Sports Reviews

Okay. I like this game, but I'm only giving it 3 stars. I'll explain why in time. First off, most of the hype is true. This game does have an extensive list of wrestlers, both to start with, and to add to with hidden characters such as HBK Shawn Michaels. Second, a number of new match types to enjoy including: TLC, HIAC, Casket, Iron Man, Slobber Knocker, Ladder, and Table. Third, the Create A Wrestler combines the what I felt were the best features of WWF Attitude (the appearance menu), with the best features of the first SmackDown! (the ability ratings and move lists). Fourth, the computer AI has increased; no longer do your opponents stand around and take a beating without attempting to fight back.

So why only 3 stars? Well, I loved the first SmackDown, and in my opinion the folks at THQ went and tried to fix things that weren't broken for SD2:KYR. In other words, they really changed the Season Mode. In SD1, matches that you weren't involved in and didn't want to watch, were skiped in just a few seconds. In SD2, you get to look at close ups stills of the faces of the combatants in the match and watch as little life meters ala fighting games like Street Fighter slowly dwindle away until one person is named the winner. You might as well just have them fight the match, since it would be more entertaining now that the computer controled wrestlers are smarter, and actually try and fight. Another difference in SD2 Season mode, is the CAW characters. You can put a CAW character into the season mode, and choose to play as him or her. But as far as I've seen, that doesn't happen. With the character I made, he was not put into any matches during the season, only showed up to run in on computer vs computer matches (that were not skipped over), and when he did run in, I didn't have control over what he did, no matter how many times I pressed select to try and get control.

So, if you thought the best part of SmackDown was playing your own creation in season mode, stay as far away from SmackDown 2 as possible. Otherwise, this is a game that you should really pick up.

Smackdown 2 has over 60 wrestlers including The Rock, The Undertaker, Kurt Angle, Rikishi, Trishetc and there is abut 15 hiddfen wrestlers incuding HBK, Stone Cold, Billy Gunn, The Stooges, Mean Street Posse, Debra ,Mick Foley , Cactus Jack, Micheal Cole and more. Other Hidden Features are WWF New York, TLC Match,Tornado Tag Table match and a Iron Man Special Guset Referee. The new matches includes Hell In a Cell, Table, Ladder,casket,Hardcore Tag,Hardcore 3 way and 4 way dances,etc.And people are saying it is impossible to put your created wrestler in the events, it is easy, all you have to do is go to ranking, then go right till you find "Others" then go down and your created wrestlers will be click on him, then go left till you find the title yoyu wanna go for and just click X. Its that easy. The CAW is the best ever with tons of moves and body parts. There is even Jeff Jarrett's and Goldusts head in the original section. Alos you can make the old undertaker (The Phenom). And if you go to original on the upper and lower body section and go to the bottom, there is the costumes for Jerry Lawler, Andre The Giant, Bob Backland and Sgt slaughter. even when you do the auto setting for moves and go to superstars' at the bottom is all of there moves. At some events your opponent gets injured by somebody and you have to fight an unknown Person e.g "Unknown H". if you beat them you get some different moves like a scoop reverse ddt,plus all the moves are real wrestlers moves from other fed like WCW, ECW and Japan. Just go searhes for smackdown 2 sites on the web and you can find out who they are.Also The Season mode is not that bad it is just pointless when you skip a match, that it shows a pic of both wrestelrs and the energy bars go down .What is the point!

I've been a big fan of wrestling for pretty much all of my life, but I'd never really played any of the games. Well, I was over at my new friends house one day, and her brother was playing this game. I asked him if Trish was on this, and he said she was. Then I asked if I could play, and he said yeah. After this, we ended up becoming really good friends. I went out and bought this game a few months later, and it was always in my Playstation.

