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Baseball fans by now have a console baseball title they should be happy with. Whether you went with MLB, 2K5, or MVP, all the titles had their pluses and minuses. That is, unless you are waiting (and waiting) on the Big N’s Pennant Chase Baseball due out sometime before the World Series. AT this time, you should be knee deep in your respective game’s season or franchise. For handheld and PSP fans, you’ve only had two choices this year, the first being MLB from 989 (Click Here for the review). It was a solid game in it’s own right, but left out a lot of the fluff seen in the home version. Well, EA promised to bring the console experience to the PSP and short of the franchise mode, they have succeeded in this task. MVP Baseball gives you nearly all you would want in a baseball title. You have a deep season mode full of trades, create a player, instant replays, mini games, batter walk-ups, and even HR celebrations. Yes, this is the baseball game to get on your PSP. Is it perfect? No, but for a baseball game on the go, it more than does the trick. What’s more, if you are just the competitive type and want some instant gratification you get it in the form of Wi-Fi multiplayer action. Really, what more could you want?
Visually the game is fairly close to the PlayStation 2 version of MVP 2005. The presentation, batter walk-ups, stadiums, and even player models could be mistaken for direct rips from the home hardware. There are even a few superstar faces represented which keeps everyone from looking identical. There are a few framerate hiccups here and there, but nothing that really hampers game play. Unlike MLB, where it felt like a rush job, MVP actually brings as much of the PS2 version as possible to the PSP. Sure, I could gripe about the jaggies, lack of shine on helmets, and clipping issues, but that would just be nitpicking a 1st generation launch title that can only get better with age. There is no mistaking that there is a lot of punch in the visual presentation of the PSP version of MVP Baseball Audio also receives the same treatment complete with color commentary and EA Pocket Trax to rock out on during the menu screens. How much you liked the home version’s audio will determine how you like the PSP version, as it’s pretty close. I personally hate the color duo and wish they would pick up a better line of personnel for the commentary. If I have to hear “big boy” one more time, I am going to break a baseball bat over my knee like Bo Jackson. Gameplay definitely takes some getting use to, due to the design of the PSP. While the PSP is great for racing, action, and RPG titles, it seems as if sports titles will take the biggest hit due to the iffy style of the analog stick, which seems to not react too well in certain situations, like hitting. Not that after a handful of games you won’t find yourself more accustomed to it, just learn patience early on to relieve future aggravation and correct any mistakes you may make. The A.I. seems to be better in this version as you do not feel as cheated or need to adjust the sliders frantically to pull off realistic box scores on default levels. There are a multitude of game play modes including exhibition, season, multiplayer and two mini games, one for pitching and one for hitting. You also have a "create a player" feature so it is easy to create yourself for that fantasy experience, or Barry Bonds since he’s a jerk. Earn enough points in the game to unlock retro jerseys, legendary players, and even classic stadiums. Even though the PSP can allow you to turn off the machine and pick back up where you left off, EA went one-step further allowing you to Save and Quit for the times someone decides to take out MVP before you get back to finishing your game. This is a really nice feature, especially for folks who can only fit in a few innings during breaks. Overall, there is ton crammed into this little UMD, and hopefully EA can find a way to produce more PSP baseball games in the future.
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