VR Baseball '99

While MLB '99 takes top honors this season, VR's got a lot to offer baseball fans, especially those who hate cursor-based batting and pitching. Despite all the rough edges, VR deserves to be scouted out - for many, it'll be worth trading for.

Even though it?s in its second season, VR Baseball ?99 is still clearly a rookie in the big leagues, lacking the pro polish of Triple Play ?99 and the major-league depth of MLB ?99. But VR?s got something more important?the kind of great controls and playability that should attract a following of baseball fans.

Frozen Rope
VR steps into the batter?s box with a decent roster of features, including all the pro players, teams, and stadiums; Season, Exhibition, and Home Run Derby action; and instant replays. Managers can adjust their outfielders? positioning (but not their infielders?) and make trades (but can?t run drafts or create players). Impressive features, like a slick Pitcher Status screen that maps the location and type of all your pitches, score big, but some little things are missing, such as in-game access to the options or adjusting the view.

While games like MLB definitely offer more depth thanks to key features like create-a-player and Spring Training mode, VR?s fast, entertaining action and intuitive controls make up a lot of lost ground. Everything feels natural and very playable right off the bat, and the pitching, batting, and base-running controls are some of the best in console baseball. Once again, though, some smaller details are missing, like speed bursts and the ability to move your batter in the box.

Fast-paced, action-packed gameplay also heats up VR?s chances. The crafty A.I. makes for a tough opponent, gunning down steals and smartly rounding the bases, while the realistic but well-paced action delivers a fun day at the ballpark.

Barely Foul
All of this year?s PlayStation baseball games have problems with their graphics, but VR gets the most important thing right by delivering fast, clean action, speedy load times, and no choppiness. The cool stadiums and the CPU-controlled perspective rock, too. But the players, while well-modeled and well-animated, look too similar, and the pitcher pixelates in weird ways.

VR?s over-the-top sounds definitely commit an error, though. The amped-up crowd and vendors shriek at you with annoying intensity, while the PA announcer sounds like he got lost in an echo chamber. The in-game sound effects are tight, but a commentator or two would?ve added a lot.

Hot Prospect
While MLB ?99 takes top honors this season, VR?s got a lot to offer baseball fans, especially those who hate cursor-based batting and pitching. Despite all the rough edges, VR deserves to be scouted out?for many, it?ll be worth trading for.

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