High Heat Major League Baseball 2002 is the perfect example of what happens when a good game is released too soon. Thanks to a mad rush to get the game onto store shelves prior to Opening Day, 3DO has provided a baseball experience that has more bugs than a block of condemned houses. It is by turns both remarkably fulfilling and incredibly frustrating. Some aspects of the game will really impress you; others will make you want to throw your monitor out the window.

The Yankees and Dodgers return to Ebbets Field

These flaws blemish nearly every aspect of this feature-rich game. Though you can still play in custom leagues over multiple seasons, a computer-controlled roster bug will cause crashes to the desktop. Seasons thus affected are unplayable until you manually edit some of the computer teams to add players back to their lineups. Though you can still log on to the Internet and challenge opponents across the country, lag is so atrocious that games rarely get beyond the opening scenes where players run onto the field. This is a problem both with dial-up and high-speed connections. Though you can still try to guide the Chicago Cubs to their first season of glory since 1908, you can't do it at legendary Wrigley Field because a pop-up bug frequently causes hard system lockups. Once that pop fly goes up, it stays up, forcing you to quit out of the program, terminating the game in progress. And so on, and so on.

Needless to say, this is extremely disappointing. Yet at the same time, all of these flaws somehow can't diminish the stark fact that the designers of High Heat 2002 know baseball better than anyone this side of Cooperstown. Gameplay remains captivating despite the bugs. Nothing gets in the way of enjoying the series' trademark: an uncannily realistic re-creation of the pitcher-batter confrontation that is at the heart of the national pastime. At-bats in High Heat 2002 play out exactly as they do in the real Major Leagues. When on the mound, you need to mix up your pitch selection, speed, and location. Fall into a predictable pattern and even the likes of Rey Ordonez will eat you for breakfast. Patience is required in the batter's box. Computer hurlers will mix up their pitches and keep you guessing. Swing at a lot of balls and you'll inflate some lucky pitcher's strike-out stats, not to mention lose a lot of ballgames. When combined, these two basic elements create a total experience that's as engaging as any sports game ever released to date, for any platform.

Defensive substitutions in blowouts are a nice touch

Other components of the game are similarly authentic. Computer managers manipulate their rosters with real acumen, pulling pitchers who aren't getting the job done, intentionally walking tough batters in key situations, calling for double switches where appropriate, and even making a lot of substitutions in the late innings of blowouts. They also play an aggressive brand of ball that leads to a lot of freewheeling on the basepaths; let up for a moment and you'll have enemy runners in scoring position. Mound visits and rain delays are new to the series this year. Sending your manager out to the mound can be extremely useful when you want to delay the game and give a reliever more time to warm up, while the pep talk can also energize a flagging pitcher. Rain adds atmosphere and a tactical element to gameplay, as pitchers sent back to the mound after a lengthy delay are more likely to hurt themselves. Injuries are actually a factor in all games that take place in or around the wet stuff, as position players are more likely to come up lame after a play on the slick field.

Stat generation in the game is also quite true to life, though there are some quirks in it. A simulation of the 2001 season saw expected contenders like the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and Texas Rangers make the playoffs, but also the emergence of expected also-rans. The Montreal Expos tied with the Colorado Rockies for the best record in the NL, each at 95-67, while the Milwaukee Brewers somehow won the NL Central with an abysmal 79-83 mark. The Red Sox went on to down the Rockies in the World Series. The senior circuit was also the home of some surprises in the individual stat categories. Jose Vidro won the batting crown with a .348 average, and Hideki Irabu sported an impressive 18-5 record that led the way for starting pitchers (though Randy Johnson stole the pitching award with a mediocre 14-11). Barry Bonds captured the home run crown with 51 dingers. Things were less dramatic in the American League, where Pedro Martinez ran away with top pitcher honors thanks to his 22-6, 2.25 season, and his new teammate, Manny Ramirez, took home the MVP trophy thanks in part to his league-leading .377 average.