Customer Reviews

High Heat Baseball 2002

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

If you are looking for a PS2 baseball game to buy, then ask yourself this question. Do you enjoy a low scoring, well-pitched games? Do you like situational hitting and working the count? Do you like bring in a lefty to get out the opponent's lefty slugger? if you answered yes to these questions, then high heat is the only way to go. Let me point out some things that make this game the most realistic baseball game EVER!!!

1. Depending on your pitcher's control, throwing strikes especially the tough corner ones is not automatic. You can choose to throw down the middle but opponents will tee off on you or you can work the corners but if your pitcher is not a control pitcher like Greg maddux, then you will walk batters. Thus, the gameplay revolves strongly around throwing strikes to get ahead in the count as a pitcher or letting certain strikes go and waiting for the mistake pitch out over the plate to drive as a hitter. This is an awesome aspect of the game which baseball players can appreciate.

2. The computer's AI is incredible. Let's say you are messing around and throw to the wrong base, the computer runner will often take advantage of that and take an extra base.

3. Never have I seen a game where the computer puts the runners in motion with a full count with two outs. What does that mean? Well let's say a runner is on first with two outs and full count and the computer hits a gapper. When you pitch, the runner immediately runs because this is what will happen in a real baseball game. So the runner will score. If the count wasn't full, the runner most likely will not score. such a situation is indicative of the importance of the whole ball count thing I was talking about. Other realistic situations include infield fly rule (which prevents your stupid human opponent from dropping a fly ball on purpose to to get cheap double plays when you have runners on 1-2 or bases loaded), passed balls, dropped third strike and throws that are not always right on the money. So if your outfielder throws home, depending on their attributes, some balls might be frozen ropes to the catcher but more often than not, it will take a hop in front of the plate, leading to the catcher receiving the ball high and allowing the runner to slide underneath a catcher's tag

4. You can double-switch just like they do in the NL.

5. Defense is realistic and there are no cheap hits due to poor fielder AI. For instance, let's say there is a fly ball right between the shortstop, left field and center field. All three fielders WILL run towards the ball regardless of who you are controlling. So let's say the computer set the initial defender that you are controlling to CF, but because you thought you were controlling the SS, your initial control was "UP", causing your CF to move away from the ball. In other games, the ball will then drop and the batter might even get a double. Not in this game! Because your SS and LF were automatically moving towards the ball, you can switch off and still make the play.

6. I recently rented triple play and found that the variety of batted ball trajectory was laughable. If I swung on time, the ball was hit out for a HR or if I was late, the ball would just be slice into the opposite outfield crowd. I think I kept swinging late on a fastball and literally hit the ball to the same section in foul territory about fifty times in a full game. Too bad I wasn't sitting at that spot. THAT IS NOT REAL BASEBALL. HH2002 features a plethora of different batted ball trajectory such as dribblers, line drives to infieders, sharply batted balls that can be turned into double-plays, gappers, routine pop-ups, slices that land on the foul line and head into the corners for exciting triples. I could literally go on for another 10 pages about the realistic nature of this game.

7. The boxscore is incredible, presented exactly in a format like the newspaper's. There are stolen bases, Caught Stolen Bases, errors, number of strikes/balls thrown per pitcher. Strangely, you can't sort the stats by category leaders so it's hard to tell who is leading the league in HRs or strikeouts. One glaring stat glitch is the game's inability to record saves properly.

NOW the warning. If you thought my above descriptions made you say "I could care less", then don't get this game, because you will be hugely disappointed by the rudimentary (for PS2) graphics and lack of additional features such as create-a-player, home run derby, etc. (As described in other reviews, there is a bull-pen glitch, which I chose to take out of the equation by turning the pitcher warmup feature OFF). This game is for real baseball fans only.

(I'm in a middle of a season and my record is 32-15 with the Dodgers. Kevin Brown is 5-2 with an ERA of 2.33 and Gary Sheffile is batting .380 with 13 HRs. In any other game, I'll bet my record will be 45-2 because it's so easy for you to take advantage of computer and Gary Sheffield (or your team's slugger) will have like 40 HRs because you can pretty much hit one per game. the realism is thoroughly enjoyable and I am looking forward to a close pennant-race with the Giants or the Rockies. In other words, I won't win my division finishing 30 games ahead of the 2nd place team as I have done many times playing ASB or Triple play on N64 or PS.)

Agenda: 1) False statements in ... editorial review 2) Bugs in the game 3) Catchup Logic? 4) Conclusion

1) Beware of false statements in the editorial review! Know what you will/will not be getting. For example:

...This graphically rich simulator with down-to-the-pinstripes detail is also among the system's most configurable titles. --> False! The PSX version is very configurable, not the PS2 version!

