How is ASB 2003?

**DT21** · 02-28-2002

Anyone who has it, do they have the same problems as the previous versions?

**Horizon** · 03-01-2002

I just got it yesterday and I am loving it. Though I have not played the game religiously due to time constraints....I have played one game on veteran. Though I am not very good with ASB anyways....still getting used to the hitting scheme, in my first game against Baltimore with the Yankees, we were tied at 0-0 for the first 15 innings. I had to shut the game off cause I was beat and had to go to sleep. But I was quite amazed at the graphics and gameplay. I am not a picky person when it comes to baseball, and though I really wanted World Series Baseball ( i Cant wait till May) and it will probably be delayed to August knowing the past 2 WS games on DC that sucked.

One thing I noticed really cool was farm teams, and you can do callups during the season, I dont know if this was in past seasons, but it seemed like there was quite a bit of players to pick from.

One thing that irks me is sometimes they dont say ball or strike when you through a pitch , so you have to wait for the ball strike count to come back up on the screen.

I think its a easy purchase over TP which is not out yet. plus it has way better game play.

I say though rent it first if you are unsure.

**ssxtricky** · 03-01-2002

I will tell you something ASb 2003 is simply amazing and I think is by far the best baseball game out there right now, because for one thing it has every team mascot(never before seen in any baseball game) Another is Authentic stadium with authentic stadium sounds, For instance when you play at the Safe (Safeco Field) You can hear the train going by in the background throughout the game at random times just like in the real Safeco Field. Acclaim has hit a grand salomie with this baseball game cause it rocks THIS GAME IS A MUST, MUST OWN FOR ANYONES COLLECTION!!!!!!!!!!!

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT THE BEST BASEBALL GAME OF THE YEAR,
Note: THE GAME HAS OVER 500 MOTION CAPTURE ANIMATIONS AND OVER 300 PHOTO REALISTIC FACE CAPTURE ANIMATIONS

**robnyack** · 03-01-2002

i could care less about mascots. I want to know if the game is realistic.

High Heat baseball on the pc is the best baseball game ever made, period. I am waiting to see if any of these consoles games can compete.

**robnyack** · 03-01-2002

i jsut got home with it, and my initial reaction, and still way to early to make a final judgement, but, my initial reaction is ....snoozeville.

**DT21** · 03-02-2002

Originally posted by robnyack
i jsut got home with it, and my initial reaction, and still way to early to make a final judgement, but, my initial reaction is ....snoozeville.

Could you give reasons why?

**Horizon** · 03-02-2002

Yes what is your reasoning.....

I think its a well made game so far, from what I see.

**hellfire** · 03-02-2002

Originally posted by Horizon
Yes what is your reasoning.....

I think its a well made game so far, from what I see.

what is the gameplay like? how realistic is it? just wondering, because If I cannot find more opinions on this game, I will just buy it anyways, so If it totally sux I gotta know. Of course, software ect. will take games back within 7 days for full credit either way, but I NEED A BASEBALL game. I have been dissapointed ever since my purchase of that POS WS2K1 for DC - what a debacle.

**robnyack** · 03-02-2002

those comments were very early first gut reaction to about 3 or 4 innings of play. I now have played about 6 games worth in franchise mode as the Yanks. Here's my take, so far.
There is good and bad.

First the bad.

1) Where are the player ratings?????? If I want to pinch run, and I go to my bench, where the frig is the speed rating??? How am I to know if Joe Shmoe is faster than the guy I want to pinch run for??? Same with pinch hitting and setting your lineups..... Contact hitting rating. Power Hitting rating. vs Lefties, vs Righties. and on and on and on. Baseball is all about matchups and stats and numbers. Where are the stats and numbers?????

2) an overall lack of excitement. the crowds in every game act like it's the expos/marlins late in the season with each team 30 games out of first place. polite applause when someone is introduced, a couple seconds of excitement when the hometeam does something (hr, strikeout, etc) and then right back to the Toronto Blue Jay home crowd syndrome...SNOOZEVILLE. I mean come on, let's add some ecitement to the **** game. How about if you are at yankee stadium and a yankee hits a HR, the yankee bells go off? Or if you are at Comisky and a White Sox hits a homerun, the fireworks go off. I mean come on, gee wiz. This is friggin elementary here. Instead, every HR is treated the same way. A couple canned cliche` remarks by the annoucers and that is it.

Example: I am at home playing the Orioles. I am down 7-1, doing nothing the whole game. I get a rally going late, by the 8th inning, it's 7-5, and I hit a 2run homer to tie it up. What does the crowd do? The same exact thing it does if you are down 20-1 and then hit a solo homer. About 2 seconds of crowd excitement and then right back to snoozeville.

