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Platform: Xbox Genre: Sports Publisher: Microsoft Developer: Microsoft Game Studio ETA: May 2003
Related Links: Review: NBA Inside Drive 2003 (XB)
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Inside
Pitch 2003
The
crack of wooden bats can be heard and the smell of well-oiled leather
gloves wafts through the air of Florida and Arizona. Yes, it's that time
of the year again, spring training, as Major League Baseball players are
in full swing of getting game-ready for the upcoming 2003 season. So
naturally it’s time for the newest wave of baseball video games to
come up to bat. New this year for the Xbox is Microsoft’s own
first-party title, Inside Pitch 2003.
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Microsoft
is no stranger to sports video games, having already established its NFL
Fever and NBA Inside Drive series. Being a rookie in the baseball gaming
field, however, it will be worth seeing how Inside Pitch 2003 handles
the pressure. But the biggest news is that the game will be Xbox Live
enabled. Here’s
the official release from the Microsoft bullpen: Microsoft Game Studios announced its first baseball title for the Xbox video game system, Inside Pitch 2003. This Xbox Live enabled title will begin turning double-plays, throwing |
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brush-back pitches and clearing the
fences for the 2003 Major League Baseball season. Nomar Garciaparra will
appear on the cover and serve as spokesperson for Inside Pitch 2003.
Joining the All-Star shortstop on the "Inside Pitch 2003"
roster is the top broadcast team of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. Garciaparra
participated in an in-depth motion capture session, while Buck and
McCarver recorded more than 25,000 lines of dialogue, play-by-play,
stories and insight for the game. Buck and McCarver will also take fans
back to relive and participate in key moments of the 2002 season. "I've
always wondered what it would be like to have my own video game,"
said Garciaparra. "Microsoft Game Studios has done a great job
capturing the way I play baseball. From my routines at the plate to my
plays deep in the hole, Inside Pitch delivers the goods." Gamers
will be able to create their own superstar, hone their baseball skills
and challenge their friends online using Xbox Live. Want to learn how to
play the carom off of Fenway Park's Green Monster? Inside Pitch 2003
will include special training sessions for each position to help gamers
perfect their baseball skills. In
addition, the exciting Championship Challenges feature offers gamers the
chance to reproduce some of the greatest feats of the 2002 season and
determine if they can match or surpass the performances of some of
today's most talented stars. Features: Championship
Challenges put gamers in actual memorable situations from the 2002
season. Gamers can try to break the 7-7 tie in the 2002 MLB All-Star
Game where some crafty base running and a key hit will avoid the
stalemate, or surpass cover athlete Nomar Garciaparra's three home-run
and 8 RBI day on his 29th birthday. Online
features using Xbox Live allow gamers to download content such as new
stadiums and roster updates, track their online win/loss record, batting
and pitching stats and view opponents' stats for matchmaking purposes. Inside
Pitch 2003 will allow gamers to use their created players, augmented by
success in the training sessions and the Championship Challenges, to get
the upper hand in online competition. Online
voice communication during gameplay will increase the importance of a
tough mental game, as top competitors will undoubtedly be vocal about
their success. Single-game,
season and playoff modes allow gamers the opportunity to guide their
teams against a number of worthy opponents. Home
Run Derby mode allows gamers to test their power and coordination in the
popular All-Star break contest. The
Training Tracks mode enables gamers to bolster their created players by
participating in 18 different fielding drills, five different pitching
drills and six different hitting drills.
Inside
Pitch 2003 is packed with features, and with veteran series like
Sega’s excellent World Series Baseball 2K3, High Heat 2004, All-Star
Baseball 2004, MVP Baseball 2003, and MLB Slugfest 20-04 set to take the
Xbox baseball game field, Inside Pitch certainly has stiff competition.
Both NFL Fever and Inside Drive are only okay games that don’t measure
up to their respective competitors, which could be cause for concern as
to how good Inside Pitch 2003 will be, considering it’s coming from
the same developers. But baseball’s a whole new sport and it’s a
whole new season, so Inside Pitch 2003 could be the dark horse contender
of the year for Xbox baseball fans, especially considering the game will
be Xbox Live compatible. We’ll
see sometime in May if Inside Pitch 2003 is good enough to be this
year’s rookie of the year or if it needs to be farmed out for some
more developmental seasoning. - Lee Cieniawa (March 22, 2003) |
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