they typically don’t game down much.
There are over 100 playable NCAA Division I schools in MVP 06 NCAA Baseball. Fans can be sure that all of the most popular conference teams are there. Smaller conferences, however, like the Atlantic 10 and Mid-American conferences, are not. Division II and Division III schools are absent from gameplay as well. But hey, like we mentioned earlier, the characters are fictitious, making who you play not quite as entertaining as how you play, anyway.
MVP 06 NCAA Baseball features the right analog stick swinging system, which is awkward at first, but easy to adapt to and much more practical (and realistic feeling) once you get the “swing” of it. You’ll experience a whole new sense of control with the new “Load and Fire” system, as you pull the stick back and then push forward to swing, and hit the ball in the direction of your choice with a slight angling of the analog stick. The left and right triggers also provide added contact and power.
Button based throwing is also gone with the wind in favor of analog stick maneuverability. Tilt the stick to throw to the bases, hold it there a little longer and you can control the power of the player’s throw. As usual, you can advance all the runners through the use of the analog stick, and now you can control them individually with the d-pad.
The playable modes are also similar to the ones featured in EA Games’ previous MVP series. Enjoy a quick game with the exhibition and coach modes, get yourself accustomed to the new Load and Fire swinging system in the batting mini game mode, let your ballgame imagination go wild in scenario mode, and show your friends what you’ve got in the home run showdown or 4-8 player tournaments.
Best of all is MVP 06 NCAA Baseball’s dynasty mode. Although it is a slightly altered version of 2005’s MVP title (a necessary adjustment being that this isn’t MLB baseball), its’ fresh new feel is a nice change of pace. This time, instead of signing rookies and free agents, you have to recruit players out of high school. All of the phone calls, e-mails, and campus visits you’ll make are refreshingly realistic, modern, and of course, entertaining.
Fans of the 2005 MVP title can take comfort in the fact that all of the series’ top notch sounds and graphics are still one of the most rewarding qualities of the game. Everything from the sound of a ball driven out past third to the announcers’ commentaries sounds impressively realistic. The graphics looks as though you were watching a live game at moments. There are also thousands of animations throughout the game to accompany various plays, even for the rarer occurrences such as booted balls. Overall, MVP 06 NCAA Baseball is the next best thing to actually playing Division I college baseball.
Don’t like college baseball? That’s ok, too! Sure, there are a few noticeable differences between the MLB licensed and college based gameplay. From aluminum bats to the ten run rule (which automatically ends the game when a team is down by ten runs), MVP 06 NCAA Baseball is as real as virtual college baseball gets. But for those who prefer to play the MLB way, don’t let this game’s NCAA premise deter you! You might not be able to play as Barry Bonds, but you can still play just like him: same rules, same plays. Such is the beauty of video game baseball.
Top Game Moment: As mentioned earlier, dynasty mode is slightly new, and in my opinion, very improved. You can still set lineups, hire coaches, make substitutions, and play or simulate games throughout the season. But now, in addition to the injuries and rainouts that are bound to happen throughout a season, academic suspensions and alumni challenges are an aspect of play as well. Yet another example of why the missing MLB license turns out to be a welcome change of pace.
The bad news is that while the teams and stadiums are real, the players aren’t. While this isn’t that big a deal, all things considered, we can’t help but to miss that special feeling (we think it’s called motivation) from stepping into the virtual cleats of a real live player. Even worse is the fact that throwing wild pitches towards the head of a certain batter has just lost all of its significance. But hey, cheer up! Once the initial stab to your heart subsides, you’re left with an awesome ballgame to play, with all of the MVP series features that you’ve come to know and love, and even a few new modifications, such as the discontinuation of button based bat swinging (which we’ll get to in a moment).
First is the need to mention the fact that MVP 06 NCAA Baseball is more likely to appeal to baseball fans than video game fans. This is not to say that casual gamers won’t have a good time playing, but college baseball fans are sure to be much more enthralled with this title even if they typically don’t game down much.
There are over 100 playable NCAA Division I schools in MVP 06 NCAA Baseball. Fans can be sure that all of the most popular conference teams are there. Smaller conferences, however, like the Atlantic 10 and Mid-American conferences, are not. Division II and Division III schools are absent from gameplay as well. But hey, like we mentioned earlier, the characters are fictitious, making who you play not quite as entertaining as how you play, anyway.
MVP 06 NCAA Baseball features the right analog stick swinging system, which is awkward at first, but easy to adapt to and much more practical (and realistic feeling) once you get the “swing” of it. You’ll experience a whole new sense of control with the new “Load and Fire” system, as you pull the stick back and then push forward to swing, and hit the ball in the direction of your choice with a slight angling of the analog stick. The left and right triggers also provide added contact and power.
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Aluminum bats provide added sound effects |
Create your own ballpark, or play in an existing one |
Button based throwing is also gone with the wind in favor of analog stick maneuverability. Tilt the stick to throw to the bases, hold it there a little longer and you can control the power of the player’s throw. As usual, you can advance all the runners through the use of the analog stick, and now you can control them individually with the d-pad.
The playable modes are also similar to the ones featured in EA Games’ previous MVP series. Enjoy a quick game with the exhibition and coach modes, get yourself accustomed to the new Load and Fire swinging system in the batting mini game mode, let your ballgame imagination go wild in scenario mode, and show your friends what you’ve got in the home run showdown or 4-8 player tournaments.
Best of all is MVP 06 NCAA Baseball’s dynasty mode. Although it is a slightly altered version of 2005’s MVP title (a necessary adjustment being that this isn’t MLB baseball), its’ fresh new feel is a nice change of pace. This time, instead of signing rookies and free agents, you have to recruit players out of high school. All of the phone calls, e-mails, and campus visits you’ll make are refreshingly realistic, modern, and of course, entertaining.
Fans of the 2005 MVP title can take comfort in the fact that all of the series’ top notch sounds and graphics are still one of the most rewarding qualities of the game. Everything from the sound of a ball driven out past third to the announcers’ commentaries sounds impressively realistic. The graphics looks as though you were watching a live game at moments. There are also thousands of animations throughout the game to accompany various plays, even for the rarer occurrences such as booted balls. Overall, MVP 06 NCAA Baseball is the next best thing to actually playing Division I college baseball.
Don’t like college baseball? That’s ok, too! Sure, there are a few noticeable differences between the MLB licensed and college based gameplay. From aluminum bats to the ten run rule (which automatically ends the game when a team is down by ten runs), MVP 06 NCAA Baseball is as real as virtual college baseball gets. But for those who prefer to play the MLB way, don’t let this game’s NCAA premise deter you! You might not be able to play as Barry Bonds, but you can still play just like him: same rules, same plays. Such is the beauty of video game baseball.
Top Game Moment: As mentioned earlier, dynasty mode is slightly new, and in my opinion, very improved. You can still set lineups, hire coaches, make substitutions, and play or simulate games throughout the season. But now, in addition to the injuries and rainouts that are bound to happen throughout a season, academic suspensions and alumni challenges are an aspect of play as well. Yet another example of why the missing MLB license turns out to be a welcome change of pace.
