Customer Reviews

World Series Baseball 2K2

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Rarely have I heard so much bellyaching and crybaby whining as I have over this game. Coming after what was possibly THE MOST BOTCHED Sega Sports game in history, we should be happy the thing was even released, let alone being remotely playable. It is not perfect, but if you know anything about console baseball games, there has never been a perfect baseball game. World Series 2K2 comes glancingly close though. First off, to answer some questions and comments posed by others: 1) The red/blue/clear boxes are areas of the strike zone that the hitter hits well/poorly in. 2) The defense is NOT difficult, and most often the computer will start your player in the correct direction. If you screw up from there, blame youself. 3) Yes, the outfielders sometimes don't turn around to make the catch, big freakin deal! They still make the catch! 4) The fielders are slow? Then why can I usually beat the runner to first base with any one of my infielders? I personally like a ball to fall in the gap in the outfield once in a while, it's called realism. 5) The faces of the players are far from perfect (Derek Bell's moustache being a particularly gruesome offender), but the players are otherwise animated and rendered exceedingly well. 6) The stadiums look amazing, the crowds are 2D but they always have been so deal with it. 7) I don't believe people complain about their trades getting vetoed. How many times did gamers kvetch about "I shouldn't be able to assemble an all-star roster by swindling every team in the league!" but now we have people moaning that "Waaah, I can't build my ultimate dream-team, waaaah!" Go take a nap! My issues with the game: 1) I don't see much difference in fielding from player to player. Everyone seems to have the same general range, fielding ability, and speed. 2) Sadly, too many homeruns. Though this has always been a problem with console baseball games, the developers/publishers think gamers would rather see more homeruns than less. 3) Visual Concepts and the other development teams thought it would be a hoot to see THEIR names in the game. Which is why the Mets' left-fielder isn't Benny Agbayani, it's John Brooks. And there's some joker named Larry Peacock in the Pirates bullpen. Just check the back of the game manual and you will see that 1 player from every MLB team has been replaced with a member of the game development team. Ridiculous? Yes, but I deal with it and so should you. Apart from that, I really have no grave issues with the game. Pitching is tremendously intuitive, hitting is all in the timing, fielding is not nearly the chore that the inept think it is, the menus are clear as day if you aren't a moron, substitutions are easy, strikeouts are an art-form that you will get better at with time, the graphics are silky smooth and oh so nice, home run derby is fun, and don't forget the franchise mode. People, this game had TEN MONTHS in development. Which ain't much, in gaming time. They had to SCRAP the previous incarnation, and start over. I think they did a tremendous job, and trust me, I'm usually the first person to jump down a baseball game's throat when it disappoints. Don't be a follower by jumping on the anti-WS2K2 bandwagon. Judge for yourself, and let yourself enjoy all the game has to offer, it is after all, undisputedly the BEST baseball game available for the Dreamcast.

Well, went to All-Star Fanfest today and they had about 15 WSB 2K2 stands to actually PLAY the game! I own 2K1 and I am very disappointed. 2K2 was fun to play and I am going to be preordering it very soon. They have drastically improved the gameplay and the added cool things. I was disappointed because they used a burned disk from SEGA and it was very buggy. However, they had season mode in which you have minor leagues and can call up people! VERY COOL. Home Run Derby, and online stuff. They have new players ICHIRO! and the stadiums PNC PARK. and you can play defense and commit errors. Anyhow things Im dissapointed in are the bugs but they will be gone and the fact that some of the players stances dont look like they do in 2K1. It is not as graphically inhanced as 2K1, but over all I am impressed and very very excited for the August 1 release date.