Now, onto the game. Sure, the graphics aren't as good as the SmackDown! games for PS2, but for Playstation, they're pretty damn good. You've got tons of Exhibition mode matches. Singles, tag team, hardcore, anywhere fall, handicap, King of the Ring, Royal Rumble, survivor, and special matches. The special matches are TLC, Casket, Cage, Hell in a Cell, I Quit, Iron Man, Ladder, Special Referee, Table, and Slobber Knocker. More then enough to keep you occupied for hours! You can also have title defenses in Exhibition, something you can't do in the next three :( Also, there are over 50 superstars to choose from!

There's also Season mode, where you can go through the WWE, and win matches, unlocking new superstars, create parts, and more along the way.

Then there's Create mode, one of the best things about the game! There's Create a Pay-Per-View, where you can host your own 10 match pay-per-view! The improved Create a Superstar mode gives you complete control over how you want your superstar to look, and is one of the best things about the game. You can also Create a Taunt, which allows you to create taunts for your created superstar to use. There's also Create a Stable, which allows you to form tag teams and stables, that have special entrances when they come out together.

The last two modes are Ranking and Belt Holder. All you can do is check who ranks where (which is determined in matches), and who holds the belt, how long they've had it, and the history of the belt.

So that's about all of it. By the way, once you get used to the controls, this game isn't as hard as you would think. So, if you own a Playstation, and you're a fan of wrestling, or any kind of game like this, you should buy it. You won't be disappointed!

While I still play this more than most of my Game Boy Advance games it is a little disappointing.Yeah yeah yeah the speed is excellent and its pretty fun but thats about it.Its really not as good as any of the other F Zero games Ive played and I think its because of a poor soundtrack.I really liked the music in the past 2 F Zero games but the music here was just too bland and it was mostly drowned out by the sound of the vehicles engine.I know that a soundtrack isnt everything but to me it adds more fun to the gameplay.Hopefully the new F Zero game coming out in September will be better but if you play your Game Boy Advance a lot and like racing you should still buy it.

Well, what can I say - I bought the Game Boy Advance early at an import store and payed the rediculous cost of (price) two months before it came out and saw it on ebay for significantly less. But I needed a game, and the one that I figured would need the least reading (being a Japanese imported game in Japanese) was this racing game. There may be some differences between this and the American version, particullarly in the difficulty. The Japanese game is HARD. After beating the first 3 tournaments made up of 5 races on three different difficulty settings, it finally gives you a new tournament and new cars which aren't incredibly much better than the ones you start with. The (rumored)highest difficulty setting hasn't been reached as far as from people I know because all you get for beating the 4th tourney is another difficulty level. But all in all, this game's graphics and sound really show off the power of the system. I've seen Mario Advance in action, but this game really blows it away. There is a lot of pixelation as things get closer, but that can be expected. Why didn't Nintendo put a 3d chip in their system!! Well, hope you like this game and keep your eyes open for Sonic Advance!!

First of all, I have adult hands so the first time I got this I hated the way my hands felt from the controls on the Game Boy Advance but ever since I bought the new Game Boy Player and use the Game Cube controller things have changed. The controls are better,the game looks better and my thumbs dont hurt anymore.
Plus there are 3 difficulty levels and 3 classes of races. The graphics arent anything to write home about but the speed sure is.Its a ridiculously fast arcade style game and its a lot of fun. It seems faster than F Zero X on the Nintendo 64 and its the most addictive game available for Game Boy Advance/Game Boy Player. I recommend this game to people who love cars and speed.

I was truly dissapointed with this game. For one thing the computer defence is unstoppable. For antoher, the gameplay is too slow and that makes running plays both difficult and boring. If you have played other football games(i.e. NFL Blitz Pro) you would find that it is much better because of the fast gameplay. And another thing, making players and teams gets old FAST. I thought two cool features were that you can make a playbook and that you can do mini camps. Despite some entertainment, this game is not worth buying. I suggest you pick your football video game out very carefully before you purchase it. Thanks for reading.

