Spring Training

Talk about coming out swinging. Always ahead of the game, Electronic Arts is starting the year strong with MVP™ 06 NCAA® Baseball. The first title to feature America's national pastime from a collegiate perspective, the outing doesn't just build and expand on last year's phenomenal MVP Baseball™ 2005. It also ups the ante with a host of new features that make the experience instantly endearing to fair-weather fans and diehard sports nuts alike.

Unlike rival simulations, which capture the magic of pro-level competition (for example, Major League Baseball 2K5: World Series™ Edition), you won't find name-brand athletes here. Instead, the stars of the show are official teams from a whopping 128 leading real-life American universities.

No matter your favorite school, expect to see them represented on a star-studded roster which includes the Georgetown Hoyas, NC State Wolfpack, and Purdue Boilermakers. Even less-storied contenders like the Long Beach State Dirtbags and UC Irvine Anteaters get to enjoy a little time in the spotlight.

Try catching it with your glove next time ...

Don't feel obligated to choose a squad affiliated with an existing institution, though. Comprehensive team creation features let you build your own crew of sluggers. What's more, no custom-designed outfit is complete without its own original name or logo, which you can assign on the fly.

Players can also be personalized from shoes to sideburns. For laughs, try tweaking their hair color and facial features ... whether you prefer a tall, wiry sort of character or a short, stocky alter-ego is irrelevant. Virtually any type of individual may be invented on the fly and used to populate your starting lineup.

Ballparks are fair game too; adjust wall heights and distances as you see fit with the title's built-in editor.

It's a testament to the power developers
have yet to unlock from Xbox®.

You want authenticity, you got it—genuine landmarks like Goodwin Field, Rosenblatt Stadium, and Reckling Park are included, with 19 real-world venues in total. Striding the diamond as the Scarlet Knights or Demon Deacons, get blown away by the game's striking audiovisual fidelity.

Crowds cheer, blue skies beckon and shadows dance as you send line drives and soon-to-be home runs soaring towards the outfield. Athletes move with mesmerizing grace and fluidity, with a quality of animation that's nothing short of exemplary. While shy of Xbox 360™ standards, it's nonetheless an altogether impressive showing and a testament to the power developers have yet to unlock from Xbox®.

Very funny, guys, but please—no more tickling.

Far be it from me to suggest that the game's presentation is its most striking feature. Rather, that honor is reserved for the gameplay.

Intuitive Control Scheme

In a gesture so simple yet profound it leaves you slapping your head in stunned disbelief, the crew at Electronic Arts manages to capture the feel of the sport better than ever this season. The secret to the game's success: Crucial commands are now mapped onto the right stick.

Enabling what the designers call Precision Throw Controls and a Load and Fire Batting system, this play mechanic does wonders towards increasing one's level of empathy for the experience.

Essentially, to throw to a given base or teammate, you just press the right stick in the direction of a base when the throw meter fills up. The timing on your release of the stick determines the velocity, and, just like on the field, if you release too early the ball goes high, and vice-versa. How accurately you aim from left to right also determines where the throw ends up.

When batting, you "load" your swing by pulling back on the right stick and "fire" by pushing it forward towards the pitch to smack away at the ball. If the ball is coming down the pipe, you want to move the stick straight up and down the center for optimal contact, but for an outside pitch, you need to pull back and push the stick away to grab a piece of it. To knock one out of the park, use a power swing by pressing the left trigger, or use the right trigger for a good contact swing.

Understandably, this change in mechanics has a pronounced effect on the action, making you feel more like you're actually playing a proper game of baseball than ever before.

What the drunken freshman saw on game day.

Additional high points include ESPN tickers, ESPN Radio Sportscenter updates, and dynamic play-by-play commentary provided by announcers Mike Patrick and Kyle Peterson. You also enjoy a deeper dynasty mode, now boasting year-round recruiting options and performance-rewarding NCAA challenges.

Always Online

Coolest of all are "Online Everywhere" features, which ensure you're always connected to the Internet via Xbox Live®. Without having to constantly log in or out, you're perpetually able to access instant messages or up-to-the-minute content. Not to mention that you're also able to spark off broadband-powered multiplayer matches on a dime.

One of the sharpest sports simulations I've had the pleasure of spending time with in recent years, MVP 06 NCAA Baseball will have audiences cheering with delight.

Article by Steve Richter