AbstractWho's the next World Series champion? That's up to you, as you'll try to lead your squad through the regular season and on to glory in this installment of HIGH HEAT. Endorsed by stars Wilton and Vladimir Guerrero, the game re-creates each stadium, uniform, and player attribute right down to smallest detail. If you're having trouble seeing certain pitches as they leave the ace's hand, brush up in the comprehensive Batting Practice mode. HIGH HEAT BASEBALL 2002 now, that's big league ball.
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Full descriptionThe first baseball game for the Game Boy Advance continues 3DO's High Heat Baseball franchise that began on the PC in 1998. The handheld version offers the following five modes of play: Exhibition, Batting Practice, Home Run Derby, Season, and Playoffs. Exhibition involves selecting any two teams for a single game, while Batting Practice has players fine-tuning their skills at hitting certain types of pitches at varying speeds and locations over the plate.
Home Run Derby challenges players to hit as many of the 20 pitches over the fence as possible, while Season involves picking one team and then competing in 16, 81, or a full 162 games with schedules following the 2001 MLB season. The final mode, Playoffs, lets players cut right to the chase and compete in the final rounds leading to the World Series. High Heat Baseball 2002 features battery-backed memory to save season standings and playoff progress, but statistics are not tracked throughout the season.
The main viewpoint is from above and behind home plate as the batter swings the bat by pressing a button. Players can influence the type of hit, such as a fly ball or a grounder, by holding the Control Pad in one of four directions during the swing. Once contact is made, the screen scrolls toward the infield or outfield. Pitching involves selecting a pitch and then deciding on a location before carrying out the throw. Options include automatic fielding, adjustable innings, and a toggle for sound effects.
3DO squeezes its popular
High Heat baseball series into a portable form. This GBA title features several different play modes. You can start off with batting practice or ply in the Home Run Derby. You can play Exhibition matches of variable innings, or take any team on a 16, 81, or full 162 game season.
High Heat 2002 also the 2001 team and player rosters, with licensed stadiums. Nine different pitches are available, as is an automatic fielding option.
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Editorial reviewSource:
Amazon3DO's High Heat Baseball series has had a spotty history. The PC versions have been mostly excellent, while the console versions have been mostly poor. The Game Boy Advance incarnation looks promising at first glance, but ultimately fails to deliver. When you first turn the game on, the solid graphics and decent sound make it appear to be a next-generation handheld game, but limited gameplay makes it more like something from the '80s.
There are five game modes: exhibition, batting practice, home run derby, season, and playoffs. The batter-pitcher interface and fielding mechanics are quite good, but the rest of the game is lacking: players cannot steal bases, slide, dive for a ball, execute a hit-and-run, or keep track of any statistics. The artificial intelligence is also shoddy. With a man on second and the batter bunting, the computer absurdly attempts to throw out the runner at third base. Adding to the frustration are inaccuracies of distance. If, for example, a player hits a deep fly ball to the warning track, he can still be thrown out at second base. The omissions and inaccuracies of this game leave the player with an experience both hollow and frustrating. --Raymond M. Padilla
Pros:
- Above-average graphics
- Decent sound
- Smooth fielding
Cons: - Lacks many basic baseball plays
- Questionable AI
- No stat tracking
Players can manually field or have the computer automatically catch the ball
Both infield and outfield alignments can be adjusted while on the mound
Battery backup saves team standings during the season and playoff progress
Number of innings can be set to 1, 3, 5, 7, or a full 9
- Portions of content provided by Rovi Data Solutions, Inc. and IGN Entertainment, Inc.