There are certain sports
where you can just forget the rules and regulations for a more hardcore and
fast-paced game and although we usually see this kind of thing in basketball,
seldom is it seen in the game of baseball. Imagine slamming your fist into the
first baseman and knocking the ball out of his hand just so you can go steal
second base. Imagine great pitching being rewarded by having your next pitches
practically break the sound barrier. This is what you’ll find in MLB Slugfest
20-04, one of the most interesting takes on the game of baseball ever.
Last year’s game came to
sports fans as a pleasant surprise and a neat change from the serious titles out
there. It’s total disregard for the rules made for an enjoyable experience,
especially the more bizarre things change in the game. This year, the game
looks and feels relatively the same, only with the additions we were all hoping
it would have the first time around. One of the most obvious changes, of
course, is the addition of the Home Run Derby as well as a Create-A-Team
feature.
All the same game modes
are intact here as well such as Quickplay, Challenge, Season and Tournament.
Season allows you to play a fifty-two game MLB season with your favorite team,
but this time the rosters are updated and you can customize your team anyway you
see fit. You can also play against a group of friends in Tournament mode
again. Meanwhile Challenge has you challenging all of the Major League teams
out there. The Home Run Derby pits you against some great sluggers (up to eight
of them in case you would like to play against a group of friends).
Midway Sports is great at
creating sports titles that are simple to pick up and play and the MLB Slugfest
series is a major example of this. Gamers will find it easy to smack a ball out
into the field or make various kinds of pitches (from fastballs to curveballs).
Yet what sets this game apart from other baseball titles is that great plays are
rewarded with an “on fire” effect that strengthens your player considerably. It
seen as smoking coming from your players to your player consumed by flames.
This improves the speed of your pitch as well as how hard you hit the ball with
your bat or run bases.
The Create-A-Team feature
new to the game allows you to modify a particular team and add favorites to the
lineup to make an all-star team. If it’s your dream to have Barry Bonds, Mike
Piazza, Jim Edmonds and Sammy Sosa all in one team, then this feature just might
be what you have been dreaming about. Still, there is so much more that could
have been done with this feature such as literally create your own players
ala-World Series Baseball 2K3 style. Added once again are also the strange
ballparks and players (Mortal Kombat characters, for example) you can unlock
through a series of codes.
One of the game’s
faults–if you can call it that–is that the CPU-controlled team is still as
unforgiving as ever. You’ll find that even in the Rookie difficulty setting,
the challenge you’ll go up against is frustratingly too skillful for their own
good. The opponent AI still leaves room for errors in fielding.
Visually the game looks as
good as it did last year in that everything from the player models to the
stadiums look amazing. The player models still look a bit on the bulky side (I
don’t remember Derek Jeter being that, well, beefy) but now there are specific
player stances when they’re up at bat that is true to the actual athlete.
Making its return is the comical gesture each player makes while coming up at
bat such as swinging the bat around Conan the Barbarian-style to frantically
swatting away at an invisible bee like a frightened child. Overall, this is
still one gorgeous looking game.
One of the highlights of
last year’s game was the play-by-play and color commentary by Tim Kitzrow and
“Jimmy Shorts” and thankfully they back at it again. Their commentary is often
deliciously odd yet extremely amusing to the point that they won’t fail to bring
out a smile to your face or at least a couple of good chuckles. The stadium
sounds are also wonderfully authentic that it does a great job of actually
immersing the player into the ballpark. You’ll hear everything for hecklers to
the PA speakers pumping the crowds by playing snippets of “Give My Regards to
Broadway” of all things.
MLB Slugfest 20-04 manages
to offer up another slice of extreme baseball fun in this highly addictive game
that gladly breaks all the rules. With hilarious color commentary, fantastic
graphics, and ultra smooth controls that make the game hard to put down, this is
a game sports fans will really enjoy. If you haven’t played last year’s game,
do yourself the favor of picking this one up for all the updated features as
well as all the new goodies.
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#Reviewer’s |
Gameplay: 8.2
MLB Slugfest 20-04 is a smooth ride
with controls that are the kind that you can simply pick up and start playing.
Everything from batting to pitching is done with ease and you’ll start
forgetting you’re playing an extreme game until your batter suddenly goes up in
flames or your pitcher starts throwing fastballs that leave a smoke trail. You
can also knock the ball out of the hands of an opponent to make a run for the
next base or intentionally bean ball a player simply because you feel like it.
Graphics: 8.7
This is still one amazing looking
game with a lot of details in things like uniforms as well as that player’s
faces. Although the bodies are a lot heavier than they should be, you’ll be
able to recognize your favorite slugger before they’re introduced. The same can
be said about the stadiums that are wonderfully detailed . . . even if the
stadium in question is the lost city of Atlantis.
The animations are also
realistic and often hilarious. You’ll find players stabbing the earth with
their bat and dusting himself off before picking up the bat again. Hit a player
with an intentional bean ball and watch him throw a childish fit all the way to
first base. This is truly some great stuff.
Sound: 8.0
It’s great to hear straight man Tim
Kitzrow and color man “Jimmy Shorts” again. Tim calls the game as it happens
and does a great job of it as well and Jimmy adds some bizarre bits of dialogue
concerning odd topics like that crazed hot dog vendor or what pets he wouldn’t
own. These things just add to the wonderful lunacy of extreme baseball and it
all works out nicely.
The stadium sounds are
also filled with all the things you would expect to hear from a lively ballpark
such as hecklers that yell out “I hope you don’t hurt yourself, moron!” You’ll
hear the bat connect with the ball as you slam one down at centerfield. Getting
hit by a bean ball produces a horrifying smacking sound as well as a pained
grunt. And when you’re literally on fire, you can actually hear the flames.
Difficulty: Hard
Unlike the more serious baseball
sims out there, like MVP Baseball 2003, all the rules are thrown out the window
for a more unconventional game of baseball. This means that almost anything
goes here and the CPU team knows it and uses it to their advantage.
Unfortunately, they do it a lot better than you can. On the plus side, though,
the opponent AI is also prone to making some serious mistakes in pitching and
fielding.
Concept: 8.9
Last year’s game offered an
overabundance of codes that changed everything from the players’ heads (eagle
and lion heads?) as well as add crazy ballparks such as the Roman Coliseum . . .
and this game is no different. In fact, there are more unusual ballparks here
than last year’s game. The Sega Sports-styled customizable instant replay is a
welcome feature here. The inclusion of a Home Run Derby is also a great
addition to the series, although the Create-A-Team feature could have been
handled a lot better.
Multiplayer: 8.7
This is just one of those game that
should be played with a group of friends who appreciate a wildly extreme version
of the game of baseball. The game allows gamers to play multiplayer games in
modes such as Quickplay, Challenge and Tournament. Tournament, for example, can
have you and up to eight players choosing their favorite teams and playing
against each another. Or you can play against a friend in Home Run Derby to see
who is better at hitting homers. The possibilities are all there.
Overall: 8.5
Hotter than a flaming bat, MLB
Slugfest 20-04 delivers yet another smoking homerun with this entertaining twist
in America’s Favorite Pastime. All the things we loved about last year’s game
are back as well as some great additions–and animations–to make this a
worthwhile purchase. If you’re in the mood for a less serious game of baseball,
definitely give this game a try.
