The graphics are not pretty. Blocky doesn't begin to describe the look of the players and the ballparks are a blurry, jaggy mess. Movement, however, is relatively fluid. It's a shame 989 tries to make the game look realistic when it does such a poor job. There are several, more "cartoony" baseball games on older systems that look much, much better than this.

Pitching is very straightforward. Choose a pitch, hold down the delivery button to decide velocity, line it up where you want it and let 'er go. Your pitcher will tire over time, so accuracy can take a steep drop in later innings. Batting has more options. You can choose to hit for power or average and your contact area will change accordingly. You can also choose "Total Control Batting," which consists of trying to guess the pitch type and location. Either way, it boils down to timing and aim. If you guess well, it's easier to make solid contact. Pitches move reasonably well and mimic real life enough that you'll recognize a split finger, slider, etc.

Playing defense is like running through mud. The outfields seem to stretch on for miles and movement is sluggish. In spite of the speed burst, routine doubles become triples while you wait for someone to get near the ball, . When you can get to the ball, fielding is also imprecise. Thankfully it doesn’t seem to matter. Just get your fielder in the general vicinity of the ball and it'll result in a catch. And don't worry about seeing where the ball is going, it's denoted by a shadow big enough to block out the sun. But once you get used to the way the game plays it can be fun and competitive. Both you and your opponent have to contend with the same issues, so reflexes and timing play the largest role in the outcome, along with wise team management, of course. Just because it's not beautiful to watch doesn't mean it's not challenging and rewarding. Getting the timing right on a hanging curve or turning a double play still feels good.

There's little attention paid to how different players should perform in the field. I've seen Roger Clemens run like a gazelle to pick up a dribbling grounder and fire it to first, and A-Rod moves like a wounded hippo toward a ball in the hole. Attention was paid to batting stances, however, with the top stars being reasonably replicated. Body types consist of just a handful of different sizes and weights, though.

Vin Scully, and all his mispronounced names, is paired with Dave Campbell for announcing. Their comments begin repeating after three innings. Not three games - three innings. Their introductions to different ballparks are detailed and accurate, as are the descriptions of the day's starting pitcher. But during the game, it's a good thing you have the option to turn the announcer volume all the way down.

There are lots of modes to play, including Home Run Derby, Franchise, Spring Training, Season and Playoffs. Franchise mode forces you to play with scrubs until you earn enough points to get better players. Spring Training puts you in the shoes of a young hopeful and Season mode puts you at the helm of whichever team you choose, free to make trades and break historical curses.

If you can play this game with your eyes closed (figuratively speaking, of course), it's not a bad game. Good timing will yield good hitting numbers and building a team can be fun. Obviously, MLB 2005 isn't going to hold up graphically to games on newer systems. But in case you're still wondering whether 989 Sports has managed to squeeze enough power out of the PS One to in any way compete with newer games in terms of options or gameplay, the answer is still "no." It does, however, provide an entertaining game if you don't have other options or other systems. Baseball fans will still enjoy the fantasy drafts and season management, and gameplay is rewarding, even better against a live opponent. The biggest problem with MLB 2005 is not that it can't compete with newer games on newer systems, but that it's not much different from MLB 2004.