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The console baseball market has been blessed this year with several good titles. The Nintendo 64 only has one new baseball title, however there are three main titles available for PlayStation owners. Most casual sports gamers are familiar with the MLB and Triple Play series, but may not be aware that a series by 3D0 is coming in hard and heavy. It is tough to rival the many features and extras contained in Triple Play 2001, but if realistic baseball is what you desire, then look no further than Sammy Sosa High Heat Baseball 2001. It is my hands-down choice for "console baseball game of the year." Of course, keep in mind that no Dreamcast baseball titles have been released as of yet.

I was in the middle of a gaming marathon with a buddy when I first loaded up Sammy Sosa High Heat Baseball 2001. Admittedly, I was less than impressed upon initially playing this title. The graphics, while improved, will not knock the socks off anyone. Also, when playing head-to-head, gamers that are good at pitching will seriously frustrate the opposition. As with many games I have reviewed over the years, first impressions can be a poor indication of a game's worth. Fortunately, this reviewer spends more than 30 minutes with a game before writing a review. The following observations were made over the course of playing 75 games.

As already mentioned, the graphics in High Heat 2001 are not impressive. In fact, the player graphics look somewhat freakish. The models of the bodies are not that bad, but the faces look on the bizarre side. The players animate fairly well and the frame rate is fine. The stadiums look better than in High Heat Baseball 2000, but still leave something to be desired. There is several design flaws in the stadiums that make them fall a bit short of being true to their real-world counterparts. A nice touch in the area of graphics is the real-time jumbotron, which displays the action on the field as it occurs.

The sound department picks up where the graphics department leaves off. Very little is memorable about the sound. Ted Robinson handles the play-by-play announcing. While his commentary is accurate, it is dull and boring. Console sports games have come a long way in the past several years in the area of commentary. The commentary in High Heat 2001 has not come far at all. The crowd is equally unimpressive. There is simply nothing regarding the sound in this game to get the user excited about being in the ballpark. In commercials for High Heat Baseball 2001, Sammy Sosa enthusiastically says, "It's so reeeaaal!" A more appropriate phrase for the sound would be, "It's so duuulll!"

On the surface, most things about High Heat 2001 make it look like a mediocre game. However, when it comes to sports games, it is the stuff under the hood that excites me. This title's engine reveals a game that is high powered when compared to the competition. I have problems with a game such as All-Star Baseball 2001, where the fielders always throw to the lead base, or Triple Play 2001's ultra-ignorant hit/error scoring decisions. Such glaring issues are not very prevalent in High Heat 2001. The AI is solid. The fielders throw to the appropriate bases and the CPU base runners generally make smart decisions. I was initially dismayed to observe that the CPU runners stole bases far too often, but after some experimenting found that holding the runner on base with the pitcher significantly decreased the courage of the CPU base runners. When pitching in console baseball games, it is usually a good idea to hit the corners with low pitches. This strategy works to a degree in High Heat 2001, but will backfire once the pitcher starts to tire. It is a good idea to mix up speeds and location in this game over the course of the season, or else the CPU-controlled batters will eventually start to knock balls out of the park in a serious way. Aside from the solid AI, the gameplay is enhanced by an excellent sense of control. Fielding, batting, and pitching controls are responsive to user input, and make for a very playable game.

Several other aspects of Sammy Sosa High Heat Baseball 2001 are impressive. First, this game is fast. When trying to get through a long season, it is annoying to have to wait a long time in between batters, pitches, etc. High Heat 2001 can be set to absolutely fly. The user is given the ability to cycle through most extraneous aspects of the game, which allows for games to be played in less than 30 minutes. Second, the documentation is unusually good for a PlayStation sports title. Although the game is only one disc, it comes packaged in a two-disc case so that an extra strategy guide is made available. "Kudos" to 3D0 for the extra effort in providing the user with the extra manual. Finally, the degree of customization available in this game is nice. The gamer can tailor the gameplay and options to their heart's content. There is even a slider bar that determines the degree of simulation.

Sammy Sosa High Heat Baseball 2001 is the most realistic baseball game for the PlayStation this year. Its competitors offer better pickings in the areas of graphics, options, and sound, but they ultimately fall short in the realism department. That is not to say that High Heat 2001 is a perfect simulation, but it does offer an above average simulation of the sport (The award for best baseball simulation for the PlayStation goes to Hardball 6, which was released a couple years ago). Based on a simple average of the individual category scores, High Heat 2001 would not receive a very high score. However, I weigh the gameplay and longevity value of sports titles more heavily than other categories, thus the reason for the respectable overall score. Gamers desiring a more casual, arcade-style experience in a baseball game should steer clear of High Heat 2001 and give Triple Play 2001 a try. If a more strategy-based, simulation-type baseball game is your idea of a good time, then Sammy Sosa Baseball 2001 should be given a go. After all, "It's so reeeaaal!"