News Post

Three Things MVP 05 Still Does Better

04:19 PM - May 7, 2009 by RaychelSnr

MLB 09: The Show has been out for over a month, and many baseball gaming enthusiasts have hailed the game as the best baseball video game ever. As a baseball elitist myself, there is no denying that the game is extremely impressive.

It has been five solid years since I have enjoyed a baseball game as much as this year's iteration of The Show. Because of this enjoyment level, I have found myself glued to my PS3 cultivating my Road to the Show career and running a somewhat successful Detroit Tigers dynasty.

Read More - Three Things MVP 05 Still Does Better

Game: MLB '09: The ShowReader Score: 9/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS2 / PS3 / PSPVotes for game: 90 - View All

MLB '09: The Show Videos

Member Comments

# 41 Brian SCEA @ 05/07/09 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bsb13


	It was supposed to simulate a hitter reading the seams of the ball (which happens in real life). I thought it was a good attempt but it just didn't quite cut it.

It is what it is, so some people will like it and others won't. Like a lot of features in sports games, this is an alternative way to play the game. Many people won't like being told the pitch type every time by color, but MVP shouldn't remove it just because other people don't like it. A game wouldn't have any features if that happened, for the same reason why there's more than one way to play the Show.

Any discussion about "remove feature A, put in feature B" is bound to end up going in circles when there are also people who would "remove feature B, to put in feature A".

If you want the most realistic type of hitting, use pure zone hitting. Guess pitch is for people who want guess pitch, there's no need to take that away from them just to please people who don't want it to exist. People have fun playing the game both ways including one vs. the other, and that's what counts.

# 42 whoady4shoady @ 05/07/09 09:12 PM

The hitting is much better in the Show, and I have no problems even on the hardest difficulty. I mean yes it is really hard, but there is nothing arcadey about it like MVP.

# 43 Gamit @ 05/07/09 09:15 PM

High Heat to me was better but thats another story

# 44 Bumble14 @ 05/07/09 09:26 PM

Just for clarification purposes, I have no problem hitting in The Show 09, so that is not why I wrote what I did about batting. If anything I find the hitting system to be too easy- currently batting .415 as a team in my dynasty on the 2nd hardest difficulty. With a tweaked slider set in MVP I always felt challenged when stepping to the dish, especially with scrub hitters.

SCEA can post as many facts as they want about their hitting system- the bottom line is that in my opinion, I feel as if user control is being removed in an effort to create a more statistically realistic experience. It's almost as if I can tell I am playing against cpu logic telling me what I can and can not hit as opposed to me making the adjustments on my own. I have run into multiple games where I am able to initiate the exact same hit variation/animation 4-5 times in a row just by nailing swing timing at a certain location.

My point was that MVP's system gave the user far more control to do what they wanted through the zone. The MVP system felt completely organic in that mid swing adjustments felt completely dictated by the users actions. When I play the Show, I feel like there is some kind of disconnect from my virtual batter. It's a difficult feeling to explain, but I think there are a lot of MVP 05 hitting fans out there who know where I am coming from.

# 45 Bumble14 @ 05/07/09 09:29 PM

Brian-

FYI- no disrespect is meant to you or your team at all on this, I still enjoy the heck out of your game :-)

As a complete baseball video game nerd, I just have to call it like I see it. I think a lot of gamers out there would love to see a completely left stick based hitting system implemented into your game- ditch PCI all together, and use the left stick as a hand/arm adjustment through the zone.

I'd also love to see the ability to open/close my stance, along with manually adjusting my plate distance return to the series. The more user control you can give to the gamer at the plate, the better.

# 46 Fetrey @ 05/07/09 09:42 PM

MVP 05 is totally overrated. It's basically a glorified arcade game with sim-style aesthetics. The AI was way too easy to exploit (even on the hardest difficulty) and the pitching was too easy, as well. I can easily get 15 K's a game in MVP 05 with the 5th starter in my rotation. Also...while hitting, any pitch up-and-in that you sit on is an automatic 420 foot homerun.

Hell.....MLB 06 The Show was better.

