MVP Baseball 2005 (PlayStation 2, 2005)

There have been a lot of good baseball video games in our time, and the MVP series ranks right up there with them. 2004 was a good game, and 2005 is even better through a series of small additions (new hitting and pitching games to keep you occupied if you don't want to go through a whole game, and more minor league teams, to name a few). The hitter/pitcher view is the best I've played, and the AI seems to be even better (if you try to sneak a hitter like Travis Hafner in at catcher, the computer will run on you, even in the easier levels).

And it's the extra touches that make MVP such a fun play. Players send you emails letting you know whether they're satisfied or not with their playing time and salaries, and you have to balance those as well as play on the field. Players even get tired based on how many days off you give them.

Many players have distinctive batting stances or pitching motions (Keith Foulke's motion can be particularly deceptive), and the faces are very accurate. But perhaps the nicest part is the attention to detail in the stadiums. Not only are the current stadiums exquisitely detailed, but you unlock other parks like Hiram Bithorn, where the Expos played in Puerto Rico last year, or older stadiums like the Polo Grounds or Forbes Field (and if you choose one of the historical stadiums, the game is played in washed-out color, like you're watching an old TV). And it of course has the usual assortment of unlockable jerseys and players.

My only real complaints are minor ones. The "player email" function still isn't the smartest feature....it's not an amazing Blockbuster trade when two AA players get dealt for each other, while Pujols gets dealt for Clemens with no fanfare. The computer also doesn't always make the smartest lineup decisions; I've often seen them play youngsters with poor attributes, while semi-stars like Dmitri Young sit on the bench. But these are definitely minor, and if you're looking for a baseball game for the PS2, look no further than MVP 2005.