What's not to like about Madden? Well I feel that there are still flaws in the gameplay that have been around for the last 2 years that haven't been fixed.
1) Fieldgoals and punts by computer. The computer is money all the time. 58 field goal in a blizzard with a 15 mph cross wind? No problem. The football doesn't just creep over the bar either , it clears by 20 yards! I swear the computer could hit a 70 yarder. This is unrealistic.
2) Blocking punts or field goals. This is impossible. I have never seen this on PS2 and I play alot! Given that this is quite a regular occurence in the real game and was possible on Sega genesis version of Madden in the early 1990s this is rather strange.
3) Hard too run between tackles. Good yardage in this area is still tough going. I can't remember the last time I ran over a linebacker and busted a big gain down the middle. You always seem to get gummed up behing your offensive line.
4) Have you ever seen a defensive lineman engage his opposite number and then immediatly fall backwards on the ground with his legs and arms in the air like a dead ant? This happens frequently, especially on pass protection. Often 3/4 of my defensive line are on the ground a second or 2 after the snap!! You would think they were 150 weaklings.
5)Wide receivers still not able to get good separation from dbs. Often u will connect on a long pass as your man gets behind db, only to be tackled after a step or 2. There is not enough YAC.
If they could fix these problems I would have given it 5 stars. However the game has been improved in many areas , and overall is more realisitic. Still worth it.

With the exception of an utterly confusing combine system, the point of which I still havent figured out, this version is hands down the best ever.

The Good:

1) They implemented a challenge system, that unlike last years braindead version is INTELLIGENT and at times dramatic. The officials will miss calls from time to time that can swing a game and its up to the player to maintain a sufficient level of awareness to pick it up and throw the red flag.

2)Admittedly I thought they still hadnt fixed the problem of impossible to cover computer recievers after playing through a frustrating season, but I realized that you have to draft or sign wisely and let the computer control pass defense for you until after the ball is caught, picked off or dropped. If you let your DB's play they make quick cuts, knock down balls, and jump routes for picks on a realistically consistent basis.

The bad:

1)Player progression is solely based on production so if you run four wide alot or want to have a balanced run/pass attack your probably not going to build alot of superstars over time. You have to focus your offense on a few players or they wont get the numbers every year and their stats will stay mediocre. Worse yet, if a player doesnt have superstar production his stats will decline even in his second and third years. If you draft a player and he sits behind an established starter for the whole year you may as well cut him because he'll get -5's across the board during the offseason player progression.

2)Just like the last two years DT's and DE's will probably get between 5-10 tackles a year which is ridiculous. My entire defensive backfield has 50+ tackles a piece but Michael Strahan has 4. Same with pancakes (Computer controlled lineman has 70, your best guy has 1).

Other than that stuff the game is very balanced and realistic.

This will also be my review for every subsequent SmackDown! game. After WCW started to lose popularity, THQ started to do WWF-themed wrestling games. When it did, even beginning on the N64, there were hints that they were turning what was a good system into complete crap. They finally succeded (so to speak, if that was their actual intent) when they started the SmackDown! series. I have no problems with the graphics, the entrances, or the sound in this game. I have the biggest problem however with the gameplay and how the game controls.

First off, they gave the game arcade style feel and controls. Big mistake. They also made it more like the actual show: you have to continually punch the guy before you can start doing grappling moves. I may be in the minority, but constantly punching a guy gets old fast. I want to be able to start throwing suplexes and hitting piledrivers right off the bat. Secondly, the game's A.I. has gotten extremely intelligent. Too intelligent. The game can kick your ass unless you're a great gamer, and I'm just average, maybe a little below. Mainly because of the counter system. The game goes like this: punch, punch, punch, punch, grapple, move-counter move-counter move, etc. You'll get countered excessively, and your counters won't work most of the time. Yes, it is a lot like the actual wrestling you watch on TV, but for a wrestling game to be fun in my opinion, it can't be realistic in terms of following how an actual wrestling match would go. I don't want to spend over an hour or more in a match, 15-30 minutes is plenty, unless it's a Royal Rumble-type match.

