Featuring four-time World Series Champion Derek Jeter, All-Star Baseball 2003 features many exciting new modes of play and options that deliver unparalleled hardball realism. Building upon proven success, All-Star Baseball 2003 combines the perfect blend of simulation style hardball for the baseball fanatic, with the ease of use for the casual sports gamer.
Amazon.com Review
There was a point in time when baseball video games for the larger, more powerful console systems made the jump from arcade action based loosely on the sport to more direct simulation. All-Star Baseball 2003 nearly makes that leap for the Game Boy Advance--it's fun, good-looking, and you'll be surprised at how much detail they've packed into the little cart. If you've played any of the All-Star Baseball games for the consoles, you'll be familiar with the controls. The 3-D batting cursor, which tilts from left to right so you can pull the ball or slap it to the opposite field, is the same, though there's no hit-for-power option. The game also takes on the series' cumbersome baserunning controls. It's difficult to pull off a steal, but it can be done--which is better than on most handheld baseball games. One improvement is the tracking system for fielders, which draws a yellow dotted line between the fly ball and your outfielder. This is a big help, especially for such a small screen. There's also an auto-fielding option for those who would rather not bother.
The game gets a lot of mileage out of the GBA graphics thanks to some nice 2-D backdrops of all the MLB stadiums. Just don't expect Nomar Garciaparra's typical antics in the batter's box or Jeff Nelson's sidearm delivery. You can play and save full or half seasons--simulating any number of these games--or simply play a three-game series. The game even lets you manage your lineups for regular and interleague play and set your pitching rotation.
The game suffers, however, from some poor timing. Like most ASB games, hitters are at a disadvantage, as the pitches come to the plate too quickly to get a good read on them. Also, throws are disproportionately faster than base runners--we were able to turn a double play before we even had the controls down, and numerous shallow outfield hits ended with our runner getting thrown out at first.
Overall, though, this is a great sports game for the GBA--a category that has been poorly served for the unit in the past. --Porter B. Hall
Pros: Great graphics Full-season play with auto simulation Team management functions, such as lineup cards and pitching rotations Cons: Cumbersome baserunning Odd timing issues
Amazon.com Product Description
This game features all 30 major-league teams and more than 700 players, all with official stadiums, logos, and uniforms. There are six game modes: exhibition, quick play, All-Star Game, series, home-run derby, and batting practice. Official in-game player trading cards (64 in total) can be earned by achieving certain goals, like hitting four homers in one game. You can trade and view these cards via a link cable. Other features include animated scoreboards and a battery save feature.
The season option allows the player to select a team and guide it through a year of baseball. A full season consists of 162 games, some against opponents in your league and some against teams in other leagues. However you can elect to play one of the other season mode variations. These include 162 games with an unbalanced schedule, 162 games with a balanced schedule, non-interleague play, 81 games (half season), three-game league (round robin), one-game league (round robin), 87-game round robin, and 29-game round robin. The current progress can be saved after every game either manually or automatically.
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