I got my copy about a week ago and I have been playing it non-stop. Right now, I have played about 20 games through the Season set using the fantasy draft option. Very cool. Basically like being part of a fantasy baseball league except you actually get to play the games. Pitching is awesome. An earlier reviewer noted how realistic the pitching is and it truly is. For example, the computer version of Kim, the Korean reliever for the Diamondbacks, has a corresponding submarine delivery to the actual Kim. The batting stances are spot on as well. Guys with funky stances like Gary Sheffield and Vladamir Guerrero are perfectly recreated. Batting is quite a bit tougher to learn than pitching (unless you are playing Rookie level). I have been having the most fun pitching. It is great sending brush back pitches and plunking guys. After I hit a two-run homer off another pitcher, the CPU sent my next guy up a brush back pitch, too. While these realistic touches are great, it is the game play that seals the deal. Whether playing against the CPU or a friend, the pitching, batting, fielding, etc. are excellent. If you pick the Fantasy Draft option, make sure to do whatever you can to pick up Pedro Martinez. The guy is unhittable in the game. He does not pick up many strikeouts, but nobody has scored on Pedro yet...at least through the first five games. Try to avoid Tim Hudson...despite his great numbers, all four times I have sent him out there Hudson got absolutely shelled....methinks the makers are not A's fans. This is a great game and Dreamcast finally has a solid baseball game to match its already solid basketball, football, tennis and hockey (and skateboarding, although that is not a traditional sport) games. Dreamcast is easily the best console if you love sports games.

I have played this game already, and its probably the best baseball game I've ever played. There was hardly one glitch. There were 110 different batting stances in the game, and just about as many pitching styles. This game really goes way over the top. There is a very cool franchise mode, which allows you to be the general manager of your team, signing, trading, and drafting players. Also when you sign people, it's not your general signing, some players want no-trade clauses, and some don't, it's very cool. Then, there is a homerun derby, which allows you to have up to 8 players competing for the crown. The season mode is also pretty neat. You can do a regular schedule where you play every game, without simulating one, or you can play by a rigid schedule, where you can skip over games and go back and play games, something very unused by other game developers. The create a player is also cool, i mean what can i say, you'll have to check that one out for yourself. There is also a totally new pitcher-batter interface, you no longer have to use the R-Trigger to swing, you use the A button, and there is a cursor the batter has to lineup with the ball to hit it, unless played on rookie modde. And this season you can actually fielder, there will be a big yellow cursor under the guy that you're controlling, and you can make running, diving, and leaping catches. Plus the rosters are pretty up to date, Ichiro is there, and up to form unlike all other games, and like JOhn Rocker is on the Indians, its pretty good, except none of the deadline trades were made i think, but no biggie, there wasnt a ton of big time players involved. Overall, buy this game, on top of everything I've said the graphics are just as good as last year, the announcer is pretty good, and the games whole outlook is awesome. IT RULES!

If you haven't looked at 2K1 yet let me save you some time, DON'T!!! We all know it stinks and all we Dreamcast gamers feel at least a little ashamed for SEGA. If you have looked at WSB2K1
here are the updates in this version.

PROS:

(1) Fielding! 2K1 was almost massacred with ratings saying that "automatic fielding was so boring". I admit I was one of them. Well, here it is. This was sort of a problem for me as it sometimes a pro and con at the same time. One minute your player makes a stupid dive right over the ball, the next a diving catch or snag of a line drive 10 feet in the air. HOWEVER, this manual fielding isn't so bad as everybody says, although sometimes I wish that automatic fielding was an option.
(2) Graphics! WOW! If you gamers thought that 2K1 had some sweet microchips for graphics take a look at these. I'm talking about the view of stadiums here. I'll get to players' graphics a bit later...
(3) "Oh, the selection of modes..."! This pretty much sums up this section. You can choose from Quick Start, Season, Playoffs, and Franchise gameplay modes. There are also, of course, Options where you CAN create a player.
(4) STATS! If you play sports for none other than stats, get it on the spot. I love getting stats, and they show it all... (pitchers) ERA, I.P., Saves, W/L, and CG. (for batters) BA, HRs, Hits, RBIs, SLG%, SB, and Runs scored. Let me tell you, Mr. Ichiro Suzuki can sure rack up the stats in this game!

