Baseball has always been hailed as “America’s Pastime”. It’s been around for years, has been played by just about everyone growing up, and has had a huge fan base and following. Anyone familiar with Midway’s “Extreme Sports” lineup including football and hockey will be familiar with the general idea behind Slugfest 20-03. Make a great baseball game, complete with all of the teams and stadiums, then give players the ability to take out their frustrations on their opponents not only on the scoreboard, but with a fist or foot in the mouth and back (to name a couple) as well. What has been created is a fun, funny, and downright painful looking gaming experience overall which will leave you rolling with laughter.

Anyone who has played a baseball game on a console system knows that control is a key factor in how much enjoyment will be found in the game. The Gamecube controller seems to be a perfect fit for this type of title, since each button is used and changed out automatically depending on what you are doing. While pitching, each one has a designated pitching style, like Fastball, Sliders, Knuckleballs, or Screwballs … then will change out for diving, throwing, or switching outfielders after the ball has been hit. While batting, each will allow for bunting, hitting or stealing, and everything is easy to learn and get into. The infamous “Turbo” meter and button are back as well (Always the R1 button), and is used not only to run faster, but also to hit harder and pitch faster.

So, with the exception of a turbo meter, what’s so different about Slugfest? Well, let’s talk a little more about the “extreme” side of things. In addition to the normal baseball functions above, there is also a punch / door kick button as well which is pretty self explanatory, and is very useful for not only getting out aggression, but for making big plays as well. For example, while at bat … why just stop on first base? Cold cock the first baseman and see if he drops the ball which gives you the opportunity to get to second. In addition, it allows for a more extreme style of those infamous “runner knocks over the catcher getting to home base” movie clips we’ve all seen, since you can kick the you know what out of him on the way in rather than just knocking him over.

Fear not if you happen to be on the pitching team, though … the batters don’t get to have all the fun. While pitching, you have the opportunity to cripple a potentially dangerous batter by using it not to punch, but to bean the batter with the ball. The area impacted is determined by the control stick, and will not only result in a funny scene of someone getting drilled in the head or leg, but also can reduce the stats of that player and cause them to run slower or bat a little worse that day. In addition, you can also use it to sometimes knock the runner off the base and tag him out while he wanders around holding his head, back, crotch, or face. It sounds kinda nasty … but it is part of the strategy and is funny as heck to watch as well.

Now, what Midway extreme sports game would be complete without the infamous “guy on fire” mode that we are all used to seeing? This one is achieved in a couple of ways, and also adds to the overall strategy as well. If two batters in a row make two hits successfully, they catch fire. In addition, batters may get enraged when getting hit with a bean ball, which makes them ignite and charge the mound, which results on a little payback at the expense of the pitcher. Fire not only gives them the ability to run faster and have the turbo meter stay full, but also increases the chances of causing a baseman to drop the ball when punched. While burning, the batter can also catch the ball intended to bean him and injure him, which then takes that option away and makes it a little safer for the team who is at bat.

Midway did a lot of things right with this game, including a good balance between simulation and arcade style gameplay. For example, many Madden people have complained about the “too arcade like” style gameplay of NFL Blitz. Slugfest has that same feel in certain areas, mostly in the fighting and turbo part, but they also did a good job in capturing a good baseball simulation overall which makes it more fun. The only complaint that I had here was in the difficulty, since I’m not much of a baseball game player by nature. Even on the lowest difficulty, I still found myself walking away a little frustrated after getting beat 12 – 2. After many late hours, however, I started getting into the whole strategy behind the turbo button and some of the more outrageous accounts of mayhem and began doing a lot better.

Graphically, Midway put a lot of time and effort into making this a good looking title overall. Both areas of backgrounds and character movements and animation look great … and the reaction players have to the pain of getting hit is hilarious. They do everything from holding their arms and heads to crawling limply on the ground when hit hard, and will grab various body parts that get punched of kicked. The crowd really does a good job of being believable, and fans can be seen clapping, waving their arms, or cheering overall. The boys in the dugout also move around, rubbing their hands together with anticipation or looking like they are cheering the team on. Sillier things like outfielders doing the splits and catching the ball behind their heads is here as well, and it seems like Midway left no stone unturned to make it look realistic and busy all around.

The sounds of the ballgame were captured here as well. Things like the crowd cheering or booing, the smack of the ball in a leather glove, and the whoosh or smack of a bat were done very well and are believable. The best part of the game sound, however, comes from the two announcers … Tim Kitzrow and Jimmy Shorts … who’s constant arguing and cheap shots at each other and the players are hilarious. They also tell some of the most outrageous stories about each other while the game is loading, which is not only entertaining … but makes the load time seem to go by faster.

Overall, Midway definitely did a great job on this title, and it turns out to be another homerun in the “extreme sports” lineup for the company. If you are a fan of Midway’s crazy, painful sports games, and are also a fan of baseball and baseball simulators, this should be a winner for you in your Gamecube collection. If you aren’t much into baseball, this one may keep you entertained for the “non baseball” parts of it, but the difficulty and game itself may tend to make it a short lived experience overall.  

Gameplay: 8.4
Easy to pick up and get into from a control standpoint. There are multiple gameplay options, options to increase or decrease difficulty, turn balls on or off for easier “all hits” gameplay, numerous unlockable options like fantasy teams and stadiums, and ways to make more of less innings to lengthen or shorten game time. The mix of simulation and arcade gameplay is very well balanced and enjoyable.  

Graphics: 9.1
Character models look great, complete with changing facial expressions and shadows from the lights or sky above. The backgrounds, crowds included, look great as well. No clipping or collision detection that I could see.

Sound: 9.2
Really sets the overall atmosphere of a baseball game, complete with crowd and organ music. The announcers really take the cake on this one though, and are entertaining and don’t get too repetitive.

Difficulty: Medium
The difficulty is adjustable, but even at the easiest play level can be frustrating to some who are not really savvy with baseball games. It took me a few tries and do overs to get the hang of it and not get destroyed by the opposing team.  

Concept: 8.9
Baseball with punches and kicks … who would have guessed? A great idea and great execution overall, and a good series entering into the extreme sports lineup. 

Multiplayer: 9.2
This is where Slugfest truly shines. Getting two people going head to head of course can be more fun, and will definitely extend the replay value of the game.  

Overall: 8.6
There’s not a lot that can be said about Slugfest that’s not in the positive side. Even though the game has a good mix of real and arcade, it may still not be what the simulation fan is looking for in a baseball title. Newcomers to baseball may get a little frustrated with it as well. Overall, this can also prove to be one heck of a fun game for the baseball or extreme gaming fan out there, and is definitely worth looking at for just about anyone.