Midway games have certainly found a jewel of a
franchise
in the hardcore sports category. Games in this unique genre include the "NFL
Blitz," "NHL Hitz" and "MLB Slugfest." If you are a video game athlete, then
you
know these series of games break all the rules of sports. There are insane body
smashes and violence, players can go on "fire," perform stunts that make the
Matrix look like a training video for slinkys, and throw, hit, or pitch in
inhuman ways. Midway is proud of their sports games bully and now adds another
title to the list in Slugfest 2004.
Major League Baseball will never be the same. Coming off the success of
Slugfest 2003, Midway has upped the ante and upgraded SF2004 to fit the needs
of extreme video game players. While the real sport of baseball is slow and
moves at a tortoise's pace, SF2004 puts baseball in fast-forward. There is no
ball that you don't have a chance at hitting. So throwing balls and dragging
the game out is near pointless. There is also the option to shut off balls
entirely, speeding the pace of the game up even more.
The look and options of the game are excellent. All major-league stadiums and
current players are selectable; even a few extra and secret stadiums and
players can be unlocked. You can even build your own team, do a full MLB
season, challenge all 30 teams, and enter the Homerun Derby. The graphics do
well on the PS2 as well as the commentary, taunts, stunt catches, and
replay of earth-shattering homeruns add quite a bit to the game.
The game control is where many players will find problems, unfortunately. The
game does well when you are in control of offense and batting. It has
straightforward options and is simple even for a rookie. However, it is
pitching and fielding that present a problem for players. Like most baseball
games, pitching and fielding is perhaps the most important aspect of the game
but also the hardest to master, and SF2004 is no different. Pitching takes some
getting used to. Each pitcher has a different set of throws to master, and you
have to experiment and find your strengths. The fact that everything you throw
can be hit puts a damper on the pitching end. It almost says, "What's the
point?" Fielding in SF2004 is terrible. Player control is way too loose and
sometimes way too slow. Expect a triple if your opponent is able to hit the
ball between your outfielders almost every time. Diving and jumping catches
are hard to time, and sometimes the computer makes the wrong decision when it
tries to select the closest player to the ball. The infield
defense is handled like most other baseball games, but the computer also
sometimes makes the mistake of throwing the ball to the wrong base when you
tell it to throw to another. So if you have someone running home, you could be
seeing the ball flying to first base instead.
Overall SF2004 keeps with the extreme sport tradition with little tweeks here
and there. Midway has delivered a great follow-up to the Slugfest franchise.
With a little more work in the defensive end of the game, Slugfest could soon
contend with the all powerful EA Sports video game titles. On a personal note,
I love kicking the crap out of Ken Griffey Jr., the most overrated baseball
player alive. One day, I hope Midway releases a "Slugfest: Legends" game where
you can play as all the old favorite ball players and teams. I would love to
see the Babe and Mickey Mantle smack the hell out of each other.
___
Andrew "Shaggy" Kinback is Lord and Master of Whim PR and in his spare time, between innings with The Babe and the Boogieman, he is a staff writer as well.
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