CONS

(don't be scared because I didn't put up enough pros up there!)
(1) Graphics... I told you I'd be back for player graphics! The players don't look anything like the real thing. Although you rarely get close enough, unless in replay, to see their faces, Ichiro Suzuki looks more like Ronald McDonald! And Cal Ripken Jr. (which is retired now, of course, but the game doesn't know that: another con!)
(2) Gameplay Realism... Have you ever seen Ichiro Suzuki throw a that little white ball before?? I'm sure you've seen his April 8th, 2001 throw to David Bell to nail Terence Long of Oakland at third base?? In this game Ichiro's throws are almost as good as mine! (No offense, Mr. Sultan of Swat!!) They just go up, up, up, etc., and then drop down perfectly to the base they are throwing to. Only 3 times (out of some 100 bil. throws) have I seen him throw a lazer beam, but only when he is standing perfectly still for about 2 seconds flat.
(3) Create Mode... Now, of course, like most of you gamers, I like being fair to the CPU and try to make a well balanced team and it seems when SEGA made this they wanted that, too. COME ON!
The trading won't let you trade for anyone else unless they have exactly the same ratin or you getting ripped off. You also can't trade more that I player at a time. If you want to get some superstar (I tried to trade for Scott Rolen to bring him to the Cardinals) you have to create a player literally a clone of a body-builder with 100% rating to get someone of that value!! Try trading for Ichiro now..!!! I also need to say that this clone will put a log-jam in the statistics with .400+ avg., 60+ HRs, 150+ RBIs, 100+ SBs, etc.!! Like I said if you are a statistics person like me, you have to hate that.
(4) Celebration... We all want to make our favorite team suped up for the postseason to go all the way, of course! Unlike you NBA, NHL, and NFL 2K, 2K1, 2K2 you will find a mean suprise at the end of the World Series. (assuming you got the guts to go all the way to the big dance!) NO CELEBRATION, TROPHY PRESENTATION, ANYTHING!!!!! The least WSB2K1 had was a little sendtence in the season mode say "Congratulations, you are the WORLD CHAMPS!". In this game, they all just trot off the field (even after a Game 7, walk-off grand slam by Cliff Floyd of Boston: of which I was getting hoarse from yelling) as if this was a preseason game, which they would celebrate anyway! Also, as the review below me states, when you hit a walk-off HR, the player does not get credit for it. Only for the RBIs and Runs. Also, what happened to MVP, Gold Glove, and Rookie of the year awards?!?!?!?!?

I could add more, but the reviews below me will probably fill the rest of you questions (and time) with useful answers. I hope this helps you, a fellow consumer, to be thrifty about spending money on video games. ...

I had high hopes for this version of World Series Baseball after the disaster that was WSB2K1. This game is definitely a solid improvement, but it wasn't the grand slam that I was expecting.

PROS:

1. The stadia and fields are very realistic.

2. At first, I was concerned that there was no "spring training" or "batting practice" mode. Then I figured out that "rookie" mode is all about BP.

3. This game has the best create-a-player that I've ever seen.

4. Actual gameplay (controls and movements) is top-of-the-line. Better than any other baseball game I've seen to date. Once you master the reaction needed to field grounders (after changing infielders, if necessary) and position yourself for shagging fly balls, you're golden. I will agree with the other reviewer who mentioned that there seems to be at least one dropped fly ball per game, but in my case (thankfully), it usually happens to the CPU.

CONS:

1. No color commentary. There is a play-by-play announcer, and it is not very dynamic play-by-play--the announcer will repeat himself frequently. And if you score more than 100 runs in a game (yup, I have), he gets really confused. It's quite humorous.

2. Every single player has the same home run "trot" that involves pumping his fists in the air and landing defiantly on home plate. It's funny to see a player like Edgar Martinez--who shows very little emotion on the field in real-life--acting like he has never hit a home run before.

3. You can strike out anybody, anywhere, anytime by simply locating your pitch just beneath the strike zone. It doesn't matter what pitcher you are using.

4. There are lots of bugs. I won't repeat them since other reviewers have covered most of the, but one that is worth mentioning (and proves that I've played the heck out of this game) is that no player can have more than 127 homers in a season. Once you hit the 128th, the counter resets to -127 and counts back to zero. NICE.

5. I'm not sure why Sega even included the ability to "trade" in Franchise mode, because the CPU will reject any trade. I tried to trade Barry Bonds for Charles Gipson. Ixnay. Now THAT'S funny.

There are other issues, but these are the major pros and cons. I'm still waiting for a computer baseball game that truly blows me away but in the meantime, there is always the real thing.

