High Heat Baseball 2003

Accessories:
PC Gamer (1-year)	Games for Windows: The Official Magazine

Customer Reviews:

Disappointed [Posted on 2003-07-02]
I purchased the Microsoft game pad to go with this game, but it doesn't let me pick off a guy at first or second. Also, I followed the directions on the gamepad for pitching but the computer team continually clobbers my pitching. My pitches seem to all come in at the same speed and the same location no matter what I do and I'm usually losing, 10-3 in the third inning. One hit after another, one game after another. Not very realistic. Definitely tilted unequally towards the computer.
Would not recommend this game unless it levels the playing field. Have gone back to my High Heat Baseball 2002.

New Fav Game [Posted on 2003-07-14]
Recently I've been looking for a baseball game for my PC. I stumbled upon this game at a local store for 6.99. I decided to give it a try after reading the other reviews. After installing this game I instantly became hooked. The home-run derby is entertaining, I have Bonds winning nearly every derby. The gameplay is wonderful, the controls aren't complicated. The graphics are pretty good, they look like some of the "older" game consoles, maybe the playstation? I would recommend getting this game.

KAB786 [Posted on 2004-09-23]
High heat baseball games are really good arcade style games. the game is fun when playing multiplayer than it is with single player.

Pros:
Fun multiplayer game
Graphics are not that bad
Music is decent
Lots of game modes (Home run derby to 2 on 2 showdown)
Cheap

Cons:
Repetitive gameplay
Single player is boring and unrealistic
AI is easy to beat
Announcer saying the same thing over and over..

Even though this came has really annoying things in it, it still is fun when played with other, and it also is cheaper than other baseball games out their.

Major League Sucker [Posted on 2005-05-15]
Everything Sucks in this game. It's to easy to hit a home run. And Hey 3DO went bankrupt. I wonder why. Because it Sucks. Every Game they came out with (except Sarge's Hero's) all sucked.As Tommy Tallarico said in Judgement Day on G4 said it SUUUUCCCCCKKSSS. And then he threw it down on the Ground. Stay away from this sucker. 3D0 Sucks

Almost a classic [Posted on 2006-01-21]
This is easily the best depiction of major league baseball that I've encountered in a video game. The game does an excellent job of capturing the tension between batter and pitcher confrontations and allows the player to customize a lot of the gameplay. While HHB2003 does have its problems, it is overall a very solid game.

Gameplay: More than anything, the gameplay mechanics are just right. Everything from batting and pitching to fielding and base-running all just seem perfectly done and intuitive. The larger strategy game of putting together a team, managing AAA players, arranging schedules, and so forth is also well done and allows a lot of customization of gameplay. You can get deeply involved in trading, statistics, and standings, or ignore them altogehter. There are several modes that you can play, including exhibition, homerun derby, playoffs, or an entire 162-game season! There is also a career mode.

The computer-controlled teams play intelligently and never seem to cheat (at least not on the pro or all-star difficulty levels). However, teams that you have been beating all season do get noticeably bettter in the postseason. The game is very immersive and intense, and you do get a great sense that you are in the midst of a real baseball game. There are a few things that slightly ruin the atmosphere (see below), but overall the game almost perfectly imitates the big leagues.

Visuals: This is a mixed bag. Player animations are pretty good, but the stadiums are completely static. The fans are literally colored blots on a flat surface. There is no movement in the dugout. The fields look okay, but the stadiums overall appear nondynamic. This is where the game fails to maintain the immersive atmosphere. It's not fatal to the experience, but, noticeable. On the positive side, the game does instant replays and the highlights of the game are saved for viewing once a game ends.

Sounds: Generally great. The announcers are fantastic, and there is commentary for nearly every possible situation. I've been playing the game for weeks, and I'm still occasionally hearing new quotes. The crowd cheers and boos at appropriate times, and the rock music that plays when various menu screens are opened is fine. The audio for this game would be perfect except for occasional studders. It doesn't happen a lot, but when it does it's awfully annoying, since the audio is generally excellent. It's too bad that the developer did not patch this, assuming that it could be easily fixed.

Technical/Replayability: This game has been perfectly stable on my computer. The instruction manual that comes with the game is good. Of course, there is a lot of replay value, since every game is different and there are 30 different teams and several gameplay modes. You can even create new teams and players. If you are a baseball fan, this game is definitely worth picking up.

Rating: 4.25/5 stars

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