High Heat Baseball 2003 Preview
3DO unveils the next installment in its baseball franchise.
The 3DO Company's High Heat Baseball series has recently been rooted firmly on the simulation end of the virtual baseball spectrum. The series' identity has been defined by its meticulous attention to the smaller details of the game of baseball. High Heat Baseball 2003 for the Sony PlayStation 2 keeps that lineage intact and even manages to improve upon the formula with revamped graphics, new game modes, enhanced audio commentary, and a few specific tweaks to gameplay.
Generally, baseball games are defined by the gifts, or lack thereof, of the pitcher/batter interface. When controlling the pitcher, you will be given the option to select a specific pitch, such as the fastball, sinker, change-up, curveball, and the all-new cut fastball--the repertoire of the pitchers in the game are matched to their real-life counterparts. After selecting a pitch, a second menu lets you select whether you want to throw a ball or a strike. Even if you select to throw a strike, you may end up pitching a ball outside of the strike zone. This is because the effectiveness of a pitch depends on a location you select with either the analog stick or the D-pad, as well as the accuracy of that particular pitcher.
On the batter's end, High Heat Baseball retains essentially the same system found in previous games in the series. As the batter sets into the box, you can select to bunt by pressing the triangle button on the PS2 controller or by swinging away. The swing can be controlled, as the batter can take an inside-out swing, turn on the ball, swing high, and swing low. It also must be noted that each of the batters in the game has his own cadences, which are similar to those of his MLB counterpart--High Heat baseball does a great job of mimicking specific batting stances for individual players.
Although the pitcher/batter interface retains many of the traits from previous games in the series, there are quite a few enhancements in High Heat Baseball 2003, the most notable of which are the new game modes. Aside from the returning exhibition, all-star game, and season modes, the game now includes a home run derby, batting practice, stand-alone playoffs, head-to-head challenge, and create-a-player. A fantasy draft is also included as an option at the beginning of the season. In terms of gameplay depth, the home run derby and create-a-player modes probably have the biggest impact on the game. Up to four batters can compete at once in the home run derby mode--a human player can control each batter. Prior to the start, you will have the option of selecting the number of pitches thrown per at-bat. The create-a-player mode lets you custom-design your own Major League star by tweaking such general options as name, height, skin color, and origin, as well as performance-based statistics such as batting stance, arm strength, speed, fielding range, pitches, and more. Additionally, using the game's player editor, general, and performance-based statistics for existing MLB players can be tweaked at will.
High Heat Major League Baseball 2003 Quick Links
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- 3DO
- Baseball Sim
- Release: Feb 9, 2002 »
- ESRB: Everyone
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