In the same game, I throw a guy out at the plate. Nothing. I men come on, that is one of the exciting plays in baseball...a play at the plate. What do you get.....nothing.

3) fielder control: there are 3 modes and anyone who knows baseball games will know what these are. "Auto" mode: cpu chases down and ctaches ball and throws ball to bases. it handles all the defense. "Assist" mode: chases down and catches the ball and then its up to you to do what you want with the ball after it's caught. "Manual" mode: it's all up to you. In this game, and it has to be a bug, the Auto mode and Assist mode are EXACTLY the same thing. The cpu does it all for you. So, really, you only have two options....auot and manual. Totally inexcusable.

Now for the good news:

1) the graphics are pretty nice. I would prefer some nice cut a away scenes for the replays, but, still the movement of the players is pretty smooth and realistic looking.

2) very nice batter/pitcher interface. nice pitcher controls, nice batter controls. I'd proably say they are excellent. Able to hit the other way, pull the ball, or hit straight away. Very nice.

3) alot of subtle controls that a good baseball game must have. Baserunning is taking some serious work getting it down, but, I like it. Every aspect of the game seems to be represented somehow with some control. Very nice.

From what I can see so far, overall, it's a pretty good realistic baseball sim. But, there are some weaknesses that just are inexcusable. So, at this point i could only give the game about a 7.5. A pretty decent game, but with some glaring inexcusable holes.

I'm very interested in hearing others comments on this game.

**hellfire** · 03-02-2002

Thanks rob - good breakdown. I mainly am getting the game to play a friend at, so maybe the crowd lack of enthusiasm won't bother me too much. Sounds like they ironed out some of last years games faults in the gameplay dept - but I can totaly understand how lame the crowd sounds, and I haven't played the game. Think I will buy it, and if I don't like it I will take it back within the week - but again - great breakdown, exactly what I needed as far as info on a game. I will post a review of it tomaro.

**AzureDrpTp** · 03-03-2002

I'd reccommend this game...

I haven't played any of the other titles (world series, high heat, etc...) So I can't do a complete comparison, but with what I've seen with this game, they'd have to be kick ass to beat this one. This is the first game I went out and bought without first trying it out, but that's just because I could't wait to play baseball on the xbox!

One question for those of you who have played it, in the back of the manual under "Hints & Tips" it says you can switch team uniforms by pressing the left trigger or the right trigger + either up or down on the directional pad at teh controller select screen. I've tried this almost everytime I've been at the screen and it doesn't seem to do jack. I've had the alternate uniforms just by chance on one game. Any of you have any luck?

**ssxtricky** · 03-03-2002

FOR FUTURE REFERENCE YOU CAN ONLY CHANGE YOUR UNIFORMS DURING EXIBITION MODE. I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO REVEAL A SECRET THAT I LEARNED HOW TO OBTAIN ALL LOCKED STADIUMS, HISTORIC PLAYERS AND HIDDEN STADIUMS.....

FIRST EARN 20 POINTS THEN SAVE OPTIONS, AFTER SAVING GO TO OPEN PACKS (YOU CAN STILL DO THE TRICK WITH 10 POINTS) LOOK THROUGH ALL THE CARDS, GO BACK THEN IT WILL ASK YOU IF YOU WANT TO SAVE CARDS PRESS NO, AFTER THAT IT WILL SAY ALL UNSAVED DATA WILL BE LOST (THIS IS FALSE) NEXT GO TO OPTIONS THEN LOAD OPTIONS AGAIN GO TO OPEN PACKS LOOK THROUGH PACKS AGAIN AND KEEP REPEATING OVER AND OVER AGAIN , AFTER AWILE YOU WILL HAVE ALL STADIUMS HIDDEN PLAYERS AND MUCH MUCH MORE. EVERY SPECIAL CARD IS PERMANATLEY STORED IN THE MEMORY SO EVEN WHEN YOU DONT SAVE REGARDLESS WHAT IT SAYS YOU STILL HAVE IT UNLOCKED. ALWAYS REMEMBER WHEN YOUU ARE ALL FINISHED TO SAVE YOUR OPTIONS , SO YOU CAN ALWAYS HAVE YOUR SPECIALS , HAVE FUN WITH IT GUYS.

ONE MORE THING DOES ANYONE HAVE A FAVORITE SECRET STADIUM??? PLEASE POST YOURS....... MINE IS THE LOCKO DOME BECAUSE I JUST LOVE THE WATERFALLS IT IS PLAYABLE IN THE WATER............HAVE FUN

**ssxtricky** · 03-03-2002

I WOULD LIKE TO REVEAL A SECRET THAT I LEARNED HOW TO OBTAIN ALL LOCKED STADIUMS, HISTORIC PLAYERS AND HIDDEN STADIUMS.....