# 47 Bumble14 @ 05/07/09 09:51 PM

Play the PC version of MVP 05.

There's a reason it is still selling for $60+ on ebay these days.

# 48 gambler1180 @ 05/07/09 10:02 PM

I agree 100% and would also add that i wish the show would use a different pitching system. As bad a 2k is, I still love the pitching.

If they were to put the Hitting and base running from MVP with the Pitching of 2k9 and mix in everything else that the show has i would be in baseball video game heaven.

# 49 mmorg @ 05/07/09 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bumble14


	SCEA can post as many facts as they want about their hitting system- the bottom line is that in my opinion, I feel as if user control is being removed in an effort to create a more statistically realistic experience. It's almost as if I can tell I am playing against cpu logic telling me what I can and can not hit as opposed to me making the adjustments on my own. I have run into multiple games where I am able to initiate the exact same hit variation/animation 4-5 times in a row just by nailing swing timing at a certain location.

Usually if a professional baseball player is swinging on a tee (the exact same spot with the exact same timing) their swing is going to look the same.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bumble14


	Play the PC version of MVP 05. There's a reason it is still selling for $60+ on ebay these days.

It's selling for that much because of the Mods. The vanilla version of the game was horrid. The modded version of the game was mediocre.

# 50 Cubfan @ 05/07/09 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art1bk


	I completely agree with this entire Article. I would add that MVP still has way better fielding as well. Fielding in the show needs to be redone..

The fielding was redone. They take better angles to the ball. Anyway The Show has out done MVP baseball. MVP was to arcade like and MLB The Show is the real thing.

# 51 Super Glock @ 05/07/09 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fetrey


	MVP 05 is totally overrated. It's basically a glorified arcade game with sim-style aesthetics. The AI was way too easy to exploit (even on the hardest difficulty) and the pitching was too easy, as well. I can easily get 15 K's a game in MVP 05 with the 5th starter in my rotation. Also...while hitting, any pitch up-and-in that you sit on is an automatic 420 foot homerun. Hell.....MLB 06 The Show was better.

completely agree, MVP 05 cant hang with MLB 09 The Show and that is all there is to it, what a ridiculous thread!!!

# 52 floridagatorfan @ 05/07/09 11:23 PM

Completely disagree about the hitting. Hitting with just timing based made it way to easy to get hits. I prefer the show where there is a randomness that allows for blowouts and also really close pitchers duels.

Also, I think the hitters eye was a stupid gimmick and would not fit into the realistic approach in The Show. All you have to do is look for a color and it takes all the work out of hitting. In the show after playing for a long time I've started to pick up pitches and develop a better ability to pick up pitches. Basically what I got from the hitting part of this article was make it easier.

# 53 bkrich83 @ 05/08/09 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bumble14


	Play the PC version of MVP 05. There's a reason it is still selling for $60+ on ebay these days.

I couldn't disagree more. I have the PC version of MVP 05, and feel it's the one of the most overrated games of all time. I think due to it's premature demise, people seem to place it in higher esteem than it should be.

I agree with the article on the baserunning, I hate the baserunning in the MLB series, imo, it's always beeen counter intuitive.

But to that end, I hated the hitting and pitching systems in MVP 05, particularly the hitting system, and I felt it's results were questionable at best. I love the fact that in The Show ratings matter, and there are a plethora of them. In MVP the hitting system, and ratings system felt way dumbed down. Power hitter up? Press up and inside and wait for an inside pitch. Whammo home run.

I also felt the franchise setup in MVP was ok, but not great, and somewhat simplistic.

# 54 bang911 @ 05/08/09 01:31 AM

Best OS blog ever! Seriously though, this game was so phenomenal. I have not seen a better hitting system still to this date!

Keep up the MVP love.

# 55 SoxFan01605 @ 05/08/09 02:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srudoff


	you forget the #1 thing that MVP will ALWAYS have over The Show.... Nostalgia you sound like my dad talking about the Beatles or Stones and great reply to Brian - "don't bother me with facts - my feelings may fly in the face of how you actually programmed the game, but they're my feelings so there"

C'mon...we don't need to take it there. I don't think that was the guy's intent and he even clarified to Brian that he does enjoy the game.

