Inside Pitch 2003

Xbox review by Chris Lamanna - Tuesday 24th June 2003

Mmm, the auroma of popcorn and crackerjacks in the lower tier. The cigar smoking, alcoholics sitting in the far away bleachers. A huge field of green fills your view in front of you. The players take the field and the fans get on their feet to root for their home team. This is our past time! You can hear the singing throughout the stadium... "Take me out to the ballgame..." Or not. Okay, so video games don't feel like your actually at a baseball game. But hey, we're getting there, and Microsoft's Inside Pitch 2003 will try to give us that feeling this year.



Microsoft has been rapidly releasing new sports games on the Xbox market. Now, they have decided to try a hand at a little baseball. Well, their sports titles haven't been that bad so far. It seems like a good idea. But finally, what baseball fans around the world were waiting for! A baseball game with LIVE capabilities. Inside Pitch 2003 gives us just that!

When you pop in Inside Pitch 2003 for the first time, you will find some similarities, and some differences. The game's opening video is amazing, put together with an outstanding rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". Not a bad start. Then the menu comes up. Hmm... looks slightly familiar, doesn't it? Oh yeah, it's practically the same one used in all Microsoft sport titles. Well, now that we have that out of the way, let's get into the game!



The game starts with a little opening presentation from your commentators and a fly in view of the stadium. This is the jaw dropping part! Never, in any game, have the ballparks been so beautifully done! And unlike other sports games, the advertising billboards are actually real. The grass textures are unbelievable, and you do actually feel like your riding in a helicopter over the stadium. Now, the gameplay actually starts. The players take the field, and you wonder, why the hell do the players look like crap if the stadiums are beautiful. That is a normal comment. If you remember from Fever and Inside Drive, Microsoft was never really great with the player models. The faces in the game aren't that bad, some actually look very well done, while others look like a five minute blob drawing. You have to admit though, the players don't look like they weigh 300 pounds anymore. Just one question. Why aren't there any players in the dugouts?

Your sound for this game really is a mixed bag. The at bat music is very repetitive, almost causing you to turn off your speakers all together. They don't even play music when you hit a home run or make a good play. The action sounds aren't that bad though. The catch and throws sound normal, just like a real baseball game, but the sound of the bat sounds like someone slapped a couple of two-by-fours together. I was very happy to find that there isn't a bursting sonic boom when you hit a home run like in other games of the past. *Cough* Triple Play *Cough*. The announcers do a splendid job! They announce every action and movement occuring in the game. They are also great for giving you stats and some inside information about the teams and their players. Thank god these guys didn't try any comedy routines during the game. I think they should stick to broadcasting!



Even the biggest baseball fan will not be a fan of the controls in Inside Pitch 2003. The controls are very different from many baseball video games. They are also not very responsive when fielding the ball. Sometimes it can take two or three pushes of the button to throw the ball. It's a very good thing that Microsoft decided to add in the thumbstick option. What does this do? When you catch a ball and you want to throw it to a base, you have the option to use your right thumbstick (you use the left one to move your player). You swing your right thumbstick towards a base and it will throw it there. Right = 1st, up = 2nd, etc... There is also pressure sensitivity, which means the harder you use the thumbstick, the harder the throw, and vice versa. Hitting should be a breeze for even the novice gamer. You use A to swing, tap it to check-swing, and Y to bunt. Seems simple now, but the even the best gamers may get frustrated here.

Now we get down to the most important part, gameplay! This is the part where Inside Pitch either win or lose the fans. The skill modes used in this game are very realistic to their meaning. The hardest skill gives a very good challenge that's very difficult to beat. The pitcher/batter interface is one of the best we have seen in years. You are given nine areas of the plate to swing in. Depending where you move your thumbstick, your bat will aim for that area. Just beware, that it is very hard to layoff pitches and switch zones after the ball is pitched. You either guess right, or guess wrong. Like most other baseball games, you are given two hit type choices. You choose from contact and power. Power is more likely to fly out, since home runs don't come easy on any skill level of this game. Batting may seem hard at first, but a little practice and patience will have you on the road to success.



The defensive and pitching style of play may be what gets you frustrated the most. Pitching is pretty simple. You pick your pitch (out of two, three, or four choices) and then select an area of the plate to throw it. You can do a variety of things with your pitches. You can change the desired area during the windup, you may hit the batter, or intentionally walk him. Be careful when choosing to hit the batter, the umpire loses his patience very easily and will throw you out after you've hit two or three batters. Also, when intentionally walking, make sure you know the speed of the runner first. It is almost impossible to catch a fast runner stealing, while average and slow runners are usually easy. As long as you have good reflexes. Fielding may be the most difficult and weirdest part of the game. Players seem to dive ten feet for a ball, and act very sluggish to your controls. Throwing is a pain in the neck, one tiny mistake and you could lose the whole game. There's just one thing missing. WHERE ARE THE REPLAYS? If there is one thing you need in any sports game, it's replays, how could you not have any? Microsoft, shame on you!

There are many things you are able to do in this game. Of course, you can just do a quick game against the CPU or another player on the same Xbox. You can do a fully customizable season including playoffs, or just skip the season all together and go right to the playoffs. But where's the franchise mode? There is nothing wrong with having a baseball franchise mode, another con to the game. There is a brand new feature called Championship Challenges. You are put into past baseball situations and you get points for completing the challenge to a certain level. These are some of the challenges: Break Nomar's seven RBI record on his birthday; break the tie in the MLB All-Star game with only one inning left; and much, much, more! Home Run Derby is always fun. Nothing like playing to see who can hit the most dingers out of the park. However, what makes this baseball game different from any other... is LIVE online play.



You can do a many number of multiplayer modes. You can play against people next to you, connect two Xboxes and play system link, or go LIVE. I was able to get this game when it first came out. I went right to the LIVE lobby, but to find no games. This was disappointing, but it the next couple days I found more and more games. Now you can usually find at ten games available at one time. There are many connection problems in the game, and players who disconnect or cheat don't get a loss. Rest assured! A patch for the game is coming very soon. The game also keeps very thorough online stats. Other than wins, losses, and disconnects, it keeps batting average, runs scored, home runs, and so many more I can't count them! I'm definitely glad there's a communicator. This game can get pretty damn boring at times, but talking to others while playing will keep you awake. Roster updates and downloadable stadiums will also attract more players. LIVE play will definitely add to this game's replay value for many people!

As you can see, there is a lot to do in this game. Many modes to keep you occupied for at least a month. If you have Xbox LIVE, you can double or even triple that number. You may not fancy the controls in the game, but the gameplay ain't that bad. You just have to stick to it and put some more practice and effort into it. Just be patient when playing this game. Remember, baseball is a slow paced game, and can get boring at time, but you'll get better the more you play it. "For it's one! Two! Three strikes you're out! At the old, ball, game!" Now sing happily and buy it already!

Thunderbolt score: eight out of ten

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