Microsoft Baseball 2000
- January 01, 2000 00:00 AM PST
For the price of a ticket to a real baseball game, you can own Microsoft's sophomore effort to claw its way into the big leagues of computer baseball. Cost usually doesn't play a strong role in distinguishing between games within a genre, but MS is making it an issue with a $20 sticker on Baseball 2000.
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For fans, the game is worth at least that much. Last year's Baseball 3D required a Direct3D graphics card and delivered a sharp, realistic look. Baseball 2000 looks even better with hardware acceleration and supports software acceleration as well (although it's definitely not as pretty). And licenses from Major League Baseball and the Players Association means all the players and 30 stadiums are here, and realistically rendered to boot
But the real absence in last year's version was gameplay. And in this respect, Baseball 2000 throws one right down the middle. It's easy to pick up, fun to play at bat and in the field, and customizable. Don't want to worry about fielding? Set up the assistant to handle it for you. Don't have time for a drawn-out game? The QuickGame mode lets gamers jump right into the game and play through quickly.
On the other hand, if you want to sweat the small stuff, you can--from fielding to fast, in-game substitutions to running the separate General Manager.
The controls--especially fielding--have been greatly improved. Games in Baseball 98 often ended with ridiculous scores that no real team would have (unless they were playing the Cubs). Now the view of the field allows players to keep their eye on the ball. The pitcher/batting interface is similar to 98, and includes an unobtrusive list of the types of pitches and swings to take, keeping you from having to flip through the manual as you learn them.
The sounds are handled well, although I sometimes experienced slowdowns while they loaded from CD. The play-by-play from Fox Sports and Airzone Diamondbacks announcer Thom Brenneman rarely repeats, and crowd noises fluctuate appropriately. Camera angles, from following the ball on a long line drive to the new first-base/third-base viewpoint, make the game fun to watch as well.
That's not to say Baseball 2000 is problem-free. While the game is purportedly playable on a P133, I experienced a lot of choppiness on a PII-300. It takes a while for games to load. And the game thought my Gravis Xterminator joypad was a joystick, although this didn't affect the in-game buttons.
Microsoft hasn't worked its way to the top of the league yet, but with the improvements in Baseball 2000 and its accessible price tag, it has a shot at the pennant.