...A tuning feature will allow you to adjust the variable elements of the game, such as error frequency, and the not so variable, like physics --> False! There is no tuning in the PS2 version!

...with the game's player editor, you can add to (or subtract from) a laundry list of abilities. Beyond that, the game's create-a-player feature lets you build your ballplayer from the mound up --> False! There is no player editor and no create-a-player in the PS2 version.

2) Bullpen Bug/others. If you decide to use pitcher warmup mode, you will run into an interesting bug. After your warmed up pitcher (say Todd Van Poppel) has been brought into the game and faced some batters, you will invariably get a message that "Todd Van Poppel is getting tired and sits down." But he is in the game! Even worse, if you warm up two pitchers, bring in pitcher (a) to face a batter and then take him out for pitcher (b), while pitcher (b) is pitching you will get "Pitcher (a) is getting tired and sits down" message. Unfortunately pitcher (a) is now out of the game-- or at least he SHOULD be, because when this happens lo and behold you can actually go to the roster and re-insert pitcher (a) into the game, with his pitchcount picking up right where it left off! Thankfully, the computer does not exploit this and you, the user, can ignore the ability you have to do it. Best practice is to forget warmup mode so you don't get these messages, but then you lose the 'realism' of warming up. The other bug is that in season mode you cannot get saves with your pitchers. Bring in Tom Gordon for the 9th of a 1-0 game, strike out the side and you will get 1 IP but no save. Also, tracking of IP and batters faced is just plain wrong now and then.

3) Catchup logic (?): Apparently the programmers wanted you not to have to play out the string of blowouts all that often, so you will notice that the CPU 'gets more aggressive' when trailing and similarly you will find offense when you make contact trailing late in the game. It goes both ways which is good, but it can be a little annoying. No one can prove/disprove whether this actually exists, but be advised: Pitch carefully in the late innings when ahead and don't give up when trailing!

4) I reviewed this game last week and commented that it is bad graphics, bad feature set and great gameplay. I maintain all of those claims. However, I felt like potential buyers would be better served by a more specific account of issues with the game, which still has great gameplay/realism overall. The bullpen thing is unbelievable but on the PS2 no patching! Wait til next year, I guess...

This is the first baseball game I've played in a long time that is actually a baseball game. Some people may gripe that it is missing alot of extra features like a Home Run Derby or Create a Player options, but those have only served as bells and whistles by weaker games to camoflauge the fact that the actually game play sucks, so they must distract you with other options to keep you satisfied. High Heat doesn't need them. The graphics are barely average, but are smooth and move precisely. You won't think you are in position to grab a ground ball and miss it. And the highy touted batter-pitcher interface that games go on about these days is right on. No pitcher has an icon he can move to an exact location. Like real baseball, you select a pitch, it's location, and whether you want it in the strike zone or not, and after it leaves your glove it's out of your hand. No adding a little extra to it. A good pitcher will hit his spots, and a bad one, well, he is going to have a bad day unless you keep your opponent off balance with a variety of pitches and locations. Oh, and beware of wild pitches(if you don't believe me, try and go nine innings with Rich Ankiel and see what I'm talking about). As for batting, it is on the money. Pitches are easy to identify and locate off the back, but don't think that makes them easy to mash. But if you think you are good enough, you have the option on every pitch to look for a certain pitch. If you get it right, your chances of putting it in play improve drastically. But get it wrong and, well, we've all seen sluggers take a fastball swing at a slow moving change up. It ain't pretty. And that's what this game is about. Those tiny nuances that make baseball great. Double plays, putting runners in motion, actually controling whether you want to hit your cut off man, striking out the computer, winning the game with a single to right and bringing the man home from second, home runs only every so often(swing for the fences all the time and you will hit them a bit, but you will strike out the rest of the time), doubles to the gap, triples without commiting an error, and the list can just go on and on. As used to be touted by another game company that has never been able to get this sport right, if it's in the game, it's in this game.

