All-Star Baseball 2004 Game Boy Advance

Acclaim's baseball series makes its second appearance on Game Boy Advance with the release of All-Star Baseball 2004. As in its console siblings, the game features 30 MLB teams, stadiums, and over 700 authentic players for use in seven modes of play: Exhibition, Season, Quick Play, All-Star Game, World Series, Batting Practice, and Home Run Derby. New features include two-player support, an in-game announcer, individual batting stances, and GameCube linking options to unlock hidden bonuses.

The perspective is once again from the eyes of the catcher as players pitch and hit using the same style of interface found in the console versions of the game. Each batter swings at pitches using a triangular cursor, the size of which is based on the athlete's real-life hitting performance during the 2002 season. Pitchers can throw up to five different pitches, depending on the individual on the mound, and a cursor is used to aim its location.

Once contact is made, the screen switches to an overhead view of the stadium. Players can manually field or have the computer automatically handle defense. While in the field, players can make defensive shifts, dive to stop ground balls, or rob home runs by jumping near the fence. Substitutions can also be made during the game to bring in a reliever or pinch hitter to get that important out or make that clutch hit.

Seasons can be adjusted to three, 81, or 162 games, with choices of unbalanced or balanced schedules and interleague play. Individual games may be simulated and statistics for the league and team are saved throughout the season via battery backup. Pitching rotations are also modifiable and trades are permitted. Players can once again earn trading cards by winning games, but this time the cards automatically unlock extras such as hidden teams or classic stadiums. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide