Triple Play 2001

It's a baseball game. That's probably got rid of most of you, suddenly remembering you had something important to do in another room, or not even pretending to care about our feelings and simply scowling as you turn the page. The ones of you who are left, the ones who don't dismiss it as a glorified version of rounders, may want to know what makes this a baseball game worth playing above the literally dozens of titles available.

Well, for one thing it features all the legends that the game has had over the years, much in the way that NBA Live 2000did, some of which you will have heard of (Babe Ruth, Willie Mays), most of which you won't have (Lou Gehrig, Cy Young). Further elements you won't care about are the exclusive rights to the names of even more players you've never heard of, this time living ones.

In the recent EA tradition, you can also graft your face on to your very own player and adjust the stats to make yourself a sporting marvel. What you will care about are the improved graphics, the immaculate presentation and, more importantly, the new brilliant mouse control. If you've been frustrated in the past by the game of chance that is hitting the ball being hurled at you, or by only being able to vaguely pitch the ball where you want it to go, your prayers have been answered. With just a couple of clicks you can select what you want to happen, turning a hit and miss affair that doesn't resemble a sport at all into a strategic battle against your opponents. But, at the end of the day, it's a baseball game.