World Series Baseball (Xbox)
by "Sega of America, Inc."
Our Price: $8.52
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Category: Video Games
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Product Summary
Brand: Blue ShiftPlatform: Xbox
Publisher: "Sega of America, Inc."
Video Game Reviews of World Series Baseball (Xbox)
Customer Review: The Secrets of World Series Baseball; Why This Game is Tops
Summary: 5 Stars
There are crucial secrets to playing Sega's World Series Baseball that aren't disclosed in the instruction booklet. Nor are there any 'cheat' books available that reveal this necessary knowledge. I will discuss this shortly, but first let's look at the game itself.Having played all of the major computer baseball games extensively, I can easily say that World Series shines above all others. In terms of overall play, artwork, motion graphics, stats and seasonal continuation, this one has the outfielder watching the ball sail over the fence, while the best the competition can offer in comparison is a routine fly ball.
To be objective of course, we must admit that, like all of the other baseball sims, Sega's offering has several strange flaws. The strike zone is a bit too large, the batting cursor can't be made invisible, and when the pitcher's guide is turned off you must train yourself in selective location. As well, for a game this detailed it's odd that relievers don't have to warm up in the bullpen. (Perhaps that's because they know that an umpire will never eject them, no matter how often they hit a batter.) And finally, it seems strange that the beautifully-detailed stadiums are filled with fans who look like thin cardboard cutouts. But these flaws are acceptable when compared to the shortcomings of the competition.
The game's greatest strength is also its biggest potential flaw, at least for those who desire simplicity. As a player and field manager, your mechanics and game mentality have to be top-drawer, or you're fried. When do you charge a ground ball, or dive after it? What base do you throw to with a milisecond to decide? How do you position your infield and outfield in given situations? How best to pitch to a particular batter--do you pitch just to his weaknesses(which he may lean toward), or do you sneak one into his prime hitting zone? All of these decisions--managing, fielding mechanics and hitting--require training in the 'minors,' and this game does have a minor league training mode, although it isn't revealed. If you're serious about buying this game, let's go into it, since you probably won't find out otherwise.
INFIELD PRACTICE--In two-player mode, turn off all pitcher guides, set to variant pitching, and sling fastballs down the middle. As the batter, lift the hitting cursor so that the top of the oval is even with the pitcher's belt, and swing away. Every hit will be a ground ball. There will be enough tough grounders and base hits that you'll have adequate practice at charging, diving and learning to turn the double play. Believe me, you'll need the practice.
OUTFIELD/INFIELD FLY PRACTICE--Simply set the oval into the grass below the pitcher's mound. The lower it's set, the higher the popup. Set just below the mound will feature a lot of homers. In this mode, infielders will learn how to play the wind; outfielders will learn whom to play deep or shallow for.
OVERALL DEFENSE--Vary pitch selections (NOT location), with the variant pitch mode turned on, and then raise or lower the batting cursor slightly. Swing at everything. Don't be concerned about the score. (Eventually, of course, you'll have to train yourself to be selective at the plate.)
PITCHING AND HITTING--Turning all pitching guides and variant off, concentrate on just one pitch at a time, in one location at a time. Have the batter swing only occasionally at first, favoring the pitch's location, and then swinging frequently as your control becomes more accurate. Don't be concerned with the score. Use this mode as well to learn to adjust your infield and outfield in relation to various hitters and base runner situations.
As for being a long-term owner in frachise play, you'll either gain a greater appreciation for the grunt job you've got now, or you'll be begging to take over the Tigers. Or not.
All of the above should tell you that if you want a game that's as close to real baseball as a computer can get, World Series is the one for you. If you want a simpler, arcade-style baseball sim, any of the others should fill the bill for you.
Description of World Series Baseball (Xbox)
This is the game World Series Baseball for the Xbox. This game may not come with the original case and instructions. We stand by our products and offer a 60 day guarantee. If a game does not work within 60 days from the time you receive it we will gladly exchange it for you.In 2001, Sega and developers Visual Concepts--the same people who brought you the NFL 2Kx series and other sports games--turned out a solid console baseball game that was a major improvement on the previous version and the first with head-to-head Internet play. This version for the Xbox marks a similar leap in quality, combining some of the best features of its competitors into one well-considered whole. Alas, the only thing missing is Internet play.
Going beyond motion-capturing batting stances (there are 89 distinct ones in here by my count), they've done a great job of animating pretty much every aspect of the game in pitch delivery, fielding, and base-running. The instant replay system, which borrows from and improves upon the one seen in the High Heat series, allows you to move the camera anywhere on the field to see the realistic movements at any speed. You can also use the feature to see the game's sophisticated artificial intelligence--for example, there's a brief, realistic delay when a player tags up from third on an outfield fly.
There's also a solid pitching game that lets a starter like Tim Hudson get off without a shelling when pitching heat down the middle, but try it with a pitcher like Byung-Hyun Kim and you're bound to see different results. And the TV-style zone chart shows which locations each batter is best at connecting to and where your sequence of pitches has landed.
A number of the new features are so obvious that you may wonder why you've never seen them before. One is a controller map in the pause menu that quickly shows you exactly which buttons perform the task you want. An option is also included that sets the relative speed of pitches to the plate. This really comes in handy when coming from another baseball game like All-Star Baseball 2003 where pitches seem to blur to the plate.
To put it bluntly, the game has almost no downside. There are some very powerful GM and manager functions--including a fantasy draft and exhaustive franchise tools--though using them is somewhat counterintuitive. Stealing is kind of tough to pull off; in one game, Ichiro got caught twice out of three attempts. And, as stated above, there's no Internet play--but that gives us something to look forward to for next year. --Porter B. Hall
Pros:
- Realistic player movement
- Smart AI
- TV-style zone chart marks hot and cold areas for each batter
- Variable pitch-appearance speeds
Cons:
- No head-to-head play over the Internet
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