MVP 06 NCAA Baseball
Added February 22nd, 2006 by Kisan Parikh
Introduction:
With the exclusive rights to the MLB license being held by 2K Sports, EA was forced into developing the first college baseball game, MVP 06 NCAA Baseball. However, the lack of big name teams and players didn’t stop them from improving on the MVP series. The introduction of features such as Load and Fire Batting and ESPN tickers keep the ping of the aluminum bat from disappointing.
Gameplay:
MVP 06 features a number of in-game tweaks to improve the general baseball experience, as well as modifications to better fit the college atmosphere. The best new gameplay feature is Load and Fire Batting. In a system similar to Tiger Wood’s ‘Total Swing Control’ you are able to control your batting with the right thumbstick. Simply pull back on the stick to ‘Load’ your swing, and push forward to ‘Fire’. Along with pushing the trigger buttons to choose different swing types, this is this basic mechanic behind swinging in MVP 06. Sounds pretty easy, right?
With the exclusive rights to the MLB license being held by 2K Sports, EA was forced into developing the first college baseball game, MVP 06 NCAA Baseball. However, the lack of big name teams and players didn’t stop them from improving on the MVP series. The introduction of features such as Load and Fire Batting and ESPN tickers keep the ping of the aluminum bat from disappointing.
Gameplay:
MVP 06 features a number of in-game tweaks to improve the general baseball experience, as well as modifications to better fit the college atmosphere. The best new gameplay feature is Load and Fire Batting. In a system similar to Tiger Wood’s ‘Total Swing Control’ you are able to control your batting with the right thumbstick. Simply pull back on the stick to ‘Load’ your swing, and push forward to ‘Fire’. Along with pushing the trigger buttons to choose different swing types, this is this basic mechanic behind swinging in MVP 06. Sounds pretty easy, right?
Not quite. While transitioning from your ‘Load’ to your ‘Fire’, you are forced to keep your movement smooth. Not doing so will assure that you miss the ball. This keeps you from loading too early and just waiting for the pitch to arrive. Additionally, you must time the beginning of your ‘Load’ to match the pitch and the direction you want to hit. You can control the direction the ball goes by either timing your swing earlier or later, depending on what you want. Another aspect of the ‘Load and Fire Batting’ system is following the pitch across the plate. If it is heading left, you move the control stick left during the ‘Fire’ phase, and the opposite if it is heading right.
The new batting system is incredibly intuitive, and feels natural after you get the hang of it. Once you have mastered the swinging mechanics, you can also take advantage of ‘Hitter’s Eye’. As pitches are thrown, the ball changes colors for a split second. Breaking balls will turn white, off-speed pitches green, sinkers purple, and knuckle balls red. This can give the batter an idea about how to time a swing, but only experienced players will benefit from this.
Gamers will quickly recognize that batting is more difficult in MVP 06 than other baseball games they have come across. It takes a bit more practice and concentration, but in the end, the added skill involved makes it more rewarding to get a solid hit.
Another new feature is the refined fielding controls. MVP 06 NCAA Baseball utilizes ‘Precision Throw Control’. By using the right thumbstick, a fielder can choose a base to throw to. A meter will fill under the player, and once it is in the green zone, you should release the thumbstick. Holding too long will cause a high throw, and letting go too quickly will result in a low throw. The new throwing technique works very well, and it throws some skill into getting outs.
The main mode of play in MVP 06 is Dynasty Mode. This mode is fairly standard, with everything you would expect from a collegiate sports game. You get your standard recruitment system, with a set amount of points to spend on bringing a player in. Additionally, you are given management options such as: Depth Charts, Pitching Rotations, Batting Orders, and Defensive Alignments. The mode is a straightforward EA Dynasty Mode with an email system and challenges- which allow you to unlock gear.
One of the best aspects of MVP 06 NCAA Baseball is the new presence of ESPN within the game. This is the first EA title to take advantage of the license, and it employs ESPN very well. EA has named the ESPN integration ‘Online Everywhere’, and it features live headlines and scores- all displayed in an ESPN ticker. Additionally, there is the new ‘ESPN Radio’ feature too give you live updates every twenty minutes. You’ll never get behind on your sports news while playing games again!
The game doesn’t really build up a college atmosphere like its football counterpart, and this proves to be the most disappointing aspect of the game. The new gameplay innovations help alleviate this problem, but hopefully we will see the mascots and fight songs next year.
Graphics:
The visuals featured in MVP 06 NCAA Baseball are decent. The stadiums and player models look okay, but they seem way too bland. One of the graphical bright spots in MVP 06 can be seen in the game’s animations. There are some nice dives and catches, but unfortunately, you will see a bit of slowdown at times. The presentation is also improved from past MVP titles, with nice replays and a picture-in-picture ‘Swing Analysis’ after strikes. This ‘Swing Analysis’ shows the ball’s trajectory and how close/far you were from hitting it. Overall, the game was pretty standard in terms of visuals.
The new batting system is incredibly intuitive, and feels natural after you get the hang of it. Once you have mastered the swinging mechanics, you can also take advantage of ‘Hitter’s Eye’. As pitches are thrown, the ball changes colors for a split second. Breaking balls will turn white, off-speed pitches green, sinkers purple, and knuckle balls red. This can give the batter an idea about how to time a swing, but only experienced players will benefit from this.
Gamers will quickly recognize that batting is more difficult in MVP 06 than other baseball games they have come across. It takes a bit more practice and concentration, but in the end, the added skill involved makes it more rewarding to get a solid hit.
Another new feature is the refined fielding controls. MVP 06 NCAA Baseball utilizes ‘Precision Throw Control’. By using the right thumbstick, a fielder can choose a base to throw to. A meter will fill under the player, and once it is in the green zone, you should release the thumbstick. Holding too long will cause a high throw, and letting go too quickly will result in a low throw. The new throwing technique works very well, and it throws some skill into getting outs.
