After struggling to find a word to best describe HardBall 99, I finally came up with... homely. That's right, homely. How come? For starters, the game's very smart: When it comes to tracking, editing, and comparing stats, it's hands-down one of the best in that department. It also has a nice personality: The addition of an all-time team, made up of stars such as Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson, leads a list of this game's many extras.
But when one stands HardBall 99 next to "supermodel" games such as Triple Play 99 and MLB 99, well, it's hard to fall in love with a title that just isn't in the same league. Call me shallow, but when's the last time you turned down a date with "hot stuff" to go out with "homely stuff" instead?
Let's make one thing clear: HardBall 99 is a decent baseball simulation, which undoubtedly stems from the franchise's upbringing on the PC side. There's a laundry list of features not to be found in any other title, such as the previously mentioned all-time team, which you can actually use as a team in league play. The extensive manager mode lets you buy a team and completely edit any player's stats, as well as set up a manager profile to create a style of play that works best for your team. There are both fielding and batting practice modes, as well as a preseason draft and home run derby to give you plenty to do.
The in-game action also offers some bright spots. The game moves at a quick pace, in contrast to baseball games that get bogged down by extra animation. The game strikes a nice balance between strategy and action gameplay, with an interface that lets you first pick a pitch/swing, then let the twitch reflexes kick in with full D-pad ball or bat control. The computer even keeps a track of highlight reels to replay a game's top moments, which is a great feature used by too few sports games.
However, we did mention HardBall was born on the PC way back in the day - and PC games back then weren't exactly loved for their looks. While Hardball 99 is a far cry visually from its predecessors, its 3D graphics still look subpar on the PlayStation, as if meant for a game developed two years ago. The stadiums suffer from polygon flicker and breakup, while many of the player animations look downright goofy, such as fielders jogging as if on ice instead of grass. While these graphics problems don't hinder gameplay, the annoying load times between innings and some menu screens just might.
The game tries to hang with the "supermodels" in the sound department as well, but again, it's not impressive. The crowd and stadium noises seem acceptable, but the announcer talks like a robot, and a stiff one at that. Moreover, some phrases get hacked or chopped off if too many buttons are being pressed. Again, it doesn't affect gameplay, but it detracts from the overall package.
Like the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For gamers who really get into statistical tracking or team management, HardBall 99's stat-o-rama-based gameplay makes this title a great first choice. However, you'll have to live with graphics and sound that seem "homely" at best - and mediocre at worst. Indeed, HardBall 99 covers all the bases (pun obviously intended) in terms of gameplay and features, but it's in sore need of an audiovisual overhaul if it expects to lure gamers away from the big-name baseball titles.
