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If you're like me, it probably bugs you that you can't call for intentional walks or put on a hit and run in this game. Hopefully I am speaking to like-minded folks here. Then again, if that's what you're after, chances are you don't own a PC and you're playing your sports games on a Nintendo 64 or Sony PlayStation, which means that you're probably not reading this review anyway.
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I should mention that if you just crave a baseball videogame, then perhaps Triple Play 2001 is for you. They're obviously shooting for gamers who want Arcade-style action while the rest of the field has moved well beyond that archaic mold. So perhaps I was already biased when I loaded Triple Play 2001 onto my PC, but I felt like Electronic Arts, which I always thought was synonymous with realistic sports games, has lost sight of what constitutes a great baseball game. When I was a kid I used to love playing Strat-o-matic Baseball and create my own leagues with their own exciting stories I even wrote up faux newspaper articles which chronicled my athletes' exploits. When I played Sammy Sosa High Heat Baseball 2001, it was obvious that Trip Hawkins and his group at 3DO live for the sport. When it comes to baseball games, I look for realistic action and great gameplay coupled with the ability to manage my team to my heart's content.
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The bar has been raised, and the new standard is the one by which all current and future sports games must be measured. Now that sports gamers have had a few years worth of games which try to look as close to telecasts as possible, it's time to stop oohing and aahing over 3D graphics, pretty stadiums and true-to-life commentary.
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