EA's Triple Play series has been a longtime contender in the baseball genre. Appearing on multiple platforms, it was the standard by which other games were judged. The past few years though have not been kind to the stalwart, with upstarts like 3DO's High Heat Baseball encroaching on Triple Play's turf. When Sega became a multiplatform publisher, EA also saw competition from World Series Baseball. The new contenders were solid and Triple Play was stuck in a rut. So EA decided to pull the plug on the series and start anew.

In development for more than a year and a half, MVP Baseball 2003 shares little more than the sport of baseball with its predecessor. Development was shifted to EA Canada and the engine was built from scratch. With it, came a number of new improvements, including a better pitching and batting interface, a "base cam" for all of the runners, and well-balanced AI.

Pitch Time

The pitching interface is perhaps the most welcome improvement to the game. At its core, baseball centers on the battle of skill between the pitcher and the batter. The rest of the team is there for support if and when a runner makes it on base. Pitching in MVP Baseball 2003 has two components: the targeting cursor and the pitch meter. By default, the targeting cursor is visible for a second and then fades from view -- this way a wily opponent will not be able to see where you are planning to drop the pitch. You also have the option of making the cursor always visible or always invisible.

When the targeting cursor is out of view, MVP Baseball 2003 makes good use of the vibration function. As the cursor approaches the edges of the strike zone the controller will vibrate slightly. At first it is a little odd, but after a few innings things will be second nature and the vibration feedback will be all you need to properly place the ball. Once you've decided on a target it is time to choose a pitch. All of the available pitching styles for the man on the mound are linked to action buttons on the controller. Simply press the button for the pitch you want to activate the pitch meter.

Borrowing from golf games, the pitch meter has a lot in common with a swing meter. When first activated, it will slowly increase to the maximum as your pitcher executes the windup. Tap the pitch button a second time to set the max power of your pitch and the meter will then quickly decrease towards a target zone. Tap the pitch button a third time to release the ball. If you release while the pitch meter is in the green target zone you will throw a perfect pitch. Release too early or too late and you will throw a sloppy ball. The batter will be tipped off to the location of your pitch by an onscreen indicator.

At Bat

Batting control has been simplified in MVP Baseball 2003. If you choose, you can simply press the X button to swing, and if your timing is right the bat will connect with a solid crack. Advanced players can use the left analog stick in conjunction with the X button to try and force a ground ball or send a pop fly deep into right field. Sadly, there is no targeting cursor when you are at the plate. Sure, it is all about the timing, but a cursor of some sort would have been appreciated.

The red squares are the batter's hot zones, blue are his cold zones.
Assuming the pitcher does his job, the rest of the team will have an easy go of it, but life being what it is, the batter will eventually connect with a pitch and make his way to the infield. This is where the new "base cam" comes into play.

Shown on the miniature playfield, the base cam allows players to see exactly where the on-base runners are located. For the defensive player, this is a great way to keep tabs on runners who are trying to attempt a steal, while the offensive player can decide how much of a lead off he really wants to risk. It may not sound like much, but the base cam is a much better choice than the miniature playfield by itself.