MLB SlugFest: Loaded

The gameplay remains fun and humorous yet it features all the modes and licensing you would expect from the more serious games including a new serious mode of play.

A fun game chock full of interesting new elements and unlockable goodies, but it would drive any serious baseball fan absolutely batty, so I’d say if you’re into the in-depth, detailed gameplay you should give this one a swing and a miss.

Coming back to commentary once again are the hilarious team of Tim Kitzrow and Jim Shorts. These guys are two of the funniest commentators I've ever heard.

Easily the most original baseball title I've ever seen.

What will dazzle veterans is how complete a package Loaded is.

Fast paced, easy to play and addictive.

Support for both PS2 Online and Xbox Live 3.0 and a deep franchise mode extend the shelf life of the game well beyond the Home Run Derby and Quickplay options.

If you can’t enjoy a little gross-out comedy and stupid antics, you will be annoyed by much of what goes on in Slugfest. Conversely, if you keel over laughing anytime somebody gets kicked in the nuts, you’ll find Slugfest’s innovations hilarious.

The player models are good with recognizable faces – although the game does tend to make every player look like they’ve spent a lot of time at the gym in the offseason.

Yes, the game rewards the time you put in and trust us, this is one game you'll be coming back to again and again.

Midway has almost got their series down, just add more depth, and some more interesting features, and I can see next year's game is going to be a true winner.

You want my opinion? Hit the mute button, put on a good CD, and play this game to death.

Over the top gameplay coupled with nicely timed humor and the inclusion of online play makes this a great way to pass the time during the summer. Now if they can expand on the idea and drop some of the realism, Slugfest could become a true classic in the sports gaming pantheon.

Adding live online support and a fantasy-league “Mogul” mode that lets you trade players, track stats, and haggle over TV rights? OK, we’re really psyched.

Players looking to enjoy some wild arcade style longball, or at least a combination of the two approaches, can’t go wrong with Midway’s latest.

Fortunately the on-screen action moves at a blistering pace, with colorful visuals, impressive animations, and eye-popping embellishments such as motion trails, super jumps, bats bursting into fire after multiple hits, and pitches that defy physics. The depth of features isn’t quite up to the competition’s, but in terms of action and excitement, MLB SlugFest: Loaded covers all the bases.

The online play, with tournament support, is incredibly fun as the intense and upbeat tempo of the series lends itself well to Xbox Live battles.

With additions like a frighteningly deep franchise mode and online play, SlugFest's already option-laden package gets even deeper this year, though some of these additions are better suited for the game than others.

The perfect game for a group of buddies getting together.

This is an arcade blast based on timing and violence, and it’s a ton of fun if you don’t approach sports games as simulations of the real thing. This is a videogame in every sense of the phrase.

Admittedly, I would rather go through a season of the deep-pitching "MVP Baseball" or option-heavy "ESPN" over this, but if you don't ahve someone to play alongside you, SlugFest ain't a bad consolation. [Aug 2004, p.100]

It would’ve been nice to have a create-a-team feature, or even a create-a-character feature, but maybe we’ll see those the next time around.

Sure I still prefer the sweat simplicity of the old school style of ball, but it’s been a while since I’ve had this much fun playing a baseball game.

In the end, the arcade-y goodness of SlugFest is fun with your friends, but if Midway wants to earn respect as a single-player sim, it has a long way to go. [July 2004, p.82]

You will actually find yourself laughing while playing, and virtually anyone can pick up and play this and have a good time. [July 2004, p.88]

With its violence, use of Xbox Live, and deep franchise mode, this title will appeal to both hardcore and casual baseball fans alike. [Aug 2004, p.96]

The game is quite entertaining and the commentary is gut-busting, but once that initial value wears off, there’s little really left to hold on to making Loaded a quintessential rental.

If you're just getting into sports games or are looking for a great multiplayer game, Loaded is your game.

This is no sim by any stretch, even with the new Franchise mode. Still, it is a decent game of belligerent baseball with mindless fun and laughs for anybody looking to play two - whether that's a doubleheader or just a deuce of innings. [July 2004, p.96]

Midway has successfully straddled a fine line; Loaded remains quite accessible to casual fans of the sport, while hardcore baseball enthusiasts, if they give it a chance, may find the game just as entertaining. I know I did.

Outside of new pitch types and fielding animations, the over-the-top angle hasn't evolved at all in this iteration, and the new simulation aspect pales in comparison to al of the other titles on the market. [July 2004, p.114]

Pyrotechnics aside, this is a solid sports title.