High Heat Major League Baseball 2002

"Any Baseball Fan Will Like This Game"

OPENING STATEMENT

When I first bought High Heat Major League Baseball 2002, I thought it might not be very good (I had not rented it). But once I shoved it into my Game Boy Advance and started playing, I regretted saying anything negative I ever did about it.

GRAPHICS: 9

One of the things that surprised me when I played High Heat Major League Baseball 2002 was the graphics. On the Main Menu, there are pictures of players that one at a time appear and disappear. I was amazed at the quality of the graphics of the players. They looked exactly as they do in the MLB.

The players that show up while you're playing look okay as well. However, you can't see their faces, but this is very minor. The stadiums look exactly like they do in the MLB. But there is one thing that affects them. If you hit a home run at Pac Bell Park, for example, You won't see the ball come even close to the water. All the stadiums look the same when the ball is in play. There is a first deck, a second deck, and if you hit the ball past there you won't see anymore. This is the most major graphic flaw in the game.

SOUND: 5

This, in my opinion, is where the game really drops. You'll never hear any talking or cheering from the crowd in the background. They are ALWAYS silent. Except for when you hit a home run. Then they cheer. I know that sometimes baseball games are silent, but this is just dead quiet.

The umpire has different clips for different plays, such as ''strike!'', ''ball!'' or ''homerun!''. He says other things as well, but I won't mention them all.

GAMEPLAY: 9

The gameplay in High Heat Major League Baseball 2002 is very good. I was surprised at how many modes the game had to offer.

There is Exhibition Mode, where you can play a single mode, Season Mode, where you can play a whole season, Playoff Mode, where you can skip the season and head for only the playoffs, Home Run Derby, where you can have fun hitting the ball out of the park, and Batting Practice, where you can practice your hitting. There is also Options and Credits.

However, in Season Mode, the game doesn't keep track of the stats. Nor in Playoff Mode. All it keeps track of is the wins and losses. This is one of the things I didn't like about High Heat Major League Baseball 2002, because I love to see the stats on my players, such as their average, their homerun total, their ERA, and more.

In Home Run Derby though, the game does keep track of the top 5 long balls and scores. I liked the scoring method as well. In Batting Practice, you can decide where you want the pitchers to throw the balls to you, as well as the batter you want. Very entertaining. And in Options, I like how the game allows you to select the number of innings to play, as well as if you want Auto Fielding or not.

CONTROLS: 8

The controls in High Heat Major League Baseball 2002 are good. When you're batting, the game makes it easier for you to know when the pitch will be thrown, as you can decide WHEN you want it thrown. And when you're pitching, you can decide what type of pitch you want and where you want it to go.

However, the fielding controls suck. The play moves very fast, and you can't dive or jump to catch a ball. I usually put the fielding on Auto when I play, as I find it very difficult to control. And when you're on base, you cannot steal. But other than this, the controls are fine.

SAVING AND LOADING: 10

The game takes only 2 seconds to save data, and to load it, it takes 2 seconds as well. Very fast saving and loading.

REPLAY VALUE: 10

Because there are a lot of modes to play, the game almost never gets boring. If you're tired of always playing a game, you can always go to Home Run Derby with Barry Bonds and hammer some baseballs out of the park. And if you're tired of always hitting home runs, you can go to Season Mode and start a season. High Heat Major League Baseball 2002 has very good replay value.

OVERALL: 9
High Heat Major League Baseball 2002, as the first game for the Game Boy Advance, is a very good one. With a lot of modes, all the players, and all the stadiums, you'll truly enjoy this game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/22/02, Updated 08/22/02