Customer Reviews

High Heat Baseball 2003

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Right off the...um...bat, any fan of 3D0's High Heat series of baseball games (simulations?) will tell you that the gameplay is what separates this franchise from the rest of the PC clowns. The pitcher-batter interface is truly a masterpiece, and the entire rundown in season play is marvelous, from inning-ending double-plays to painting the corner with Clemens. And that's all good, believe me. But with each new hardball season comes a new High Heat game, and unfortunately, this year's version is only slightly different than last year's game. But again, that's good, since HH 2002 was an awesome representation of America's Pastime.

In this year's version, the graphics have received an overhaul, albeit a minor one. You'll see third-base coaches performing signals to the batters, some new sliding and catching animations, updated stadiums, more realistic player models, and other eye-candy that works just fine. And believe me when I tell you that that's really it. HH 2003 plays exactly the same as last year's version, although with a new color commentator.

Because I gave HH 2002 a good review, I must do the same with 2003. However, I can't give it more than 4 stars simply based on the fact that, like 2002, the game is buggy. I have a powerful system (Athlon 1.2GHz, 256MB, GeForce 3, Soundblaster Audigy Gamer), and for whatever reason, the sound is horrible in the game. Not just some of the sound -- ALL of the sound. From the opening credits music to the play-by-play commentary, sound effects and voices are choppy and unbearable to listen to. I'm figuring it has something to do with my Audigy card, but I still can't believe 3D0 ships the game with such a basic bug like this. A patch will hopefully resolve the issue, but who knows?

So, if you're like me and like the updated rosters, graphical tweaks, and the excitement that starts every MLB season, pick up High Heat 2003. For [item price], you won't find a better baseball title out there.

ADDED: Well, after playing this for awhile, I'm a little disappointed by 3DO's effort this time around. Basically, until a patch is released (unlikely), I cannot recommend this game simply because of the sound and some of the graphics. You're better off sticking with last year's version, which is the same game. 3 Stars, 2 with the bugs.

The high heat series still remains the best action duel between pitcher and batter; I have not seen a better portrayed game (excepting the pure stats sims) representing walks, strikeouts and put outs.

The reason I gave this three stars is, while it's mostly stable on my system (running XP Pro on 1.6 ghz, 312 meg, 32m TNT2, SB live) there some notable problems. The primary `problem' is really to do with the fact that this game is only a marginal improvement over HH 2002 (more like HH 2002 v2 and yes, the mount visit works) with graphics that are just slightly better than the uninspired graphics in HH 2002 - given the low price for this game, it makes you wonder.

The sound glitches still occur (sputtering announcing, music is completely offkey, etc) and the game fps gets so choppy beyond an 800x600 resolution that they shouldn't even give options to run it up to 1280x1024. There are really odd looking models being used... there are three complexions for the players, light, medium and dark but the head/face color seems independent. For example, Roger Cedano when he turns in as he avoids a ball has a face this very light while Alomar's arms are very dark but his head is medium (alright, I'm playing the Mets, so what). I know this sounds minor but it looks horrible. The stadium and the ads/billboards still look like they are in very lo-res.

As for the game play, itself... it's fine so i wasn't expecting major changes (and there were none), it's one of things keeping this series alive. Personally, I would prefer that HH builds in a player salary function - even though there isn't a cap, I think it's something that should be a consideration in trading. Also, I think the minor leaguers' stats need work... I'm routinely able to bring in AAA players that will start dominating right away.

I would like to add that there are several exceptional HH communities that provides updated rosters (including all minor leagues), updated/corrected stats, pictures, numerous types of play tuning files, corrected stadiums and ads, uniforms and sounds (the game's only been out for a week and there are updated rosters and tune files already for HH2003). These people are simply amazing and perhaps without them, this game may be rated a star lower.

