All Star Baseball 2003

Other products by GameBoy

Product Features

• dual-player action
• endorsement from Derek Jeter; current rosters
• official Cooperstown license
• Award-winning gameplay
• Suitable for All Ages

Product Details

• Our recommended age: 6 - 17 years
• Manufacturer recommended age: 0 months and up
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0000631V3
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,118 in Video Games (See Bestsellers in Video Games)

Product Description

Amazon.com Review
There was a point in time when baseball video games for the larger, more powerful console systems made the jump from arcade action based loosely on the sport to more direct simulation. All-Star Baseball 2003 nearly makes that leap for the Game Boy Advance--it's fun, good-looking, and you'll be surprised at how much detail they've packed into the little cart.

If you've played any of the All-Star Baseball games for the consoles, you'll be familiar with the controls. The 3-D batting cursor, which tilts from left to right so you can pull the ball or slap it to the opposite field, is the same, though there's no hit-for-power option. The game also takes on the series' cumbersome baserunning controls. It's difficult to pull off a steal, but it can be done--which is better than on most handheld baseball games. One improvement is the tracking system for fielders, which draws a yellow dotted line between the fly ball and your outfielder. This is a big help, especially for such a small screen. There's also an auto-fielding option for those who would rather not bother.

The game gets a lot of mileage out of the GBA graphics thanks to some nice 2-D backdrops of all the MLB stadiums. Just don't expect Nomar Garciaparra's typical antics in the batter's box or Jeff Nelson's sidearm delivery. You can play and save full or half seasons--simulating any number of these games--or simply play a three-game series. The game even lets you manage your lineups for regular and interleague play and set your pitching rotation.

The game suffers, however, from some poor timing. Like most ASB games, hitters are at a disadvantage, as the pitches come to the plate too quickly to get a good read on them. Also, throws are disproportionately faster than base runners--we were able to turn a double play before we even had the controls down, and numerous shallow outfield hits ended with our runner getting thrown out at first.

Overall, though, this is a great sports game for the GBA--a category that has been poorly served for the unit in the past. --Porter B. Hall

Pros:

• Great graphics
• Full-season play with auto simulation
• Team management functions, such as lineup cards and pitching rotations

Cons:

• Cumbersome baserunning
• Odd timing issues

Product Description
Featuring four-time World Series Champion Derek Jeter, All-Star Baseball 2003 features many exciting new modes of play and options that deliver unparalleled hardball realism. Building upon proven success, All-Star Baseball 2003 combines the perfect blend of simulation style hardball for the baseball fanatic, with the ease of use for the casual sports gamer.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Definite "All-Star", May 11, 2002

By	Joseph (New York) - See all my reviews

I am a big baseball fan, and have been patiently waiting for this game to come out. I did a lot of research between this game and High Heat 2003 for the GBA. It was a tough decision, but I definitely feel I made the right choice. This is a great offering for the GBA. The game play is smooth and the sound and graphics are very crisp. The stadiums look astonishing considering the platform this game is on. The pitching-batting interface is well done also. This game has great depth as well. There are plenty of play modes and this game comes close to capturing all of the aspects of a major league baseball game. It was a couple of features shy of five stars though. Hopefully next year, Acclaim will add some other small features to round-out a great baseball game for the GBA (ie: hit batters, adjust batter's and pitcher's stances, sliding, and maybe even some cut-scenes). Overall though, this game is nicely done and will provide a lot of fun over a 162 game season. Although I looked at this game and High Heat 2003 before making my purchase, I feel Acclaim has made the better game this season, and would definitely recommend buying this game.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Wait until 2004..., June 17, 2002

By	Kathleen K. Smith (Gilbert, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews

I would recommend you not buy any of the GBA's Baseball games this year. I personally an going to wait until Sega releases a version of Baseball Advance with link cable support. All-Star Baseball is a decent Baseball game, however, to have any real fun with the game, you'd have to spend [more money] to get two copies (for multiplayer capabilities). That could be money well spent, if this were a better baseball game.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Graphics, Hard to score runs, June 15, 2002

By A Customer

This game has good graphics and sound, but is difficult to master. It's hard to score runs or control the base runners. I've played several games and have yet to score a run. Either I'm real bad or this game is real hard. I'm sure I'll get better with time, however if you don't have the patience or your too young you might feel you didn't get your money's worth. Overall it's a very well designed game and easy to use, I just wish it wasn't so hard to score. The CPU pitcher never throws balls, but the pitching is easy to control.