The main mode of play in MVP 06 is Dynasty Mode. This mode is fairly standard, with everything you would expect from a collegiate sports game. You get your standard recruitment system, with a set amount of points to spend on bringing a player in. Additionally, you are given management options such as: Depth Charts, Pitching Rotations, Batting Orders, and Defensive Alignments. The mode is a straightforward EA Dynasty Mode with an email system and challenges- which allow you to unlock gear.
One of the best aspects of MVP 06 NCAA Baseball is the new presence of ESPN within the game. This is the first EA title to take advantage of the license, and it employs ESPN very well. EA has named the ESPN integration ‘Online Everywhere’, and it features live headlines and scores- all displayed in an ESPN ticker. Additionally, there is the new ‘ESPN Radio’ feature too give you live updates every twenty minutes. You’ll never get behind on your sports news while playing games again!
The game doesn’t really build up a college atmosphere like its football counterpart, and this proves to be the most disappointing aspect of the game. The new gameplay innovations help alleviate this problem, but hopefully we will see the mascots and fight songs next year.
Graphics:
The visuals featured in MVP 06 NCAA Baseball are decent. The stadiums and player models look okay, but they seem way too bland. One of the graphical bright spots in MVP 06 can be seen in the game’s animations. There are some nice dives and catches, but unfortunately, you will see a bit of slowdown at times. The presentation is also improved from past MVP titles, with nice replays and a picture-in-picture ‘Swing Analysis’ after strikes. This ‘Swing Analysis’ shows the ball’s trajectory and how close/far you were from hitting it. Overall, the game was pretty standard in terms of visuals.
Audio:
The game’s audio is well done in some areas, but lacking in others. Mike Patrick and Kyle Peterson have the call, and they do their job nicely. They describe the on-field happenings with ease and even add some witty comments from time to time. The in-game sounds are well done as well. Everything from the umpire calling outs to the ball hitting a glove sounds about right, and the ping of the aluminum bat sounds great. This said, I would have liked to see fight songs included in the soundtrack and played during the games. The crowd doesn’t really play as big of a role as it does in NCAA football either, which is something that EA needs to include in the 06 version of MVP Baseball.
Controls:
The new control systems are, perhaps, MVP 06 NCAA Baseball’s biggest strengths. The ‘Load and Fire Batting System’ and ‘Precision Throw Control System’ both are incredibly intuitive, and make the gamer develop a bit of skill. The new mechanics may be difficult to pick up, but take the time to watch the video tutorials and practice them before giving up. If you just cannot stand them, you can always go back to the simple methods featured in past MVP games. More than likely, though, you will fall in love with the new control scheme in a short matter of time.
Replay:
Aside from Dynasty mode MVP 06 offers a few other ways to get your fix. The batting and pitching mini-games are nice little diversions, and will keep you busy as you try to attain the highest score. Also offered is a Homerun Showdown mode where you face off with another competitor, either human or CPU controlled, and try to reach the point total the fastest. The Creation Zone will also eat up some of your time, offering you the chance to build your own players, teams, and ballparks. You have all kinds of options to play around with, and you can use your creations in other modes. Xbox Live mode is fairly basic in terms of options. You have both ranked and unranked matches, Optimatch and Quickmatch options, and Online Tournament capabilities. For the most part Everything worked well .
The game’s audio is well done in some areas, but lacking in others. Mike Patrick and Kyle Peterson have the call, and they do their job nicely. They describe the on-field happenings with ease and even add some witty comments from time to time. The in-game sounds are well done as well. Everything from the umpire calling outs to the ball hitting a glove sounds about right, and the ping of the aluminum bat sounds great. This said, I would have liked to see fight songs included in the soundtrack and played during the games. The crowd doesn’t really play as big of a role as it does in NCAA football either, which is something that EA needs to include in the 06 version of MVP Baseball.
Controls:
The new control systems are, perhaps, MVP 06 NCAA Baseball’s biggest strengths. The ‘Load and Fire Batting System’ and ‘Precision Throw Control System’ both are incredibly intuitive, and make the gamer develop a bit of skill. The new mechanics may be difficult to pick up, but take the time to watch the video tutorials and practice them before giving up. If you just cannot stand them, you can always go back to the simple methods featured in past MVP games. More than likely, though, you will fall in love with the new control scheme in a short matter of time.
Replay:
Aside from Dynasty mode MVP 06 offers a few other ways to get your fix. The batting and pitching mini-games are nice little diversions, and will keep you busy as you try to attain the highest score. Also offered is a Homerun Showdown mode where you face off with another competitor, either human or CPU controlled, and try to reach the point total the fastest. The Creation Zone will also eat up some of your time, offering you the chance to build your own players, teams, and ballparks. You have all kinds of options to play around with, and you can use your creations in other modes. Xbox Live mode is fairly basic in terms of options. You have both ranked and unranked matches, Optimatch and Quickmatch options, and Online Tournament capabilities. For the most part Everything worked well .
Summary:
EA’s first take on college baseball is an overall success. The new gameplay elements and controls are great innovations, and they really force players to develop some skill. MVP 06 NCAA Baseball is also a success as the first EA game to incorporate. Most importantly, MVP 06 remains entertaining despite the lack of an MLB license. Baseball fans who can live with the college atmosphere should definitely give this one a shot.
EA’s first take on college baseball is an overall success. The new gameplay elements and controls are great innovations, and they really force players to develop some skill. MVP 06 NCAA Baseball is also a success as the first EA game to incorporate. Most importantly, MVP 06 remains entertaining despite the lack of an MLB license. Baseball fans who can live with the college atmosphere should definitely give this one a shot.