I have played at least one game a day since the day after it hit the store shelves. Great Fun! There are improvements that needed to be made in the graphics, most notably the backgrounds around the stadiums, but overall the game looks good enough. The real test comes when you examine the gameplay- it passes the test with flying colors. If you need a game to look like the latest super XBox video test, you don't need to look at this game. If you care more about how the addictiveness of baseball can be traslated into a PC game, step into the batter's box and take a couple of swings. Wonderful, excellent, fun game. Certainly not perfect (would get five stars) but it has really hit the mark on the things that I think are most important in a baseball game.

June 18, 2002

The graphics on this new edition of High Heat are
actually less impressive (to me) than those on my
2001 version. I suppose they're meant to facilitate
more lifelike game play, but the player motions in
2003 (at least on my AMD 500 megahertz machine) are
actually quite jerky (in particular, the swings of
batters). The speed of runners and thrown balls
also seems highly variable in 2003, and, at times,
superhuman.

High Heat remains a great game, but if there's
somebody out there looking to pick up a baseball
game cheap, there are plenty of 2001's out there
for cut down prices. The only improvements
you'll be losing out on are the complete rosters
and some inconsequential detailing.

I am a long time fan of High Heat and have bought every year's version. This was not a pc game but a poorly executed console port. If I wanted to play a console game, I would have bought the console version. But, to get a console version that plays on the computer, well, is insulting. As others have written, there is no mouse support. I could live with that, if the interface was easy to use. This interface attempts to be cool, which only leads it to being difficult and not at all intuitive.
Often you get to a place and have no idea how to do what you want. The help key is not very helpful, either. Without a mouse, it is hard to find what you want, or to get out of the wrong place, that you will find yourself often. I felt insulted by this game.
I should have listened to the reviews that downgraded the game. I actually found the play at times fun, but the game crashed 2x out of 3 games. Not good. That it crashed during the only enjoyable game I had, well, was not reasuring. The addition of new pitch types was a good change. The circles to assist fielding are WAY to large and intrusive. The game often required six or more imputs to get it to accept the pitch selection. (Yes, my sidewinder was calibrated, and works fine with other games.) This totally interrupts the flow of the game, and is very frustrating. The player graphics look like they were taken from an arcade game and not as realistic as some past versions. Some of the animations are really entertaining.
Overall, I was very disappointed. Getting a console game, wrapped in a pc package to me is unethical. The menus are flat out awful. If you want a console game to play on a pc, well, this is fair. As a pc game, it is poor.

This game is terrible. I am not complaining about gameplay-it is terrible because I can NOT play it. First, the game does not recognize the keys of a USB gamepad. The pitching and hitting keys that work are different than showed in the documentation. Even when I figured out they keys, you are limited to simply throwing one pitch and swinging away. I can not believe 3DO could release a game and not test it with a USB port!! This makes the game unplayable. Second, Home Run Derby crashes in the middle and brings you back to your desktop. I could sit and list the problems I had once I FINALLY got a game going but I can summarize by saying-this is the worst game ever put out for the pc. This is not just a bad game, it is an unplayable bad game and my money has been wasted. I am so dissappointed because I finally upgraded my hardware enough to play the game people have raved about and it turns out to be junk.

This is a tough review to write, because I loved the 2001 version of High Heat with Sammy Sosa on the cover. The plain and simple fact is that this is the same game with a few tweaks and improvements, but not nearly enough to warrant a new version.

Things that have changed for the better from the 2001 version: The players look better, and seem to move with more fluidity. There are lots of new animations on play in the field, for example, the first baseman will move to different sides of the bag and will scoop throws depending on where the throw comes in from. The addition of mound visits is great for me, as I never had enough time to warm up a reliever when the current pitcher was getting shelled. The brief clips of walkup music for home batters are nifty, and I understand you can pop in your own music (with a bit of work) if you don't like the generic sounds 3D0 shipped with the game.

I have yet to really get into the tune file and tweak, but I see more foul balls and a bit more realistic contact now. Bunting for base hits is much harder than it used to be, and the addition of base coaches and calls to first/third base umpires on checked swings add cool bits of realism.

