Triple Play 2001
a game by | Electronic Arts, and EA Sports |
Genre: | Sports |
Platforms: | PC, GameBoy Color, Playstation, PSX |
Editor Rating: | 9/10, based on 3 reviews, 4 reviews are shown |
User Rating: | 7.6/10 - 5 votes |
Rate this game: | |
See also: | Triple Play Games |
Overview
The Playstation has been around for a few years and I think Triple Play has been there since the beginning. I’ve owned previous versions of the game, most recently TP2000. So, what’s new with Triple Play 2001? Four stadiums are new to Major League Baseball and are in this game. TP2001 also has the exclusive rights to the 500 Home Run Club members and some other legends of the game, to name a few: Ruth, Aaron, Mike Schmidt, Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Reggie Jackson, and Mickey Mantle. Another new feature is the Defensive Point of View that takes the camera down to field level. This gives the player the experience of fielding pop flies and reacting to screaming line drives!
Gameplay
The folks at EA have done a good job translating the feel of a real baseball game into this video game version. The announcers, Buck Martinez and Jim Hughson, sound like real commentators and add to the game flow. They comment on the game, do an occasional gag product plug, and give situational information on batters, pitchers, and plays.
Controls are a strong point with most EA Sports games and this one is no different. I can’t think of any player controls this game lacks. Players can dive for balls, have a burst of speed, climb the outfield fence, and reach over the stands, into the crowd, to snag a foul ball. You can control everything or change the settings so the computer controls certain aspects. For example, you can turn on/off the "aftertouch" pitch control, have the CPU handle the base running or fielder control.
There are the usual game modes: a home run hitting contest, a legends homerun, full or modified length season play, playoffs, and world series action. This is a realistic baseball simulation -- the actions and movements of players look good, very lifelike.
Graphics and Audio
The graphics are clear and run smoothly. The players' heads have the correct faces plastered on the front. The swings, batting stances, and pitching styles are modeled off certain superstar players, so they definitely look realistic. The stadiums look good and besides the four new ones added this year there are also three "extreme" stadiums: Construction Site, Castle, and Living Room.
As for the audio, all of the sounds of baseball are in the game. The crowd will razz the players and even get together for chants! You’ll hear vendors and the p.a. announcer will warn the crowd about foul balls after you hit one. After striking out or a close play at the plate, players will be shown arguing with the umpires. These small touches help to recreate the baseball game experience.
Bottom Line
There are always pluses and minuses with buying a "franchise" or sequeled sports game that has been around as long as Triple Play. The good news is that you know what you’re getting: the graphics are the best for this console and they improve marginally from year to year, stadiums and game modes are added, and player animations and facial expressions are always being refined. The bad news is that you know what you’re getting (didn’t I just say that). In other words, are new rosters, players, stadiums and features worth the price of the game? You make the call.
Judging this game on its own merits, the graphics are great, the home run derby is fun, and the addition of home run legends is nice. The only downer is the long load times between different screens. In the past, this game has been hard to beat for the top Playstation baseball game title and I don’t think anything has changed this year.
Download Triple Play 2001
System requirements:
- PC compatible
- Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
System requirements:
- PC compatible
- Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
System requirements:
- PC compatible
- Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
System requirements:
- PC compatible
- Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Game Reviews
With a few exceptions, EA's Triple Play 2001 is largely the same as last year's blockbuster. Key new features include the MLBPA Big League Challenge. You compete as or against the greatest players of all time: Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson and several more. In addition, new player models better represent true-life sizes and facial features. Buck Martinez and Jim Hughson are back on commentary as well. Look for this Trey Arch-developed game in March 2000.
Overview
Baseball fans always look forward to spring with renewed hope and enthusiasm. Every fan’s favorite team is tied for first place and there are always some hot farm prospects pushing to get a roster spot. After watching a few baseball games I always seem to get the urge to play a baseball video game -- fortunately, there's usually a new one on the market to satisfy that yen.
I played Triple Play 2000 on the Playstation last year and the menus and gameplay are very similar in this game. So, what’s new with Triple Play 2001? Four new stadiums have been added to Major League Baseball and are in this game. TP2001 also has the exclusive rights to the 500 Home Run Club members and some other legends of the game; Ruth, Aaron, Mike Schmidt, Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Reggie Jackson, and Mickey Mantle, to name a few. Another new feature is the Defensive Point of View that takes the camera down to field level. This gives the player the experience of fielding pop flies and reacting to screaming line drives!