Someone has finally put out a quality baseball game. Unbelievable! All Star Baseball 2002 and Triple Play Baseball for PS2 are two of the worst sports efforts in history. I have reviewed both if you care to see what I thought. As for High Heat 2002, I had an idea what was coming after Sammy Sosa High Heat 2001. That was a great game with more than a few flaws but almost none in the gameplay or realism aspect. It feels as if 3do has been working on this game for quite a while. It definitely was not rushed like it's competition. First of all, the gameplay. The number one reason I rated this game 4 stars. The gameplay is very quick, realistic, and has the ability to be suspenseful. You can actually get base hits in this game, unlike ASB and TP 2002 where you score 9 runs on 10 hits with 9 homeruns. You actually score runs with singles and doubles. Your players get doubles and triples. I can't believe I get excited about that because it's supposed to be a large part of every game but is nonexistent in the aforementioned. Every game just runs together very smoothly. All the annoying little quirks of ASB and TP 2002 are gone. When you want the pitcher to pitch, he pitches. He doesn't have to go through a series of ridiculous movements and a l-o-n-g windup that puts you to sleep before delivery. It's very quick. You can finish a play and almost immediately move to the next play. I can't express how important that is to gameplay. I was extremely bored during both ASB and TP becuase of the slow gameplay. Not with HH2002. Your baserunners actually move at the speed of the rest of the game. They're fast. Every camera angle allows maximum view. That means if a ball gets past an infielder, it's the gameplayer's fault and not the gameplay's. Your outfielders can relay very quickly and actually throw out runners at the plate. Something has been added that has been missing from every baseball game ever made. There are passed balls, wild pitches, and even dropped third strikes where the catcher has to recover and throw out the runner at first. The pitcher/batter interface is so great that you can actually tell the difference between a ball and a strike. You can actually take a Base on Balls in this game, run the count full, and even make the pitcher react just as he would in real 2-2, 3-1, 3-2 etc.. situations. It's very similiar to the real past time. Ok, the graphics. The graphics are really good, as is detail, but there are some downs to the graphics. Once a player gets to the plate, every player looks the same. They all have the same build, same heighth, and the same stupid looking haircuts. They all look like they have 70's afro's sticking out of the back of their helmets. The crowd looks great and even reacts to pressure sensitive situations in the game. They even leave the stadium during blowouts. Other than the batters at the plate I don't have any complaints about the graphics. The commentary is spectacular. Sometimes a little delayed but still sounds great. Now, the reason that it lost a star. There is no create-a-player option. Why would 3do discontinue one of the best features ever added to sports games. HH2002 lost a whole star for that fudge. I almost returned the game because of it. I didn't because the overall feel, realism, and fun factor of the game is so good that a few flaws in the graphics and options are forgivable. Maybe they'll get it right next year. If you've been waiting for the best baseball game, it looks like they saved the best for last. I highly recommend this game if you are a true fan of the favorite past time and looking for something more than the arcade-style play of ASB and TP. To me, the loss of create-a-player mode was a huge blow, but did not cripple the play of one of the best sports titles ever released.

The bad stuff first:

1) The graphics are bad. The detailed player faces sometimes seem deformed, and as mentioned below, every player from Derek Bell to Matt Stairs is exactly the same size when they come up to the plate, which outweighs the cool custom stances for stars. The stadiums are also pretty disappointing and some (such as the Metrodome) are horrific. The thing that keeps the graphics 'bad' as opposed to 'awful' is that the animations in the field are actually good.

2) Options-- This game has only three modes, exhibition, season, all star game. The franchise mode has no injuries. Unlike some sites claim, there is no 'tuning' in this game either. I suspect that there was not enough time to get these in and I hope we see them in '2003', along with improved graphics.

Now for the good news-- the gameplay is as great as it has been in any HH title on PC or console. Great variety of hits/errors, realistic speeds, the great pitcher-batter interface and very quick games are all assets for this title. You can throw called third strikes to CPU hitters, and you can draw walks at the plate.

If you are interested in great gameplay and don't mind the limited options or bad graphics, this title is for you. Otherwise, go with TP and happy homering.

HHBB2002 is the best baseball game that I have ever played. Unfortunatly, it is not the best best baseball game I have ever seen. The review could end here, but I will elaborate. Realistically this game is amazing. If you want to win you had better stay focused for nine innings. Making sure not to make mistakes, and capatilize on oppurtunities. This game is not for people that like and want arcade baseball. Although on the easier settings the game is fairly easy. I am currently on the pro level ( the third out of five adjustable difficulty setting) and it is very hard to win. Good pitchers are good in this game, while less than talented players are prone to making more mistakes, but are still difficult to hit none the less. I have not found any 'glitches' that interupt gameplay as of yet. The only complaint is the graphics are not what the PS2 are capable of displaying, and the players upclose look like frankenstein. If you can look past this and want to really feel like you are in a baseball game this is it. One last thing, the statistical summary at the end of a game is incredible. It gives you a complete box score, scoring summary, player of the game, weather, umpires, etc... I love this game.

I rented all three PSX2 baseball games. High Heat is thousands of times better than Triple PLay or All Star. Being a baseball STAT maniac, I am always picky on realism of stats. I found out that team stats are correct. In other words, if you trade a player, and receive another, the new player will not change the previous statistics for the team. No other game has that. The only two categories which are not accurate are saves for pitchers and on-base percentages. You can actually set lineups for left and right handed pitchers. Again neither Triple Play or All Star Baseball beat that. Finally there are earned and unearned runs. Finally! That is one stat that could decide the strength of your pitcher. If you are in to stats, this is the game for you.