THQ threw out the window the great grappling engine they had with the N64 games and has replaced it with this tripe. I honestly don't understand what the fans see in this series of game. I guess if you like your matches in the game to follow how the matches on the show work, and you enjoy the actual wrestling to a be a chore and full of non-stop punching and countering, than this is the game for you. If you want an actual FUN wrestling game, then I suggest you stick with THQ's WCW games on the N64. At least then, they had the right idea.

WWF Smackdown! is the latest entry in THQ's awesome WWF lineup. Following the awesome WWF2k on Nintendo64, Smackdown delivers what gamers have been waiting for. Imagine laying the Smackdown with moves like the People's Elbow, Rock Bottom, and Pedigree. You can even create a wrestler in this game.

Graphics: THE MOOD IS ABOUT TO CHANGE! The graphics are THE GAME. Motion captured and running off of Yukes' Toukon Retsuden 4 engine. For those of you who don't smell what the Rock is cooking, Toukon Retsudent 4 is a game that runs on the Japanese Dreamcast- Yes this is a Playstation game that has comparable graphics to a Dreamcast game!

Sound: SPEAK TO ME WOYAHS! The sounds in the game are awesome, chairslamming action can only be appreciated more with the incredible sounds. When comparing to ECW Attitude, I say to ECW Attitude's graphics and sound: "No chance, that's whatchya got!"

GAMEPLAY: HOOOOOOO! STYLIN AND PROFYLIN! Gameplay is awesome, with plenty of holds to satisfy your wrestlemania loving friends. On the downside the roster is very incomplete compared to the Firepro Wrestling series. Where are Krispin Wah, Rugged Ronny Garvin, Perry Satellite, Tony Schiavone, Tazz, the Gaint, Jerry Lawyer,El Dandy, Rodzilla, Jim Duggan or Silver King? Well, at least I can make them with the awesome wrestler edit creation mode!

Last but not least the game needs Rikishi Fatu and Pat Patterson as well as their incredibly reMARKable signature finishing move. I would MARK out for those moves in this game! I will wait for Smackdown on Playstation 2 and we shall see Rikishi vs Pat Patterson with Photorealistic graphics! I hope PS2 version will eventually implement the upcoming technology "Digiscents" so you can smell what these two are cooking as well! But for now, Smackdown 1 is AWESOME and is good enough to make you patient for the PS2 version!

Best wrestling game on PSX! Buy the game NOW baby! And with the Dual Shock controller slamming in your hand there is only one thing that makes the game even more fun, repeat after me......SHOCKMASTER!

This is the best wrestling game ever! The Acclaim wrestling series were pretty boring, the collision-detection was bad and overall, I didn't like the "metal workshop" type interface. Smackdown is blazingly fast, with really simple controls. You just need to press two buttons to pull off a move, while Acclaim had you memorizing C++ codes just to pull off a suplex. In Smackdown, you could excute your finishing move in one button! The Create-A-Superstar mode isn't as good as the Acclaim series, though, choose three parts of the body. But the other features are cool. Height (THANK GOD), weight, weapons, moves, and the ability to make striking moves left or right-handed! The Season mode rules. It has backstage scenes which really makes you think you're in it! Did you just lay out Triple H with a kendo stick? No good deed goes unpunished! He might send his cronies to come after you! The pressure can really build up. In all, buy it. No other game can compare to it. If you like fighting games, buy it.

This game is for real, when I bought this game I just was looking forward to the create a skater and takeing him thorough a story mode which was all what it is brought up to be. Some things definitly need improvment though like ( the create a skater hardly has enough face features and such, and the driving mode is way too shady... for 30 seconds it was fun but its just kinda well shady if u even know what that word means, but other then that getting off your board, climbing up stair cases, shimming on roof tops! still i have some regrets but the pros definitly out weigh the cons, ive had this game for 1 day and im on the 7th level of 9 ........... IF you do not currently own this game I strongly advise you to pick up a copy of your own and get thugin'

