07-05-2007, 02:01 AM
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#1 (permalink)
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Name: Max
Location: Your mom's box
Posts: 30,972
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Softball Video Game
http://www.answers.com/topic/city-le...=entertainment
City League Softball
Buy Now- Platform: IBM PC Compatible
- Release Date: 2000
Game Description
While some sports fanatics feel baseball is the major American pastime, others prefer softball. Designed by HeadGames Publishing, City League Softball features multiple 3D playing fields (grass and dirt included) and the ability to create customized teams with their own uniforms. For individual players, you can alter skin colors, body types (female and male) and the equipment used. The game features licensing from Louisville Slugger and TPS. Additionally, pitchers have a repertoire including sliders, curveballs and fastballs among others.
There are multiple gameplay options including the single game, tournament and Home Run Derby modes. Not only will the single game familiarize players with control schemes, it gives softball fans a quick dose of the featured sport and allows you to alter game types (men, women and co-recreational) and change difficulty settings.
The tournament mode features the aforementioned game types with bracketed knockout styled gameplay -- once you've been defeated by an opposing team, you're eliminated from the tournament. As the name implies, the Home Run Derby is a fierce competition in which the winner is determined by the number of balls he or she launches over the fence. Regardless of which option you choose, a second player can join in for cooperative or opposing competition.
Following actual rules and regulations of slow pitch softball, City League Softball also features statistical tracking and four difficulty settings including City, Regional, State and National. In addition to the customized teams you create, there are 18 pre-existing teams consisting of women and men. You also have the option of altering control layouts, graphical options and sound effects. ~ Matthew House, All Game GuideRoots & Influences
This is a simulation of city, regional and state slow-pitch softball tournaments that take place throughout the United States. Gameplay encompasses the popular sport for men, women and co-recreational teams. ~ Michael L. House, All Game GuideReview: Enjoyment
The game grows on you. At first, it seemed boring but after a few modifications to the default scheme, the enjoyment factor increased. ~ Anthony Baize, All Game GuideProduction Credits
STARK RAVING FUN
Executive Producer: Ken Patterson
Engineering: Christopher Ebbert, Jeff Hanson, John Hanson, Mei Mei Lai
Art: Bob Cavey, Bob Johnson, Bob Jorgensen, Terri McKeown, Keith Uecker
Audio/Video: Dave Sylvestre
Production Manager: Paul Murakami
Operations: John Patterson
HEADGAMES/ACTIVISION
President of Activision Value: Danny Hammett
Director of Production: Mitch Norton
Producer: Jason Delamater
Licensing: Andy Koehler
Special Thanks: Mary Reinitz, Dave Oxford, Robbin Livernois, Trevor Harveaux, Chad Koehler, Sean James, Jeremiah Conlan, Ryan Merriman, Terry DeSanctis, Peter Eckert, Allen Weeks, Brian Kingsley ~ Michael L. House, All Game GuideReview: Overall
City League Softball is the type of game that grows on you. An initial play at the default settings reveals a product that seems quite boring. However, after creating your own players and teams, the game is much more stimulating and fun despite several big flaws.
The game is one of many that suffer from a common condition: misguided development. It seems more time was spent going after a licensing agreement with Louisville Slugger than on important elements such as graphics and sound. Still, City League Softball is fun to play and, like many games that don't look or sound great, is a solid addition to a sports gamer's collection.
The game's action is by far its best asset. Timing the swing is difficult to grasp at first, but it only takes a game or two to begin knocking balls out of the park. There are, however, a few bugs to be wary of when you fire up City League Softball for the first time. First, when you throw a runner out at home, the run still counts! This is a very annoying bug, especially when it costs you the game.
Second, while it's possible to control your base runners, the computer often makes your team members run even if you don't want them to, an aspect that can lead to some bad situations. A corollary to this bug is that the computer team runners always try to stretch base hits into doubles or even triples, making it easy to throw them out.
Finally, the ball can get stuck in an area of the field where no one can retrieve it -- this is essentially a game killer since you have to reboot. Because of this major glitch, you'd be advised to save your game often should this scenario occur. It's also a good idea to save tournament games after wins so you don't have to start over if you lose. Still, even with the bugs, City League Softball is a good game.
Don't waste time with the home run derby or on single games. If you truly want to experience the best City League Softball has to offer, create your own team and head to the City Tournament for the real action. The City Tournament is where your team comes alive; you can follow individual player stats and lead a band of your friends to the championship game. Despite its faults, the game is fun to play in tournament mode. Go for the big win and your team gets bragging rights in your city.
Graphically, City League Softball is behind the times. The graphics are polygon-based and reminiscent of games produced years earlier like WWF War Zone, Virtua Fighter and FX Fighter. As you might guess, the players are oddly shaped -- too skinny, too fat or just plain weird.
What remains of the graphic presentation is not spectacular, either. There is little texture to the field and hardly any background scenery. Unfortunately, the animation during most plays is slow and repetitive, too. While most of the visual presentation is weak, there are a few good aspects. When players hit home runs, flames and smoke shoot from the ball, which is interesting and fun if not exactly realistic. The designers did a good job detailing team jerseys and bats.
City League Softball's sound is comprised mostly of a sick-sounding announcer and a low murmur of crowd noise. There is also the "plink" of the aluminum bat smacking the ball and the jet engine sound of a home run accelerating into the stratosphere. The announcer sounds synthetic, again pointing to some old technology that went into the design of the game. Additionally, he often makes the wrong calls: "There's a single" is often followed up by "He's out!"
Should you play City League Softball, don't expect eye-popping graphics and ear-splitting sound. What you can expect is a decent softball simulation that is fun to play. Also, as a moderately priced title from HeadGames Publishing at the time of release, it won't empty your bank account. ~ Anthony Baize, All Game GuideReview: Graphics
At the time of release, the use of polygon-based graphics is old hat and the developers don't exactly challenge themselves in the visual department. ~ Anthony Baize, All Game GuideReview: Sound
The sound is average and sometimes weak. The announcer frequently makes incorrect calls and there are not many other noises in the sound department. ~ Anthony Baize, All Game GuideReview: Replay Value
Getting through the city league tournament is challenging and should keep you coming back for more. ~ Anthony Baize, All Game GuideReview: Documentation
The documentation is light but the game is fairly self-explanatory. ~ Anthony Baize, All Game Guide
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Linear Mode
