MVP Baseball 2003
- February 19, 2003 00:00 AM PST
MVP Baseball 2003 aims to erase EA Sports� past baseball sins, replacing the decayed Triple Play series with a whole new ballgame.
Judging from early preview versions, MVP Baseball 2003 (which replaces the flagging Triple Play series) might be a contender this season: It had some strikingly fresh ideas, eye-catching graphics, and solid physics for hits and pitches. The pitching controls are the most intriguing development as they�ll add a new tier of gameplay with a meter that represents the pitcher�s windup and release point. They had an excellent feel in the early build, but the game will also include throwing meters for fielders and picture-in-picture baserunning. Depending on how development shakes out, they could either end up feeling inspired and engaging�or gimmicky and meter-happy. The batting controls thankfully steered clear of cursors, relying cleanly on timing and hot/cold zones.An innovative Franchise mode will add goals to your multiseason play, challenging you to achieve objectives like winning Cy Youngs, racking up seven seasons over .600, and so on. Along with momentum swings, manager hiring/firing, and much more, it could provide motivation to play and sim your way through many more seasons than you normally do. Overall, though, the preview versions were still too unfinished to get a definitive sense of how the game is shaping up. But if it has a gung-ho spring training, MVP should challenge for at least a pennant.
