High Heat Baseball 2002

After giving up on the PS2 baseball titles...I purchased HH2002 for the PC. From what I've read/heard HH2002 is a true-to-life simulation. I've been looking into buying "Out of the Park 3" which is a "text simulator." I decided that if I ever wanted to actually play though...I should get a game like HH2002.

As I said, I'm more in search of a true simulator than a arcade style game. I could care less about playing...I'm more into managing the team, etc.

The game offers both season and career modes. As well as exhibition, practice, and homerun derby. Ever played a season and gotten attached to your team.... wishing you could go just one more year? Well, in HH2002... You can continue your season right into a career.

Also, if you're like me and you are only interested in managing... but want to watch a game here and there to see exactly how your team and individuals on your team are performing... you can. You can watch any game in the season... or all of them. On the other hand... if you want to simulate right into the playoffs... you can do that too. The game will stop to tell you when players have been injured. You can also stop simulation at any time to look at your lineup, etc.

So far all the baseball games of the sesason that I've played... the negatives outweighed the positives. This is not true w/ HH2002 for the PC. Gameplay is outstanding. The game is NOT at all home-run heavy. I've simmed SEVERAL seasons now and yet to see anyone over 60 homeruns. (Nomar Garciapara had 59 and bonds had 60 out of the years I've played so far). Occasionally a play will hit for a slightly high batting avg. For example... I've seen a player in a full season bat over .400. However, this is possible.... it's been done before and could easily be done again I suppose. On the other side of things. Pitching is not as easy to control as it is in the PS2 version of AS Baseball but I think the interface is still adequate.

The whole layout of everything is perfect. Everything is drag-and-drop. Want to send your 3Bmen to the bench? Easy... drag a substitute over him. DONE!

The icing on the cake (In my opinion) is how the minor league system is setup. You control your AAA, AA, and Rookie A teams. (You just set lineups and rotation...and this can be done by the CPU if you so chose). Imagine, your star Left-Fielder is going to have to sit the next 20 days with an injured ankle. You go right into your roster and drag a new player onto your major league team. Simple as that.

Everything about this game makes it the best baseball simulator around. The overall gameplay of it (if you don't want to do like I do) is great too.

My only gripe with this game is: The graphics are nothing to write home about. The animations are pretty crappy (big deal) and the stadiums are a -little- on the plain side. But they are correct.

All in all, if you're as dissapointed with this years console baseball games... Head to your local software store and pick up HH2002... and prepare to forfeit your sparetime.

The Good!		The Last Word(s): You owe it to yourself as a true fan of Americas greatest sport to get this game. Hall-of-fame, player editor, all-star games, suspended players, mound visits, etc Make this the Baseball Game of the year. Final Rating: 90% Way Pimpy
Easy to USE. DRAG AND DROP!! Gameplay is as realistic as any game before it. Players arent hitting 5 homeruns in 2 games and 80 a year. cough triple play. ENDLESS ways to edit current players (including their name)
The Bad...
Animations are less than nice Although stadiums are correct in apperance... they arent "Beautiful"
The UGLY.
Nothing!!!

BY THE NUMBERS:

For those of you with too much time on your hands, here's the overly-complex system of how it's done:

Each game is given a rating from 1 to 5, with 1 being horrible to 5 being outstanding, in 6 different categories. We then take an arbitrary number from the deepest crevices of our ass (basically what we think the game deserves without averaging any numbers together), and then a GYEAH.com stamp quote. 1-10 (Pure Husk); 11-20 (DEAD); 21-30 ("companies" buttchild); 31-40 (Terriable); 41-50 (L.A. Clippers-ish); 51-60(Average as your girlfriend); 61-70(Coolio); 71-80(Way Pimpy); 81-90 (Hotter than Prison Sex); 91-99 (Iconish); 100 (GOD-LIKE). Enjoy.