Average Customer Review: ( 123 customer reviews )
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Graphics: These graphics are amazing, the stadiums are very accurate, and the actual field very much resembles the real field. It seems like they've used the 3D cyber-scan on every player because pretty much all of them look like their real life counterparts. You can know who someone is just by looking at their back because of their body build. The animations are also very good, when you're fielding a ground ball you see the player catching it, bringing it up to his chest then starting to throw it just like in real life. Every know and then you will notice the ball magically going to the player even though he's two feet away from it but it doesn't happen very often, and when it does it's not that distracting. My favorite part is the replays, you can't do a manual replay but there is one for every play, and it's simply amazing. When you hit a line drive and you see the ball flying by the people in the crowd you can't help but feeling that it's real. Speaking of the crowd, they're just your typical videogame crowd, flat paper like, but they do move and if you see them straight on then they look quite good.

Sound: I have heard better but not much. The announcers are almost always right and they'll usually tell you the stats of the player from last season in his first at bat. I remeber I was the Blue Jays and I was playing the Yankees and Carlos Delgado hit a game winning home run in the 11th inning. The next game the announcer said "He came up big yesterday with a homerun to win it." I was astonished to hear it. The crowd reacts nicely to what's going on. In the later innings they'll get louder if it's close or if it's a blowout they'll quite down. If a big play is made they'll get louder for the appropriate amount of time and then quite down again. Basically they react to the situations very well. I'm pleased that the sound doesn't take anything away from this game, although it doesn't add that much. I hope this helps in your decision.

27 of 31 found the following review helpful:

The most complete baseball game everMar 01, 2002
By Michael Izzo
Two words...Franshise mode...finally somebody got it right thank you Akklaim Sports. The player detail is absolutely beautiful. The replays after each play make it almost feel like you are sitting in the stands or from the TV camera replay looks like you are watching an actual game. Expansion mode is also very fun with some very creative expansion nicknames and logos added by the software people along with some citys that should have teams such as Hawaii, Norfolk, VA, Puerto Rico, Oklahoma, Vancouver B.C. As far as the gameplay there is only one flaw that I have seen and that is sometimes when you are fielding the ball your player chasing the ball might make a catch that looks like the ball would land at least 5 feet away from where he was standing. But other times you will watch balls bounce off of players gloves and watch squibbers get under the diving infielders. Overall this is the best baseball game ever made for ANY system. The realistic feel and no 17-15 games make it that much more realistic. I have played four games with scores of 8-5, 8-3, 2-1, and 3-2. I cant get myself away from this game because every time I turn off the playstation 2 i just yearn to turn it on and play even more. Triple Play is dead...come on EA Sports add fantasy mode and i might give you a chance again but right now All Star baseball 2003 from Akklaim is the king of baseball video games. BUY THIS GAME NOW !!!!

11 of 11 found the following review helpful:

Best baseball game for PS2Mar 20, 2002

I have played baseball video games for years, and this is easily the best ever. Terrific graphics, uncanny realism, so many options. The graphics are superb: players look like themselves, bat as they really do, pitch as they really do. The stadiums even include the local mascot (eg. Paws in Detroit) and the proper sky line in the background. Besides the regular teams, they include "Cooperstown Legends", a team of Hall of Famers like Mays, Musial, Kaline. They also give you old stadiums to choose, like the Polo Grounds, old Yankee Stadium and Tiger Stadium.

The game play is tough, but enjoyable. I have a hard time hitting, but it's fair. Players overrun the bag at first, break up double plays and make sliding catches in the outfield. There are instant replays after almost every play, but they're from a different angle and enable you to see the ump ringing up a batter or a first baseman stretching to pull down a high throw. When you hit one out, you see the ball land in the seats and bounce around.

But the best part is the realism. Pitchers tire as they do in real life. In my old games, I could keep a reliever in several innings with no signs of fatigue. This game, a closer is only going to last three or four batters.

You also can break your bat when you get jammed. If you gun more than one at a batter's head, you are ejected. Batters will sometimes even charge the mound. Then they get tossed. Stealing is much easier to do than my old game (where no one could steal) but is no sure thing. It's fair. Most games are 5-3, 7-4, 3-2, just as they should be.

A game takes about one hour to complete. One is also able to play a baseball trivia game, HR derby or take batting practice. In BP the pitcher/coach has a bucket of baseballs and is protected by a fence, just like it was real. In games, you see the relief pitchers throwing in the bullpen and pinch hitters taking practice cuts as they come up to the plate.

Drawbacks: Fielding is tough, so I just let the computer do it, but the fielders break late on the batted ball, so they're forever making over the shoulder running catches. Steve Lyons (the color man) often says the same stuff. But the biggest fault is that when you actually get the cursor right on the ball, your hitting is not what you'd expect. The best place (so it seems) is to swing just under the thrown ball to get an extra base hit. All in all it's a 5* game. I highly recommend it.

8 of 8 found the following review helpful:

Great Baseball SimulationMar 07, 2002
By Edward M. Martin
All-Star Baseball 2003 is a fabulous game. Although I've never played any games from the High Heat series, this blows Triple Play out of the water. All the different modes of play alone put it ahead of all the other games (nobody else even has a franchise mode!!). Fielding and Pitching is very well represented. Only a slightly odd looking catch will happen every now and again, but this is just a minor glitch. I've seen a couple of people complain about the hitting being difficult. If you don't want realism, then buy Triple Play. The scores are normal for a real baseball game 4-2, 5-3, 2-0, etc. It's realistic, so therefore hits don't happen all the time. There are bloop singles, line drives off the wall, hard grounders past the infielders, everything is represented. Without a doubt, buy this game, you won't regret it!!!

6 of 6 found the following review helpful:

Wonderful GameMar 08, 2002
By awwhotdog
Ive been waiting since the idea of franchise mode for a baseball game to include it, and its finally here. With Trades,Free Agents, and best of all, a farm team, this game provides the most options to create a roster. Also, the addition of the 15 and 60 day DL creates even more chances to mimic reality. Players get better, or worse, depending on age. Perhaps one of my favorite aspects of this game is the Stadium and Throwback jersey options.. I was overjoyed to see another game at Tiger Stadium, and the chance to try and homer over the centerfield wall at the Polo Grounds. The graphics are beyond comparison, and the gameplay, contrary to other reviews, is quite good. Hitting SHOULDNT be easy, because the homer happy Triple Play series is extremly irritating. The Pitching interface requires you to mix your pitches and hit your spots. Anyone complaining about those two aspects is seriously missing the greatest joys in this (or any) baseball game. I would recommend this game to anyone looking for a baseball game to spend thier summer playing.

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