In the world of baseball games, some programs slam out home runs, some dribble weak grounders for infield outs, and others take mighty cuts but come up short of clearing the ballpark.

High Heat Major League Baseball 2004, an Xbox release from 3DO, falls into the later category. The game has some solid features, but can’t compete graphically with EASports latest release (or Midway’s Slugfest 2004). The game has some solid options, but also some inconsistencies that detract from the baseball game.

Kansas City is taking on the Angels in an exhibition game. With a runner on first, the Royals’ batter drives the pitch to the outfield. The base runner turns at second and heads to third. The throw from the outfield comes sailing in, not in time to catch the base runner. However, and here is where the game has a few problems, instead of backing the play at third, the pitcher is standing right next to the third baseman on the bag. That is a lot of bodies and if the ball skips past the third baseman, that runner will score.

High Heat has brought back its Two On Two Showdown for this edition of the game. The showdown is, at first blush, confusing, but players will grow accustomed to it. This game is a pitcher and a batter squaring off, no fielders. Points are awarded on the way the ball is hit, or lack thereof. If the pitcher gets a weak roller to the infield, that is considered an out, and the pitcher’s team is awarded a point. A home run is worth 6 points. This game can be a lot of fun for game players who don’t wish to spend a lot of time playing a full game.

The home run derby also has several options that can add variety to the game, but at the easier levels, this game is no challenge whatsoever.

High Heat also offers a Stand Alone Playoff feature, in which even the Chicago Cubs can make it to the playoffs (and you can skip the joke about the Cubbies being mathematically eliminated from post-season play after Opening Day).

The game also features a fantasy draft, franchise mode (which includes minor league management down to the single A level), roster management features, as well as tips and strategies.

Another exhibition game takes us to St. Louis’ Busch Stadium. It’s a night game, and the rain is coming down. The play-by-play announcer, obviously oblivious to the weather conditions, pronounces it a perfect night for baseball. Huh? Other sound anomalies, such as hecklers and vendors seem a little too loud, though generally the game does sport the rich sounds of a Major League Baseball game.

Wrigley Field has some similarities to the real stadium, but those ivy-covered walls in the outfield are not very convincingly fashioned. The player movements are similar across the board. While the movements are real, High Heat definitely takes a back seat to EASports MVP Baseball title, which was also released within the same week. Some elements, such as a player diving back into the bag, jumping up and dusting himself off, look very convincing though.

Pitchers move smoothly and batters are well detailed.

The control setup is not all that intuitive, and seems a little slow responsively. The manual is also a mess, referring to more information on certain topics on the wrong pages. (For example, on page 21, the career mode is a cursory view of the option, and refers gamers to page 26. You won’t find it there. But you will find two sentences on page 28 that mention the topic.)

High Heat Baseball does sport a player-friendly options interface, and interesting game modes. But where other baseball games are carving their niches with realistic graphical elements, or rough ‘n tumble baseball action, High Heat takes its cuts but comes up short of the warning track. It is a solid title, just not exceptional for the genre.

This game is rated for Everyone.

Gameplay: 7.2
You must wait for the action to play out before you can start the next sequence. If the batter hits safely, the ball comes into the infield and there is a pause before pitcher resets the game.  The instant replays are nice but also detract from the flow of the game.

Graphics: 7.5
This is a mixed bag. Some elements look very good, while some – like similar batting stances or pitching motions – are merely average for the genre. Lighting effects are nicely done as well, but the ballparks, while giving the general look, lack the details that could have been realized with the graphical power of the Xbox.

Sound: 7.4
Some comments lack a feel for what is actually being portrayed, and the background noises can be a little too loud, but generally this game has the elements associated with a MLB game.

Difficulty: Medium
The rookie or easy mode of play is a little too easy, while the Pro mode is challenging.

Concept. 7.3
The return of the Two on Two Showdown presents an interesting variation to the game. This is a program that does have a player-friendly options package.

Multiplayer: 7.8
Like any game within or in a similar genre, this is a game that thrives in multiplayer gaming. High Heat Baseball also features the ability to go on Xbox Live! The AI in the single-player game can be worked through. The unpredictability of the human-versus-human game is what the game is all about.

Overall: 7.3
High Heat Baseball 2004 can't measure up graphically to the competition, and though this is a solid baseball title, it can be a little arcade-like and easy. The control elements go from too simplistic to overly complex. There is a learning curve for the control elements, so be prepared for that.