Topic: All Star Baseball 2004 is not one of the best baseball games, but one of the BEST games...PERIOD!!!

[Bonethugs]

It's not one of the best baseball games, not even one of the best sports games, but it's one of the best Games PERIOD. This game....seriously when I go to a Royals game, everything I hear, and experience there is in the Game. This game is the Madden of Baseball games. I mean from the different music when different players come up to bat (hip-hop, latin, country, rock & roll, ect), form the commentary. I was playing yesterday and they started talkin about diff. stadiums with retractable roofs, and I swear they talked about it for like 2 1/2 min. straight. Doesn't sound like alot, but it is. It's really nice teh way they do the commentary. It really real. And of course the graphics and gameplay are unmatched. You guys have to get it, it's a must!!!  

[Chris1228]

It is released already???

- Since its released so early how accurate are the rosters?
- Does it have a Minor League Management System ?

[nolimit19]

i am assuming u have the gamecube version.......does it have online play, or downloadable rosters?

[Michael_82]

Wow, sounds really cool.  Didn't know it was out already, maybe I can make the Pirates winners again.

[Bonethugs]

No online play or downloadable rosters, but it does have the Minor league Management, and the rosters are fairly accurate. It doesn't matter though this game is a perfect 10. Believe me. Don't rent it , just by it. It makes last year's look bad, and last year's was very good too. It should be out. I got mine at my local Gamestop store. Check online their www.gamestop.com, to see if your store has any.  

[Chris1228]

One more question, if I Have an expansion team do I have to replace a current team or can all of the current teams stay intact?

[AceRazer]

How much memory does it take?

[Bonethugs]

I don't know if they would take out a team or not, but they do have it where you can choose and preview your own staduim, it's real nice. You will have to get a 251 memory card, cause the Franchise takes 240. You can also save in the middle of a game. That's nice too. You know females when they get around, they wanna go where ever ya'll goin' ASAP, so that solves that problem. I hate hitting 2-3 HR with Sweeny then gotta cut it off, cause she's hungry. The in game save eliminates that.

[WhoDey]

The in-game save has been needed for years now. I hated having to have a whole hour to waste before I could even think of playing it. However, I have last year's version and will probably just stick with that one for now. I figure this new one will be $20 within a few months anyway.

How is the hitting though? Is it the same as last year? I always played with the batting cursor on but the pitch location off which meant you had to guess the pitch and then adjust when the ball was actually pitched. Problem was was the batting cursor was just a tad too slow making it very hard to adjust. I constantly had a high number of strikeouts per game (10-15), even after playing it numerous times and getting used to it. Has Acclaim tweaked it or is it the same as last year?

[Bonethugs]

Dude, first of all it will not be $20 in a month. This game is VERY high quality. I have last year's too. This year put's it to shame seriously. The batting is VERY easy just like last year. All you have to do is change the batting style to "EASY", then there are no cursors at all. Makes it more realistic. That's in last years too.

[WhoDey]

Easy batting is more realistic??? Come on...you NEVER strikeout when you play that way. How is that realistic? Not only that, but I feel like you get hits totally randomly when playing with no batting cursor. Swing the bat and you've got just as much chance for a homerun as you do a groundout. It's all luck and totally unrealistic. Atleast using the cursor you can tell whether you get good wood on the ball and know how hard you hit it. And there is some skill involved, the batting cursor was just a bit too slow.

And can you name any Acclaim game that isn't in the bargain bins after being released for a few months?

[Bonethugs]

Dude so 10-15 strikeouts a game is realistic? C'mon man, just play the game. Either way it goes when you play the computer they don't strike that much either. The most I've had so far was 4. And about the games being in the "bargain bins", not All-Star Baseball. It's like the Madden of Baseball. Turok you'll maybe see there, but not ASBB2004. And 2003 will probably be on sale now, but that's expcted with any game. Like Madden 2003 will be on sale when 2004 is released, that expected though.

[WhoDey]

Quote
Originally posted by: Bonethugs
And about the games being in the "bargain bins", not All-Star Baseball.

We shall see....I do know that ASB2003 was selling for $20 long before ASB2004 was released. I took note because it pissed me off that I had payed $50 at release only to see it  discounted a short time later. I can wait till the middle of summer and save $30.  

[Idiot Savant]

How long does it take you to complete a game?

[jasstoltz]

I wouldn't know, yet! I ordered the game weeks ago from Sam Goody, and it's backordered. Very frustrating. Spring Training games are going on as I type this and I can't play on the Cube! If they don't get it to me before Opening Day I'll be a mad mad customer.  

[nolimit19]

10-15 stikeouts isnt that unrealistic, if u are playing against the schilling, johnson, or madux that is.

[Chris1228]

I rented this game this weekend. Here is what I liked and didn't like:

Likes;
- Graphics are great, the attention to detail is amazing.
- Expansion mode, allows you to create a new team, draft reject players and try and take them the distance
- The batting interface, while hard to learn, is EXTREMELY effective once you get the hang of it.
- Overall feel of the game

Dislikes:
- Opposing team A.I. is unrealistic. I have never seen more amazing plays and diving catches in my life. Balls are easily caught even when they would be hits in real baseball
- Future throw. You have to pick what base your fielder throws to before he catches the ball. The problem is if you forget or don't pick the base in time he throws home.

Overall its a great baseball SIM. I will probably wait until it is under $30 before I buy it though.

[ALetterNeverSent]

I was pretty po'ed when they took the online play out. Nintendo really needs to make sure something like this doesn't happen again. Nintendo even boasted about the online play in their winter catalog.

Shane

[Chris1228]

Online play never really interests me. I would much rather have the people I am playing in the same room with me

[WhoDey]

Hey Bonethugs....just thought you'd like to see this. Remember how you thought this game wouldn't be discounted because the quality was so high? Well, take a look:

http://www.circuitcity.com/frame1.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1691144909.1049658359@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccccadchmjfimlkcfngcfkmdffhdffl.0&upper=head.jsp&lower=frame2.jsp&department=Video+Games&category=GameCube+Games&right=departments.jsp&left=leftchildcat.jsp&subDept=GameCube&inleftcat=Games

Give it another month or two and it'll be down to the magic $20 mark...just as I predicted

[The Omen]

Quote
- Future throw. You have to pick what base your fielder throws to before he catches the ball. The problem is if you forget or don't pick the base in time he throws home.

You don't HAVE to use 'future throw', but it works well.  The player will throw right away.  If you wait and throw, it takes to long.  Also, the easy batting is exactly what it says-easy.  I used normal on rookie mode , just to get used to it.  Now i'm on veteran, and it's great to be able to determine where you want to hit the ball.  I do strikwe out alot, but it's because i swing at bad pitches.  Try holding off, and you'll get some walks, and alot less K's.  So far, I don't think the AI is unrealistic, again, you have to direct where you wish to hit the ball.  It doesn't always work.  But if you they a great CF in the OF, try adjusting your icon for line drives or grounders, because a fly ball will almost always be caught.  

There's a couple of bugs in the game, but i'm really enjoying it so far.