Every now and then a game comes along that's really difficult to criticize. Such is the case with Triple Play '97. With more features than you can shake a stick at, the most realistic graphics yet bestowed upon a baseball game, pinpoint control, and picture-perfect stadiums, this is a diamond lover's dream.
Perhaps more than anything else, baseball fans will admire Triple Play '97 for the way it represents the major league ballparks. Having eaten many a hoagie in the stands of Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium, I was amazed by the game's accuracy, right down to the stats on the "Phanavision" in the background. Game control is very responsive, and the camera smoothly returns to the player's chosen field view. Nonetheless, gameplay would have benefited from more onscreen menus, especially for pitching. The stealing controls could also use some improvement - players have to completely relinquish control of their batter in order to take a lead or steal, and this makes a hit-and-run very difficult to execute. The sound effects, presented in Dolby Surround, are fantastic. The game's announcer sports very few digitized hiccups, though most gamers would undoubtedly prefer a famous voice instead of the boyish one offered.
If EA were to include a few control improvements and unique player animations (Hideo Nomo's leaning windup, for example), gamers might just have the perfect baseball video game on their hands. As they say, there's always next year....