Gameplay is perfect. It seems like only the makers of 3DO have actually seen a major League game, unlike the other two games. I have never found it easier to field, baserun, throw, and pitch. The camera angles are perfect. Never again do I miss a pop fly over first base because of the ridiculous because of terrible camera angles. Only High Heat for PSX2 actually has real baseball play. Homers are right on with probability as in the real world. No more cracking 5 homers again! Also, the Computer AI is amazing. They no longer have Trevor Hoffman batting with bases loaded in the ninth inning with two outs down by 1, as in the case with All Star Baseball. The computer makes changes in the roster like real-time managers. For the first time ever there are Double-Switches for the National League. From now on, I don't have to worry about John Franco batting after he pitches the eighth inning for me. Just simply select a bench player and put him in the pitchers spot. Furthermore, the batter-pitcher surface is just tremendously done. You will work counts, draw walks, strike-out at least four to eight times (you will strike-out 1-2 times in All Star Baseball), your pitchers will get strike-outs, walk batters, and go to many three-two counts. There are wild pitches, passed balls, and dropped third strikes. You want to go further? Alike All Star Baseball, a real-time box score like in the newspaper appears at the end of the game. Finally, there are stadium tours, instant replays, and cool shadows on the field with animated crowds.

Of course, the graphics do not match the other two games, but I honestly think it does not take a millionth of the gameplay superiority away. Player faces look the same. Not even McGwire looks like himself. Animations are a little poor too. Fielders throw like they need to get to the restrooms! However, it doesn't change my point of view of the greatness this game has. Commentary to me is alike with the other two PSX2 games. Mediocre at best.

Do not make a mistake. Unless you are dieing for PSX2 graphics and could care less about the actual game of baseball, do not attain this game. HIgh Heat is definitely the game to buy this year, especially if you plan to start a season. Go 3DO!

Listen I know how much these games cost and the disappointment you feel when you dont like a game. well this is a game that with in time you will like much better after plaing a few times. Its far better than TP2 and ASB02, only if you enjoy a game that will be competitive. if you enjoy scoring 30 runs 25 of them being on homeruns then get TP2. If you enjoy a game that has real good graphics but the player throws the ball to a different player everytime you aim to throw in another direction as well as the commentators introducing one of your teams player up to bat however the other team is batting then get Allstar baseball 2002. HHB 2002 is not like that you will have competitive games with the computer.. Now keep in mind that the graphics are not that good however if you play on the "pitcher" camera option then it will look as good as watching a game on TV. They have stats for everything you do the commentating is up to speed with you.All and all its a good game its not great for the simple fact that their is no Create a player and the graphics are not the greatess...However this is a game that will be money well spent....

I was skeptical about this game so I rented it first. At first the graphics were a huge turn-off. The players are 3D but not very defined, but the crowd and other objects are 2 dimensional. Simply stated, the graphics are terrible for PS2.

But hold your horses! After a few games I was hooked. The game play is great. The pitches are realistic and batting can be difficult at times. The teams are updated with the most recent player acquistions and trades.

The negatives of High Heat include: 1. Teribble graphics-the players do not look like they do in real life. The stadiums are not detailed and are missing some intracacies. 2. You can not sort statistics. You can only sort by team or player name but not by who is leading in a particular category. 3. No Franchise mode--all sport games should have a franchise mode. 4. Camera angles switch in the middle of game play--this is very frustrating. When the ball is hit in the outfield sometimes the camera angle changes as you attempt to make a catch or field the ball. This causes you to lose track of the ball and miss it. 5. Hard to control runners. 6. Missing details--miss details like having a pitcher warm up in the bull pen before you can call on him. The batter never rushes the mound when he is hit. There is no one in the dugout during game play, etc.

Postives about High Heat: 1. Great Game play--this game, for some reason, is fun to play. 2. Realistic play--the pitching and batting is pretty realistic. 3. Realistic statisics--the game accurately compiles batting and pitching statistics for season and playoffs. 4. Many skill levels to keep game challenging--as you go up in skill level the game gets much more difficult. The lowest level is good to get accustomed to the controls. 5. You can play 9 innings in 30 minutes--I thought it would take a long time to play 9 innings, but the innings go by pretty quickly because there is not a lot of wasted time between pitches.

I think this game is a great buy. I have not had the opportunity to play Triple Play yet, but regardless, this game is fun. I think it is a great baseball game, but needs major improvements before the next version is launched.

I don't have much to say about this game other than it has the worst possible graphics of all baseball games I've ever played. The gameplay is good, but the graphics is very poor. When I pitch, I like to have a pithcer's camera on, and when you take a look at the catcher, it's pityful. All the time he is half-standing and half-sitting. This is bull. I only give this game 2 stars for gameplay.

If graphics is impportant for you, buy an All-Stat baseball. Game.

I hope that High Heat 2003 is going to be better.