February 07, 2006 @ 10:26 am

MVP 06: NCAA Baseball

by: Quibian Salazar-Moreno

Of course since college athletes are amateurs, there aren’t names to go with the players but you do have a choice of 128 different schools to choose from. So without the super stars of the major leagues can EA’s new baseball franchise satisfy hardcore gaming fans of America’s pastime? left Audio/Visual: The visuals aren’t really stunning but the players and their movements are as real as they can get. When the players are running the bases, making a diving catch or swinging at a pitch, the animation couldn’t be better. The field look okay too, but since this is the first game of its kind, the dramatic swoops from aerial cameras found in Madden and NBA Live aren’t there, but look for it next season. For audio, the game comes with about ten songs but you have the option of creating a custom soundtrack which enhances any game. The sound of an aluminum bat hitting the ball, or the umpire yelling strike, or the ball hitting the ground all add to the environment of the game but there is barely any crowd noise. Where are the big bands and crowd cheers from the NCAA basketball and football games? Maybe there isn’t any in college baseball. Controls: The control of this game is the fun part. When batting, it used to be pushing of buttons that would cause you to swing, but now with EA’s ‘Load and Fire’ batting system you use the right analog stick to swing, similar to a lot of the golf games out now. The system gives you more freedom on how you want to hit the ball, whether you want to bunt, hit a grounder or shoot for a homerun. The throwing in the game is similar as well, instead of pressing buttons to throw to the bases; you use the right analog stick to throw to home, first, second or third. Pitching is basically like kicking a field goal in Madden. You select what kind of pitch you want to throw, fast ball, slider, curve, etc. and the you aim it at where you want it to go in front of the batter. There’s a meter that goes back in forth like kicking a field goal, where you press the button of your pitch to determine how nice or sloppy your pitch is. Hotness: The gameplay will keep you coming back to play more. EA makes playing real easy and real fun, what more can you ask? Wackness: There aren’t any superstars, but really, who cares? It’s a great game.

Article tags: Mvp Ncaa Baseball 2006, Review