All-Star Baseball 2004

by Acclaim Studios Austin

Product Features

• Platform: PlayStation 2
• ESRB Rating: Everyone
• Genre: Sports
• Earn player trading cards

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000083DZQ
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches ; 3.2 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: February 28, 2003
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,878 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #31 in Video Games > PlayStation 2 > Sports > Baseball

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

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. Extras 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 simulations 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 could is sub par: the information regarding where and when to swing appears too late. The gameplay has other flaws. Fielding feels soft, unresponsive and slow, and the AI is stupidly aggressive at times: stealing when it shouldn'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, insightful, and even includes entertaining side conversations about the rules and quirks of the game.

All-Star isn't quite the best baseball game you can buy for your console system, but it offers the best overall package if you aren't sure what you want. Good gameplay, good graphics, lots of options and extras, and a nice range of hitting options. Play ball!--Andrew S. Bub

Pros:

• Nice range of pitching/batting options
• Good graphics
• Terrific Audio

Cons:

• Uneven, overly aggressive, artificial intelligence

Product Description

Select from all MLB teams.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very impressive, March 11, 2003

By 

Hardball Fan (Lexington, KY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All-Star Baseball 2004 (Video Game)

I can't say enough about this game. I was a little skeptical when the new baseball games came out because the 2002-03 lot left me disappointed. But this game has risen to the occasion. The graphics are very good and the gameplay is simply outstanding. If you want a baseball simulation that plays extremely close to the real thing, this is it. I love all the special features, and I probably haven't even seen all of them yet. The old stadiums (like Polo Grounds, Crosley, Shibe, etc) are very cool. The franchise mode is unbelievably in-depth. Minor leaguers with options, Rule 5 Drafts, June Amateur Draft, etc, etc. Looking forward to using the network adapter to get roster updates. I think this is the king of baseball titles this year. Money well spent.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All-Star Baseball 2004 Hit a Homerun, March 8, 2003

By 

Kyle (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All-Star Baseball 2004 (Video Game)

I just bought this game today and it is the best of it's kind in my opinion. It tops High Heat Baseball by a large margin. For one, Acclaim's new game has loads of new features and also many more game modes.One such mode is scenario mode which is where you change the outcomes of some of the tense 2002 games. For true baseball fans and not those looking for a game to entertain such as mlb slugfest,I would have to rate gameplay a 10 out of 10.Unlike what other reviews have stated,I believe every baseball game or of sort should have some challenge to it. If that challenge means striking out ten times and having to hit and run in order to win a game than thats it.I've played MLB Slugfest and in that you can hit homeruns left in right. It's way too easy and not real! You'll learn from your mistakes in ASB and might want to get on the field a few hours early for batting practice sometimes during the season.On the other hand,the graphics in ASB are also very realistic. I was shocked to find the stadiums in so much detail. Take a tour of the fields to get an idea of where you might want to sit on your next trip to Yankee Stadium. What i am saying is Acclaim seemed to have put a lot of effort into the making of this game. It's into depth franchise mode goes there and beyond. (30 seasons!) Not to mention all of the managerial moves you can make. During the offseason you may watch some of your players hang up their hats while others receive a ballet for Cooperstown.I would highly recommend it over all of it's competitors and it's definitely worth the price./!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Acclaim has shut down the competition, March 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: All-Star Baseball 2004 (Video Game)

This game is awsome! The graphics are great and the gameplay is realistic, complete with signature batting stances and facial expressions this game has definately stomped out the efforts made by EA, Sega, and 989. Another thing, All Star Baseball 2004 has the best stadium graphics that I've ever seen. It also has throwback uniforms for every club and my favorite mode: PICK UP GAMES. This is a must buy and worth the $50!