MVP Baseball 2004 - PlayStation 2

The actual game presentation and graphics are very good. Ballparks from major league cities and spring training facilities are all top-notch. Boston's Green Monster, San Francisco's cove, Philadelphia new PNC Park are just a few examples of a devotion to "get it right." The character animations are fluid and detailed. Pitching, base running, and fielding are easy to pick up and the controls make sense. It'll take a few games to get used to the batting, though. But after you get the hang of it, you'll be hitting homers before you know it.

As for options, MLB 2004 has numerous ways you can enjoy this gem. There is the exhibition mode where you pick two teams and get after it. Rosters are accurate and attributes appear to be very fair. Season play offers varying lengths of schedules, from 14 to 162 games.

Overall, EA Sports recreates all that is good about baseball and packages it in MVP 2004. The game just has the "feel" of being well-balanced and complete. I hope this game is a sign of things to come from EA's sophomore series. --Andrew S. Bub

Pros: Great fielding and batting models Good physics and presentation Cons: Boring commentary