by MIDWAY SPORTS
Platform:
PlayStation2
(38)Buy new: $35.95
75 used & new from $0.01
(Visit the Best Sellers in list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)
Who needs realism? While all the other guys slave away every year to make their sports games as realistic as possible, Midway has gleefully chosen to make the wildest, most violent, and arguably most fun sports games you can buy. Topselling games like NFL Blitz, NHL Hitz, and NBA Jam are annual tweaks on the nose of sports gaming, yet Midway has kept the games close enough to the real sports they model to justify the expense of real player and team licenses. MLB SlugFest is no exception. It’s a Three Stooges-style romp into Major League Baseball, and it's crazy fun.
Imagine our National Pastime with Bugs Bunny-style pitching, runners who think nothing about clocking the First Basemen to extend their hit into a double, and hot players who burst into flame when they're on a roll. If a pitch hits the batter he either charges the mound like the Hulk on speed, or he cries and crawls to take his base. Everything is outrageous and exaggerated, yet beyond the cartoon antics is a real game where skill with pitching and batting can carry you to victory.
All of the major league's players, stadiums, teams, and logos are in the game, letting you really put the smack down on your least favorite team or force a perennial loser to play like brutes. A home run derby mode lets you practice hitting the long ball. One highlight is the commentary, which is hilarious. It consists of one smart guy calling the plays, setting up a gravel voiced idiot for some off the wall comment. Whether it’s speculating how many candles you’d have to melt to make a wax Babe Ruth, or complaining about the taste of his third Styrofoam cup, the commentary is fresh, funny, and it takes quite a while before it gets old.
Solid baseball gameplay and strategy--amped up and turned all the way to "11"--is what MLB SlugFest offers players. It's a great way to spend a nice spring day; mix in a little violence and flaming baseballs with your peanuts and Crackerjack.--Andrew S. Bub
Pros:
- Great graphics and hilarious audio
- Solid baseball gameplay beneath the silly gimmicks
- Especially fun when played with a buddy
- Computer player uses too many crazy pitches and abilities.
MLB SlugFest 2003 uses advanced motion capture technology to clearly detail each player's facial expressions and reactions. The animations are so precise, gamers can view players on the field chewing gum, talking to one another and cheering for their teammates. While at the plate, gamers can dig in and unleash a mammoth blast clear out of the park. To add to the authentic baseball delivered in MLB SlugFest 2003, five-time MLB All-Star Alex Rodriguez will appear on the package cover and other advertising materials for the game. Entering his seventh full Major League Baseball season, the Texas Rangers shortstop also consulted with the development team on the game. Also stepping up to the plate is Roadrunner Records' recording act Dry Kill Logic, which recorded a hard-rockin', new millenium version of 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' to accompany the game's aggressive attitude and extreme-style play.
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