I think he was just making a statement that the facts of how it is intended or implemented don't change his opinion on how it feels to him as a user. While I have a completely different viewpoint than him, there's nothing wrong with him feeling that way.

As for the nostalgia comment, I 100% agree. I think this game and NFL 2K5 are the most overrated games I've ever played (and I loved them both...still play 2K5 too, btw

). Getting "killed" in your prime is always good for ratings...lol.

The irony of it is, I'm not sure it was the best baseball game AT THAT TIME, let alone all time. It was innovative in some ways, and did SOME things better than other games. That was a good time for sports gaming though...lots of options to choose from. Each one (for the most part) offering something.

The thing is, I can probably take every relevant current game, and find a previous one in it's genre that had something the current one doesn't...nature of the beast. Doesn't mean it's better, though (IMO).

# 56 tril @ 05/08/09 03:29 AM

based on this article, Id say MLB 2K9, even though it has its issues, is closer to MVP05 than the SHOW 09.
wish I could find MVP05 on pc for cheap.

# 57 rckabillyRaider @ 05/08/09 04:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tril


	based on this article, Id say MLB 2K9, even though it has its issues, is closer to MVP05 than the SHOW 09. wish I could find MVP05 on pc for cheap.

# 58 Jackdog @ 05/08/09 05:03 AM

The only things I miss about MVP is the base running and being able to play in any ballpark you wanted to during a franchise. Classic ones included.

# 59 davewins @ 05/08/09 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rondoman


	OK. Pitching was WAY WORSE in MVP. In MVP, you could paint the corners every single pitch, and the ptiching meter was wasy as hell. It made for some pretty boring games IMO. Pitching was one of the things I hated about MVP for that reason. No pitcher in real life hits 95% of his pitches on the corners.

Agreed.

Pitching was the #1 reason why I couldn't enjoy any of the MVP games. In playing the game from 03 to 07 I seriously don't think I walked one batter unintentionally. Pinpoint location with every type of pitch.

If they fixed the pitching so it was more rating based like SCEA is then that game would of been 10X better IMO.

# 60 k_bassuka @ 05/08/09 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmorg


	This is wrong on all accounts. You say you played on a high level of baseball but consider MVP's hitting mechanics and batters eye feature superior to The Show? How do you figure? I played Semi-Pro and College ball and I never remember the baseball flashing different colors based upon what type of pitch was coming. I also never remember adjusting my swing to hit a fly ball or ground ball. If I wanted a fly ball I looked for a pitch up in the zone, and by swinging at a pitch up in the zone you have a better chance hitting a fly ball because that is how baseball works. This is the way it is in The Show. MVP was a mediocre baseball game at best though they did do some great things with control schemes.

Maybe that�s the reason you didn't make it to The Show, LOL.ffice

ffice" />>>
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I consider an expert on both games and have mastered both, MVP was easier to master but far more realistic than The Show specially when you took the field, from the time the ball was put into play to the time you threw the ball you were in control of the player unlike The Show and their ridiculous in game animations. I miss throwing home then hit a button to cut the ball and get the runner going to second instead.>>
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After you master The show is even worst than MVP my record stands at 82-12 some of those loses were due to sim games at the end and because of those balls that my fielder decided to let go through their legs on double play situation and in the OF. Through 94 games I have 4 players on the team with over 40 HR, all players have 15+ even the bench guys and my team ERA is under 3. All this while playing on Legend, it happened the same thing on last year version. The pitching meter is useless in The show 09 even worst than the 08 version, you don�t even have to move the ball location and attempt to hit the corners and strikeout 10+ batters and throw perfect games, maybe its just me but that�s not realistic at all. The hitting is the same way, just like MVP you could sit on a high and inside pitch on The Show you can sit on a down the middle of the plate fastball or off-speed pitch. This and the really bad fielding made me stop playing baseball games as of right now. Boy can't wait for football season to start and The Show '10.>>

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