PlayStation 1
Released in 2001 by EA Sports
Grade: C
Triple Play Baseball is certainly playable, but it’s (a) an awkward mishmash of simulation and arcade elements, and (b) quite ugly.
Where it falls in the series
Don’t be fooled by the title. This is the sixth and last installment of EA baseball on PS1. It comes after Triple Play 2001, which was released prior to the 2000 MLB season. This edition omits the year from the title, so that the next one would match up with the year of its release (Triple Play 2002 on PS2).
Praises and gripes
This game is a MASSIVE improvement over the last installment I reviewed, Triple Play 99. The pitching is totally revamped, complete with a bigger ball that’s easier to track, and it’s halfway to the modern system gamers have become familiar with.
You select a pitch type and a section of the strike zone, then press X or Circle for a strike or ball. There’s the optional “aftertouch” feature, allowing you to steer the ball after releasing it. I was never a fan of this unrealistic bit of wizardry in baseball games, and it’s not exactly easy to control either. Why didn’t they just go with the “move a cursor where you want to throw” system?
Hitting isn’t too hard, except on the highest difficulty setting, where the ball comes in extremely fast. Be sure to switch the default high-angle view to the better behind-the-plate option. You can opt for simple timing-based hitting or the advanced placement-based control. There’s an option to see your batting cursor, which is a comically big square that can only move to nine large areas. Although the game supports the analog controller, it was reasonable for EA to assume that many gamers were still using the old D-pad, so I guess this makes sense.
In the field, the action is uneven. The ball’s flight doesn’t feel natural, making it hard to know where it’ll land, even with the HUGE yellow marker. Collision detection is absent, umpires make questionable calls on the bases, and fielders are a pain to control.
I was frustrated by the CPU using the arcade-like “aggressive throw” to gun my runners down, but then I realized I needed to be tapping X for a “speed burst” to offset it. This adds unwanted complexity, the type of thing that later baseball games simply never bothered with.
Altogether, this game just feels out of whack. Is it simulation? Is it arcade? It doesn’t really succeed as either. I can’t imagine spending the time to master its illogical controls game after game, only to be disappointed by a lack of realism. It’s not immediate user-friendly fun either, too technically involved, without any charm that might sugarcoat the experience. It’s got jagged edges everywhere, spastic animations, and lifeless ballparks.
Developers were getting closer to quality baseball at this point in time, and this game represents a small step forward, but it’s a messy final product.
Published August 2, 2022