There is something about the game that I love
Batting
Batting in All-Star Baseball 2003 was created so that skill is involved. When you step up to the plate, you are presented with a triangular cursor which represents where the player will swing. Depending on the player’s contact and power stats, the size of this cursor will change. When the ball is pitched one must move the cursor to the ball and swing. But there’s more. If you move the C-Stick, you’ll find you can angle the cursor so that you can hit fly balls, grounders, or pull/push the ball. By tapping the B button, one can opt for a power swing. This makes the cursors much smaller but makes it easier to hit the ball hard. It all works very well and is a great system.
The only real problem with batting is that it is rather difficult to master. But, like most sports games, once you get the hang of it the system becomes very easy.
Base Running
Base running in ASB is good for the most part, but could use a few tweaks to make it more intuitive. When batting, you can have a base runner take a lead by clicking the L button. To make them run you must press Y and a direction on the D-Pad of the base they are running from. This is not very intuitive and may take a little time to get used to. I think it would be better if Acclaim took advantage of the L button’s duel function and made its click the steal command. While the ball is in play, controls are similar. Clicking L advances all runners, while R returns them. Meanwhile, pressing Y and a direction on the D-Pad can make individual runners advance. To slide, you press A. Depending on how far the runner is from the base reflects the style of slide. The base running system is all right, but again it’s not very intuitive and I occasionally find myself making very stupid base running mistakes thanks to the controls.
Pitching
Pitching is well done and intuitive. Press a button to choose a pitch, pick a location, and then throw. Acclaim has loaded the game with pitch-types; even the most obscure ones are here. There are two types of fastballs, circle change-ups, screwballs, slurves, and even more.
The game is realistic in that pitchers will not always hit their spots. You will have to adjust locations to this if you want to keep throwing strikes. As a pitcher’s stamina drops, his location and speed will drop as well. Eventually, you will have to bring a new pitcher in, who you will need to warm up about an inning in advance. The system works very well and is very easy to get the hang of.
Fielding
Although fielding in ASB 2003 has its faults, it is for the most part very intuitive and fun. Thanks to the 3D camera, you can usually see where the ball is going to land well in advance, so you will have ample time to make the catch. The game marks the spot on the field where the ball is going to land. One thing I found a bit irregular initially was the fact that your fielder must stand in front of this mark or it will usually bounce in front of you. You can make stunning plays with the L and R buttons such as dives and leaps, but I found this rather clunky and it’s hard to time it right. Throwing is very intuitive. The game uses the A, B, X, and Y buttons to reflect the bases, and you just press a button and the ball will be thrown to the base it reflects. You can even throw to a cut-off man from the outfield by pressing Z.
One interesting feature about this game is that you and the computer may make errors catching and throwing the ball. This really keeps you on your toes as a catchable ball may not always be caught.
Managerial Options
In all baseball games, there is more to do than just play the game. There is plenty of managerial stuff such as changing the lineup and making trades. ASB of course has all the usual things like standings and the schedule, but where the game really shines is in its statistics and roster options. ASB keeps track of a whole lot of statistics. Using these, the game ranks great players and teams for each category. Furthermore, it will award great players with the All-Star voting (for the All-Star Game of course), MVP awards, Gold Glove awards, and more.
In terms of one’s roster, one can set lineups for a variety of situations, set their pitching rotation, and make a variety of moves. Acclaim has included the ability to get players through trades, the free agent pool, and your club’s farm team. More so, if your players are injured, you can put them on the 15 or 60 day disabled list. This attention to detail is very much welcomed.
Other
There are a few other gameplay features I should mention. First of all, the game is a bit slow-paced. An average game will take about an hour to complete. Because of this, Acclaim put in an option to speed all of the animations up, and this is a very welcome feature when you’re in a rush. The game also has an Instant Replay system, but it’s not very well-done. It comes up after almost every play in the game, whether you want it to or not. The player has no control of the camera in a replay, nor can they choose to see one from the menu.
One feature simulation fans will love is the fact that every player has stamina. If you play Season or Franchise mode, you will find that your player cannot start every game and you may occasionally have to start a bench player. Also, most pitchers cannot be used more than 2 games in a row. This attention to detail is very welcome.