Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr.

by Air Hendrix
January 01, 2000 00:00 AM PST

While Griffey's definitely not a bad baseball game, it pales in comparison with All-Star Baseball, providing little that shine through All-Star's shadow. Unfortunately for Junior, this one's a rental at best.

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After it�s had so many delays, you�d think that Griffey would step up to the N64 plate and smack one of those trademark homers. Unfortunately, MLB Featuring Griffey manages only a check-swing single, making a decent but unremarkable appearance; and with All-Star Baseball leading the standings, there aren�t many reasons to head to this ballpark.

Skimpy Roster
In a great upgrade from the SNES days, Griffey now provides all the pro players, teams, and stadiums, as well as trades, drafts, on-the-fly defensive strategy, and the standard modes. Although that�s a respectable lineup of features, Griffey has some huge holes. Speed bursts, switching between defensive fielders, instant replays, player creation, power swings, gamer-controlled slides, and changeable views are all missing�and sorely missed. Gamers expect these kinds of features from a baseball game, and their absence really hurts Griffey�s fun factor.

If you�re the forgiving sort, however, you�ll uncover a fairly fun round of fast, action-packed baseball. It�s not realistic�pitchers hurl 108 mph heat, the game bleeps to warn you when your opponent�s stealing, and long fly balls seem to float forever�but it is the kind of arcade-style baseball that will appeal to the youngest end of the N64 spectrum.

Cracked Bat
Cursor-based batting and pitching rarely feel natural, but Griffey�s has worse problems: Lining up the batting cursor on a pitch with the jittery analog stick is an exercise in sheer frustration. Fortunately, you can turn off the cursors and just tap Button A to swing away, which makes for a much more entertaining, arcade-style slugfest. Still, without a power swing or the ability to call, say, a hit-and-run, the limited depth gets annoying.

The pitching�s fine, but the fielding isn�t as tight as it should be. The outfield feels as big as Yosemite National Park, and without a speed burst, it�s often difficult to move your sluggish fielder into position and cut off what should be a single before it hits the gap.

Goofy Griffey
As for graphics, Griffey�s players gleam with cool stances and slick, realistic animations. However, their proportions are occasionally off (some players have freakishly skinny legs), and their overall look is muddy in comparison with All-Star�s.

On the sound side, Griffey himself chimes in with comments like "He�s got heat" after a strikeout�but he comes off pretty weak. And while the sound effects perform nicely, the umpire�s too eager, often calling balls before they even cross the plate (which unfairly tips off the batter).

While Griffey�s definitely not a bad baseball game, it pales in comparison with All-Star Baseball, providing little that shines through All-Star�s shadow. Unfortunately for Junior, this one�s a rental at best.