MLB Slugfest 20-03

"Quite Possibly The Most Frustrating Game on the PS2"

I waited 3 weeks for this game. Every time I went to Blockbuster, both copies were out. Finally, I managed to nab a copy and started playing. I had owned 2 of the NFL Blitz games for N64, and being a fan of baseball, I couldn't wait to try out MLB Slugfest 20-03. However, after about 5 days of playing, I was ready to break my PS2 (to tell the truth, I actually broke open my controller I got so mad) due to the frustrating elements of this game.

Graphics: 9/10: I have to admit, these graphics are incredible. Every MLB player looks like their real life counterpart, such as Jeter, Sosa, Giambi, and many other stars. One of the most impressive parts graphic wise are the special teams. Fans of Midways hard hitting series will recognize the 3 digit code format. In Slugfest, you can unlock a Pinto (horse) team, a lion team, and even an eagle team. These teams look great, with the ruffling feathers of the eagle, and the flicking tail of the Lion.

Control: 3/10: This is where MLB Slugfest 20-03 takes a turn for the worst. The controls are pretty simple. When at bat, X is a contact swing, Square is a power swing, O is bunt, and L1 is steal. When pitching, you pick one of four pitches (changeup, fastball, slider, and knuckleball), and then pick whether to throw the pitch, bean the batter, throw a pickoff, or call time and reselect a pitch. These controls are easy to get used to and are very convenient. The outfield controls, however, are another story. I found my players constantly running the wrong direction, throwing to the wrong base, and many other problems. One annoying glitch is when the computer hits a ball to the wall (which happens very often, by the way). When picking up the ball, your outfielder will do some strange rolling thing, which in fact does not provide any advantage. Many times the CPU was able to stretch a double into a triple with this setback. The automatic controls are horrendous as well. Ground balls are usually hit sharply, which does not give you much time to react. In order to field a ball, you must manually select a fielder and guide them to the ball. If you don't, the AI fields it, and boy do they suck. I once had a can-of-corn pop up fall right between two outfielders who just stood there and stared at each other when they got to the landing zone. It's really annoying too, because the computer can take advantage of every mistake.

Gameplay: 9/10: Like I said before, the mechanics of this game are really simple. Midway threw a new idea into the machine with the ''Bean'' option. You can bean a player in 3 areas: His head, his body, or his legs. Depending on where you hit him, his stats lower (Head=hitting, Body=Power, Legs=Speed). Overuse of this option, however, will set an opponent's player on fire, causing his stats to skyrocket. This adds an element of strategy to the game, of knowing how to balance your bean balls as to not set your opponent's men on fire.

Replayability: 8/10: Sure, it will be a lot of fun the first couple of weeks, even taking into consideration the bad controls. However, MLB Slugfest falls into the abyss of monotonous gameplay. With some scores going above 25 runs, games will get boring pretty quick. I didn't get a chance to try multiplayer, but I bet it is pretty good.

Overall: 7/10: MLB Slugfest 20-03 is not a bad game. Actually, it is a unique, fun experience. If the controls had been better, I would've given it a better rating. To tell the truth, I can't wait until next year's version. If Midway works on the controls, you can be sure it'll be a winner.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/27/02, Updated 08/27/02