All Star Baseball 2000 is pretty fun, but I've played better baseball games on the N64.
Graphics: 10/10
Sound: 7/10
Value: 7/10
Tilt: 8/10
Final Score: 7.7/10 (C+)
Despite being a N64 die hard, I could care less about what critics say about this game. Yes, All Star Baseball 2000 is pretty fun, but I've played better games on the N64. What's the deal with people claiming this as the best baseball game on the N64? I guess these guys haven't played the Ken Griffey games or Bottom of the 9th. I see critics praising this game all of the time, but while they praised its pitching and batting controls, they forgot to imply if the game was any FUN at all! I'll explain it myself. It's good, but not great.
All Star Baseball places its focus on realism. On that party, I'd say Acclaim did a pretty good job of making it so. Heck, the national anthem is played during the beginning of games!! That's pretty cool! The graphics are fantastic, with realistic stadiums and players with fluid motions. I also commend Acclaim made the stadiums look like they did in real life!! Also, the game uses cursor controls, which all but play tedious. Personally, I would've preferred had the game used a more arcade style control.
I love fielding in this game. Although there are some collision detection issues, it's very easy to get high pops and grounders, and throwing isn't so bad either. Unfortunately, it took me a while to realize that I was supposed to press the c-up button to start pitching again, because I was throwing the ball around the bases without any clue of what to do.
But what ultimately kills the game from achieving greatness (In my book) is the lack of OFFENSE!! I know Acclaim was trying to make it realistic, but they should've made it more fun! It's very hard to get on base, as I hit pop ups and grounders everywhere without a single base hit in the first 20 minutes!! Considering the amount of fantastic players at the time, it's very frustrating to even score one run! And Why do I have to wait for the catcher to throw back to the pitcher? That's just stupid. If you're a fan of this game, make sure you buy a controller pak that's empty in space, because the game's season mode consumes that much.
I've already mentioned the terrific graphics, but the sound is a mixed bag. I'm sure people have fond memories of the commentator's, and they play by play calling is decent. The organ music is brief but a nice touch. I also like how realistic it sounds when the ball hits a glove.
Even so, Allstar Baseball 2000 is one of the most overrated games I've played in my life, with its lack of offense, tedious controls, and extremely slow pace. I got bored playing single player mode easily, but the mutliplayer is better. I really do like All Star Baseball 200, but I doubt people who hate baseball will ever want to play this game. That said, All Star Baseball did enough to hold my attention, and fans of the sport will love this game.