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Cool Pitching & Batting Interface, But Nothing Else

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I rented All Star Baseball 2002 by Acclaim as everything I've read thus far puts it ahead of the other two baseball sims available on the market, but let's hope the reviews I've read were wrong, because there's not much here that I liked about the game.

I will note that I'm writing this review after playing it for an hour and a half against my roommate. To be fair (and also to get my money's worth from renting the game), I'll dive into the game again tomorrow morning, but initially I was pretty appalled at the product that Acclaim has released here.

As soon as we finished playing, I sat down and wrote up the good and the bad about this game, and found I had trouble finding much good in this game.

One thing that I liked a lot and my roommate liked very little was the batting and pitching. The batting is a lot different than Triple Play was on the PSX. (I've yet to play Triple Play for the PS2, but think that'll be one of my next reviews). While other games tend to make hitting overly easy, this sways a little too much in the other direction, but I think it's a good thing. Rather than swing high, mid or low, you have total control in two axis and you get an idea via the pitching cursor where the ball is starting out and then as it approaches the plate. I applaud Acclaim for this interface and I think with a little practice, this control scheme would be my interface of choice for my baseball sims.

That being said, the rest of the game is garbage. The controls are lame. Partially Blockbuster's fault, we didn't have a manual, but the base throwing is different and it seems it's different simply to be different. Every baseball game out there PSX, PC, NES, whatever used the control pad and a button to throw - down and X to throw home, left and A to throw to third, or something similar. ASB 2002 uses X, Triangle, O and Square as the base throwing. After being trained since back in the 8-bit days to use the control pad, using the buttons seems unnatural. Had using the buttons given some advantage or speed increase, Acclaim would be revolutionary, but just to be different to be different is lame.

Eventually one could get used to their control scheme for that, but there are more controlling woes. Another unwritten rule is the fact that Triangle is used to back out of menus. This is true for 99% of American games out there. Acclaim uses O to back out of menus, which is more the standard in Japanese games, but Acclaim, this is the United States. Again, this is a little thing, but it's just another annoyance.

My real lament here is the game doesn't feel like the PS2. I pulled up Triple Play 2000 for the PSX and yeah, textures, characters and shadows are head-and-shoulders above the PSX stuff, but I've seen Madden and SSX. The PS2 can do more than what ASB 2002 is doing!

The animations in the game felt very amateurish. A fly ball to the warning track had my roommate settling under the ball. It looked decent, but he had no control. I've got to vote for total control over pretty animations. Also, in terms of the outfield, there was some noticeable blur/jitter-type distortion when the fielder threw back to the infield - unacceptable in anything but a beta version of a game.

Additionally, a grounder to second and then the routine throw to first never looked routine. Every time, the second baseman wound up to throw, he faced toward home, making me fear I had accidentally told him to throw home. Magically, the ball would throw to first though. There's no excuse for animation like that with present-day technology.

Another thing that should be long forgotten in present-day gaming systems is crappy commentary. The commentary was reminiscent of Hardball 3 back in the day for the PC. There's no color or any real chatter. A lot of the sentences sounded pieced together and I can't remember hearing anything that bad since back in the days of 286 computers.

Overall, this game is lame. Once I play it more, and also check out Triple Play for the PS2, I will consider revising my opinions, but based on my first play, I don't think I'll be getting a Playstation 2 baseball sim until at least next season.

i hate this game

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 25, 2005
Author: Amazon User

it got one star because of a funny glitch, it actually happens alot, somethimes when my player comes up to bat he is still wearing his fielding glove its pretty funny and even after he gets on base he is still wearing the glove, thats pretty much the only good thing about the game

This game is awesome

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: November 09, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game was the best! It is the best game that I've ever played! The graphics are unforgetable. It seemed as if you were really playing the game on the field.

Gameplay

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: November 21, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I think my title pretty much says it. It wouldn't be so bad if you could adjust the views, particularly in the outfield when fielding a ball. It's just a bad angle. This game will definately frustrate you.

Best Baseball Game Available

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: December 09, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Though there is room for improvement, this is the best baseball game available right now. There are no major flaws and it is a lot of fun to play. Very smooth graphics and realistic gameplay.

Fun to play

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 07, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Looks great, lots of fun, fast simulations, and many options. A few issues with CPU AI, but what sports game doesn't have those problems?

Great Game.......but it has a couple MAJOR flaws.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 27, 2001
Author: Amazon User

The pecking order for "king" of the 2001 baseball sims took on a change this summer with Acclaim's title leading the way. However, a few major imperfections keep it from being the end-all be-all baseball simulation that gamer's are still looking for. I can now count 10 different times I've encountered game lock-ups--the last time being in the bttom of the 18th inning of perhaps one of the best contests I've ever played! The freezing takes place primarily whenever a pitcher with little or no expereince has to take the mound. (Eg. Newly created players or field players who are forced to pitch for whatever reason???) VERY FRUSTRATING!!! Also, the long ball seems to be all too frequent....with 29 games to go in the season, Ken Griffey Jr. is sitting on 86. Lastly, the fielding becomes so frustrating at times, gamers are almost forced to set Fielding to Automatic. No doubt, Acclaim leads the way this summer in its overall package, but unless some changes are made, look for EA and Triple Play to climb atop the pile of baseball games for next season!

Sega genesis baseball was better

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 18, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I was extremely disappointed with this game. The graphics are substandard at best -- fielders catch the ball when they are several feet away from the ball and the ball seems to just magically appear in your glove. There are no camera options, and no other real options to speak of either. I thought I had made the right choice by picking this one over EA's Triple Play (especially in light of my mild disappointment with EA's NBA Live), but I just couldn't bring myself to play ASB more than 2 or 3 times. I have since traded it in for Triple Play and, while Triple Play is certainly more arcade-style than real baseball simulation, it is far more enjoyable. If you want a game that is truly fun (and let's not forget the purpose of these video games, folks), don't get this one. And I don't work for EA.

All Star Baseball is OK

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User

THis game is not that good or bad. The graphics are sweat and if you like baseball the gameplay is cool. What i dont like about the game is the bad camra angels and how hard it is to get a realistic game i have started a season with the reds and after 5 games Griffy has 12 homeruns but my team has not won a game. Also this games roster mode is relly bad you cant do 2 for 1 trades witch doesnt allow you to trade for some big names. The things I like about the game is pitching it is hard when you start out but after a while you will get the hang of it. If you are a die hard baseball fan like me you will see that you have to know the game to be able to pull off some wins. I am sitll learning the game but in time i think i will get better. So all in all the game was not the worst baseball game of the season "that goes to high heat baseball" Next year i think the game will be better.

Very disappointing.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 19, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I will not get into the details as to why the PS2 version of All-Star Baseball is so much worse than the excellent N64 versions (see other reviews for that). Just suffice it to say that if you were waiting for ASB2002 on PS2 to get rid of your N64, you will need to make more shelf space to keep it around. Being a Madden Football and ASB addict on N64, the PS2 did more than justice with Madden for the PS2 (it is just amazing) - Baseball has been a different story! I am keeping my N64 and playing ASB on it rather than on the PS2.

Very disappointing.

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