FIRST EARN 20 POINTS THEN SAVE OPTIONS, AFTER SAVING GO TO OPEN PACKS (YOU CAN STILL DO THE TRICK WITH 10 POINTS) LOOK THROUGH ALL THE CARDS, GO BACK THEN IT WILL ASK YOU IF YOU WANT TO SAVE CARDS PRESS NO, AFTER THAT IT WILL SAY ALL UNSAVED DATA WILL BE LOST (THIS IS FALSE) NEXT GO TO OPTIONS THEN LOAD OPTIONS AGAIN GO TO OPEN PACKS LOOK THROUGH PACKS AGAIN AND KEEP REPEATING OVER AND OVER AGAIN , AFTER AWILE YOU WILL HAVE ALL STADIUMS HIDDEN PLAYERS AND MUCH MUCH MORE. EVERY SPECIAL CARD IS PERMANATLEY STORED IN THE MEMORY SO EVEN WHEN YOU DONT SAVE REGARDLESS WHAT IT SAYS YOU STILL HAVE IT UNLOCKED. ALWAYS REMEMBER WHEN YOUU ARE ALL FINISHED TO SAVE YOUR OPTIONS , SO YOU CAN ALWAYS HAVE YOUR SPECIALS , HAVE FUN WITH IT GUYS.

ONE MORE THING DOES ANYONE HAVE A FAVORITE SECRET STADIUM??? PLEASE POST YOURS....... MINE IS THE LOCKO DOME BECAUSE I JUST LOVE THE WATERFALLS IT IS PLAYABLE IN THE WATER............HAVE FUN

**AzureDrpTp** · 03-03-2002

Thanks SSXTRICKY,

I'm gonna try that out right now, I'll get back to you as what my favorite stadium is.

**ssxtricky** · 03-04-2002

Secret Commentary: To hear hidden Commentary and really funny stuff About the Austin DIngers that will just make you laugh go to the credits menu and cycle through with the d-pad or analog stick through the names and press A, You will hear some real funny stuff on most of the names.

Hidden Messages:On some of the Programmers names if you press the right trigger you will see some notes to the programmers girlfriends as well as some of their stories......

Ill bet their are more secrets if you keep experimenting have fun and remember you heard it hear first from XBOX ADDICT.com

GO MARINERS

**robnyack** · 03-05-2002

waterfalls???? pretty uniforms?????

there's no waterfalls in baseball!!!

there's no pretty uniforms in baseball!!!

**djgcue** · 03-05-2002

I started a full season in this game so far I played 11 games. Some of the MAJOR bugs I have found include:

1) When you hit the ball in the gap clearly an easy double your runner will just stop at first, its difficult to get your runner to go for the double. I've tried both using the left trigger with the directional pad and the Y button with the directional pad. I'va found that you have to press these corresponding buttons right when the runner gets to first, and be precise.

2) When batting its way too easy to take check swings even when you dont want to. It seems you have to smash the X button to get the batter to swing.

Other than these major bug I would say this game is greatly improved over last years version. I'm a huge baseball fan but the bugs in this game can get very frustrating and put the nicest person in a bad mood.

**robnyack** · 03-05-2002

i dont think the difficulty in running the bases is a "bug". It's more that it's just **** HARD to get the base running controls down.

As for the check swings, I kinda like that. You need to be able to check swing. Many games, as soon as your tap the button, you have swung. This reminds me of real baseball, the pitch looks good for a split second, you start your swing, and then you realize a split second later the pitch is not good. So you check your swing.

My only big problems with the game is the lack of stats.....baseball is a game of matchups and statistics. You gotta have player ratings. You gotta know how your guy hits against lefties or how your guy pitches against righties, or how fast your guy is on the bases. You just have to have this information. That's why HighHeat Baseball is THE best baseball franchise out there. Unfortunately, the jerks are only coming out on PS2. I will be buying the pc version of it though.

The other problem is the lack of excitement with the crowd. Seems such an elementary thing, but they just did not spen enough time working on this.

**hellfire** · 03-05-2002

agreed rob - croud excitment reeks on this game, but I also think the check swing is a good thing. Base running is tough as hell, but once you get it down it's not too bad. All in all, I would still give this game an 8/10 - good game, lots of replay/modes, and great to play with a friend.

**AzureDrpTp** · 03-06-2002

Hi SSX, I don't know, but I tried what you said... I got 20 points. Went and opened up 20 packs, backed out, didn't save, went to options to load, then went back in and opened up 20 packs again, backed out, didn't save, went back into options, loaded, etc... Over and over again and then finally after about doing it 8 times, I saved my cards and left. I didn't get a lot of the stadiums I thought I saw. Am I doing something wrong?

Also, is there a list somewhere with all the stadiums, teams, etc that can be unlocked?