World Series Baseball II

Sega for the Saturn

World Series Baseball II is easily the best baseball videogame yet for the home consoles, shining above Hardball 5 in visuals and Triple Play ‘97 in control. This is a fantastic game that looks, feels and plays like real baseball.

There many high points to this game, but first and foremost is its incredible AI. Baseball's one of those funny, inconsistent sports where even the best teams lose by 10 runs one night and win by one the next afternoon. You don't usually find that same variety in the videogame translations, but it's perfectly captured here. I won an 8-7 game in the playoffs, then I was shut out 2-0 in the next game. That, simply put, is baseball.

And everything else but cowhide is here, too: All 700 players, 28 teams and their ballparks in excellent detail, 1996 schedule and rosters with 1995 stats, stat tracking in 12 categories, a sharp play-by-play announcer and 5 modes of play: All-Star, Playoff, Exhibition, Home Run Derby and Pennant Race. You can even call up players from your farm teams and play with the 1998 expansion teams, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, creating their roster yourself.

The graphics are superb, with abundant animation and moves that lend great touches to the game... if your player makes a diving grab, he'll hold his hand up to signal the catch. The ballparks look great, although the fans are just a weird, flat optical illusion. The camera moves quickly to follow the action but doesn't disorient your control and you have easy, understandable control over substitutions, scoring and pitching.

World Series Baseball II is a must for any baseball fan. This is the most realistic and the most enjoyable baseball game out there, unifying the title for videogame baseball champion.

Copyright 1996 Hugh Sterbakov