Triple Play 2002

The windup, the pitch and Sammy Sosa absolutely crushes the ball toward the bleachers in left-center field. Just to highlight the mighty blow, instant replays show the delivery and the swing from several different angles.

When it comes to sports games, EASports is one of the best. But why does it seem so hard to put together a baseball game that features all the elements of the real thing? EA gives it an excellent shot, but this game has some failings that prohibit it from circling the bases for a game-winning home run.

Before getting into the program's strikes, let's talk about the hits.

This program does an incredible job of faithfully rendering the way the ball comes off a bat. The pitch may be an inside-out curve, but you can even expect some English on the hit ball as well.

The lineups for the 30 Major League Baseball teams have been pre-supposed, and EASports has put together some new player models in an effort to bring these lineups to life. The controls have been modified so players spend less time navigating the interface and more time playing the game.

In most regards, this is a very intuitive and smart game. Players react well and will position themselves in spite of extracurricular activity on the part of the game player. Controls have been simplified to make this a very user-friendly endeavor, but there are some problems that overshadow how well this game is put together.

There was a glitch in game play. For example: season play, third game of the season between St. Louis (been a fan for more than 20 years) and the Colorado Rockies. The Cards are crushing the ball and way up. It’s the top of the seventh, two out and a Rockie at the plate. The pitch is delivered, swung on and driven foul up the first-base line. Suddenly game announcer Bob Costas says it’s time for the seventh-inning stretch. Hold on … a foul ball isn’t an out! And it wasn’t even the third strike. Perhaps in softball, and t-ball, a fouled third strike is an automatic out, but not in the majors.

The player animations are solid, but in an effort to render facial characteristics, the head is a little oversized for the body and the players look like puppets.

The game does have some clipping problems. A base runner sliding into second may beat the throw from the outfield, but the second baseman, after receiving the throw, may walk right through the runner as though he wasn't there. On a few occasions, as the batter waited for the pitch to arrive, the catcher – whether sensing a base-stealing opportunity or just instructed to be overly anxious by the game's AI – jumps up and heads toward the pitcher. The bat goes through the catcher but still manages to make solid contact with the ball.

The lighting effects are a mixed bag. On the field, the action interplays with the shadows and light areas of the field. However, the sky and supposed angle of the shadows and highlights seem at odds with each other. The twilight sky make look very nice, but doesn’t jive with the shadows and sunlight areas on the field.

The game animation is excellent, the crowd animation isn't.

The sound is solid, but there are some things that could have been avoided. Color commentator Harold Reynolds, who doesn't lack for enthusiasm, singing "Take Me Out to the Ballpark" is one of them. Costas’ emotion-less voice responding with "I'm down with that" could also have been omitted. And the announcing doesn't always reflect the action on the field. Costas may announce the ball is stroked into left field when in actuality the shortstop has come up with the batted ball and has thrown the runner out at first.

Though this game has taken care to enable players of any level to play the game, it still manages to shortchange true fans of the sport. There is no bullpen to worry about getting up and moving, unlike All-Star Baseball 2003 (from Acclaim) for the GameCube. Still, this game brings some of the actual elements of the real thing to the console market.

Triple Play 2002 is a solid product, just not one that will entreat anyone who is a diehard fan of the game. It is a pleasant diversion, and perhaps worth the five blocks of memory to save season play. Just don’t count on it to deliver the clutch or definitive pitch.

This game is rated for Everyone.

Gameplay: 7.8
Some of the animated elements are wonderful to watch, like the way the ball curls off the bat into the outfield. There are some neighborhood snags, but that is to be expected in any programmed game. This game does more smoothly from the beginning of a game to its end, and the stats evolve throughout the game.

Graphics: 7
At times the players look like marionettes, with oversized heads, and the all-to-familiar lean back after striking out. But the animation is very smooth and the parks have been rendered quite well. There are lighting flaws in the game.

Sound: 7.5
While Costas and Reynolds do a solid job of announcing the game, the little extras (like the Costas' and Reynolds' duet of the seventh-inning stretch anthem - following which Costas proclaims that you get your money's worth when you buy Triple Play 2002) just don't seem to fit. There may be a twinkle in the eye of the announcing team when throwing out such banal pieces of  chatter, but that isn't seen. There are also breakdowns in the way the game is called and what actually transpires on the field. The game sounds are great, and the accompanying musical score is very good as well.

Difficulty: 7.5
While the narrative may not always reflect the actual game play, there is nothing wrong with the general call of the game, and the music is solid as are the game play sounds.

Concept: 7
EASports has managed to simplify some of the game-playing elements. But this is a genre that has been around since the beginning of computerized (whether on PC or console) gaming. Some of the earlier flaws (like throwing out a batter on a single to right) may have been corrected, but the game, as it is really played, still hasn’t been realized.

Multiplayer: 7.5
The single-player game is a nice diversion, but head-to-head is the only way to insure solid competition.

Overall: 7
This game does have some nice features – including a solid options package wherein you can add yourself to your favorite teams lineup, and movement keys which allow players to climb walls and dive for the ball – but when it comes to the big picture of realistically capturing the true nature of the game, this falls short of the wall. After photographing, reporting and watching baseball games for numerous years, one gets a true affinity for the nuances of the game. This program certain makes it an easy task for anyone to jump in and compete, but when it comes to the pennant race, this program – though enjoyable – doesn’t have the full roster needed to win it all.