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Hardball 99 (PSX) ReviewBackground Info
Graphics : 60
Players used to the detailed backgrounds and stadia offered in Triple Play
98/99 and MLB 98/99 will be disappointed by what they see when they
first view the field of play for Hardball 99. At best they are first-generation
32-bit graphics, and some players may actually prefer the stadia presented
in editions of the PC version that ran on 486s. Nor are the players any
great shakes. Here and there a few animations catch the eye--batters
taking pitches and following the ball into the catcher's mitt, runners
brushing off their pants after driving back to first--but on the whole the
players lack the details of their PSX counterparts. Teams have a number of
uniforms, and on the whole they are almost acceptably rendered, although
no game designers seem to realize that the Yankees do not wear their
names on their jerseys. The game cameras are also rather limited,
especially when it comes to the pitcher-batter interface--a real shame, given
the game's attention to this encounter.
One of the time-honored debates among video sports gamers is that of
gameplay versus graphics. To be sure, lush, colorful, and beautifully-
rendered players and stadia, complete with numerous animations, cannot
overcome atrocious gameplay; but good graphics do help create an illusion
of immersion, a feeling that augments the sense of vicarious participation
we all seek in playing video games. Here the contrast between HB99's
audio and graphics is palpable. While the sounds of the crowd and the
organ bring you into the game, one look at the screen reminds you that you
are staring at a screen--albeit in a curiously nostalgic way, for playing the
game took me back years to its PC and Genesis predecessors, when for
many of us Hardball was the only game in town. However, a memory of a
more recent horror flashed across the screen when I brought in a reliever
versus a switch-hitter, for the screen first showed the famed batter standing
on the wrong side of the plate--but only for a moment. Whew!
Audio : 70
That reward is not to be found in the game's play-by-play announcing,
which is frankly mediocre and choppy. Often the announcer's comments
lag behind events on the field, to the point that the narration may be
describing events from the previous at-bat. Mind you, I have tired of Buck
Martinez's repeated references to "can of corn" and mindless banter in
Triple Play 99, but for those players who value game narration, HB99 falls
short.
What I did enjoy was what I heard from the stands. The roar of the crowd
rises and falls and changes in mood as appropriate: the catcalls are distinct
and amusing. That they are not always appropriate might be a problem for
some players, however. Finally, the ballpark organ reminds one of an
earlier age in baseball where the PA system did not blare out the same
canned tracks with boring predictability. In contrast, the music played
during a homer by the home team does not exactly inspire anyone.
Interface/Options : 92
The game does automatically load a file upon loading, a timesaving device
unless one is trying to play multiple seasons or is manipulating multiple
roster arrangements (made possible by setting up but not playing a new
season). Game menus appear fairly straightforward at first, although load
times can get irritating, and at times players must patiently work their way
through a series of steps or even (gasp!) consult the manual. Players have
the option of playing an exhibition game, participating in one of several
season formats (including a construct-from-scratch option), or going to
spring training just to practice various skills or the traditional home run
derby. You may buy a team, set managerial preferences, engage in the
normal activities of a general manager (with an unlimited bank account),
and even create players through editing faceless minor leaguers and then
bringing them up to the big time. The latter function allows players to
insert themselves or their friends in the game or to make roster changes not
present in the game, such as adding a few young Yankee outfielders who
starred this past postseason. Hate your roster? Then engage in a player
draft, again with multiple options. Want to play in the rain or the wind?
You can do it.
In either season or exhibition mode players may choose to play against or
to manage an all-time team of dubious construction. Where have you
gone, Joe DiMaggio? Or, for that matter, Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays?
Brooks Robinson? Hank Aaron? Ted Williams? And so on. But
Brooklyn Dodger fans will love the inclusion of Gil Hodges, Leo Durocher,
and Jackie Robinson, whose contributions to the game, great as they were,
do not automatically make him the game's all-time best second baseman.
Frankly, the player choices are highly questionable. Far better for the game
to have offered a roster of 200 all-time greats and allowed players to
construct their own rosters.
The in-game menu options are also clear and useful, although I found the
load times involved in making key managerial decisions (warming up
relievers, lineup substitutions) frustrating. At least you can make the
double-switch--no minor matter to many of us. The in-game screens
include the usual basepath map when runners are aboard as well as cutaway
cameras for runners at the corners. Players can choose from several
gamepad arrangements, and these are straightforward. The memory card
utility is also straightforward and easy to use; you can even save the game
in mid-game.
Finally, stat-tracking is remarkably deep and extensive; simmed stats are on
the mark; however, it is easier to deal with individual players than with
league leaders. The Hardball tradition continues. You can also save and
replay game highlights, another traditional feature.
Overall, HB99 deserves high marks for its intricate series of menus and
options, allowing players an abundance of choices.
Gameplay : 85
For those players at the plate who simply want to press and swing, too
bad--unless you direct the cpu to pitch to the center of the strike zone.
Batters choose from one of four swings (contact, power, opposite field, or
bunt); they then must anticipate where the ball might be thrown (a 3x3 grid
for high, low, in and out, in various combinations) and then must choose
whether to attempt to hit a grounder, fly ball, or rest content with a
"normal" (level) swing. I wish that the grid could be toggled on and off
without going to the extreme of pitching down the middle (thus putting an
end to walks), but others will like the added challenge.
The usual fielding options are also present, from basic alignments (accessed
from the pitching menu) to toggled options for fielding and throwing.
Fielders can jump, dive, and hit the cut-off man or throw through. The
camera does not always do a great job of following balls hit to the outfield,
and one detects a sort of jerkiness at times. There is also nothing unusual
about baserunning options, although I have been able to pull a runner back
on an attempted steal a bit too easily in several instances--as when the ball
is already in the middle infielder's glove.
Difficulty : 85
Overall : 79
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