Review: All-Star Baseball 2004 on PS2

[fbal4lif32]

I bought this game today for PS2 because I'm getting real pumped up for baseball season. I thought it would be a good idea to put it in the Royals Section.

FRANCHISE
I love Franchise modes in like Madden and other sports games, so when I heard this had a very deep franchise mode, I started listening hard. Little did I know how deep and detailed it was. As manager, you can Create-a-Player, check out your AAA and AA teams and players on them, and the usual trade, release, signing stuff.
However in the Roster Managment section, there are a few holes. To my knowledge, you can not choose how old your created player can be. I made 2, and they turned out to be 35 and 34 years old. Also, it is pretty hard to get a trade done. Most of the time. one of your players "does not fit the other teams wants and needs". But those are my only complaints about that.
There's also an Expansion Franchise. In this, you can make up your own team and choose their staduim, uniforms, and things like that.
Like Madden, the franchise mode goes up to 30 years. And also like Madden, I love the Franchise mode. 10/10

OTHER STUFF
In ASB2004, you'll find the usual Home Run Derby and Batting Practice. But now there are also features like a Trivia game and Situational games. Triva isn't that cool, situation is very cool.
There's also a ton of legendary players from MLB's past. But I was pissed when they left out my favorite player...Joe DiMaggio.
Buck O'Neill and Josh Gibson and other Negro Leaguers made it into the game also. 8/10

GAMEPLAY
I had never played an Acklaim game before, but a baseball game is a baseball game, right? It's all about the same from any other baseball game. The pitches are a little fast and hard to hit though. At least for me. The controls are very easy to get though. Sometimes the game is a little choppy but nothing to annoy you. You just notice it. All in all,I found the gameplay very enjoyable. 7/10

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
Great. The players and staduims are very life-like. The fans, however, are a little twisted up. Sometimes, in the franchise mode, the game is a little dark. Otherwise, real good graphics.
The music is amazing. Reminds me of the music from Field of Dreams. Very nice and very basebally. The announcers are nice to listen too. They aren't repetitive and annoying. Real nice. 9/10

FINAL WORD
If you like baseball games, this is a must. If you don't, rent it, you might like this one. The franchise mode got me hooked and this company now has another customer. Final Grade: 8.5/10

[Sure-Oz]

My friend had all star baseball 2002 or 3 i think, he didn't like it, he is a triple play fan though of EA, I am as well, but I'll try this one.

[Digital Takawira]

i rented mvp baseball 2003(ea switched from the triple play title) for the ps2 and its not bad either. i like the pitching meter. you pick your pitch type and hold down the button for the pitch until the meter powers up and try to release as close to the end of the blue part of the meter and the beginning of the red part. too far into the red area, and it might be a wild pitch. this measures the "effectiveness" of the pitch. you then hit the button again when the meter comes back within a green "accuracy" area similar to the kicking meter on madden. batting is real simple. you have red "hot" areas, blue "cold" areas, and white "neutral" areas. red means you'll smash it, blue you'll whiff, and white either/or. i like the momentum meter they have in franchise mode. the better you play consistently, the higher your momentum(naturally). this in turn affects how your team plays when you simulate games. i really wish they had this in madden. i can't stand when i've built the chiefs up to a team full of pro-bowl calibur players that should destroy any team, yet if i simulate a few games, they more often than not don't play near how they should. anyway, mvp isn't bad, i'll give it a 8/10, but i think i'm going to rent wsb 2k3 before i decide on one to buy. i've heard that it's the best game of all of them.

[Digital Takawira]

oh, and in my franchise, i traded to get damon and dye back, and traded roberto hernandez and suppan for ben sheets of the brewers. sheets is 10-0 with 0.37 era and only 4 walks so far. methinks i got the better of the trade.