Sports games. I don't like them. I like extreme sports a ton, but not sports. So when I came across this game and decided to try it, I didn't have high hopes. Thankfully, I saved myself the disappointment. And I'll tell you, if I was looking forward to playing this game, I would be VERY disappointed. It has many flaws, and many things wrong with it. It is not a good Baseball game, and I can say that fairly because of any sports game I'd have to pick baseball as my favorite (though I very rarely sit down and play a baseball game). so, if you want to find out why I graded this game so low, listen up.

The graphics are worse than NHL Breakaway's. Each game seems really (and I mean REALLY) messed up, because of many reasons. First of all, the stadium's seats are so small that it seems like the fans are midgets. Now, smaller than that, and the Baseball players are huge. OK, imagine this. Your playing baseball and all the people who are watching are small stuffed bears. And they look like shapeless colored blocks. That is the size comparison between the two. Also, it is VERY easy to hit home runs. I have little skill with baseball games (but more skill than any other sport game) and didn't think I could even win a game. I found myself winning all the time. Now, this would be a cause for celebration. Graphics kill it. There's the second problem. The graphics actually help to ruin the fun. Enough said. 5/10.

Sound? Well, there's that baseball music (you know, do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do, dodododo-dodo!) and there's the fans, the crack of the baseball bat hitting the ball, all the regular stuff is here, and nothing special. Nothing disappointing, nothing out of the ordinary. Average baseball fare. 7/10.

OK, I've already told you that I hate sport games, but if I had to pick one type to play, it'd be baseball. This game does not meet the expectation. I have already told you how easy it is to get home runs - ridiculously easy. And not only that, but it's easy to make it around the bases without the home run - the AI is brain dead. I don't see why this is fun. Here's an average scenario - you hit a ball, if gets really close to a home run (you hit multiple home runs following this run) and you run to certain bases. It takes forever for the AI to find the ball. Once they finally find it (and your on Base 3 by then) They chuck it to the nearest plate. Then, whoever's at that plate chucks it to the plate you're closest to. Do you see how much time the AI give you to make it around the bases? IT's way too easy - and not fair in that way. If you pick up a baseball game, part of it is for the challenge. That isn't found here. And that's not a good thing. 4/10.

Even baseball fans won't have much fun replaying this title. As with any sport game, the replay value is there. The only problem is, no one is going to use it. And that, of coarse, can't damage this because it's there. It should be a 2/10 (because no one uses it) but to score fairly, I'll give it an 8/10.

Closing comments - Not fun, simply. It is not a fun baseball game. It has very little teams, it seems like it was made for 5 years olds (or at least the difficulty level was set so 5 year olds could play) and it's just boring. Sorry GT Interactive, but for your first baseball game, you really messed up.

Conclusion

Were I to rate this by the fun and how much you'd get out of it, you'd be staring at a 2/10. But with that darned replay value and sound keeping high enough scores, it raises things a bit. 5/10. Sorry I couldn't lower the score some.

Rating: 5 of 10
Visuals: 5/10 | Sound: 7/10 | Gameplay: 4/10 | Lasting Appeal: 8/10


Author: Jordan Skinner
Reviewed on: 2003/12/13