Things that are bad:
The Windows XP problems are crippling many users. 3D0 either needs to eschew support of winXP or provide better tech support on how people who are not power gamers can get the game to work on their systems. I use win98 and had no problems, but others have had problems on all OSes. There are also some bugs, including one that causes the announcers to often repeat their words. Other users have reported the incorrect logging of error stats, and double plays that include seven names in the box score thanks to the new "throw the ball around the horn" animation.

The announcers are TERRIBLE. Ted Robinson was worse in the 2001 version, but these guys are almost as annoying. The worst part, though, is the script the announcers are given, which is not only uninteresting and unrealistic, but contains many phrases that are re-treads from the 2001 version. A suggestion for the 2004 incarnation: Hire Jon Miller to do the voice acting for the announcer, and let him write the script. He's got the best voice on TV, and his diction is perfect for the task. Another gripe: the stadium announcer mispronounces many names.

The rosters for the Exhibition games are more accurate than the rosters that are present once you start a season. As a Giants fan, I was baffled to see no Ryan Jensen, Damon Minor, or Yorvit Torrealba on the 2002 roster... this is inexcusable from a game that prides itself on it's realism. I can forgive software limitations of making a baseball game (sometimes the computer gets a game it WILL win, and there's nothing I can do), but there's no excuse for 3D0 to have the parameters incorrect.

The stadiums don't look much better than they did two years ago, and the fake ads are annoying. I understand the practice of game developers putting their names into the signs as a kind of "Kilroy was here" vanity plate, but I don't think it's appropriate. They would be better served having their names placed into the name generator for rookies. Shouldn't all the sponsors who have their signs in ballparks nationwide be champing at the bit to have their logos placed in-game? This is one case where I'd like to see more corporate sponsorship, as it's how real life is.

The home run derby has no replays. That was the whole POINT of the HR derby for me in the 2001 version, I liked watching the ball fly out of the park from various perspectives... nothing like watching a Vladimir Guerrero shot travel out of the Polo Grounds, exactly the same trajectory that Josh Gibson once hit one. I would never play the derby for the scores, as there's no mystery there. In HH2001, it was Guerrero. This year, Bonds hits every pitch farther than anyone else in the game. This is not only inaccurate, but it removes any competetive level from the derby, and without the replays, it is merely repetetive button-pressing plus boring re-tread commentary.

In all, this is a full-version game that would be a free update on most other games I've played (E.G., Diablo 2, Half Life, Quake 1 through Arena, etc). 3D0 has the best franchise out there in terms of gameplay, so I understand why they rest on their laurels, but a game this unchanged in 2 years has no excuse for not running on XP, not fixing ALL bugs, and charging [too much]. I recommend it, because it's still the best baseball game in town, but I'm disappointed with the effort.

I'm not a huge sports fan...especially baseball, but games like this make baseball enjoyable to play. First off, I have no game pad, so I have to say, using the keyboard for a game like this is a pain, and you might want to check automatic fielding, because using the keys to catch a fly is really hard (atleast it is for me since I haven't had the game very long.) The graphics are really nice, but on my 450Mhz computer, it lagged a bit every now and then. It's nice to have all the fields to choose from, and to be able to choose night or day play and rain or clear weather.

The gameplay is decent...without a game pad (as I mentioned0, with one, it would probably improve the gameplay A LOT. Sometimes, with the keyboard, you find yourself hitting the wrong button and throwing to first instead of second...sometimes this makes double plays tricky, especially when they hit the ball fast. One thing I don't likw is how the batter sometimes comes up and takes practice swings, but he does it right before the pitch is thrown, so it throws off your concentration from the pitch itself. It's easier to just hit the swing button each time you get to bat before the pitcher even gets ready. Other than that, the gameplay is easy to figure out, but not perfect. Like I mentioned, I turn automatic fielding on, because it gets tough at times and it's more enjoyable to have some chance to win!

There are tons of options here...you get all the real players...all the detailed stats for each player. You can one game or a whole season or form your own season. I've only tried the exhibition mode, so I cannot comment on the season modes. They have tons of fields to play in, as I said...and the players all look really nice- the graphics on them and all.

