MLB 2001

by Play Station 989 sports

Product Features

• Motion captured and Game Design by 6 NBA Players
• All new engine delivers the best graphics and gameplay.
• 300 new motion captured moves by 6aNBA players
• 42 signature rim rockin' dunks
• awesome TV camera angles with lan Eagle commentary

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004RBOW
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: March 28, 2000
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,414 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Editorial Review

Sony's MLB series consistently pitches terrific baseball action onto the PlayStation, and MLB 2001 is the best offering yet in the series. Fortunately for gamers, it appears that Sony spent less time tweaking this game's graphics and more time focusing on more important issues like gameplay and accuracy.

The game opens with an impressive full-motion video highlight reel before presenting gamers with the opening menus. Here you can jump directly into an exhibition game, kick off a season, kill time with the home run derby, or select one of several other options. Of particular note is the franchise mode, which lets you start with a fictional team and build it into a World Series-winning franchise.

Graphically, stadiums are rendered about as accurately as the aging PlayStation hardware allows, and players are smoothly animated. The audio also is done well--you can tell by the sound of the bat if you've hit a mere pop fly or pounded a homer, and the commentary by Vin Scully and Dave Campbell stays fresh even after several games.

The real highlight of the game is the pitcher/batter interface, which has been tuned to near perfection in this version. MLB 2001 may not be the most dazzling baseball game ever made for the PlayStation in terms of graphics, but the solid gameplay and multitude of options and play modes make for a baseball simulation that any fan will enjoy. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Multiple modes of play
• Batting is extremely fun
• Terrific sound

Cons:

• Manager mode is a little weak
• Graphics could use a facelift

GameSpot Review

In this final year of the PlayStation's reign, no less than three companies are vying for the baseball fan's gaming dollar. EA returns with Triple Play, 3DO is back with High Heat, and 989 Studios presents MLB 2001. Though 989's previous attempt was rich in gameplay and statistics, it lacked the graphical and auditory niceties to set it apart from EA's more energetic offering. Tired of playing second fiddle, 989 Sports executes a major renovation with this year's release of MLB 2001. Once again, the 2001 release of MLB claims the title of the most feature-ridden, stat-heavy baseball game. From Home Run Derby and Spring Training to the obligatory Full Season and Playoffs options, the game's mode selections read like a laundry list. Knowing that rosters become outdated, MLB 2001 also lets you have copious amounts of player creation, trading, and minor-league call-ups. Wrapped around these options is the most comprehensive stat-keeping of any home baseball game. Be it the frequency with which a player hits doubles during day games or the player's on-base average plus slugging percentage, every possible stat category is present - 88 distinct categories in all, with a multitude of team and league leader variations therein. All that, plus 30 major-league stadiums and five spring-training stadiums in which to play. Contained within MLB2001's diverse feature set is gameplay on par with anything the competition has to offer. Computer AI is smart, responsive, and realistic in behavior - never falling for common AI tricks while allowing some margin of error. Some will gripe that the AI is a bit too difficult at times, but realistic scores and a decent win/loss ratio reward the player who is willing to invest time in the game. On higher difficulty levels, hit ratios are comparable to real life, with doubles occurring semifrequently while triples and homers remain at moderate levels of rarity. If anything, it's the game's slow pacing rather than AI that most will find aggravating. Home-run trots can't be bypassed, prepitch gesticulations require seconds of wait, and the delay between outs is interminable. For some, this will create pacing faithful to the actual baseball experience, but an average 60 minutes a sitting might be a bit much to ask. Controlwise, MLB 2001 is mostly exceptional. Pitch selection is done via a menu that provides the choice of four key pitches per player, with location designated by an onscreen cursor. Although it's not mentioned in the manual, Pitch speed can also be controlled based upon how long you keep the X button depressed. Fielding is simple in that the D-pad movement and one-button diving comprise the long and the short of the defensive experience. On the flipside, MLB 2001's batting system maintains the status quo, with an onscreen batting indicator and pitch-guessing options providing a variety of swing types. For the most part, base-runner control is also precise, with one notable exception. Once in a while, players take forever to respond to the command to return to a base, even when they're user-created players with full-tilt reaction time. For the eye-candy crowd, MLB 2001 aims to please. Stadiums are colorful and detailed, with crisp lines and a minimum of graininess. Though the detail level isn't quite on par with Triple Play 2001, the sheer refinement of MLB 2001's graphical niceties actually makes for a more enjoyable experience. Furthermore, player models contain a higher number of polygons than in previous MLB games, giving you more realistic body movement and better player animation than last year's release. Surprisingly, the frame rate remains steady throughout, never once stuttering during home-run trots or diving plays. While MLB 2001's graphical quality has improved, sound quality remains iffy at best. The color commentary of Vin Scully and Dave Campbell is more diverse than in previous years, but the urge to shut them up still sets in rapidly. On the other hand, in-game sound effects, crowd noises, music snippets, and stadium-announcer sound bites exceed last year's release in quality - doing their job without annoyance. In comparison though, EA's Triple Play 2001 still sounds better. Pacing and sound issues aside, 989 Studios has fixed many of the glaring flaws of last year's release and as such has created a game superior to EA's offering. Though only a tad better in most categories, the game scores a veritable home run in terms of realism and stat tracking, while containing a variety of features and near-perfect gameplay. Furthermore, the game's roster-editing capabilities coupled with seven memory-card blocks makes for a game that may never become obsolete.--Frank Provo--Copyright © 1998 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Managerial Mode Needs Much Improvement, June 12, 2000