~ and also whats with that HORRIBLE SOUNDTRACK I mean this is supposed to a game for punk skaters not that hip/hop crap

Top
1. Tom Clacnys: Splinter Cell
2. Tony Hawks Underground
3. Madden 2004
4. Kill Switch
5. GTA: vice city
6. Well soon to be #1 when i play it but TRUE CRIME STREETS OF L.A.

dis game is tyte, but it is easy even in impossible mode. I beat it in 2 weeks. Better than the 2,3, and 4 THPS. 1 is a classic and my favorit. THug is great wit tons of head 2 head games. Also it has gene simmons, Iron Man, and That thing that etes the skater. THUG 2 should be harder!

This is one of the best games I have ever played!

The story mode is unbelievable, you go through many twists and turns (good and bad) on your way to becoming a pro skater. This is wicked fun and the replay value is excellent. The only gripe I have with the story mode is that it is too short. (especially if you know any cheats). Some of the nesscesary goals are almost impossible but normally you can do it after a while.
Eric Sparrow just ANNOYS ME! Normal mode is not too hard, beginner and too easy are, WAY 2 EASY!

The levels are huge and have unbelievable graphics. A ton of extra things you can do in each level just add to the fun. The graphics are just "WOW!' and there are SO many things to trick on.

Tricks are one of the biggest things in this game, you'll keep playing to try to improve your stats and beat your old combos. Allnew tricks (Lots of grind and lips) make the tricks better than in THPS, THPS2, 3, and 4.

Activision (2) keeps messing up with the soundtrack. The soundtrack is HORRIBLE! I've heard 2 songs out of the over 15 that they have.

Create-a-deck, skater, TRICK, and LEVEL just add to the fun. In create-a-level, you can even put goals in your level. 5 hours worth of play!

Here is a summary of the game:
Graphics: 9/10
Gameplay (skating): 10/10
Story Mode (how fun): 10/10
Story Mode (how challenging): 9/10 (too easy, c'ept on sick)
Tricks: 11/10
Soundtrack: 4/10
Extra Modes: 9/10
Replay Value: 100/10
Overall: 10/10

This is an awesome game and definetely worth the $$$$$$$$$!!!

With the horrible release of NBA Live 02 a year ago the EA production team realized that if it wanted to compete w/the NBA 2k franchise it had to make a competitive game. Gone from last year are the horrible 3 point bank shots (thank God) and the weak AI. The new analog control scheme that EA invented is "revolutionary" in what it brings to the sports venue. With this new analog control a player can perform a plethora of cross overs and fakes to break a defender down. The commentary is much better than last year, however the player animations could have been better. Looking at NBA 2k3 you can tell the facial differences of each player, however in Live 03 the facial features seem to be alot alike. Actally the game deserves about 3-4 stars, there are some problems here and there (e.g. defintion, the fast gameplay), but what game doesnt have its' problems. In the "basketball wars" between Live and 2k, I think that 2k may be better, but not by far, EA is on the right track (hopefully they'll stay there).

-peace

Ok so I was crazy about this game when it came out, then I bought it and it was a great game. but after a while the game comes repetitive, Such as if you do a season on a hard skill level your oppenent has great speed and they will score every time you miss a shot on the fast Break. Also when you are on a fastbreak the oppenent will block you off with there amazing speed. Also if you're playing and you start to get careless in the game(and believe me you will get careless} they will take total advantage of you. Also the oppenent will score at will every time even if its Shawn Bradely driving to the whole. And if youre trying to cross them to the hole they will block you off and you will get called with the Charge. Overall it is not that good of a game.

Problems:
1. Any time you get like a 10-point lead, your team will now miss every dunk and lay-up until the CPU evens the score. This is not an exaggeration. I am completely serious. Strangely, however, sometimes you'll start a franchise team that will never have this problem. But I'd say 4 out of 5 will have the dunk/lay-up problem.

