 Triple Play 2001 is EA Sports newest entry into the world of baseball gaming. Is this game worth your gaming money? You'll just have to read on...
Graphics
Triple Play has always shown us some pretty decent graphics and this years installment is no different. The graphics are crisp and clear with only a few jaggy edges. You are able to see everything from every batters custom stance to the names on their jerseys. The ballparks are about the same as last year but that's not a bad thing.
The presentation is great this year. There are great menus including tips while you're loading a game. This year they have also added big blue and red messages they stretch the full screen after you make a good play. They say things such as "STRIKE OUT" or "DOUBLE PLAY", to me this is a good feature because it adds more fun to the game.
Back again is the streak that tails-hit balls. As your ball flies through the air you'll hear a whooshing sound and your ball has a blue and red tail. One more thing that I think is pretty neat is that players argue calls. This adds realism and atmosphere to the game.
 Gameplay
What can I say, the controls are great like they usually are. EA almost always puts out games with good controls and it's not any different this time around. This game gives you total control of what you do. For example while pitching you are given a power meter which is not only effective but also easy to use. All you have to do is hold in either X (to throw a strike) or O (to throw a ball) then release it when it gets to the amount of power you want to use. When there are no runners on base the meter goes up slower since you can take your time. But when there are runners on, it goes up much faster since you must get the pitch off faster incase one of the runners decides to be a hero and steal a base. This is a cool feature that of course every baseball game should have and it can be disabled if you would like.
Another thing worth mentioning here is the Defensive POV cam. This lets you go into the players' point of view when the opposing player hits the ball. But, maybe the biggest addition to Triple Play is the large number of Legends Players. Yes, this means you can play against the best ever to grace a baseball field such as Willie Mays and Babe Ruth. So if you ever wanted to bring back "Murder's Row" here's your chance.
For some odd reason injuries are not in the game. I have no idea why this is but for some reason they didn't put them in. Statistics, which you have accumulated through a season, do not carry over into your career stats, which is a small drawback.
 Audio
Triple Play has always had, in my view, the best two-man commentary of any sports title. This year it gets even better! Do you remember how you heard the phrase "can of corn" over and over in TP98 and 99? This time you won't hear the same thing over and over again, thankfully.
All the wacky arcade type sound effects are back this year to add to the fun and silliness of the experience.
 Value
TP2001 is packed with enough options to make anyone happy. There are the legends players for one, in which you can actually put on your season rosters if you beat them in "Big League Challenge". You can set the derby on Extreme, by doing this you will play a normal derby but with one catch. In Extreme mode there are big and small targets beyond the outfield walls. The object is to hit the targets in order to get extra points added to your score.
A new addition to the franchise is the "rewards" system. Like in Madden 2000 you have to complete certain objectives in the game such as scoring a certain amount of points in an inning. By doing this you get things such as tiny players or big head mode.
Overall
Triple Play 2001 is a great combo of realism and silliness. It can make the casual or the serious baseball gamer happy in so many ways. With the plentiful amount of options and the best gameplay around this is easily a game worth taking a look at if you're a sports fan.
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 Reader Reviews
- N/A
| Score: |
| 8.9 |
| Gameplay |
| 9.5 |
| Graphics |
| 8 |
| Sound |
| 9 |
| Value |
| 9.8 |
| "With the plentiful amount of options and the best gameplay around this is easily a game worth taking a look at" |
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