MLB '99 is Sony's third baseball game on the PlayStation and every year they have steadily improved on the previous version. This year, things look pretty good. You get all the standard features you expect in a baseball game: Full season play, exhibition games, create-a-player option, Home Run Derby and one of the best features implemented in sports games these days, a draft mode. The draft is just WAY too much fun, scrambling while trying to snag your favorite player before he's picked and filling out your roster with all your favorite players. It's a great addition.

Sony has really tweaked the graphics portion of the game this year. The polygonal players are well animated and look very true to life. Players perform 'crow hops', bare-handed twirl throws and much more. Everything you see real players do is realistically depicted in the game. The stadiums are nicely modeled although some aren't completely accurate (i.e. St. Louis). One thing I love about the ballparks is the ambience. Realistic touches such as the wind-blown flags in the outfields to ballpark specific nuances like the waterfalls in Kansas City are great. The crowd reactions are also accurate. It responds realistically and intelligently to what's going on in the game. There is an animated effect as if the crowd were moving around the stadium like an actual crowd would. This attention to details impresses me. It adds to that authentic "being there" feeling. Also included are the signature stances and pitching motions of popular MLB players. This adds even more personality to the game.

The gameplay has reached the pinnacle of the series so far. All the previous MLB games have boasted smooth frame rates and this one is no exception. The game moves as smooth as silk and everything flows very nicely. The controls, from the defensive point of view, are very intuitive. Controlling the base runners is a little confusing, as there are a lot of controls to master. After a few hours of game time, though, they're no big deal.

The batting interface is the standard cursor system with a little twist. They have added a total control feature where you can guess the location and type of pitch. If you guess correctly, your cursor and power increase. If you guess incorrectly, the opposite occurs. The pitching system remains unchanged from the previous games. Pitchers have four pitches you can utilize. Just aim the cursor and let it rip. One problem I have with the pitching is that the batter can always see where the pitch is going to be. That takes some of the guess work out of where the pitch is going to be and that's one of the intriguing things in baseball: the guess work. There is a little 'nudge' factor involved in the pitches, so they don't always go exactly where the cursor is. However, it still steals some fun out of the two player game, since you can't completely hide your pitches and there's no option to do so.

One of the more innovative features is the inclusion of a spring training mode. This is a neat option that allows you to create your own player from scratch and to try to get him to the big leagues. You allocate player attributes in a variety of areas, pick a team for him to play on, and the fun begins.  The only restriction is that you can only create a position player and not a pitcher. The goal is to have your player make the opening day roster. This is done by playing in a series of spring training games. As you finish each game you are given a status report of your progress.  You have to reach a certain point level (50) to make the team. The way to do this is by playing solid defense and getting a couple of hits per game. Even if you do make the team, the challenge isn't over yet. You have to maintain major league caliber play as the season progresses or you risk being sent to the minors. It's an interesting feature that adds an extra challenge to the game.

This brings me to the difficulty level. This game will challenge even the best players on the highest setting, but it's how this difficulty is accomplished that is one of MLB '99's weak points. Any computer controlled player, no matter where the pitch is thrown, can smack a home run. You can throw the pitch as far outside or inside as possible to no avail. They can still hit home runs. It's also tough to intentionally walk a batter to try and avoid the big hitters and limit the amount of homers you allow. It gets a little frustrating after awhile and can try your patience. You can hit your share of home runs also, I just wish the game was a bit more balanced. Be prepared for a lot of high scoring games.

Another weakness is in the logic of the AI. The computer will invariably go for the lead runner with men on base, no matter how futile the attempt may be. This leads to a lot of infield hits and big rallies because of the computer's lack of judgment.

There is a deep database of stats that are tracked, unfortunately they aren't tracked too accurately. I have stolen about 35 bases in my season and about 5 of them were registered.

All in all, even with those complaints I think this is your best bet in PSX baseball. The game plays well and it is fun, I just think it's more arcade oriented than simulation. If you can live with a lot of hits and high scoring games, by all means, get the game. I'm just a purist and look for a little more realism.