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Very impressive

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 13
Date: March 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I can't say enough about this game. I was a little skeptical when the new baseball games came out because the 2002-03 lot left me disappointed. But this game has risen to the occasion. The graphics are very good and the gameplay is simply outstanding. If you want a baseball simulation that plays extremely close to the real thing, this is it. I love all the special features, and I probably haven't even seen all of them yet. The old stadiums (like Polo Grounds, Crosley, Shibe, etc) are very cool. The franchise mode is unbelievably in-depth. Minor leaguers with options, Rule 5 Drafts, June Amateur Draft, etc, etc. Looking forward to using the network adapter to get roster updates. I think this is the king of baseball titles this year. Money well spent.

All-Star Baseball 2004 Hit a Homerun

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: March 08, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I just bought this game today and it is the best of it's kind in my opinion. It tops High Heat Baseball by a large margin. For one, Acclaim's new game has loads of new features and also many more game modes.One such mode is scenario mode which is where you change the outcomes of some of the tense 2002 games. For true baseball fans and not those looking for a game to entertain such as mlb slugfest,I would have to rate gameplay a 10 out of 10.Unlike what other reviews have stated,I believe every baseball game or of sort should have some challenge to it. If that challenge means striking out ten times and having to hit and run in order to win a game than thats it.I've played MLB Slugfest and in that you can hit homeruns left in right. It's way too easy and not real! You'll learn from your mistakes in ASB and might want to get on the field a few hours early for batting practice sometimes during the season.On the other hand,the graphics in ASB are also very realistic. I was shocked to find the stadiums in so much detail. Take a tour of the fields to get an idea of where you might want to sit on your next trip to Yankee Stadium. What i am saying is Acclaim seemed to have put a lot of effort into the making of this game. It's into depth franchise mode goes there and beyond. (30 seasons!) Not to mention all of the managerial moves you can make. During the offseason you may watch some of your players hang up their hats while others receive a ballet for Cooperstown.I would highly recommend it over all of it's competitors and it's definitely worth the price./!

Acclaim has shut down the competition

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 11
Date: March 04, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is awsome! The graphics are great and the gameplay is realistic, complete with signature batting stances and facial expressions this game has definately stomped out the efforts made by EA, Sega, and 989. Another thing, All Star Baseball 2004 has the best stadium graphics that I've ever seen. It also has throwback uniforms for every club and my favorite mode: PICK UP GAMES. This is a must buy and worth the $50!

ASB 2004 is not quite a home run

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 11
Date: March 11, 2003
Author: Amazon User

In All-Star Baseball 2004, Acclaim Sports tries to reclaim the title of 'Best Baseball Game' for the console market. Surprisingly, it does a good job living up to expectations.

The first thing you'll notice when you turn on the game is video of past great baseball moments combined with highlights from the 2002 season. Selection screens have been massively overhauled as well compared to ASB 2003. Graphically, the game has never been better. Grainy video effects are used in the 'Scenario' challenge which look great and make you feel like you're playing a classic game.

The best part of this game hands down is the 'Franchise'/'Expansion' mode. It may very well be the best simulation of Major League Baseball ever released. Like in ASB 2003, you can manage a team for thirty seasons, but that's where the similarities end. There are now two segments of the minor league system for each team (a high minors and a low minors), a 40 man roster, a Rule V draft, an amateur draft, ability to trade anyone on your team w/o calling them up to the big show, and a player editor for start. Detailed player ratings are back as well. Literally, one could spend hours just tinkering with your team (and all 30 if you wanted to. There is an option to control all team's General Managers) and not play the game itself at all. Did I mention downloadable rosters as well? No more going through the teams one-by-one. (You need a network adapter plus a broadband connection to use this, FYI.)

Another mode that shines is the 'Scenario' mode. In it, you take real-life game situations from last year and try to change the outcome (such as breaking up Derek Lowe's no-hitter and seeing if you can get Mike Cameron to hit his fifth home run of the game). The more scenarios you beat, the harder they get.

Unfortunately, this game doesn't hit a home run when you get down to actually playing it. The hitting interface is still difficult to master (even on the 'Rookie' setting). More often than not right away, you'll be striking out. The fielding interface is rough at times, as well. On balls hit to right field on occasion, the computer will tell the right fielder to back up 1st base instead of going after the ball. When you take control of him to go after the ball, he runs like he has weights tied to his legs. It's frustrating and an unnecessary gameplay glitch. Throwing errors are more common as well. (Now you can throw wide as well as high or low) For those expecting the ease of gameplay like in 'High Heat' or the 'MLB' franchise, you're not going to find it.

