The batter has reached first base,
effectively becoming a baserunner. Much like the 2003 Major League Baseball
season, the lead is taken and on the following pitch, the runner takes off for
second, a steal attempt.
There are parallels to the videogame
industry in that a host of baseball titles have been released for a range of
platforms. Midway has entered the pennant chase with the Game Boy Advance
release of MLB Slugfest 20-04.
This is a game that is arcade in
nature, and while the graphical elements are reasonably good for the platform,
the game is very limiting in scope. The game advertises itself as “Better than
Real” – well, not quite. Though the game looks good, there are some anomalies
that stray from the basepaths of the Major League game. But there is also a host
of solid features that make this an average but still enjoyable outing the old
ball game.
Features for the game include a
tighter batter-player interface, 150 animations, all the MLB teams with the most
current rosters available, and solid replications of the MLB fields.
The game does lack intuitive
positioning for fielders (for novices who might stumble a few times and create
fielding errors due to lack of player positioning during those scorching singles
to the outfield gaps), as well as an AI that has opposing baserunners dashing
back and forth between bases for pickoffs or just not advancing at all on a hit
that should score the runner from second or advance one from first to third.
The player animations are very solid,
though they are by no means mirroring their MLB counterparts.
There are three basic game modes:
Quickplay, Challenge and Series. Challenge allows players to tackle a season
against all 30 MLB teams, while Series plunges you right into the World Series
for a (hopefully) seven-game series against another team.
Where is the regular season, with
franchise mode allowing players to take a team and try to win the pennant and
advance to the World Series? Where is the home run challenge in which players
can hone their battle skills? Hmm, those both seem absent.
MLB Slugfest 20-04 is about playing
the game. You have to earn codes to unlock the other game play options. As you
progress, you will earn more passwords to continue along the path.
Yes, this is a game that will require
you to have a notebook nearby to house all the passwords you will earn.
Player animations are solid but tend
to be repetitive. Batters go through the same set of motions, as do fielders. No
cutoff throws, adding to the arcade feel of the game.
To its credit, Slugfest 20-04 has kept
the player interface simple. Players will not have to jump through hoops to
perform the core basics control elements of the game. Midway designers have
taken the fundamental aspects of playing a baseball game and reduced them to a
simple-to-use interface.
With a runner on second, the ball is
driven to the shortstop, who fields it cleanly. The AI will likely have the
runner glued to second. The A button and directional pad easily has the ball
fired to first. Ninety-nine percent of the time you will get the runner.
The game also flops graphically from
great environments and batter animations to base runners who are out and slant
away quickly toward the dugout in a manner that suggests games from three years
ago. The game’s physical dynamics are also quite restricted.
MLB Slugfest 20-04 is not a bad game,
the trouble is that it is not outstanding. Midway’s baseball games for other
platforms have a tendency to shine brightly with intuitive and realistic
gameplay, as well as outstanding graphics. While the GBA isn’t capable of the
high-end graphical elements of other platforms, it is able to render a game that
is a bit better than this. Like many players (and teams) on opening day, this
game steps into the batter’s box with the best of intentions, then stumbles
along the path to first base after a weak infield grounder.
The game is a pleasant, enjoyable
diversion, but it is not the best GBA baseball experience to be had.
This game is rated for Everyone.
Gameplay: 6.5
The game has some good moments and some
extremely old-fashioned arcade moments. You can get started quickly with limited
load times, but the actual baseball game physics seem to be limited to the core
elements of pitch, hit and field without dynamic ball movement. The ball has a
tendency not to roll, and the game AI is rather simplistic.
Graphics: 6.5
This game flops from superb batter
elements to old arcade base running features.
Sound: 6
Someday a developer will develop an audio
track that can bring some excitement to a GBA game. This isn’t that day. The
sound here is average for the platform.
Difficulty: Easy
The game’s design will allow players to
jump in and play and there are several difficulty settings that allow challenge
for players at almost any level.
Concept: 6.3
No regular season or franchise-style
play, no home run derby, the game has put a lot into the graphical department
and short-circuited depth of gameplay.
Overall: 6.4
This is a title that could have been much
better, but really cannot compare with either its other console platform
counterparts, nor with some other GBA baseball games in terms of gameplay
options. It looks good and plays well, and it a good, quick arcade-like
experience. Fans who want a little more depth, will do well to find a
pinch-hitter.
