High Heat MLB 2002 Review
HHMLB is the first “true” sports game to arrive on the GBA system and as such, it is more then a game….it’s baseball! First thing on the agenda is to notify you that this game is far from being the perfect sports game for all fans. All baseball purists out there (and we do know you’re out there) will be devastated when they get their hands on this game, as it lacks the true depth it should have. Controls for fielding are best left at “auto” and although batting gives you a fair amount of control (more later), your team, while batting still feels at the whim of some rather questionable AI. All the mind games of stealing, sneaking, and deep field fly balls was lost, and it was extremely hard to tell when there was a safe base to have. Unless there are complex inputs required for slides and head drives documented in the manual which some people forgot to read, then forget about it, because as hard as I tried, I couldn’t get my batters to hustle between bases.
While at the plate, you can now control how you want to hit the ball alot more than the standard smash-or-bunt we have given for so many years. By holding up (on the d-pad), you can really give it everything and try and heave it out of the park….or pop it into the outfield. Hold down (on the d-pad again) is more of an active bunt - full control, but your hit distance is still in the diamond. Certainly a feature that brings more to batting than simply timing.
The graphics will certainly catch your eye, all the players move very fluidly (although sometimes they seem tiny), camera panning following the ball without a hitch. Unfortunately this game is one of the “dark breed,” so make sure you have a good light source if you want to play the game, otherwise you’ll go down to the optometrist faster then you can say “permanent eye damage.” In fact, the whole presentation is done very well, speech is super crisp; surpassing that of Mario, and the umpires always have plenty to say. Interestingly, toggling the music “on” in the options made absolutely no difference whatsoever (end of discussion)…could be one of those review code things. This did leave it sounding hollow at times, with only the sound from the crowd being a roar as the ball went over the fence.
Longevity shouldn’t be a issue at all either…. apart from the obligatory Exhibition and Season modes (complete with 162 game option for the really twisted amongst you), there are also Playoffs, the always enjoyable Home Run Derby, and a Practice mode to get warmed up in. Add in all the American teams and players, and you have one tasty little package. If baseball is your thing, and you enjoy a engaging simulation of the real thing (with portability to boot!), then you shouldn’t even need to think about this one. If sport never really inspired you, well then, you should get out more!
Visuals: 7.5
Sound: 8
Originality: 8
Replay: 8
Overall: 8