2. Any CPU point guard with a 3-point icon will be the leading scorer for the CPU team, draining threes with people in his face every time, against set defenses. If you play the Lakers, for example, Shaq won't miss, but will only end up with 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting, while Derek Fisher will end up with 33 on 11-for-20 three-point shooting.

3. If you have a lead in the last minute, the CPU will hit every three-pointer anyone but the worst shooter puts up, and will steal the ball from you most times, but, oddly, will not intentionally foul.

4. Nobody gets open on the inbounds plays, and half of your team will be off-screen.

5. No good player will resign with your franchise after a season if their contract is up, even if you win it all. They will, however, settle for a one-year contract for minimum pay with a crappy team. All the superstars end up with such contracts, but you do not have the option to negotiate prices and cannot sign superstars, who demand full price from you.

6. Most rookies the game generates will be given a sub-par field-goal shooting ability, but an above-average three-point shooting ability. In other words, can't hit from 15 feet, but can hit from 25.

There are other problems that make you think the development team was on crack when they made it, but, as one of the great mysteries of the universe, this game is still very fun and addictive to play. Why, God, why?

Everyone wants to know "How does NFL Fever 2002 compare to Madden 2002?" The answer is that Fever compares favorably, but is ultimately a different sort of football game. If you always thought Madden was "too arcadey" then you might want to steer clear of this one, as it plants itself somewhere between the simulation efforts of Madden and Sega's NFL 2K2, and the kamikaze kinetics of the NFL Blitz series. Fever is actually a very compelling and fun game once you get over the fact that you aren't playing Madden.

Fever easily pulls off the best graphics ever in a console football game. From the integration of many different intro shots for each play, to the exacting detail which accompanies every hit, jump, and stiff-arm, it is fantastically clear that the developers went the extra mile to really draw you in to the game and create an exciting & colorful world. The players jabber at one another, celebrate successful offensive achievements, and showboat after a steller defensive effort. It really does make Madden look fairly pale and colorless as a result.

The commentary suffers from some uneven choppiness ("FIVE... yard... reception by... ENGRAM!") but does give some timely insight in certain situations ("The defense is in a 3-4, a run would be successful here.") The much-touted graphics are indeed a step-up from Madden, but are not letter-perfect. The detailed faces are a very nice addition, but disappoint when Jerome Bettis looks nothing like Jerome Bettis. He's detailed, but looks nothing like the real guy. But it sure beats Madden's cheesy Kewpie-Doll faces.

The bottom-line really comes down to gameplay, and Fever tends toward "the big play." Interceptions are more common than in Madden, big runs, big returns, long gains, freight-train tackles, all of it brings make Fever seem a little over-the-top, and really makes Madden seem slow & pensive in comparison. Which is why some won't take to this more reactive arcade style of gameplay. Traditional football playcalling & tactics still apply, but the realism factor is purposefully loosened to create a more no-holds-barred atmosphere designed to ramp up the fun-factor.

Honestly, it took me a few times before I was ready to accept this type of football (not to mention getting used to the XBox controller) but once I did, I really started to appreciate the flair and style that Fever brings. I guess the telling thing is that I tried to go back to Madden and really had to mentally shift gears to prepare for a different sort of football experience. NFL Fever 2002 is fun, easy to pick up and play, easy to like, great 2-player fun, and a lot deeper than your average console football game. And they did an admirable job of injecting some life into a stale genre by pushing the fun-factor way up while still retaining the confines of real football.

If too many years of Madden is gradually putting you to sleep, get into the Fever and see how much fun a football game can be.

madden does not even come close to this game. madden gets way to boring and the game play is bland. fever on the other hand has outstanding graphics and the players look like their out of nfl blitz. the game play isn't as acurate as madden but they make it interesting. i could play this game for 6 months strait and take a day off before i play another 6 months. the gm side of the game is accurate with the draft, trades, free agentcy, and more. the best part is that unlike madden you can rely on a 76 overall runner to get a hundred yards insted of having to trade of sign a guy for 7 mil. my friend got michel bates to run 2000 yards in a year. the best thing is that your players stats switch during the season to improve or to get worse. in madden you have to wait till the year is over before you can develop players. the newer fevers tried to be too much like madden so do yourself a favor and get the best game ever for a really low price. you must be crazy not to get it

...I'm going to review this game anyway. Its a awesome NFL game that gets five stars. But whats the point? Is anyone actually even reading this? Anyway, this game is a great game with great graphics and everything... But it might be a little too late for this review. Ah well. I still play it.