Although I've found the gameplay much better than other baseball games, there are several things that are quite annoying about 2K2:
1) The reason the batting averages are so high is that anytime a runner is moved over, even on a groundout to the shortstop, it is considered a sacrifice.
2) Your catcher always throws out the computer's base stealer.
3) Pitchers hit far too many home runs.
4) It's useless to try to dive with an infielder, becuase if you miss the ball, the outfielder dives as well, so the computer will get a double or triple.
5) You can always move up on a flyball, because the computer will throw 2 bases ahead. This counts as a sacrifice fly, which also improves the batting average.
6) If you hit a "walk-off" homerun in the bottom of the ninth, the batter will not get credit in the statistics for either the hit or the home run. He'll only get credit for the RBI and run.
7) There's a glitch that allows a pitcher to get the win and the save.
8) Even though fielding is user-controlled, the computer intitially picks your fielder. Many times, it picks a fielder that is further away from the ball, and the one it should have selected will be running to cover the bag. This can make it tough to get some ground balls.
9) You can only do straight-up trades for a player of equal or lesser value. This really takes away from the franchise mode.
10) Your outfielders throw to the base, not a cutoff man. That means if the computer has a runner on 2nd and gets a base hit, you either have to concede the run and hold the batter at first, or try to throw the runner out at home and allow the batter to go to 2nd. The game doesn't allow you to select another fielder while the ball is in the air so that you can cut the ball off.

Because of all of these glitches, the game is definitley challenging. Because it's hard to "master," it's more fun, but some of these things are very basic that could have been avoided by using a little more care.

World Series Baseball 2k2 is a pretty good game. In some categories it's better than last years, in other's it's not. Playability wise the fielding is well designed and pitcher/batter is good. The graphics has taken a step down. Last year my family couldn't tell the difference between the game and t.v. Now you can't really tell who is who facial wise. All in all it is a little better than ps2 baseball games. If they had used this gameplay with last years graphics it would be great. If you have a dreamcast buy it.

I didn't pick up last year's game because of all the negative reviews, no fielding, etc. So I waited...and waited. I picked up a new VMU for the 180 blocks required for WSB2K2 and loaded it up. This game is quality...the motion capture is superb, there's obviously a great deal of thought that went into it from a baseball standpoint.

The scores of the games I've been playing, 9-6, 1-0 (A great pitching matchup with Shawn Estes versus Kevin Brown, sole run was a Rich Aurilia home run), 6-4...and the flow of the game is quite close to a real baseball game. You'll hit streaks where you can hit nothing but fly balls and ground outs, then you'll feel sorry for the CPU when you score 6 runs in one inning. I'm playing on Pro mode, which I switched to quickly from Rookie. Rookie is absurd; you can see the location of the ball the CPU is pitching to before they pitch and you can position your cursor right on the ball.

The 180 blocks is justified by the expansive franchise feature. It's fun trading for players to update the league, but...one major oversight was that you cannot trade more than one player for a single player. This means you can't trade three average players for one good player. So you could probably never acquire Curt Schilling unless you gave up Barry Bonds.

One thing I don't like about the commentary is that after a big moment, a grand slam or something, he moves right onto the next batter like nothing happened. The animations after a player hits a home run are somewhat repetetive. I find it hard to believe Jeff Kent would be pumping his fist like a madman...they should've added a classy jog minus the fist pumping.

I like the batting stances for the most part. The thing is the height of the players is identical, and Livan Hernandez can hit with the same power as Barry Bonds, it seems.

But all in all, I am having lots of fun playing the games...there are night games and day games. The scoreboard always reflects the proper score and it is subtle in the background. If you want a solid and entertaining baseball game, take it from a baseball fan, this is a good pick.

World Series Baseball 2k2 is finally out while it is not a complete disaster it is defiantly below expectations the biggest problem is that all of the players weather it be running the bases or playing the outfield are slow and they all run about the same speed the computer could hit a fly ball a little over the head of the third baseman and he wont get there in time to catch it another thing is that all of the game difficulties are easy I've had the game for three days and I can already beat the whole game on all star and after all the time they made us wait delay after delay the rosters are not even updated for the trading deadline which means no Fred Mcgriff for the cubs no Jermaine Dye for the A's but is not a total waste the franchise mode is kind of fun and every now and then the computer will hit a homerun or two to make it a little more difficult overall though id have to say im disappointed so I'll have to wait another year and hope sega and visual concepts learn from there mistakes again