All-Star Baseball 2004 (2003)

Developer: Acclaim Studios Austin
Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment
Platforms: Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2
Genres: Simulator, Sport
Rating: 2.0 of 5, 2 player ratings

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A steady, familiar baseball simulation that feels like a minor league refinement of its predecessor — comfortable and functional rather than exciting.

simulation-focusedmethodicalsports routinefamiliariterativeaccessiblemeasuredgrounded

About

The 2004 installment in Acclaim's long-running baseball series. The game features more than 80 new features and improvements, including a deeper, more customizable franchise mode. The biggest change comes in the interface. You still hit the same buttons to swing, bunt, steal, and field, but the batting cursor has been visually altered. It's still the same triangle shape as before, just with a different outline. Bunting is more unique, though. Instead of aiming the cursor when you go to bunt, a large arrow points on the ground. Aim your bunt in the desired direction and hope for the best. Fielding has also received a slight change, with the ball cursor changing color. Four up to four players.

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More by Acclaim Entertainment

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.