Gameplay, Controls, Interface
The folks at EA have done a good job translating the feel of a real baseball game into this video game version. The announcers, Buck Martinez and Jim Hughson, sound like real commentators and add to the game flow. They comment on the game, do an occasional gag product plug, and give situational information on batters, pitchers, and plays. Controls are a strong point with most EA Sports games and this one is no different. I can’t think of any player controls this game is lacking. Players can dive for balls, have a burst of speed, or climb the outfield fence and reach over the stands into the crowd to snag a foul ball. You can control everything or change the settings so the computer controls certain aspects. For example, you can turn on/off the "aftertouch" pitch control. You can also have the cpu handle the base running or fielder control.
The game has four difficulty levels and also has a separate hitting difficulty level so this is one game your skill level will never outgrow. However you shouldn't limit yourself to playing the computer; this game is also a lot of fun when played against a friend. If you can't get together in person then you can hook up and go head to head over the modem or Internet. I did not get a chance to try this out, but it looks pretty straightforward.
There are the usual game modes: a home run hitting contest, a legends homerun, full or modified length season play, playoffs and world series action. Trades are done by player ratings. A nice feature is that you don’t have to get these ratings to match before executing a trade. Your team balance is just docked or credited the difference between the players in the deal.
Graphics & Audio
The graphics are clear, run smoothly with no glitches or hiccups, and are impressive. The players' heads are still a little too blocky for me, but at least they have the correct faces plastered on the front. The swings, batting stances, and pitching styles are modeled off certain superstar players, so they definitely look realistic. The stadiums look good and besides the four new stadiums added this year there are also three "extreme" stadiums: Construction Site, Castle, and Living Room.
As for the audio, all of the sounds of baseball are in the game. The crowd will razz the players and even get together for chants! You’ll hear vendors and the announcer will warn the crowd about foul balls after you hit one. After striking out or a close play at the plate, players will be shown arguing with the umpires. These small touches help to recreate the baseball game experience.
System Requirements
Minimum: Windows 95/98, 166 MHz processor, 32MB RAM, 4x CD-ROM/DVD-ROM, 2 MB AGP or PCI video card with DirectX 7.0a compatible driver, 65 MB free hard disk space plus space for saved games, DirectX 7 compatible sound card, keyboard, and a mouse.
Recommended: Pentium 300 MHz, 64MB RAM, 8x CD-ROM/DVD-ROM, 155MB free hard disk space plus space for saved games, 3D graphics accelerator, and a Win 95/98 supported 10-button gamepad.
Bottom Line
PC baseball games always seem to have an advantage over their console counterparts. The graphics are better, the load times before games is ten times faster (over Playstation, though that may not be the case with N64), and the game usually packs in more stats and added features. This is all true again this year (although the Playstation 2 may swing the pendulum next year, especially in the graphics and player heads/polygon area). If you have a PC and also have a PSX or N64, buy the PC version of this game. You won’t be disappointed. This is one of the best baseball games you can get your mitts on.
People say:
To sports fans, baseball is bigger than the action on the diamond, it is a universe unto its own. PlayStation baseball games have always been able to deliver one piece or another of that universe, but never has one delivered it as completely as Triple Play 2001. Whether you want to dive into baseball's past by playing with 20 of the all-time greats (such as Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron) or play a quirky off-shoot of what might be the future with the Extreme Home Run challenge, there's something in Triple Play 2001 that will appeal to every level of fan. Topping off all its features is a well thought-out rewards system (similar to Madden 2000's Madden Challenge) that unlocks new codes when you compile gaudy stats, giving you all the more reason to perfect your game and pile it on. The game itself excels in just about every way: The presentation is superb, thanks to some great visuals, fast-paced action, and good-humored quips from the colorful commentators, while the gameplay moves along at just the right pace. While there are some occasional lapses in Triple Play's realism that result in fielding errors and an occasional pitch that will make you shake your head in disbelief, EA Sports has created the best console baseball game out there in terms of game-play and overall package by far.
Ever since the World Series Baseball days of the Genesis, I've scorned all baseball games which fail to use some kind of cursor/batter's box interface. Hitting in Triple Play 2001 is more guesswork and less of a "real" experience. Pitching also suffers a bit, as it seems you throw to a general area rather than spotting your pitch. TP 2001 is more of an arcade-style slugfest and should not be played by sim-nuts like myself.
Folks, the great power pitchers in the wonderful game of baseball do not throw 106 mph fastballs. And on bloop singles over the first baseman's head, the right fielder does not become a spectator. If you're up for a sim-style baseball game, don't waste your time on this dud. Triple Play 2001 might wow some with their graphics, but outside of hitting home runs with the icons from baseball's past, this game can stay in the box 'tit PS2 comes to town.
I'm a big fan of this game, but I have to admit the pitching is not as accurate as I'd like. I had a tough time placing the ball exactly where I wanted it. That's the main gripe, I'm pleased with everything else. The Big League Challenge and new Legend players are definitely cool additions. On top of that, the graphic detail both in the players and the stadiums has improved a lot. OK, just one more complaint, at times it seems just a hair choppy...