Baseball sim a videogaming 'MVP'

For those die-hard baseball fans who have finally realized that their dream of playing in the Big Leagues will never work out, "MVP Baseball 2004" is the next best thing. EA Sports took a great thing in last year's "MVP" title and improved upon it. Yes, like stretching a double into a triple, this game has been ironed out and damn near perfected to the point of near frightening realism. \nAll the standard features baseball gamers are accustomed to haven't changed, but some new stuff has been added such as Classic Player Mode, which gives you control over baseball's biggest and most historic names as they battle moving fastballs and tailing curves. Also new for the 2004 game are minor league teams which are now available so the gamer can control a player's destiny to the Majors, or sink any dream of making the Bigs. Playing the whole 120 game season not only tests a player's skill, but also endurance, as we are reminded that the baseball season is a marathon and not a sprint. \nIntensity is a good word to describe the gameplay of "MVP," as realism has been applied at every level of the game from team coordinated shirts worn by bleacher bums to the movement on a upper 90's fastball as it leaves the pitcher's hand. Online play raises the bar another notch as a gamer can get involved with a competitive network of online games worldwide. The game speed is so fast, the graphics so clean; just don't forget to pull the trigger on that hanging change floating in the sweet spot.