Really entertaining game, and it's one you can play over and over (like most sports games)...you can start out as rookie and increase the level you want to play at (all the way to hall of famer, I think) so that should help keep things interesting as well. I've never played any of the other high heat games, but this one is a lot of fun and very well put together.

This is easily the best depiction of major league baseball that I've encountered in a video game. The game does an excellent job of capturing the tension between batter and pitcher confrontations and allows the player to customize a lot of the gameplay. While HHB2003 does have its problems, it is overall a very solid game.

Gameplay: More than anything, the gameplay mechanics are just right. Everything from batting and pitching to fielding and base-running all just seem perfectly done and intuitive. The larger strategy game of putting together a team, managing AAA players, arranging schedules, and so forth is also well done and allows a lot of customization of gameplay. You can get deeply involved in trading, statistics, and standings, or ignore them altogehter. There are several modes that you can play, including exhibition, homerun derby, playoffs, or an entire 162-game season! There is also a career mode.

The computer-controlled teams play intelligently and never seem to cheat (at least not on the pro or all-star difficulty levels). However, teams that you have been beating all season do get noticeably bettter in the postseason. The game is very immersive and intense, and you do get a great sense that you are in the midst of a real baseball game. There are a few things that slightly ruin the atmosphere (see below), but overall the game almost perfectly imitates the big leagues.

Visuals: This is a mixed bag. Player animations are pretty good, but the stadiums are completely static. The fans are literally colored blots on a flat surface. There is no movement in the dugout. The fields look okay, but the stadiums overall appear nondynamic. This is where the game fails to maintain the immersive atmosphere. It's not fatal to the experience, but, noticeable. On the positive side, the game does instant replays and the highlights of the game are saved for viewing once a game ends.

Sounds: Generally great. The announcers are fantastic, and there is commentary for nearly every possible situation. I've been playing the game for weeks, and I'm still occasionally hearing new quotes. The crowd cheers and boos at appropriate times, and the rock music that plays when various menu screens are opened is fine. The audio for this game would be perfect except for occasional studders. It doesn't happen a lot, but when it does it's awfully annoying, since the audio is generally excellent. It's too bad that the developer did not patch this, assuming that it could be easily fixed.

Technical/Replayability: This game has been perfectly stable on my computer. The instruction manual that comes with the game is good. Of course, there is a lot of replay value, since every game is different and there are 30 different teams and several gameplay modes. You can even create new teams and players. If you are a baseball fan, this game is definitely worth picking up.

Rating: 4.25/5 stars

To put it blankly, if you want the best game that for the most part is an actual representation of the game of baseball today, High Heat is your best bet.

Pros:

*Stats, stats, stats! Just about every stat you could hope for is here. Every Major league player has complete stats for every year plus ranking based on his strenghts, weaknesses and age, etc.
*Batter/Pitcher interface. For pitchers you select your pitch aim it where you want to go, and when that pitch leaves the pitchers hand, you have no control over it, just like in real life. The Batter interface is the best two, pretty simple for the most part, you aim the control pad where you think the ball will be and press the button to swing. Hopefully you'll hit the ball. You'll find it easier to hit off pitchers that aren't that great, and pitchers like Randy Johnson will be a tougher challenge for you.
* Mod community. There are mods for just about every aspect of this game. You can find uniforms, player photos/faces, stadiums, up to date rosters (including many minor league players and prospects) on a bunch of sites. baseballsimcentral.com is a good place to start. (or finish!)

Cons:
*Bugs. There are a decent amount of bugs with this version, but if you aren't daunted, you can fix most if not all of them youself. Sadly 3do hasn't released a patch, and it looks unlikely they ever will, so you'll be on your own.
*Grafix. This game doesn't look all that great. Even with a ton of community made game changes, the player models, and stadiums pale in comparision to other games out there. But that ok, because if you want an accurate stats driven game, this is the best bet.

Overall: **** stars. If 3do had released a patch, nah the game still looks awful, so **** is all it gets from me. If you can look past the horrible look of the game and work out the bugs (you'll find plenty of help at the aforementioned site by the way) you'll enjoy this game.