The end of the baseball season really isn't far away and barring a decision by Vince McMahon to create the Xtreme Baseball League, there is nothing on television to keep the baseball fever alive. But that is what videogames are for, and 3DO's High Heat Major League Baseball 2002 is a perfect game that keeps us busy until the real thing returns with Spring Training. Hell, I am playing right now, because as the Mets continue to falter, the season is all ready over in my eyes.

     Everything about it is so damn realistic and unlike the Triple Play franchise, which used to be my favorite, this game isn't a homerun derby with a usual score of 20-15. This is as close to real baseball as you can get. There are times when a team gets blown out and there are times when you can actually witness a pitcher's duel. It's been a long time since I could say that about any baseball game. Finally, I get to enjoy the Great American Pastime the way it was meant to be played.

     I will admit to being upset by the lack of a create-a-player and create-a-team modes in this game, but that was made up for by the brilliant graphics that permeate every instance of this outstanding game. The stadiums, players, and their moves matched up almost perfectly to their real-world counterparts.

     The game is easy to learn. Fielding is relatively simple. The guy who is closest to the ball is usually picked by the computer to go get it, and then you just have to judge where it is about to fall to make the catch and get the out. Even if you are off, you can still make an amazing diving catch or an awesome jumping catch. When the ball is hit for the grounder, your Playstation controller mirrors the baseball diamond, so X is home plate, Triangle is second base and so on. How easy is that? You don't have to use the directional buttons to throw the ball. You do, however, need those directional buttons to help you run to the next base or back to the other base if caught in a rundown play.

     There are also some cool features in the game that may be little, but are really neat. Like being able to see the baseline coaches and all the umps and you can even witness arguments with these umps over close calls. You also get to see the manager come to the mound to talk to the pitcher, calm him down or make the big change. Announcers really add insight to the game and make it even more realistic if you can stand the fact that they tend to repeat some phrases over and over again when a batter comes to the plate or when an inning ends quickly.

     Badseed's Bottomline: 8 out of 10. This game is just fantastic. There were some awesome life like graphics, great announcing and sound, easy to use controls and other cool game features. I was pumped from a big inning, excited when I struck out a player with the bases loaded and got really upset when I hit into a double play to end an inning when I should have scored. It was exactly like watching my favorite team play on television. Unfortunately, I would feel even more excited about playing this game if there was a create-a-player mode so I could be a part of the game with some friends and lead a rag-tag team to glory. That would have brought about a perfect score, but like every team says after not winning the World Series, wait until next year.

     Send your comments and or questions about this article to Badseed@ybfree.com.