VIDEO GAMES
Play gets rough in baseball 'SlugFest'

By Marc Saltzman
Gannett News Service

The crowd goes wild

That's the over-the-top game play in Midway's "MLB SlugFest: Loaded," a new baseball game that emphasizes arcade-style action over traditional sports simulation games.

Now available for the Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation 2, the title includes outrageous features such as turbo-speed running, trick pitches, players who burst into flames, humorous off-topic dialogue between commentators and unlockable characters, including some from Midway's "Mortal Kombat" games.

Players can "hard tag" runners — punch them in the stomach as they approach the base. Hmm, perhaps this is why "MLB SlugFest: Loaded" is the first baseball game slapped with a "teen" rating on the box.

This game is not for everyone, but its approach adds some refreshing zest to a sport that is a little too leisurely for some sports fans.

Intuitive play

"MLB SlugFest: Loaded" is a breeze to pick up and play, so there's little need to open the manual. When batting, an on-screen legend tells you what buttons to press for a hit, power hit or bunt. Similar color-coded options make it easy to pitch a fastball, curve ball, changeup, sinker or trick pitch.

In the outfield, you simply push the left analog stick to have your players run toward the ball. Once the ball is snagged, a push on the right analog stick has your outfielder throw the ball to the desired base. The players in the game respond quickly and accurately.

While "SlugFest" is more of an arcade title, Midway has added a deep franchise mode to this year's version. Gamers must select a Major League Baseball team and play through multiple seasons while managing everything from drafting, trading and releasing players to selecting the batting order, pitching rotation and on-field positions.

Head-to-head matches over the Internet are available for both consoles, but the Xbox Live service (sold separately) offers a beefier experience thanks to its customizable online tournaments (consisting of four, eight or 16 teams) and voice chat support, which is perfect for trash-talking opponents.

Graphically, the game is impressive. Animations are fluid and the player models more or less look like their real-life counterparts. The 2-D crowds aren't as appealing, however, because they resemble paper cutouts. But if you're staring at the stadium instead of the ball, you're not in the game.