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:2.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: MLB 2001 (Video Game)

I am absolutely utterly amazed 989 Sports would even call it "Managerial" mode (please see my review on the Season mode for a general overall review).

To begin, the outfielders and infielders cannot be brought in or back to the desired depth. Thus, even if the pitcher is batting the outfield will only play at regular depth.

There is also no control over bunting. The 989 Sports will allow the players to bunt in any situation. This may sound alright initially, but, Mark McGwire bunting with 2 outs and and runner on second base is not my idea of smart baseball.

Another issue is pitcher substitutions. The game is booby-trapped whereas when a pitcher is substituted for a pinch-hitter a new pitcher is "automatically inserted" by the computer. This is very very wasteful especially if you did not want that pitcher in the game and a pitcher substitution has to be made without getting any use out of the "computer inserted" pitcher.

Ohhh...We can't forget about the infamous glitch this game has. Sometimes when a pitcher has been pinch-hit for the computer will insert a position player to pitch. If you try to remove the position player from the pitcher's mound you will only get a list of other positional player to insert into that spot (EVEN IF YOU HAVE OTHER RELIEF AND STARTING PITCHERS AVAILABLE).

Admittedly, I am a huge 989 Sports fan but they must spend more time on this game otherwise I will reluctanctly convert to EA Sports.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BETTER THAN TRIPLE PLAY 2K, April 5, 2000

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: MLB 2001 (Video Game)

The overall play of this game is much more challenging than TP 2K. It's hard to win so be prepared to have your manager's cap on. The only problem you will encounter is when the computer pinchhits for the pitcher {if you are in the NL} in the next inning sometimes it will substitute a player that is not rostered as a pitcher and the game will freeze up and you will have to reset the game

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Baseball Game Out there, April 21, 2000

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: MLB 2001 (Video Game)

If you are a baseball fan, this is as good as it gets. There are many improvements over last years game. The graphics are much better, and players look more realistic. The Total Control Batting feature has been improved upon as well. In last year's game, you had the option of predicting pitch type, and location (the strike zone was divided into four areas), a correct guess of the location would cause the cursor to lock on, a correct guess of the pitch type would cause the cursor to get bigger, and guessing both would lock on with more power. Incorrect guesses make the cursor smaller. Because it was too easy to lock on and hit home runs in last years game, 989 improved upon this system. Now, average pitchers have 4 zones, but if you are facing an excellent pitcher, teh strike zone is divided into 8 zones, making it harder to lock on. Additionally, guessing either the pitch or the location only makes the cursor get larger, you must guess both to lock on. This leads to more realistic and predictable results, and encouraging offense that isn't simply swing for the fences in every at bat. A new Franchise mode has been added, as well as a Home Run derby.

This game is just all around tops. Scores and statistics that games produce are relatively realistic (ie no football scores), and you can move the outfielders and infielders around as the situation requires. This years game also makes it easier to steal bases (it was virtually impossible in last years game)

The only real faults of this game are that sometimes the ball moves a bit too fast (a line drive that lands in front of the right fielder can be thrown to first base, and beat the runner, something which never happens in real baseball) but these minor glitches are few and far between.

This is pretty much as good as it gets.