Review

<p>All Star Baseball '99<P><br>When I first saw All-Star Baseball '99, I thought it'd be like NFL QBC '98: graphics but no gameplay. Well, I was wrong, and ASB '99 is presented with nice gameplay and some of the best graphics and animations of any sports game EVER. With tons of options, modes and beautiful graphics, all N64 gamers who love sports should play ASB '99. ASB '99 is as close as you can get and edges out Griffey but a little bit.<br><br>Graphics: 9.8<br>The graphics in the game are of course in the hi-rez mode, meaning that they look much better than any other game to date. The details on the players and the stadium models are done to perfection. I honestly can't tell the different between ASB '99's stadiums and the real ones. Acclaim did a perfect job in the visuals department. Also, the player animations are the best yet. The players run like actual players and make real, believable motions. Like when a pitch is pitched inside on a batter, he will suck in his stomach so he doesn't get hit. It truly is breathtaking. I sit in awe when looking at some of these graphics; they simply are magnificent. Also, batting stances are modeled very nicely as at least a hundred stances are in the game. It really adds some nice realism. <br>Music/Sound Effects: 8.8<br>Once again, Acclaim adds a commentary crew to their game, but this time it is MUCH better. The two New York Yankee announcers (one a commentator), make nice comments that sounds like they are, get this, actually announcing the game! The announcer names EVERY player, except those created. This is better than NFL QBC. Remember, "Number 22 hands off to number …"? No more of that. Also, the commentary is done very well, though some statements are repeated too often. "The perfect pitch in that situation" is said way too much, but other comments are said rarely and explained very well. I enjoy the commentary very much. The overall sound, music and effects are good also. The main menu music is nice for a change, and the stadium music (organ music) is very close to the actual thing. The "crack" of the bat and the yelling of the empires is good but not great. Griffey is a little better in the sound effects. <br>Control: 9.1<br>The control is VERY confusing at first. I suggest reading the manual as much as possible since there are tons of controls. Once you get them, they are great, as you can jump on the walls to make catches, making a sliding catch, and you have many different pitches to chose from. Though, it took me too long to figure out how to run, yes run, as it was confusing at first. The C buttons represent the bases and when pitching, what pitch you throw. The batting and pitching system is nice, but batting is more difficult at first. It takes time, but once you get it, you'll feel like you are a pro. <br>Replay/Gameplay Value: 9.0<br>The gameplay is here, but the replay could be better. ASB '99 has a create-a-player mode that really is nice and also a 4-player mode that is decent but nothing like other 4-player modes. You can have a season of many different lengths, playoffs, World Series, Home-Run derby and be the general manger (trades, free agents, etc.) Though, I have found that the replay isn't that magnificent as you will find the game to be frustrating at first. Once you understand the game and everything there is to it, the game is cake. The replay is hard to explain, as most baseball games don't have great replay. I suggest a rental to see if the replay fits your needs. <br>Overall: 9.0<br>All in all, ASB '99 is one hell of a game. The animation and graphics can not be beat by any other console sports game currently. Though the gameplay is also there. You must understand that the game is not for everyone, and a rental is the way to go. Is it better than Griffey? For most people, it will be, but still RENT THEM BOTH. Acclaim Sports has come a long way and they should be very proud of ASB '99. I smell about 750,000 of these being sold in the months to come.<br></P> <br /> <P><a href="mailto:tim@totalvideogames.com">Tim Clow</a></P> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p> <p>  <br /> <br /> <br />