Baseball Advance

"A great game, but not flawless"

Baseball is the American Pastime. If you're an American, some how, some way, you know how the game is played. Now they've taken this great American Pastime and put all in a little Game Boy Advance cart.

Control - (10/10) - I kid you not, this control is that great. Throwing is easy, baserunning is simple (once you learn the buttons for steal and such), and batting is cake. Granted, it takes a while to master, but once you do, it becomes very easy every time. And the pitching is amazing as well. If all you did was have a Pitcher/Batter duel, the game would still be worth the money.

Sound - (6/10) - I mark sound low because you basically have the intro song, the National Anthem and a song that plays during the game. Nothing that special. But the sound of the bat meeting the ball and the sounds of catches and throws and slides are excellent. Depending if you are home or away, if you hit a home run, the crowd will even either boo or cheer. Again, nothing that special, but still excellent.

Graphics - (8/10) - When at the plate, you'd almost think this might be a game for the PlayStation2 (well, more likely the PlayStation), but 'tis not. It's the GBA and it makes those players at bat look great. The swings are fluid and the bat swing changes depending on where you are swing. A drawback, though, is once the ball is put in play, the players are nothing great. They all look like skinny little toothpicks and the catcher doesn't even wear any gear. The four fields they include, though, look very much like their real life counter parts.

Replayability - (9/10) - Season mode has 162 games to play. Sure, it can get tiring, but it sure is fun. With all the pitchers you could face, it is awesome. Sure, it can get dull, but it's still fun to play.

Features - (6/10) - Bleh...this is probably the worst aspect of the game. Hardly any extra features. You have Exhibition, Season, Playoffs, and All-Star Game. Phooey. Not even a Home Run Derby and no chance of a 2-Player mode.

Overall - (8/10) - The game plays great and looks great. It has it flaws, but what game doesn't? The only have four stadiums stinks a bit, but you'll get over it. Definitely a buy if you are a fan of baseball.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/19/02, Updated 05/19/02