The player models in this game are simply amazing. From the movies I have seen each player is eerily lifelike in both the way they move and look. Whether it be arms, legs, heads or hands everything seems to be accurately proportioned. I especially like the way the fingers move when the batters are up to bat. Uniforms are detailed nicely and even show dirt stains throughout the game. When players step up to bat it’s like watching them at the park. Each has his own unique stance and for some there unique swings and follow-throughs. The camera angles in the replays are the best I have ever seen in any game. Check out the replay of Manny Ramirez hitting a homerun against the A’s. The replay that follows looks strikingly similar to a real game broadcast. Even if I wouldn’t have known Ramirez was batting, once I saw the swing animation in the replay it would have been quite clear that it was him. I can’t say enough great things about the batting stances and animations. The stadiums in this game are very nice as well. Each one that I have seen is a perfect representation of its real-life counter part. The lighting which is cast over the field gives the game that ballpark feel. The only thing I saw that hurt the stadiums was the crowd. The people in the stands look terrible and this might be the worst looking crowd in any game.
World Series Baseball 2K3
The graphics in WSB are nice and represent the game honorably. The player models seem to have a lot of detail to them especially in the uniform. The problem I have with the models in WSB is that they just don’t look real enough compared to the completion and to real-life players. Each player seems to be almost exactly alike in body shape and size. The only uniquely distributing feature is the faces of the players. What is it with everyone wearing the turtleneck undershirt? Another thing that bothers me is the reuse of animations from previous year’s games. By this I mean it is visibly evident that some batting stances and other motions have been reused from the likes of WSB 2k2 for the dreamcast. If you don’t believe me on this point then pop in WSB 2k2 and take it for a spin, then head over to the movies of WSB 2K3 and watch the hitting motions. Also notably bothersome is the generic swing animation for every batter. When a pitch come in the batters stance alters into a generic motion which is used when hitting that is separate from the batting stance animation. WSB 2K1 had batting stances with individual swing animations, not something generic for everyone. As for the stadiums they are nice to look at, but not the best of the bunch. The overall design is as some readers say “too cartoony.” They resemble the real parks, but not to near photo quality as some other titles out there. Overall the graphics are better then last years game. I am highly optimistic for the future of this series considering their great track record.
All-Star Baseball 2004
ASB has had some nice visuals throughout the years and this game is no exception. The player models when in the field and walking up to the plate look wonderful, but when they step up to bat they undergo a transformation. The players begin to look like “children.” No muscles are evident and the players seem small compared to the real-life pros. With that said the rest of the time the players are gorgeous to look at. Its strange but true. The stadiums seem to be the best representation of any game to date. Minuet details can be viewed all around the parks. From many angles the stadiums seem life like and near photorealistic. As for batting animations this game suffers the same disease as WSB with the generic swing disorder. If you forgot what it was, read the WSB section again to get what I am referring to.
Conclusion:
The ideas and opinions in this graphical “preview” are just my take on these games from the movies and screens that I have seen. Every person is entitled to his/her own opinion of things and this is my two cents. Take it as you will, but if I would have to pick a winner in the graphical department, “MVP Baseball 2003” would get my vote because I believe it provides the best representation of what a real game looks like. ASB has the best stadium models and although I didn’t go into it here WSB has the best presentation aspect of the graphics section. With that I leave it to you the readers to add your thoughts. Enjoy.
Please no harsh words...I wouldn't want this topic to be locked.
Oh and I really couldn’t make a judgment on the “field textures” of these games for those of you who where wondering about my lapse in including that aspect of the graphics. Thanks.
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