|
|
 |
|
|
|
Review
By: |
Ramz |
|
Date: |
09/04/2002 |
|
Released: |
11/03/2002 |
|
Publisher: |
3do |
|
Developer: |
3do |
|
Platform: |
PC |
|
Rating: |
 |
|
|
Ever since the creation
of console systems baseball games have taken one of two routes:
1- Under-developed.
2- Developed unrealistically.
Since 3dos creation of the High Heat Baseball series, baseball games
have been making waves; getting better from year to year. High Heat 2002
(featuring Sammy Sosa) was the best baseball game ever released, however,
a new guy has entered the scene...his brother High Heat Baseball 2003
(featuring curt schilling).
---
Over the years we have seen baseball games come and go...from Atari Baseball,
to RBI Baseball, to Bases Loaded, to Roger Clemens, to World Series Baseball,
to Triple Play (you get my point) they have all missed the mark at some point
or |
|
another. The older classic baseball games lacked the capability to fulfill
the avid baseball fan, the next generation of baseball games offered enhancements
that expressed arcade baseball only, and finally to the next tier...pc/futuristic
consoles...these big guys do a great job at simulating the physical apprearance
of baseball, but wheres the feel? High Heat Baseball has the feel, the smell
of baseball, hell it has everything, in fact some think that the game throws too
much at them (especially in regards to statistical categories). I am well aware
that High Heat Baseball exists for PS2, but since I refer to that console as
piece of shit 2, I will be disregarding that version....baseball PC style here
we come......
Play Ball!
HH2K3 steps to the plate with a very nice graphically enhanced menu, however, on your way
to the menu you get to see no intros. 3do decided not to include the introductory movie
in this version...awww...who cares anyway! Once at the menu you are exposed to the
normal baseball game features: exhibition, season/franchise,playoffs, homerun derby,
etc. I am not going to dwell on this aspect of the game because it is insignificant.
Think of it this way, 3do has made it real easy to navigate through their menus.
Batters up!
No matter which gamemode that you choose to play you will be exposed to settings. You can
tweak any of the predetermined settings in order to increase your gaming experience.
From game time (day/night) to the weather you can change it...if you desire.
If you choose to start or continue a season you will be exposed to many more options
compared to an exhibition. For example, in HH games you command your mlb ball club,
but you also have the opportunity to manage the aaa, aa, and a clubs for your big
league team. You cannot play games or even simulate games for those minor league clubs,
but you can promote and demote players if you see fit. For the average/below average
baseball fan there is an option to have the computer auto manage the minor league
squads....dont sweat it. The minor league addition increases the depth of the series,
while adding a nice touch.
With the season/franchise comes the option to alter the expected settings...computer trades,
trade conformation, etc....this is not a big deal. In addition to all of those settings
you can also tweak these categories: injuries, weather, instant replays, umpires consistancy,
guess pitch, pitcher warmup, etc. If its in the game its in high heat!
Once you begin your season, tweak the settings, choose your ballclub, and strap on your shoes
you are taken to the season menus. At this menu you can: check the standings, view the schedule,
view your rosters, shit...you can do almost anything imaginable....trade, view stats,
edit a player, etc...I am telling you this game is very deep all while keeping your attention.
You wont get lost in all the settings trust me....trust me!
As I begin a season I usually perform the same sequence...pick the royals, set the lineup,
create myself as a starting pitcher, set my pitching rotation, and alter the settings.
I set the game pace on fastest, turn on everything that real life baseball has to offer
(injuries, weather effects, etc), and then I get underway....
7th inning stretch
Once everything is set, I start out the season....the Royal Blue playing the Twins at
Kaufmann stadium; Suppan vs. Radke. as the manager of your squad you are given one
last look at your lineup before the first pitch is underway. It is at this point that
you can set the controller setup, the difficulty level, and the camera angle.
My personal favorite is the espn camera angle (referred to as pitcher view in hh2k3).
Once the rosters are set, the lineups are agreed upon, and your players are primed...
you take the field...
The games all begin the same...the players are standing there stretching and all a
sudden they burst out onto the field. The camera does some swinging around to exploit
the stadiums and cheesey ads, however, you wont be impressed with the look.
The stadiums look ok at best. Its safe to say that you know what stadium you are
in....the fine detail and sharpness is lacking...did I say they look ok at best?
It isnt long until your focus is upon the player models. The animations look mediocre
as well. The players dont run very naturally, however, their speeds seem dead on
accurate. The graphical aspect of this game has long lengths to travel that is for
certain. HH2K3 is no triple play in terms of visuals, however, never will you see
a homerun hitter slam 200 homeruns in a 162 game season....not in the high heat series.
