Oh my, how has the Triple Play franchise buckled and folded over the last couple of years in much of the same way Major League Baseball has. After promising a superior facelift in all aspects to last year's disappointment, EA Sports has delivered another waste of time Triple Play game. While a couple of issues were addressed, other areas of the game have fallen apart, primarily game play. Baseball without gameplay is like a Hamburger without the meat, the experience is tasteless.

The visual package here is a mixed bag. The 30 MLB stadiums have been re-modeled in precise detail including animated scoreboards that update real-time as the game progresses. The stadiums are that impressive that MLB licensed them to television coverage of many teams. I have seen Atlanta's TBS use the EA Sports logo and stadium renders to present starting lineups and detail stadium dimensions. It is unfortunate this attention to detail did not spill over into the player design and animations. While the developer did get rid of the lard players that were in last year's game, instead they have been replaced what look like a bunch of teenaged major leaguers. Body proportions to their real-life counterparts are missing. Players don't resemble who they should be and instead look like teams of midgets. The fielders move like they are jogging through wet cement and when they finally reach the ball they pause for no apparent reason before throwing it to the necessary cut-off man. To try and snag a long hit ball with finesse rarely occurs even when using speedy outfielders. On the positive side of things the commentary is now covered by long time sports veterans Bob Costas and Harold Reynolds. Since this is Costas' first time out in a video game it is quite obvious as his announcing does not come across real enough. It sounds very staged and he does not sound to be into the project. With some more practice he should fit well into the scheme of things.

The control has one interesting twist, players can move the player with the left analog stick and throw with the right. The action and rest of the gameplay is painfully slow and uninteractive. At times it seems as if the game could play by itself because the control is practically non-existent. Batting is too simplified. This is pure arcade baseball to the extreme with little evidence of simulation. It does not matter where the ball is placed, as each pitch is usually smacked for a double, triple or homerun. This is the usual formula the game takes. There is no skill in batting and no strategy in trying to use different pitches and pitch location. This is fine for children but even some we tested the game with found it boring.

The extra modes are also thin but include: Quick Game, Single Game, Season, Playoffs and Home Run Derby. You have basically seen everything that the game has to offer after one game. We are not sure who could endure a 162-game season at this slow pace. EA Sports did add in a very nice DVD bonus featurette which details the making of the game. After watching this feature it appeared they knew what they wanted to do but it got lost and discarded by the time the final product emerged.

If you are a baseball lover then you must go with this year's champ High Heat 2003. As for Triple Play 2002 try renting it for a laugh but let's hope EA Sports can turn this franchise around for next Spring.