Genre: Sports
Developer: Visual Concepts/Blue Shift
Release Date: March 11th, 2003
Really Needs: Online play
Preview
Thinking about World Series Baseball brings back memories of a different era in video games. The Super Nintendo and Genesis were out and about, with Nintendo and Sega going punch for punch in undoubtedly the greatest console war ever. Each console had its own exclusive series and games. Super Nintendo had Zelda and Mario. Genesis had Sonic and Phantasy Star. It also had the greatest baseball series ever created, World Series Baseball.
Those days are long gone now, and Sega isn’t quite the powerhouse team they used to be. With series being tossed around from system to system quite sporadically, fans usually have no idea what to look forward to next. Well, here’s the next thing for XBox and PS2 owners: World Series Baseball 2k3. The series hit its climax in WSB2 on Saturn, and has been on a downfall since. The Dreamcast brought the series back with online play, but the game lacked balance and like most DC games, was shunned by the mainstream market. Last year Sega Sports brought the series back again as an XBox exclusive title. While it looked fantastic, it still lacked balance and was loaded with bugs and glitches.
Visual Concepts has went back to the drawing board for 2k3, opting not only for a much deeper, balanced offering but to also make the title available for PS2 users as well. The game is set to boast presentation that would make the most hardcore EA fanboy wet his pants. Every player is set to have their own signature batting stance, and the pitcher animations are more lifelike than ever. Other changes include much deeper stat tracking and a refined franchise mode. Last years franchise mode would have been truly awesome had it not been weakened by weak trading AI and statistical glitches. Sega promises these problems have been fixed for 2k3 and it should make the game much better. Sadly, as of yet neither version has been confirmed to have online play. With so many of their other sports games online, this makes no sense and hopefully Sega will bring atleast one of them online.
With classic WSB gameplay, the absolute best baseball visuals around and the deepest franchise mode to date, WSB2k3 should finally be the game that returns this once great series to its former glory and will hopefully be the shot in the arm Sega Sports needs to get back on track. They face stiff competition with Acclaims always great All Star Baseball series, and EA is finally revamping their baseball series. All in all, should be a great year for fans of Americas favorite past time.
From SegaSports.com:
World Series Baseball 2K3 marks the multi-platform debut of last year’s must-have Xbox baseball title. The "King of Diamonds" returns stronger than ever and poised to make a run at a Yankee-like dynasty as it heads to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. And, just like the Bronx Bombers, WSB 2K3 spent the offseason improving what was already THE baseball franchise by adding an all-new ESPN broadcast presentation, more classic uniforms for every team, player-specific batting stances and pitching styles for Hall of Fame players, and historic ballparks. WSB 2K3’s unrivaled gameplay gives users what they asked for, including: a jump button for home run-robbing snatches and line drive-snaring grabs, user-controlled leadoffs, drag bunts, improved double play animations, power swings, and more. This year, WSB 2K3 is in a league of its own!
Feature List:
Classic Ballparks - Take the field in some of baseball’s most historic ballparks including: The Polo Grounds, Forbes Field, Shibe Park, Crosley Field, and Griffith Stadium.
More Retro Unis and Alternate Tops - Classic home AND away unis and alternate tops for every MLB team.
Hall of Fame™ Legends - Play as or against over 25 Hall of Famers featuring player-specific batting stances and pitching styles for the greatest to ever lace ’em up including: Bob Gibson, Mike Schmidt, Rollie Fingers, Stan Musial, and more.
New and Improved Animations - Home run-robbing snatches at the wall, line drive-snaring grabs, new double play turns, beaned batters charging the mound, drag bunts and even more player-specific batting stances and pitching styles.
Enhanced Gameplay - User-controlled leadoffs on the basepaths, power swing for aggressive hitting, and an all-new jump button for even more control in the field.
Weekly, Monthly and Season Awards - Multiple awards are up for grabs, from Player and Pitcher of the Week/Month honors to the serious hardware, including: Rawlings Gold Glove, Louisville Silver Slugger, Rookie of the Year, and MVP.
ESPN Broadcast Presentation - True to the sports fan, player introductions, game highlights, replays, scores, and more are displayed in the famous ESPN style.