I have played this game for about a week. Here are some of my thoughts for it:
The gameplay of MVP 2004 is based on the previous title MVP 2003 with some obvious improvements like big play control, and different types of slides you can choose for your runners. The graphic is a little bit better than last year. The commentary in the game is the same old stuff. I have always loved the music in this series. And of course, the new improved dynasty mode and complete AA and AAA seasons are just make this game more fun to play.
There are still many little things may bother you here and there in this game. First, you will find it is extremely difficult to get a walk (In rookie and pro level, the computer controled pitchers will just throw strike 85% of the time, and in All-Star and MVP level, they will fool you easily with the fast movement of the balls.) The player creating system is still weak. You only have few options to edit your new player's appearance. I hope they can learn it from Tiger Wood's PGA tour series. The hitting is now very difficult to master in All-Star and MVP level. The right analog stick is playing a much more important role in the hitting. On the other hand, the pitching is still a little bit boring.
Overall, this game presents much more challenges than last year, and you will easily find yourself spend some quality time on it during your leisure time. I don't know if this is the best baseball game for this year. But one sure thing is this is not a bad game!

This is the best baseball game ever. The graphics are incredible and the game is so realistic. If your pitcher isn't doing well, you can send your manager out to talk to him. If the pitcher isn't happy about you coming out, his performance level goes down and vice versa. The pure swing system isn't too hard once you get used to it.

The realism is incredible. I got hit by a pitch. On the screen it flashes "To charge mound, press triangle." I charged the mound and the benches cleared and several players got ejected. If that happens in Dynasty Mode your players might get suspended.

Dynasty mode is great. There is every single AA and AAA team and you can play their games. There are rainouts (which result in doubleheaders later in the season),suspensions etc. You even have an "email" system where the players,staff and media send you messages. Players might email you complaining about their contract or playing time. The Front Office might email you that you're about to lose your job. The media emails you about injury updates, trades and more.

This game is great!

This is the best baseball game ever invented!! The reality level is the most ive ever seen, the graphic enhancement is unbelievable, the player control is sWEET!, the pitching is fun, and the added bonuses are the best. i give this game five stars easily hands down. if your looking for a realistic yet very fun baseball game go out and buy MVP Baseball 2004!

Bizarre Creations takes the style-based racing system from Metropolis Street Racer on Dreamcast and puts into a new game on Xbox with fancier graphics, new courses, and new cars. Almost all of the racing is based around doing cool tricks while you drive. The problem with this is that the courses weren't really designed with the game's steering in mind. Anytime you slam into a wall or a traffic cone, you lose your current combo and all points and point bonuses that come with it. The courses are filled with extremely tight turns that require you to slow to 20 mph or so. If you don't slow down, you slam into a wall and lose your combo. If you do slow down, your combo ends but you get to keep the points you had earned for it. Some of the style point requirements for some of the courses are ridiculous; most people could never manage to do them.

It's not a bad game, exactly; just flawed. If the courses had been designed for the steering, it would have been a lot of fun. As it is, it's very frustrating if you try to just pick it up and race. You'll probably enjoy it for your first hour. Then, several hours of frustration. Then, if you're willing to devote the time (I wasn't), you'll probably get good enough to beat some of the style point requirements.

