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When Xbox Live launched, it launched with a varied assortment of games, but one genre that seemed to be seriously lacking was sports. Xbox Live finally has a decent selection of sports titles online and now players can get their baseball fix with Inside Pitch 2003. Was it worth the wait? Read on and find out.

Inside Pitch is graphically well done. It doesn’t have serious innovations in the actual quality of the graphics, per-se, but more so in the area of the overall look and feel – the immersion factor. Player models are excellent, with a great amount of likeness to their MLB counterparts. They animate as smooth as one could ask. Each batter has his own unique stance, including foot motions and bat wiggles. This makes the players seem very much alive and while it may be a small detail, it really brings the game to life. The games stadiums are also just as impressive, boasting ‘jumbo-trons’, corporate logos, World Series banners and even a bit of a view. In the Skydome in Toronto, players get a nice shot of the CN Tower overlooking the stadium. Again, while it’s a small detail, I think it helps bring you into the game. The crowd in the game is your everyday, run of the mill cardboard cut outs, but they have small animations like the wave and it adds a bit more than your typical bland, nearly motionless crowds that we see in most sports titles. The games camera is automatic, switching at precisely the right time to different dramatic angles to let you get the best view of the action. When either batting or pitching, the game allows you to choose from 4 different camera positions and while the default one works best, it’s nice to be able to have a bit of variety.

Inside Pitch’s sound quality is superb. The games announcers take a turn for the best, and instead of your average late calling, slow on the ball pre fabricated announcer that sounds like a robot, the game features beautiful, seamless commentary throughout the whole game. The commentators can identify how many strikes or balls are on the play, how many players are on base, the type of throw the pitcher used, among many other various things. They are even able to keep track of how well your player did on his last time up to bat. The commentators never seem to miss a beat and it’s very impressive (and welcome) to finally hear some sports commentating done right in a video game. The game also features some nice sounds beyond the commentating, such as the stadium music. The game has it’s own array of music, but if you so wish, you can throw in your own tracks for a little personalization. When the music runs in between plays, it gives off a very realistic echo that makes you feel like you are sitting in a real baseball stadium, and the effect is rather amazing. Members of the crowd will cheer and boo along side the action, along with random quips from different people, poking fun at the batter if he misses the ball and such. The sound is another contributing factor that adds to the impressiveness of this game.

Simplicity is bliss in video games, and if that’s really true, Inside Pitch will have a nice spot in gaming heaven someday. The game allows you to play through the standard game modes, such as season, single game, but also adds in some nice extras like creating and training a player, tutorials, manage teams, hit a ball around in the home run derby, or of course, play on Xbox Live. The season will take you and your team along the road to the World Series, tracking every win and loss along the way. The in between games, players can check the latest news in the MLB gaming world, manage your team, check the game schedule, among other things. The season basically plays like a list of consecutive single games and there isn’t much to the ‘season’ except for the ability to compete for the World Series. When it comes to baseball, what more do you need? The gameplay is simple and effective and should keep even the most die-hard baseball buff more than satisfied. The pitcher can choose from any 4 pitching types and then, he can choose to throw for a ball, or strike and such. The batter simply hits the corresponding button (A by default) to hit the ball when the icon appears (letting the player know he can hit the ball). The game even tracks the throw speed of the pitcher, which adds for a nice authentic touch.

Inside Pitch 2003 is probably the most complete baseball game on the market today. It looks and feels like a genuine baseball game the whole way through. The inclusion of Live online play makes for an even more appealing overall package. Every baseball fan owes it to themselves to own Inside Pitch.