Gaming Target - Game Boy: Sports Illustrated for Kids: Baseball

Written by Matt Swider on March 27, 2002

Review: Not only isn't it a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit game, it's baseball!

Along with its new Sports Illustrated for Kids franchise, BAM! Entertainment has created two titles for Game Boy Advance, Baseball and Football. Like it's Football counterpart, Sports Illustrated for Kids Baseball doesn't feature a license, making it impossible for us to have actual teams, players or stadiums. This detail doesn't mean value of the game was sent back to the dugout, however many other aspects of this game are cause for SI for Kids to shrink to the minors.

When scanning the list of titles that have appeared on Game Boy Advance within the last year, it's obvious that there are few traditional sports games that have been on the winning side of success. The only other baseball title available that went head to head with the release of SI4Kids Baseball is High Heat baseball 2002. High Heat featured smooth, rich graphics, a number of play modes, and dull, but still detailed gameplay. Also, the fact that it has complete licensing of all the teams and stadiums makes it go a bit further as well. However, it all comes down to the gameplay of each, and like I mention High Heat has a tendency to become boring. So without these impressive features, can SI4Kids Baseball cause a big upset to win the game? Well, just like the celebrities that boxed on Fox, they all went home losers.

First at bat are SI4Kids Baseball's lackluster visuals. It reminds me of the days when I used to play the Bases Loaded series on Nintendo, only now compressed on the small portable. Playing a game with these dated graphics isn't the most pleasant experience, especially after coming off of playing High Heat's well rounded display. In its one defense, SI4Kids does contain a smooth 3D engine, however it doesn't make up for the bland presentation of its models. Each player has been paid little attention to and while the game isn't able to feature actual teams, it still should have made them look like real life, crisp people. When the ball is thrown back to the pitcher from first, it is trailed by smoke, however it doesn't look anything like that here.

Also, the camera angle, which stays at its boring position behind the plate most of the game, is extremely flawed whenever it moves into the outfield. Good luck attempting to track down your players when off screen in order to pick up the ball. High Heat has the definite advantage here, with smooth visuals and motions that are as natural as those seen in a televised baseball game.

High Heat Baseball doesn't exactly have a shutout game when it's matched up against SI4Kids Baseball. When it comes to High Heat's sound department, the game throws the ball in the dirt, whereas SI4Kids manages to make it up on the scoreboard with a solid amount of music and effects. Sure, there's not much, but High Heat mainly leaves players sitting in silence. Here, the crowd's sound is evident and the amount of yelling rises when a strikeout or homerun occurs. Between innings, some interlude music is played. Although I was hoping the music would continue throughout the game, you can't have it all. At least it's more than High Heat bats.

While sound might help some enjoy a game more, it can't hold the entire thing together. The gameplay seems trivial and boring, making it very hard for players to jump into and enjoy. Things are slow moving (slower than baseball even), with little meat to the game. Most times it's a pop out and rarely you'll see some action within. Also, not only is the gameplay dull, but it is plagued with countless problems as well. There's no way to catch a foul ball, players have trouble moving off the bases when attempting to steal, and the fact there's no pitching options make's you want to doze off.

On top of all of this, the controls seem to be configured for the gaming genius rather than a kid. Also, the AI seems to contain little Intelligence at all. At least they have the artificial aspect of things right, because the lack of license every baseball player is made up. It's somewhat laughable to see some of these names, as they appear to be randomly picked.