Video Game Reviews
Title: All Star Baseball 2004
Review rating: ***
Platform/console: Playstation2, GameCube, Xbox
Release date: March 2003
Genre: Sports
Players allowed: 1 to 2 (on-line capabilities)
ESRB rating: E
Production company: Acclaim
You get all teams and stadiums in the Major League plus two
dozen bonus teams, over forty additional stadiums and over
one hundred legendary players. That’s not enough. OK,
how about running a franchise for thirty years. This game
probably has everything you would want, especially for sporting
fans and statistical minded gamers. The only things that vice
the game are some graphic issues and repeating camera angles.
Choose from exhibition, play-offs and season modes. The very
involving franchise mode includes team scouting reports and
the option to really make a fresh start by building an expansion
team. The flexible pick-up game mode offers a great alternative
for gamers not so involved in the sport of baseball and just
want to have fun and not spend too much time on setting up
games.
The sounds of the game and modern jukebox that includes songs
from House of Pain, LL Cool J and Tim McGraw provide a great
realism to the environment but the graphics sometimes have
clipping issues, skips and choppy angles especially with the
pitcher. The players’ faces appear very realistic. Another
great sound element is the Spanish commentary as well as the
excited announcers who provide great play by play calls.
Now for some plays. As a batter you have a guess-pitch option
which grows when you guess right and shrinks when you miss.
The ideal spot on the bat is the center which can be concentrated
on instead of the guess-pitch – it’s your choice.
The players’ reactions to bad umpire calls are priceless.
Unfortunately you can only get downloadable updates for player
rosters on the Playstation 2 and Xbox versions – an
important consideration when purchasing this solid baseball
game.
Review by Michael Siebenaler
© Acclaim
®
