World Series Baseball 2K3

[ssxtricky]

I just got this game today!!!!!!!!! this game beats all star baseball by a mile and my guess is that it will recieve 9.0-10 ratings in Xbox Magazine!! I have never played a more packed fun exciting monster graphic baseball game than this one.... Who cares about all these rumors about XBOX going outta buisness cause it just launched and already a price drop....I dont care if this is the last game on the XBOX (great game) lets face it there is not many!!!!! but XBOX is still puttin out great titles like this one !! a must own!!!!!!!!!!
I give it an 11 in a 1-10 scale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



PS XBOX Please dont go outta buisness!!!!!!!

:) :) :)

[Punkbob]

I got it too. I can't move my batters around in the batter's box. I think you can't in this game. No big deal, but a little odd.

Bob

[BORNGD]

i heard the baserunning is terrible in the game though! i mean the computer will hit the ball and sometimes their runner will not advance from second to third on an easy play where they should have...or they will hit a pop fly deep enough for a sacrafice and the runner will not advance....is this true?

[Bakeman]

bah! I can't just go buy the game..

I'm one of those try then buy..
but no video store around here has it yet of course..

hell they don't even have all star baseball 2003 yet..

[johnstorm83]

I just got done my first run of World Series, and although I got spanked by the Jays (stupid Delgado and Mondesi)
The game was just mind numbing!



All Star what?

But I'd still suggest renting it first, not everyone's as dumb as I am in just picking up a title because of it's previous titles.


Im dropping a fat 8.7 outta 10 for this game

[robnyack]

GREAT looking game. By far the best. A game that takes advantage of the xbox. I love that.

A baseball sim with great graphics! A true baseball fan's dream come true?? Well, not quite. There are a couple flaws and one is HUGE!

tracks lots of stats, and has great player ratings. With good player ratings, you can't ignore the rightie/leftie matchups, and this is great. It's such an important part of the game, and other game releases completely ignore this. Not this game. Clutch.

Hire your scouts and minor league managers, and coaches. Clutch. Minor league rosters with players that develop. Clutch. Scouts and managers give your their best report on players (scouts and managers are given grades on how well they can evaluate talent)). Clutch. Work within a budget. Clutch.

Graphically, the game rocks. Stadiums look GREAT. The players look very good. Many of the players have their characteristics built in...like Mike Mussina's weird move when there are runners on base, and many of the batter stances of your favorite players. All very CLUTCH.

Gameplay....if not for the one HUGE flaw would also be excellent. Let me get the one game killer right out there....YOU CANNOT THROW TO YOUR CUTOFF MEN!!!! Holy cow, are you kidding me???? One of the most basic fundementals of the game of baseball!!! Everyone remembers their little league coach yelling at the outfielders over and over, "HIT YOUR CUTOFF MAN!!!". Well, in this game you can't. You can only throw to the bases. Stunning. Unbelievable. Unforgivable if you ask me. This one flaw, so basic and so fundamental to the game of baseball is almost a gamekiller. Maybe they can take advantage of the xbox hardrive and come up with some kind of patch? Please, if I am wrong, and just dont' know the right control function to hit my cutoff men, let me know!!! I dont want this to be true!

Overall, a great looking well made sim. However, the one crucial flaw makes it impossible for me to give it anymore than a 4 out of 5. Everything else is excellent, but, the one flaw is close to being a gamekiller.

[Muabdi'b]

For head to head match ups, hiding the ball cursor is great. I am going to log in a lot of hours tonight. I hit a batter, when I was up, they threw a pitch at me.:D

I like how you can adjust the hitting. If you hit too many homers, you can minimize the bat or maximize for increased hitting. Or tweak with pitching. I like this.



;)

[heelfan71]

you can throw to your cutoff man. Hit "y" before it gets to him. Not sure if you have to hit it once or twice (I just keep mashing it) and the cuttoff man works.

