The sights, sounds and general atmosphere of Major League ballparks are rather hard to duplicate. So, judging from the plethora of baseball titles which have tried and failed, are the fundamental rules of the sport.

The situation is a runner on first. The batter smacks a three-hopper down the third baseline. The third baseman fields the ball, and fires to second to get the runner. Out! The second baseball crosses the bag and tries to turn the double play by launching a laser beam to first. But the batter is a streak of lightning and arrives at first base ahead of the throw.

Some baseball games would give that runner a hit. That is wrong. It was a fielder’s choice and goes into the record books as a time at bat, but no hit.

Microsoft’s Inside Pitch 2003, an Xbox release with the capabilities of play on Xbox Live!, knows the difference between an actual base hit and a fielder’s choice. While the game may have some flaws in terms of animations, and the facial models are a finite group that does not mirror Major League counterparts, the game - nonetheless - has a smart AI, reflects the game of baseball well, is fraught with challenge, and is a whole lot of fun to play.

The game launches and just to get a feel for what you will be tasked with, you step into the batters box to get timing down. (After all, if you can’t hit that 95 mile-per-hour fastball, or fail to read the seams and break on a 92-mile-per hour curve ball, you won’t be in the Majors for very long.) The batter movement, the arm muscles flexing as the bat is regripped, and the ballparks are amazing.

The game falters with that post-play animation, in which fielders hunch over, heave slightly, and lurch a bit. But during the actual game portion, the animation of the game is excellent. A second baseman collects the toss and, in turning the double play, leaps into the air, twisting his body in portions to throw to first in time to get the runner. An outfielder heads back to the warning track, then at the last moment, jumps up and robs a home run. A shortstop takes two steps toward second and dives, stretching out to snag a ground ball and prevent it from heading into the outfield. Throwing from the knees? Yep, it’s there, and looks authentic.

Counter that with the arms-behind-the-back post-game animation in which players do hip thrusts while apparently chatting about the completed outing. Huh?

The game also features excellent ball dynamics. The batted ball will carom off the corners in the outfield and bounce back across the warning track. The seams can be distinguished as the ball is launched into orbit during the home run contest.

The game also features a points system in which players can unlock other attributes. Four home runs during a game will net players a locked-stadium. Other features can also be unlocked with stellar game play.

You can also create and train a player for the Majors, though this is a task that requires great hand-eye coordination. Sure, you can hit from the left side of the plate against right-handed pitchers, but the game has a noticeable change in mechanics when you try batting from the right side against a lefty. Bunting is also a skill that you will need to master if you want to make it to the Show, also known as the Majors.

Other features allow players to engage in a single game, customize and guide a team through a season, play the part of manager and trade players, while reworking your line-up.

The control elements are well-designed. You can work the left thumbstick to position a fielder, then the right thumbstick determines which base the ball will be thrown to. Batting is easy with three buttons control the type of swing, while you can also use the D-pad to swing the bat in a precise direction. Pitching is a breeze and has been cut down to button-oriented fundamentals. Pick a pick, pick a location, and then rear back and let it rip.

The game features the vocal talents of Joe Buck doing the play-by-play with Tim McCarver as color commentator. The duo are excellent, offering great commentary on the game, an little game insight and history and are a true pleasure to listen to.

Inside Pitch 2003 may stumble a bit on the basepaths in some areas, but this game offers a faithful representation of the essence of the Major League game. The game is definitely challenging, but it also looks very good, and is a blast to play. Fans of the sport will want to step into the batter’s box and take a few cuts at this offering.

This game is rated for Everyone.

Gameplay: 8.5
The ball dynamics are here, and the rules of the game have been wonderfully reproduced. While the outfielders are not overly speedy, and the throws in from the outfield seem to take some time, there is a reason for that. In all the games played, not once did an outfielder gun a runner at first.

Graphics: 8.4
The facial models are finite in the game, and some of the post-play animations were silly. However, the core elements of the Major League game are obviously here, and the environments are wonderfully rendered.

Sound: 9.0
Joe Buck and Tim McCarver are excellent, the music is also good and the array of sound features allows players to customize what they want to hear. There was some stuttering and breaks in the cutscene musical intro, but those did not seem to hold over to the actual game.

Difficulty: Medium
There are several difficulty levels and a rich options package allows players to customize their game experience. The game’s batting mechanics also subtly change depending on whether you are facing a right-handed pitcher or a left-handed one. Yes, this game definitely offers depth and challenge.

Concept: 8.6
The creating/training feature is very well done; the player interface is excellent; and the modes of play are very nicely designed. This game has a variety of features, some arcade-style points-driven undertones in which you can unlock other game features, but this game is very well designed.

Multiplayer: 8.9
This game is supported by Xbox Live! and there is nothing better than head-to-head competition between real players. That is where the game really shines. The AI is solid, but the unpredictability of the human competition makes for some excitement.

Overall: 8.6
Inside Pitch 2003 has some extremely minor failings in animation which occur in the post-play area, but this game avoids some of the pitfalls of other MLB games. The physical dynamics are very good, the ballparks look terrific, the play-by-play is superb and the game plays very well.