Baseball is, at its core element, a simplistic game. It is too bad that so many console platforms have failed to realize that, and complicated the matter with idiosyncrasies that belie the game.

Take, for example, a single to right field. In some games, the hitter could be thrown out at first.

Not so with the Acclaim game, All-Star Baseball 2003, for the GameCube. This is a game that adheres to the fundamental joys of the game. It is too bad that it has other failings that cause it to deliver less than a full baseball experience.

The game does feature some very good animation, and some solid facial features for the players – yes, all Major League lineups are intact, as the current rosters are concerned – as well as batting stances. And care has been given for player statistical approaches to the game. But where the game falls apart is in the graphical interpretation of the game.

So much has been made of ‘neighborhood’ tags in the real game. You know, when a defensive player doesn’t seem to be on the bag, or the tag is a sweep rather than a real touch. This game takes that concept to an unreal level.

Though you see the initial action (as in the pitcher delivering the ball and the batter swinging) in real time, the replays don’t show the ball actually hitting the bat, nor the outfielder, or infielder, actually gloving the ball. It all just disappears as it gets close to the contact point. Fielders then go into a defensive (football) back crouch, awaiting the next order.

Nor do dugouts seem to matter. The batter hits a high foul ball. The first baseman drifts over to make the catch. Wait, there is a dugout there, where players are seated below the field level. But that first baseman drifts over the dugout, as though it was level ground, and makes the catch, apparently standing on top of the bench.

Juxtapose this with realistic batter behavior, and wonderful lighting effect, and you have a game that seems at odds with itself.

Thom Brenaman and Steve Lyons call the action, and the audio portion of the game is very good. There are times when the color commentary seems cliché and trite, but that is part and parcel of what is expected from a pre-recorded ‘for any situation’ track.

Now let’s get to the pluses of the game. There are several ways to configure the program, not only in the home run derby, the quick start, MLB play and franchise, but you can also configure the play action to accommodate those who may not want to dance the bat through the strike zone, or actually configure defensive positions.

The controls present another source of irritation. Your batter doubles, and is standing safely on second. The next batter strokes a single to right-center field. Of course, being a bit of a gambler, you send the runner racing around third to home. The toss from the outfield goes to second, where the baseman awaits the batter who has rounded first and is heading into a sure tag at second. So you hit the control to send the runner back. However, that also applies to the lead runner, who is almost at home. He reverses course and the second baseman fires to third to get the sure out. What?

At its core, baseball is a simple game, but it seems so hard to realize, with all its nuances, on any platform. Acclaim gives it a mighty effort, and does a solid job in most aspects.

The controls will take some getting used to. The manual might explain some of the refined aspects of the game, but fails to deliver the information in a simple, solid way. Gosh, how do you steal a base? Oh wait – it says Y button + control pad in current base direction. But the batter doesn’t swing. Guess that means hit-and-run or run-and-hit is out of the question. And if an opposing player tries to steal, even though the thrown is there in plenty of time, unless you move the second baseman toward the runner, he slides in safely, despite the fact that the defensive player appears to be straddling the bag.

This is definitely one of the better console baseball games, but it hasn’t quite hit the mark.

It would be easy to say that this is one of the best realized games on the market, but it still has a ways to go to actually depict the game the way it is played. In the meantime, give Acclaim some acclaim for making a game that looks good in the way it depicts the player animation, gives detail to lighting and the options package.

This program is rated for Everyone.

Install: N/A
This game will consume a lot of memory (up to 251 blocks on your card) in full season/franchise mode.

Gameplay: 8
This game moves through a game with the definite pace of a real game. You can shortcut the time frame, and the game does a very good job in realizing the flow of the game, as well as the attributes of the players.

Graphics: 7.5
A mixed bag here – the animation is very good (aside from the defensive secondary back – football – crouch), and you will be amazed at times by the way the players move.

Sound: 7
“That ball is hit so high, it has snow on it!” Come on, give us some original banter. The rest of the sound track contains the usual rhetoric heard in other baseball programs.

Difficulty: 7
This is a trial-and-error bit, simply because the manual does not give an easy-to-follow guide to the nuances of the game. The controls are set up in a very simple manner, which will enable most players to jump right into the game.

Concept: 7.5
This is the first game rendered for this platform in this particular genre. It has a lot of great options, and doest a solid rendering job.

Multiplayer: 7.5
You can play head-to-head against the platform’s AI, or you can challenge your friends. This game supports up to four players, and appears to do a very good job with the multiplayer aspects of the game.

Overall: 7
While this program does provide a better-than-usual baseball experience, some of the details are missing or neglected. Being a baseball aficionado, this game was better than most platform games played, but less that hoped for.