Sammy Sosa High Heat Baseball 2001 - PC Games

Sammy Sosa High Heat Baseball 2001 has everything a hard-core baseball fan could hope for: accurate and comprehensive statistics, realistic plays, dramatic pitcher/batter matchups, and even a full minor league system to manage and call upon during the season. On the field, this year's High Heat looks better than previous incarnations, with more detailed players and a wider array of player animations (such as outfielders running into walls and diving players holding up their gloves to show that they caught the ball).

But the real appeal of the game lies in its accurate portrayal of the sport. Each game played in High Heat 2001 unfolds like a real baseball game, where bunts are just as important as home runs and starting pitchers don't always survive past the fourth inning. To win, players must think like a big-league manager and take care to bring in the correct players for certain situations. And as you earn that come-from-behind victory with a clutch RBI single in the bottom of the 12th, you can count on the game tracking and storing a wealth of stats for you to peruse after the game. In fact, you can check over a complete (and incredibly thorough) score sheet after each game and watch video highlights to see the big plays that affected the outcome.

Aside from a few graphics errors (such as huge green, untextured areas outside of some stadiums) and an intermittent bug that pops up when performing a double switch, High Heat 2001 is about the best baseball game ever produced. If you're into baseball for more than just home runs and strikeouts, this is the game for you. --Michael E. Ryan

Pros: Most realistic arcade baseball game on the market Accurately captures the strategic feel of a real baseball game Excellent statistics model Good, speedy pace to the game Cons: Graphics are still not world-class Play-by-play is lifeless and boring Occasional graphics errors and program bugs pop up