As a baseball simulation, this is the game to have w/o question. The abundance of options with the 'Franchise'/'Expansion modes simply crush the other baseball games on the market. The 'Scenario' mode is a challenge and fun to play as well. But, like any good simulation does, it accurately reflects how difficult it is to be a professional athlete and is reflected in the gameplay. And sometimes, it's frustratingly difficult. If you love attention to detail, and are a baseball nut, All-Star Baseball 2004 is the game for you.

Much improved, but not quite a grand slam

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: April 01, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I have been a fan of the All Star Baseball series ever since I bought my first version for N64 - ASB 1999. It was a great first effort, much improved by the offering for the same system of a year later. Upon getting a PS2, I was one of the first in line for ASB 2002 for the new platform, but I have to say that I was so disappointed that I considered trading in my allegiance to the Acclaim franchise. The game appeared so rushed that it lacked all of what made the previous games so good.

So, I waited a season before updating with ASB 2004. I have to admit that I expected much of the same, with little improvement in gameplay. What I found was a game stepped up in almost every way from 2002. For one, before you even get into the game, some of the added detail was impressive. Well-done menus, a host of options, and interviews are great touches to make the game feel more in-tune with America's pastime. Especially amazing were the stadium tours -- I was pleased to even see the "new Shea" Stadium (being a Mets fan)along with a host of other proposed parks.

Throughout, this game appears to be a much more solid effort. As far as game play is concerned, the fielding is still not perfect, but it is miles ahead of past games on the PS2; improved bunting, additions to the pitching interface, including a pitchout and beanball, and the ability to more easily run the bases and switch between players in the field all make for a more enjoyable experience. To me, it is the little things that have really made the difference. The addition of more detailed stats as players are introduced, allowing one to choose the song a hitter goes to the plate with, crowds with team jerseys on, the chance to edit real players, manual instant replays, and even broken bats and mound visits put you into the game.

Not that this is a perfect game. I found that some of the improvements promised are not as good as they sounded. For instance, I like to play my franchise with other people playing cooperatively on my team, and yet when you save a game in the middle, you lose the ability to change who plays what in the field or at bat, which renders that option almost useless. I thought user profiles would be great, until I realized that they don't store stats like EA allows in its games and are instead used to store limited game settings. But in all, considering its huge improvements, I was not too disappointed. Overall, if you are looking for a baseball game with incredible depth (right down to real minor leaguers in the farm system) and with solid yet imperfect gameplay, check this one out. You will not be at all sorry you did.

This game is an All Star

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: March 17, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Awsome game. They improved everything that was wrong with the 2003 version. Now if you want to controll one of the baserunners instead of all of them you can so you don't get caught in double or triple plays. It has a good challenge to it. You win some and you lose some. The only thing that's wrong with it is that you cannot start a season you have to start a franchise. But that is not that big of a deal. It's the he best baseball game out there. If you like baseball buy it.

An impressive baseball experience

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: June 18, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I have been a fan of the ASB series ever since it debuted on the N64 -- I bought both the 1999 and 2001 versions, and they were both solid games. I couldn't wait for Acclaim's adaptation of the series to the PS2. I picked up ASB 2002 the day it came out, and was so disappointed by its lack of gameplay and attention to detail that I almost considered trying EA's competition in the future. Instead, I gave it a year, and decided to allow Accliam another chance with ASB 2004.

I wanted to write a review after playing the game for a while, so that I could really get into it and not make judgments based on first impressions. And, after taking the New York Mets through the first month of a franchise season, I have to say that this game puts Acclaim back in my good graces. This game is very complete, and has addressed most of what made earlier games not worth playing over an entire season.

Let's start with the menus -- they are detailed and innovative; for instance, when you look at your team's schedule, the screen moves to a calendar on the wall in the manager's office. Although slow to load and sometimes unresponsive, the interfaces really put you into the game. You will also notice a host of other features that keep the game in tune with America's pasttime, from clips of interviews to a ability to use card points to buy baseball cards.

Setting up a franchise is equally impressive. Everything is there, from full minor league rosters to a very impressive create a player feature. The biggest improvement here is that if you choose to manage all teams, you are able to make trades between every MLB team, and not just your own. This is very important in baseball, when trades are made every day once July comes around, and although EA used to allow such activity, it was missing from ASB in the past. From signings to franchise value, this game can keep the baseball fanatic busy for hours without even playing a game. And all of this is backed by an unbelievable depth of stats -- even team records are maintained, so you can see your own players add on to career stats and break franchise records.