Only things I don't like:

1. Strike zone is huge
2. Computer baserunners are awful
3. Computer offense is too low.

[robnyack]

My opinion of the game is dropping. God I hate it when games are promised to be the next coming of christ, and then they turn out mediocre, at best

I still do like this game, but, the more you play it, the more you see things that you wish just weren't so. First of all, HR Derby is a waste of time. The worst put together Derby I've ever seen in a baseball game. But, for me, that is ok, because I rarely play the Derby. I am a franchise man.

Franchise is pretty good. Probably the best design I've seen for a game on a console. Franchise mode for Highheat for the pc still blows it away though as far as design, logic, and ease of use. But, this game does a decent job with the franchise.

Lots of stats and the stats generated are very realistic(you wish their presentation might have been put together a little better so they were easier to check out, but, it's ok.

Players ratings in all the important catagories, which, is a must. They did so well in this part of the game. Do you pinch hit late in the game with your leftie off the bench to goe against the right handed pitcher or do you bring in your left handed pitcher to face the left handed batter late in the game?? Such an important part of the game, and the player ratings make it an important part of this game

Wish you could pull up your box score on a game you decided to sim. That would have been nice. Starting p[itchers are very tough to knock out of the game. This is disappointing. You really have to wack a pitcher around for a while to finally get him taken out, and your starting pitcher tends to be able to go too long. Takes away the strategy. CPU baserunning is barely adequate. Many times it's station to station. Also, if the cpu has a man on base, and there is pop up in the infield near to where that baserunning is, you can catch the pop up and throw out the runner before he gets back to the bag almost every time.

I dont know, there is just a lot of little things. None is a game killer (except not being able to hot your cutoffs, and the above poster says you can do it, so I hope he is right), but all the little things start to add up and take away from the fun of the game.

There are alot of things done right though. Crowd ambiance is probably the best I've seen for a game console. And the crowd looks pretty good too. Player models are nice. I like being able to adjust the pitch speed and the hitting cursor size. For me, the default settings have the pitch speed to slow and the batting cursor to small. So, I recommend making the pitch speed "very fast" and the batting cursor "big". Get a better game that way, I think. Stats are very realistic.

I am really torn by the game. I really like this game, but then you come across some of the little things that are wrong, and it bugs the hell out of me.

I don't want to discourage anyone from buying it, because I do think it's the best baseball game out there for a game console, but, man, if that doesn't tell you the sorry state of baseball games for game consoles, I don't know what does!

If you love baseball and got to have a baseball game, then get this one. But, if you love baseball, and understand baseball the way it was meant to be played, this game will also disappoint you. They made a good effort to make a serious baseball game, but, it came up short. It's too bad.

Can't we just take the Highheat for the pc modle and then combine it with the graphics of this game????? Sigh.....one day, a serious baseball sim with great graphics will be made.....I have to keep telling myself that.

Overall, WS baseball......3.5 out of 5

[DT21]

What difficulty level do you all play the game on?

[robnyack]

been playing on pro with pitch speed at "very fast" and hitting cursor on "big". So far, that is the best setting I've found for pro.


have not tried the other difficulty levels though

[heelfan71]

play on all-star. The computer plays a little smarter. As far as the cutoff man, I think if you press any of the buttons, it will cut the ball. I just threw the ball home and taped the home button and the pitcher cut the ball off. I have hit "y" in the same situation, and it cut too.

[Xbox Owner]

I just got it today, and the graphics are better than anything I have every seen. There sooo much differnet than screen shots, and the back cover. the back cover looks like sh*t

[DT21]

Originally posted by XBox Owner
I just got it today, and the graphics are better than anything I have every seen. There sooo much differnet than screen shots, and the back cover. the back cover looks like sh*t
LoL...agreed:)

[robnyack]

All-star level is a little better. CPU does seem to play a little "smarter". Play all-star level and then adjust your pitch speed and hitting cursor to your likings. I found "Very fast" on all star level too tough, so "fast" with "large" hitting cursor on all-star got me a couple really decent games.

