Sega Dreamcast's first baseball game a rainout

Jacobs Field is looking good

In this story: Simple but effective pitching, batting controls Graphical ups and downs Maybe next year RELATED STORIES, SITES

By John Robinson
CNN Interactive Nature Editor

Sega's long-awaited baseball game for the Dreamcast has finally arrived, and it's just in time for the second half of the major league season. But don't get your hopes up too high because World Series Baseball 2K1(WSB2K1) isn't quite ready for the big leagues.

The Sega Sports lineup to date has included great titles like NFL2K, NBA2K and the recent smash-hit, Virtua Tennis. As the first baseball game available for the Dreamcast, WSB2K1 had some pretty big shoes to fill in order to live up to the expectations set by Sega's previous sports games.

The best way to describe WSB2K1 is that it's a baseball game with an identity crisis. On one hand, it is a challenging simulation incorporating the subtle nuances of pitching and batting. On the other hand, it is an arcade-style game where the computer handles a lot of the decision-making to keep the game flowing.

	IMAGE GALLERY
Check out more shots of the game in action

WSB2K1's menu system is quite plain and not exactly overflowing with options as was the case with the other 2K games. There are three modes of play to choose from: Exhibition, Season or you can go straight to the Playoffs and see if you have what it takes to make it to the World Series. A Home Run Derby mode is unfortunately not available. On a brighter note, there is a comprehensive Create-A-Player mode in the General Manager menu. The General Manager menu also allows you to trade players between teams and put together your own lineup.

On the mound, a brilliant pitching interface allows pinpoint control -- once you figure out the pitches. There isn't any on-screen documentation telling you what pitch corresponds with what direction so you'll have to consult the manual or use trial and error. In addition, there isn't any way to use the VMU to choose pitches even though the game was advertised as having this feature on the Dreamcast Web site. Even so, choosing a pitch and contolling its location is relatively simple once you've played a few games.

Batting system is tough but fun

The batting controls are equally challenging and require great accuracy and timing, which is a good thing. Home runs are a rarity but when you do manage to crank one out, it is an extremely gratifying experience.

The thing that makes batting so hard is that you have to track the ball with the analog pad as well as swing at the right time. Sadly, you can't adjust the batter's position in the box, and you can't choose between contact and power swings. In spite of that, batting is still one of the game's stronger points.

On the defensive side of things, fielders are controlled automatically by the computer, though once your player catches the ball you'll have to decide where to throw it. Unfortunately, automatic fielding is the only option and may be a point of contention for those who prefer a simulation. There is, however, the ability to change defensive alignment for the infield and outfield.

Visually, WSB2K1 has a lot going for it. Every major league stadium is nicely rendered right down to the smallest detail. The players are also very detailed and move in a lifelike manner. The problem is, when the animations start or end, there is a short pause. Because of that pause, animations are something you have to take into account when batting and throwing because instantaneous reaction is not there.

While the players and stadiums are a sight to behold, the crowd looks like something straight out of the 8-bit era. The stands are filled with a flat crowd sporting what looks to be just a few frames of animation. One onlooker said that it looked like the crowd was simply blinking on and off.

The crowd graphics aren't a whole lot to cheer about

There really isn't a whole lot to talk about as far as the sound is concerned either. The lackluster announcer sounds like a robot and does a decidedly poor job of calling the action. And in-game sound effects don't help the aural mediocrity. The sound of the crowd is akin to a white-noise generator and a ball hitting a glove sounds like it was taken straight out of a bad fighting game.

The sad truth is that while WSB2K1 has gobs of potential, gamers have come to expect more from a next-generation sports game. NFL2K is almost a year old and even though it has some problems too it is a far better overall package than WSB2K1.

Admittedly, there are some wonderful moments of fun interspersed with the moments of disappointment and frustration thanks to the challenging pitching and batting systems. Perhaps if more time had been spent developing the finer points of this game, it would have been an instant classic. As it stands, WSB2K1 is a game that does little to fill the gap until WSB2K2.

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