It may take you a game or two to learn to live with the graphics, but trust me...once
you get past the mediocre player models and stadiums you will see that this is still
the best baseball game on the market...hands down.
And the throw home......
The gameplay in this series is remarkable. The concepts used in this game are similar
to all the other existing baseball games, but it is the dead on accurate realism that
has been built in that makes this game what it is. Here is a run down:
On the mound you select the pitch type...aim (on your joypad only) where you want to
throw the pitch and press b to throw it for a strike or c to throw it for a ball.
Depending on your pitchers rating the pitch will meet its location. Often times a bad
pitcher will slip with pitch locations and lead to increased hits, but a good pitcher
can paint the corners...exactly how it is in real ball. By all means this doesnt
suggest that good pitchers dont slip, ha, a good pitcher will also lose a few pitches
out over the plate...exactly how it is in real ball.
If the batter makes contact your fielders will be on alert. The controls are similar to
those in preexisting games....on the joypad left is third, up is second, etc. The throw
control, accuracy, and defense ability is accurate as well...this is what stands it
above the rest. Chipper Jones will throw out batters more efficiently than lets say
Joe Shmoe! Of course all fielders are subjective to errors, the best players will make
fewer errors, in general.
That wraps up the general gameplay/gamemode issue, but HH2K3 has many more intricate
details that add to the experience. Here is a brief rundown:
1- Cutscreens are placed strategically to increase the suspense and build a mood for the game.
For example, a batters check swing will be determined by the first/third base umpire.
A close place at any base may leave the batter/fielder arguing with the umpire. Any
argument with the umpire can get you tossed from the game, with a suspension to
be determined.
2- Balks are included in the game...a realistic feature.
3- Third base coaches have been added (actually in the last version) in order to help
your runner decide whether to run or not to run.
4- Close ups of the base coach have added...often times they are relaying signals to
the batter/runner. The coach isnt doing a dang thing, but it looks neato!
5- After a stike out (with no runners on) the catcher will toss the ball around the horn.
6- If a batter has been beaned he may or may not charge the mound...leading to suspensions.
7- The HH statistical engine chooses all star teams, rookie of the year, cy young, mvp, etc.
They also manage to log retired players, players that hit for the cycle, those who pitch no
hitters, etc. This game is deep and the amount of stats can drive you mad, while keeping you
happy at the same time.
This is a short list of what you have in store when playing HH2K3, but rest assured that many
more details have been built into the game. I am not positive that I have listed everything
for you, so use everything else as a pleasant surprise..this game is awesome.
The game has numerous difficulty settings, everything from rookie to hall of famer. Plus the
nicest feature of this game is the ability to tweak nearly all of the settings. There are
actually users out there that post files on the internet for you to download. The files
are called tune files, which are simply lists of settings that help the game be more
accurate; more accurate than any other baseball game. You can also download roster patches,
which include dead on team rosters (some of them even bring the aaa, aa, and a squads up
to speed).
According to a few bbs systems on the internet, some users have experienced some bugs
during gameplay. But from my experience I have encountered no bugs or drop in
framerates. The game isnt stable with AOL instant messenger running, however,
there is no need to run that application while gaming. In general this game is
stable and chocked full of accurate situations only found in MLB!
Do I hear hecklers?
The commentary in the game is sub par...go figure. The two man commentary makes it 2 times
as hard to deal with. I have also noticed that the announcers repeat themselves quite often.
I would say with any game, who cares about the audio. The only good thing about the audio
is the fact that the announcer will alert you when the opponent is stealing a base. It
doesn't give me an advantage in throwing out the runner, it simply allows me to make
the throw....ha. If the announcer was silenced I would be caught there holding the
ball...thus a no throw. The low down is this: if you dont like the commentary then
disable it or turn off your speakers (you can do either) and if you like it then keep it
on...that isnt so hard now is it? (*shrugs*)
Bottom of the ninth...bases loaded...3-2 count...2 outs
The conclusion is quite simply: HH2K3 is the best baseball game created for the PC or any
console for that matter. It may not impress you visually, but its depth will knock your shoes
off. While some may complain about its look there is no other game out there that can match
its realism. If you are an avid fan of baseball and dont have this game in your collection
then I would suggest you buy it. If you are more into the arcade style games with players
who hit 5 - 10 homeruns per game then go buy triple play. If you want a very good baseball
simulation that overflows with accurate player ability then HH2K3 is your game....
Grand slam!!
Ramz's Rating:
4.5 out of 5 Planets
Talk about
High Heat Baseball 2003>> |
|
|
|
Buy it @
amazon.com |
|
|
|
Game News