Although Project Gotham Racing was an original launch title for Xbox, it doesn't disappoint. Lots of gameplay modes and tracks (divided over 4 cities: San Francisco, New York, Tokyo, and London), as well as weather effects and car damage, keep this game's replay value and challenge factor high. The later stages (and achieving Golds) start getting a bit overwhelming even for the veteran gamer, but it still maintains a decent AI. Where the game falls short on realism, it gains an exceptional edge in arcade-style 360's and jumps that not many racing games offer. Sim Games may be amazing in reality, but let's all get back to our roots and remember the reason we started playing video games was arcade platformers and racers! A solid game with lots of great and *useful* (my only complaint about GT3) dream cars, you won't be disappointed! :)

If, for any reason some pathetic review tries to convince you that Project Gotham Racing is the worst game they have ever played on account they can't beat a level is obviously a worthless excuse for a human being. This game does not deserve the incredibly annoying critisism from lousy reviews. Now, I understand racing games, you either like 'em or not, and it is the exact same for challenge. The thing people are not grasping here is that the difficulty lies on their own fault. If they cannot beat a level, that means they need more practice. The game, I'll admit it is a bit of a challenge, but you have an extreme sense of accomplishment after you meet your goals. The thing with the "whiners" is they want everything easy, but rewards come with hard work.

The truth of the matter is the game has excellent graphics, superb control (depending on the car and your tastes), awesome gameplay, super cool sounds, and way cool shock physics. I rate this game a 5/5 because it meets all gaming needs... and if you like cars this game is most definetly for you.

Yo homegurlz and homeboiz out there I be MaRiO A.k.A 99 cent! I didn't by the game yet but i will (i'm saving up) I already got SIX dollars!!!!!!!! This game looks H-O-T HOT!!!!! I don't now who to start a season with but i think maybe blazers, knicks, cavilairs (with LeBron James and all:) or maybe relive the excitement of the NBA Finals 2004 and start of with the Pistons! But in till I get enuff bling-bling I'll let you no how i think of it :) Peace homieZ and nice knowing ya! And ALL WAYS have a ball :)!

I rented this game this year instead of buying it because of the garbage that EA had last year. I also played the Espn game and it was horrible too. I can't believe that the people that own the best sports game out there (Madden) cannot create another franchise mode similar to the one that is so successful. If they cut and paste Madden's franchise mode to NBA live it would be one of the best games ever. Year after year since live has been on PS2 we have had the same gameplay, except for the freestyle gimmick which is useless, but I hope that they change the franchise mode and they never do. This year is the worst I've seen where only the star players get a rating in the 90's and the next best player on your team is a 70. Who came up with this rating system? And from year to year your players stats never change. You think you're going to be the Cavs and make Lebron awesome good luck, 10 years from now he's still 77 or whatever he starts out at the beginning of the game. I was totally heartbroken to see the pathetic attempts at basketball games this year from both companies and I hope that next year they can fix this because one of the reasons I have stopped becoming such a hardcore NBA fan is because there isn't a game that I can play anymore to get me in the mood to watch basketball.

Im a big fan of the NBA Live series, its always satisfied me, and this version is a great improvement from the others. Everything in the game is fine, all the new features are pretty cool, except the training mode where you dont get to train anything, you have to watch your players in a half assed montage where theyre supposed to be training, and everything has it flaws but nothing too dissapointing...except for this: CPU NEVER SHOOTS! Hear that? Your computer teammates will never put a shot up by themselves...EVER! give the ball off to your best scorer, call for an Isolation, now in NBAL03 they would have juked their defender one their way to the hoop and finished with a nice dunk or layup, easy two points, but in 04 your teamate will just stand there and either get the ball stolen or hold on to the ball until the shot clock runs out. So basically you have to score every point or else you can forget about winning. Its very frustrating. Another bad thing is way too many easy shots roll out of the hoop. You can take the best player and run right up to the basket and try a quick lay up or short jumper and somehow itll pop out, and even when you run a perfect alley-oop and yout teammate catches it and throws it down itll STILL pop out most of the time! This game has its quirks but its worth playing if your a fan, personally Im going to give ESPN BBall a try, considering its superiority to Madden, Im sure its much better than this.