Gaming Target - GameCube: MLB Slugfest 20-04

Written by Tim McGrew on May 02, 2003

Full Review: It's Midway's sequel to its very own version of whacking day

Less than a year ago, the first version of this over the top Midway sports title, MLB Slugfest 20-03, was released to some rather positive reviews including one from yours truly. The game featured a bunch of new additions to the baseball medium that took the rather slow and daunting traditional gameplay style and improved upon it by throwing in full contact elements and players that flame up when they do well. Now that we've had some time to rip into its sequel, MLB Slugfest 20-04, it can be summed up as too little too soon.

That's not to say that 20-04 isn't a unique and fun take on baseball, because it is and even non sports fans who are critical of baseball and their games as being slow paced will find plenty to enjoy here as this game pretty much takes all the traditional rules of fair play and throws them right out the window. Fielders punch out runners, runners slide into other players forcing them to drop the ball at every turn and punch them in order to distract them Ц it's insanity at its finest and its pulled off to a genuinely excellent degree leaving enough room for those who prefer traditional baseball and its mechanics to also find some interesting details added to this title that naturally fit.

Other than the full contact elements and the fire mode, like other Midway sports titles, Slugfest comes complete with a turbo button that allows players to perform extra special actions that would be otherwise impossible in traditional baseball games. It's almost like an adrenaline boost of extreme proportions increasing your player's capabilities through throwing, pitching, batting, and running. It really tips the scale of the game as those who use it properly will definitely dish out far more then they take.

On the other hand, players who waste it away will have to find a method to refill it which is accomplished by excellent fielding, hitting, and throwing that benefit your team and the game they are having. The more insane abilities players perform, the more turbo meter will build and the more powerful your player will become as they slowly burst into flames with an unimaginable stat increase that would make even Sammy Sosa soil his shorts. That is, until the mode wears off through some means, but it usually lasts a great deal of time and benefits the team in every conceivable way.

Though the game is great for those who have yet to play 20-03, veterans of the previous game may want to rent this one since the changes are hardly worth the extra cash you'll have to put down to pick up this latest version complete with all the current roster upgrades and a couple of new modes and graphical alterations including brand new player specific stances, an 8 player Homerun Derby mode and the create a team option. Although Homerun Derby is a decent addition, it wears itself thin after a couple of tries. Create a team could have been something great, but the lack of true customization leaves it flat and unrewarding as a team of veritable superstars is relatively easy to combine and simply beat out every other team on a trip to the world series making the game far too easy.

Despite the few simple changes that set 20-04 apart from 20-03, the game still retains much from its predecessor. One of these features is the easily accessible controls and the pick-up-and-play gameplay style that really differentiates this game from other hard up simulation style baseball games bent on making everything as real and lifelike as possible. The liberties Slugfest takes coupled with the excellent control make this one entertaining to say the least not just by yourself, but with a friend as well which is where the whole chess game of full contact comes into play on a very wide scale.

The graphics in 20-04, like the rest of the game, have only changed slightly, which is definitely a good thing since the graphics of 20-03 were already quite good to begin with. Player models are well crafted and feature an excellent amount of detail, particularly in the faces. The player animations this time around are considerably more unique where 20-03 was rather stiff and disjointed. The particle effects from the fireworks blasting off after nailing a homerun are quite good as well as the flame effects from players who are on fire which are still basically the same as 20-03.

The biggest graphical leap in the game has gone into the stadiums which now feature fully 3D fans in the stands and a very high level of detail sorely missed in 20-03. The fields themselves also look excellent with high resolution textures that really bring the dirt of the infield and the grass to life. Though the game moves so fast you'll hardly have a chance to enjoy it, Midway has also included an instant replay system similar to other sports titles that allows you to zoom in, pan, and rotate the camera as you see fit and really examine the overall beauty of the completed visual production.

What stood out about the sound presentation from 20-03 was the commentary from Jimmy and Tim who make a return this year for 20-04 that will definitely get quite a few people laughing once they start in on their odd yet hilarious banter. It's easily the most enjoyable element of the entire sound presentation. Like last year, the rest of the sound package is standard unobtrusive fare with the basic yells and chants from the fans along with the traditional umpire balls and strikes phrases that are hardly terrible, but barely above average either. The commentary is truly excellent though, but after a couple of games in the field, players will run through their comments and can simply turn them off in the future.