On the field, ASB 2004 is very good and has ridden itself of many of the problems of the earlier versions. From the introduction of the teams at the beginning, to the detail of the stadiums, ASB 2004 really puts you in the game. What really impressed me was the first time I sat with the game unpaused, and a TV-style presentation of the game followed, with announcer comments thrown in. Overall, it has a very polished look. And the gameplay is great, too. Pitching has remained close to earlier editions, which is good since it was never really a game weakness. But, they have added a lot of helpful (and fun) options, like a beanball and intentional pass. Hitting is also very similar, and although it seems almost impossible at the outset, it gets much easier. As far as fielding, it is greatly improved over past games, especially with the ability to switch players to field the ball, although I have found that players still tend to "lock on" to the ball a little too much, and unless you create a fast outfielder, they are incredibly slow to react.

Of course, nothing is perfect, and ASB 2004 is no exception. The in game save option does not allow you to change player controls when you re-enter the game, which makes that option less useful. Player profiles are not very extensive, and individual stats are not saved. The presence of random fielding errors is not appreciated, especially when they seem to have no correlation to the skill of the guilty player. However, my two biggest problems are that 1) created players are assigned a random health rating and age, so that even if you create the perfect athlete, he still may be 34 and with a D- rating, therefore needing rest every 4 games; and 2) with the impressive night, day and dusk skies in the game, I am not sure why a game that starts at 7 in franchise mode is played in dusk, but the sky never darkens as the game continues. Minor I know, but it still takes away from the total experience.

However, these issues should not take away from an otherwise impressive game -- I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants the most complete, realistic baseball simulation available for the PS2.

NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL AT LEAST DEC. 27!!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: December 03, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This product is a great price; the PROBLEM is it won't ship until at least Dec. 27 - Jan. 8. You won't find this out until you've gotten all the way to the checkout page. How annoying!!!
Below the price it reads: "Usually ships within 24 hours." WRONG!!

Excellent Baseball Sim

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: July 07, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I found this to be one of the best baseball simulations I've played yet...and I've played quite a few. Baseball sims are generally pretty tough to make realistic in gameplay, either they skew too much to offense or defense, but this one had really good gameplay and a great options menu between games, with only a few exceptions. My gripes with it are:
1) Random errors not always consistent with player's ability. There is no way Gary Sheffield has twenty errors in right field by the All-Star break unless one of his arms fell off.
2) Strikeouts too low for pitchers. Even Pedro Martinez can only get six or seven per game on a good day. But the slightly better-than-reality defense balances this out well.
3) Too many top players missing from the Legends lists. I like Schmidt and Killebrew and Stargell. But where are Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Carl Yaztremski, and even George Brett (to name a few)? I liked Thurman Munson too, but Carlton Fisk was better and I'd have preferred that they drop some of the marginal "legends" like Billy Martin or Steve Lyons in place of some guys who were actually Hall-of-Famers...the sun doesn't rise and set on New York Yankees baseball (and they didn't even include two of the Yankees' top five players). The Negro League players were an excellent touch, though.
4) Hitting was a bit tough at first, but after I realized that you have to move the cursor around as the pitch is coming in at you, it got a lot easier. Of course, you don't really have much time to do this with a Randy Johnson or Roy Oswalt fastball coming down the pipe, but that's pretty much the way it is in real life too, I would imagine. Most of the complaints about the difficulty of hitting are overstated (I racked up 30 runs per game in a series in Pittsburgh in rookie level after I just started moving the cursor as opposed to guessing where it would go...Sierra FPS baseball on PC was a lot tougher to hit in).
5) Not a gripe...the offseason and between games menu rocks!!! I love the salary cap, free agency, long-term contracts, prospect books, waiver claims and full franchise records. Next best thing to getting hired by an MLB franchise (with none of the media criticism).

All in all, an excellent game. I just gave it four stars because of the omissions of too many top names from the All-time great lists, which is probably kind of subjective, but hey...it's my rating.

I don't want to play this game anymore.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: September 03, 2003
Author: Amazon User

First off the good things. The game is very involved. Graphics are fantastic. Depth of game is second to none. OK, now the bad stuff. Lose the incessant chatter of the announcers. Its the same stuff every game. (Do you want to be reminded every game that Marquis Grissom's dad named him after a car he was working on?)Half of their babble about the play of the game is actually wrong. Secondly, AI needs major work. Runners will go with the pitch much too often, especially on short pop flies that you know will caught. Baserunning is near to impossible to control. I've had a situation occur several times where I end up with two runners on one base. Guess what? You can't make just one runner move. So they both go and there's a double(triple)play. I've played 14 games, using "easy" batting control on rookie mode. I've been no-hit 4 times and have homered once. The instruction manual is less than incomplete. It gives NO instructions on how to hit properly, field correctly, or run the bases. I've played HH2004. Its exactly the same as 2003, and I mean exactly, with the sole exception of updated rosters. But at least I can hit. I'll be playing High Heat from now on. I'll use the All-Star 2004 disk as a coaster for my beer. Acclaim should be ashamed of producing such a failure.

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