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> Results: All-Star Baseball 2004
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All-Star Baseball certainly lives up to its name. It offers the largest stable of former greats, some 50 in all, and it even offers many of the standouts and stars from the old Negro baseball league. Its obvious Acclaim decided the best way to deal with the competition is to match it in terms of baseball prowess, but at the same time, outdo them in terms of extras. All-Star throws shovel fulls of extras to entice you away from the competition. Mostly good stuff, not just gimmicks. Stuff like a trivia game, stadium tours, and DVD content. It even includes classic ballparks, just in case you really miss Shibe Park. There are seven fantasy ballparks in currently baseball-free North American cities, and you can pick and choose from over 30 mascots, making the expansion team options all the more interesting. All-Star also offers a deep franchise mode that rivals text sims like Over the Top Baseball.
 Baseball lives and dies by the pitcher/batter duel and All-Star has you covered here. How? By offering every option the competition can muster. You can use a cursor system (like MVP Baseball), a timing based system (less realistic, but good for new players), and a system like High Heat where you have to watch the ball carefully (most realistic). Each system works but the cursor-based option needs work. The information regarding where and when to swing appears too late. Thereﾒs also an option to exaggerate how the pitch breaks. Suffice it to say, theyﾒve got their bases covered here. The gameplay does have flaws. Fielding feels soft, unresponsive and slow. And the AI is stupidly aggressive at times: stealing when it shouldnﾒt and slugging when a sacrifice is called for. All-Star has good graphics. Not the best available but very good and the animations are all smooth and lifelike. You can even identify many players by their batting stance alone. The audio is a standout, specifically the commentary, which is accurate and insightful and even includes entertaining side conversations about the rules and quirks of the game. All-Star isnﾒt quite the best baseball game you can buy for your console system, but it offers the best overall package if you arenﾒt sure what you want. Good gameplay, good graphics, lots of options and extras, and a nice range of hitting options. Play ball! Kid Factor: GamerDad is a big believer that sports games are among the best you can buy for kids. These games have long traditions, ample stats, historical value, and teach children about the sports legacy woven into our culture. The thrill of a pitcher/batter face off on a 3-2 pitch, the strategy of a sacrifice fly or intentional walk, and choosing which pitcher to play on a given day, are all valuable lesions. Plus the competition between parent and child, child and friends, and siblings, can be intense and rewarding in sports games.  Reviewer Recommended Ages: 7+ ESRB: E-Everyone Game title: All-Star Baseball 2004 Publisher: Acclaim Developer: Acclaim 
GamerDad is a big believer that sports games are among the best you can buy for kids. These games have long traditions, ample stats, historical value, and teach children about the sports legacy woven into our culture. The thrill of a pitcher/batter face off on a 3-2 pitch, the strategy of a sacrifice fly or intentional walk, and choosing which pitcher to play on a given day, are all valuable lesions. Plus the competition between parent and child, child and friends, and siblings, can be intense and rewarding in sports games.
Kid Factor by Andrew Bub
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