| A sports nut, I’ve been playing baseball simulations since the days of Nintendo’s Baseball Stars. A testament to my baseball geek, I can still remember the cheat code that got you a team of All-Stars (L-R-L-D-D-R-U). Since then, I’ve looked for a baseball simulator that combined realistic graphics and lineups, a challenging game with easy to use controls, and sound that didn’t make me want to hit mute. High Heat Baseball 2004 is a big step in the right direction.
The menu screen combines high-quality still photos with the game options; the only odd choice is the menu in a circle shape rather than the obvious diamond shape. Off the “Game Options” menu my choices were Batting Practice, Home Run Derby, All-Star Game, and Playoffs. I started with the Home Run Derby on the Rookie mode, and chose two batters, five pitches each. By default, I ended up leading off with Barry Bonds. Graphically, the colors are rich and the stadium has excellent details. Bonds, however, is a tad robotic, especially in the face. Also, a relatively large oversight is Bonds’ lack of elbow armor. Stepping into the batter’s box, I of course swung at the first pitch. Bam! 421 feet to right center. Next pitch- same result: 457 to left. With Bonds, I went 5-5. Same with Luis Gonzalez. It’s just too easy to connect here. Halfway through Gonzalez’s turn, I was bored with the long ball.
The next turn was in Exhibition mode as my beloved Red Sox against the computer’s Tigers at Comerica Park. The High Heat team has been vigilant with the roster updates, including recent free agent pick-ups such as Jeremy Giambi, Todd Walker, and Gene Kingsdale on the rosters. Again, the stadium detail is excellent, getting most of the Comerica Park details right, including the statues in the outfield. The computer screwed up a bit, calling it a “great day for baseball in Detroit” when that statement couldn’t be further from the truth: it was nighttime, pouring rain, and the Tigers were playing.
Hitting here was just as easy as in the HR derby, with nearly every swing resulting in contact. After taking a 3-run lead on two homers, I decided to let my sixth batter swing at everything. I fouled the first one off, and sent the second into the gap in center. Never once did I aim my swing, and never once did I swing and miss. I went all the way through the order, and ended the inning with a 6 run lead. Offensive production is just too easy here, requiring no skill at all. Maybe that’s what I get for playing against the Tigers, but the Red Sox aren’t quite a powerhouse offensive producer. I would have preferred a bit more of a challenge in aiming the swings and connecting with the ball.
Pitching is based around one-button pitch selection, followed by a choice of ball or strike and direction. Even without an instruction manual, it was easy to figure out how to control pitch location. Another announcer mistake occurred when they called Derek Lowe a closer after he won 21 games, tossed a no-hitter and started the All-Star game last year. They got the rosters right, you’d think they could have given the man his due! High Heat provides simple defensive control, as well. A giant blue circle signifies the ball’s eventual location, and you simply maneuver the closest fielder into the circle. Anywhere within the circle will result in a catch, but be careful to be in the circle and not on the edge. The ball will drop at your feet, and you’ll face the shame of having the Tigers score on you.
I played a full three innings, and turned it off as the game on the rookie level was just too easy. I’d scored 13 runs on the lowly Tigers, and had sent five balls into the Comerica Park seats. For a pitcher’s park, this was too much. I moved up a level, and took the Seattle Mariners to play the CPU Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Again, the game grabbed all the new players. Leading off, Ichiro was hella quick on the base paths, and I did notice that the hitters with higher averages and HR totals (Ichiro, Cameron, Williams, Giambi) hit the ball further on average than the other players. Regardless of BA, it was still too easy to connect.
Visually, High Heat is terrific. It captures the stadium details, as well as many player nuances in the batter’s box and up close. While the players all look vaguely alike, they also look vaguely like their real-life counterparts. The sound is good, providing an excellent reproduction of the crack of the bat, along with an occasional heckler and shout from the bench. I thought the game controls were exceptional, especially the pitch control and placement. At game’s end, though, it was just too easy to connect, and that made High Heat just a little too Home Run Derby. Apparently, not all chicks dig the long ball. | 