I bet some people think there are not enough HRs. But, if you look at the stats being generated, it's very realistic. People are too used to the home run derby-type baseball games where the long ball is every 5th batter.

You are right about hitting you cutoff. But, it is very weird and seems to be very inconsistant. Sometimes it works for me, sometimes it doesn't. Why make it so hard to hit the cutoff guy? And why in the manual not mention anywhere how to hit your cutoff guy. But, at least I know I have a chance of hitting my cutoff guy when I want. :)

[heelfan71]

My settings:

All-star
Batting cursor: SMALL
pitch speed: fast
pitching cursor: OFF***
variable pithcing: ON


**** Turn the pitch cursor off. It makes pitching much more realistic. It feels funny at first, but you will get the hang of it.

[DT21]

Originally posted by heelfan71
My settings:

All-star
Batting cursor: SMALL
pitch speed: fast
pitching cursor: OFF***
variable pithcing: ON


**** Turn the pitch cursor off. It makes pitching much more realistic. It feels funny at first, but you will get the hang of it.
Wow, isn't that a bit hard?

[heelfan71]

Originally posted by DT21

Wow, isn't that a bit hard?

I am 15-12 with the Braves. Seem to be getting good stats too. I progressed to those settings, I was using medium cursor but I started hitting to good. If those setting are too hard, just lower the pitch speed and change the batting cursor to medium.

I would leave the pitching cursor off though.

[Bakeman]

So far I'm 7-2 with the Angels

Salmon has I think 2 HR's

Gil has like 3 and has the most on the team lol and only a .172 average last time I checked


This baseball game is the best I have ever played, usually I don't buy baseball games.. usually just rent once or twice, but I'm glad I picked this one up.


I don't remember what pitcher it was.. but after 2 games he was 0-1 and had an ERA of over 6 by far the worst on my team, so after I lost 7-2 to the Mariners I traded him away hehehe

all my games are pretty close execpt for that lost, and one of my wins

[robnyack]

All-star
Batting cursor: SMALL
pitch speed: fast
pitching cursor: OFF***
variable pithcing: ON

maybe I'm not good enuff yet, but small cursor with those settings gets me some pretty dismal offensive stats. For me, the large cursor mixed in with those settings is getting me a pretty good game. I am 25-22 with the Yankees.....9 games behind the hated Red Sox!!!! :mad:

Statistically, I am hitting .280 as a team (8th in the league), and ERA is 3.87 (5th in league). 3rd in HRs, 5th in RBI, 1st in SBs. Giambi leads my team with 12 HRs, ARod leads the league with 16. I really like these stats. Very realistic.

I agree...turn the pitching cursor off. Much more realistic. Like even Mike Mussina knows exactly where every pitch is going to go!

[Bakeman]

Game Difficulty - All Star

I just set it to All Star and left everything alone, so I do have the pitch cursor as I pitch.


Here is what my pitching looks like


ERA 2.01 ranked 1st
51 K's ranked 21st


I don't get many K's , maybe I should try with pitching cursor off..

ahh it's kinda scary thought though hehehehe..

[heelfan71]

By turning the pitch cursor off, I actually will walk a couple of batters. Also, I leave more pitches hanging over the middle of the plate, and the computer will make you pay.

But All-star level and pitching cursor off are the two most important settings. The pitch speed and batting cursor size just depends on you. Once you get better, just lower the hitting cursor and/or increase pitch speed.

[Muabdi'b]

When I play with a friend we found out the best combo is

Pitching speed: fast

Batting cursor: large

Pitching cursor: off

Variable: off (causes to many homers)

game scores are more realistic less hrs and more hits

Strikeouts are a little high (10-15 each) but what do u expect when your swinging at everything. Our Strike to Ball ratio is way too high. We are going to start the 3 ball rule. See if that helps the ratio.