MLB 2002
Score: 70% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: 989 Sports Developer: 989 Sports Media: CD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Sports
Graphics & Sound: Another year has gone by, and yet another version of MLB has come around. And much like the previous versions, MLB 2002 struggles to compete in several areas. First off, the graphics: where it looks like 989 Sports forgot about the visual content... again. Player models continue to look blocky and choppy from the large pixels, regardless of when it's in the batters box or in the field. The lack of definition in the player models is very apparent. The same cannot be said about the animations, which continue to be the strong point of the game. Whether the fielder is throwing from his knees, or robbing someone of a home run, the animations definitely are the highlight of the game. Much of the same can be said about the sounds of MLB 2002. The commentaries of Vin Scully and Dave Campbell sound like robots, and also skips at times like a record. The music is pretty much the same songs from the last few years, so you can definitely tell they're putting major effort into that. Also, audio levels are way off at times. Poor Vin and Dave try saying something, only they get drowned out by Aretha Franklin's Respect. The sound effects of the game are again right on, with the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd. The problem is, nothing changed at all from last year.
Gameplay: One thing I have always respected about 989 has been the gameplay provided. No matter how bad the game may look, I always enjoy the realistic style, like throwing from the knees, or making the barehanded toss to first. The rest of the attention to detail really upset me though. For example, I hit a Home Run with a length that read 316 feet. Not bad, except for the wall read 333 feet. It doesn't stop there, as I didn't find any rookies like Ichiro of Seattle or Rivas of Minnesota. But the biggest one that caught my eye was that the Milwaukee Brewers were still playing at County Stadium, not quite the same as the brand new Miller Park. Don't worry Pittsburgh fans, the brand new PNC Park is up and running. The same old eight modes of gameplay are back, with nothing new to offer. I'm speaking of course, of Exhibition, Spring Training, Season, All-Star Game, Playoffs, Home Run Derby, World Series and Franchise Modes. Exhibition and All-Star Game are your regular single game match-ups. Season and World Series take you through to the ultimate goal of one big trophy, only you go through more games with the Season mode. The Franchise Mode lets you be the GM, where you sign, draft and create players. The Home Run Derby is the same old derby, nothing new here. The highlighter, as always for MLB, is the Spring Training mode. This is where you create a player and take him through the preseason for a chance to make the club. If you've you played these before, you'll feel right at home.
Difficulty: The basic levels of difficulty for MLB 2002 consist of Rookie, Veteran, and All-Star. Simply put, the degree of pitching is what changes between the levels. However, pitching isn't the only variable to change. Should you turn off or on the Auto Fielding, Sliding, or Lead Off, all of those variables can change the name of the game, all to your liking.
Game Mechanics: The controller configuration is standard for MLB 2002, meaning each button has an action and a designated base. This all plays well into the Total Control Fielding, which allows you to dive, jump, throw and catch like an All-Star. The loading time itself doesn't take too long, along with the speed of the game. The other good thing is that the memory card has only a slight portion used. PS2: The only difference between the two consoles was the loading time, which only improved slightly. The graphics for MLB 2002 didn't change at all. Truthfully, if you've played this series before, you'll play the same thing with MLB 2002. Besides some slightly updated rosters, the exact same product that's been out for years is back in stores for another.
-Red Dawg, GameVortex Communications AKA Alex Redmann
MLB 2001 Power Play Sports Trivia