EA Sports

Game Description: Get ready to take on the greatest baseball heroes of all time in Triple Play 2001 from EA Sports. Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, and Ted Williams are among the classic players you can control in this realistic baseball game. Play solo against Triple Play 2001's enhanced artificial intelligence (AI) or go head-to-head against your buddies. For added realism, experience the game from either the behind-the-fielder view or the outfielder's perspective. The improved AI offers more strategic hitting and player and pitcher substitutions. The umpire even argues and gives high fives. Great plays are rewarded with unlocked extras and cheats, including special players and power-ups. Triple Play 2001 features an exclusive 500 Home Run Club license.

After playing Madden 2001, I am in agreement with Ben on almost all of his points. Naturally, the Nintendo 64 Madden leads in graphics, but its high-res graphics are simply too choppy to go unnoticed. The PlayStation version on the other hand, lacks any sort of graphical punch at all, but plays more smoothly.

Madden NFL 2001 is a better football game than NFL GameDay 2001, but only marginally so. It has a better visual polish (especially in the Nintendo 64 version), loads of options and gameplay that's easier to live with, but I still found it every bit as frustrating to play as every 32-bit and 64-bit football game before it. What's the point of all the extra features that 989 Sports and EA Sports have been cramming into their football games if every contest feels like a chore?

Game Description: John Madden is back and, again, he's brought the entire NFL with him into your PlayStation with Madden NFL 2001. The game includes the updated rosters you'd expect, but new this season is the addition of coaches on the sidelines to give you specialized advice. They also often "encourage" the players and shout "helpful advice" out to the referees. Finer details for this version include wristbands, visors, facemasks, and turf tape—specific to what each player favors in the real NFL. Collisions now factor the weight and height of players, making for more realistic hits. EA has even gone to the trouble of replicating some of the touchdown celebration dances and taunts of real players.

The whole 'Live' franchise is already a legendary one in this industry; every year, no matter how bad or unimproved the new version was from its predecessor, NBA Live is annually proclaimed the basketball game of choice by video game players and critics. So much so that newer and more revolutionary titles like Nintendo's NBA Courtside and Acclaim's NBA Jam (64-bit version) were consistently overlooked. I, for one, was never swept up in the 'Live' hysteria so I've always been a bit more objective and with this latest release, I am even more disheartened seeing the amount of praise already being showered on EA Sports.

With his review, Dale has thrown down the gauntlet on the myth of NBA Live's dominance over the genre and I'm right there beside him. I'm totally baffled as to how a game with so many flaws can get so much praise from the media. This game is far from flawless (as some have actually described it!).

Game Description: One of the newest additions to EA's sports lineup, NBA 2000 features more action, more slamming, and more attitude. Broadcast-style camera technology brings you to the heart of the action. Next-generation facial animation with added speech links gives the players more personality and attitude. You can go five-on-five or one-on-one on the street court, with the greatest names in the NBA, past and present, as NBA Live exclusively brings you retired names in the NBA, including the greatest all-time player, Michael Jordan. Play with one of five All-Star teams from the past decade or create your own classic matchups.

KK2000 plays like a no-nonsense, yet full-featured interpretation of boxing. If you've ever seen it in the ring, you can probably do it in the game (with the exception of having some idiot parachuting into the ring and, thankfully, the patented Tyson-ear chomp).