Sections:
1: Introduction
2: Update History
3: Controls
4: Game Modes
5: Hitting Strategy
6: Pitching Strategy
7: Base Running Strategy
8: Fielding Strategy
9: Home Run Derby Strategy
10: Hints and Tips
11: Personal Review
12: Codes/Secrets
13: Frequently Asked Questions
14: Credits
15: Before You E-mail Me
16: Legal Information
17: Final Thoughts
---------------------------------
1: Introduction
---------------------------------
Welcome to my All-Star Baseball 2002 Strategy Guide for Playstation 2. I
know that we were all a little disappointed in this game but I decided still
to write a guide for the game. Just like my other guides this guide will
have my seal of quality which means everything will be explained perfectly.
All-Star Baseball 2002 isn't that good of a baseball game but there is still
strategy of how to play. If you have any questions, comments, or
suggestions please throw them my way at: DreThug@hotmail.com. Other than
that, have fun playing All-Star Baseball 2001. On a side note, I decided to
type up the Introduction in the instruction booklet just for you to get a
glimpse of the game before you start reading this guide.
Hi baseball fans. Welcome to All-Star Baseball 2002. This game has
everything you love about baseball without leaving your home. We're talking
incredibly realistic stadiums, stats and player motions, iuncluding the
actual batting stances and picting deliveries of todays's top players. Or
you can even play with the greats of yesterday, players like Mr. October,
Reggie Jackson, and Nolan Ryan. Match that with great controls and tons of
management options and you've got everyhing you need to take your favorite
team all the way. And there are plenty of modes of play, too, so whether
you like the challenge of a full season, a simple head to head Exhibition
game, the thrills of the Serieis or midseason contests like the Home Run
Derby and All-Star Game, there's always a mode to suit your mood. You even
sharpen up your hitting technique with some Batting Practice. One of my
favorite features in All-Star Baseball 2002 is the Create A Player mode.
You can build a full franchise or superstars and watch them run wild through
any game mode. The action is intense, the details are immense now it's up
to you to bring home the ring - swing for the fences!
-Derek Jeter
---------------------------------
2: Update History
---------------------------------
July 22nd 2001 (version 0.1) - After a long stretch with playing this game
and not writing anything about it, I have decided to make a strategy guide
on it. Basically, I made this guide because I saw no one else in the
process of making one and I felt like the web needed a guide on this game.
This is just version 0.1 which means its the basic version without any
feedback from fans. If you have any ideas please send them to me at
DreThug@hotmail.com. Other than that, I hope that you enjoy reading this
guide and make sure to look out for another version of this guide in the
future.
---------------------------------
3: Controls
---------------------------------
The controls in All-Star Baseball 2002 are actually a bit complex. Here I
have listed all the controls in the game.
Menu Navigation
X..............Confirm/Next Screen
O..............Cancel/Previous Screen
Triangle.......Show Help Screen
Square.........Not in use
Start..........Start/Pause Game
Select.........Not in use
D-Pad..........Toggle Options, Highlight Options
Analog.........Not in use
R1.............Not in use
R2.............Not in use
L1.............Not in use
L2.............Not in use
Batting/Base Running(Pre-Pitch Select)
X..............Practice Swing
O..............Show sacrifice bunt
Triangle.......Steal signal
Square.........Power Icon
Start..........Start/Pause Game
Select.........Not in use
D-Pad..........Move batting cursor
Left Analog....Move batting cursor
Right Analog...Tilt batting cursor
R1.............Decrease all runners leads
R2.............Not in use
L1.............Increase all runners' leads
L2.............Initiate pitch/location guess
Pitch/Location Guess
X..............Select corresponding pitch type
O..............Select corresponding pitch type
Triangle.......Select corresponding pitch type
Square.........Select corresponding pitch type
Start..........Start/Pause Game
Select.........Not in use
D-Pad..........Select Location
Left Analog....Not in use
Right Analog...Not in use
R1.............Select corresponding pitch type
R2.............Select corresponding pitch type
L1.............Not in use
L2.............When released, pitch/location mode is deactivated.
Controls on D-pad
Up.............guess high
Up + Right.....guess up and away
Right..........guess outside
Down + Right...guess low and away
Down...........guess low
Down + Left....guess down and in
Left...........guess inside
Up + Left.....guess up and in
Post-Pitch Select/Mid-Windup
X..............Swing
O..............Drag Bunt
Triangle.......Steal signal
Square.........Power icon
Start..........Start/Pause Game
Select.........Not in use
D-Pad..........Move batting cursor
Left Analog....Move batting cursor
Right Analog...Tilt batting cursor
R1.............Decrease all runners' leads
R2.............Not in use
L1.............Increase all runners' leads
L2.............Not in use
Ball In Play
X..............Not in use
0..............Return runner when combined with D-pad
Triangle.......Advance runner when combined with D-pad
Square.........Select corresponding pitch type
Start..........Start/Pause Game
Select.........Not in use
D-Pad..........Indicate base for individual runner select
Left Analog....Not in use
Right Analog...Not in use
R1.............Return all runners
R2.............Not in use
L1.............Advance all runners
L2.............Stop all runners
---------------------------------
4: Game Modes
---------------------------------
Here are all of the modes of play in All-Star Baseball 2001.
Quick Play
Just get right in to playing. In Quick Play mode the computer automatically
selects your teams.
MLB Play
Play either an exhibition game, all-star game, start a new season or a new
series, or load up your current season or series.
Home Run Derby
Like to hit homeruns? Well then see who can hit the most home runs in the
Home Run Derby mode.
Batting Practice
Brush up on your skills with some batting practice. Remember practice makes
perfect.
Team Management
This is where you trade players and adjust lineups.
Statistics
View comprehensive game and season sats for players and teams.
Options
Pick the options that you suit yourself.
---------------------------------
5: Hitting Strategy
---------------------------------
Hitting is needed in winning a baseball game. If you can't hit the ball
there is basically no way you can win a game or score any runs. The same
rule applies in videogames too. If you can't hit the ball in a videogame
then you better be a very good pitcher and make sure that your opponent
can't hit the ball either. To be good at hitting you should always try to
predict what the pitcher is going to pitch you. If you can guess the pitch
then you will have a much better chance of hitting the ball out of the park.
This is usually the situation I use win I'm up to bat with no outs with
the top of the line up. I know that my lead off guy doesn't have much power
so there is no point in using the power icon instead of the contact icon.
All the power icon does it make the ball go farther and harder but it is
much harder to hit with because the box is a lot smaller. So basically all
I do is use contact for all the pitches with my first batter. The first
pitch I try to guess what he is going to throw and where he is going to
throw it. If I guess right, I'm sure to get a base hit for sure because
that's how the game was basically set up. If you are playing a computer, he
usually goes with at least one fastball on the outside of the plate.
Usually, I'll wait for that pitch and hit that pitch. But if I don't see
that pitch coming then I just try hitting any pitch I can. If I'm on two
strikes I don't try guessing the what kind of pitch it is or the location it
is goingm to be thrown in. That is pretty dangerous because if you guess
wrong it gives you a harder chance of hitting the ball. So with the #1, #2,
#6, #7, #8 and #9 hitters in the lineup, I usually never use power with
them. Occasionally, if I'm down a few runs I'll use power on the first
swing so if I miss the ball I will still have two more strikes to give. For
batters that are in the number three and four spots I use power all the way
until I'm on two strikes. With the best hitter on my team, I can usually
hit a homerun every other game. I just sit on the plate and wait for the
pitch I'm good at hitting which is the fastball. Each time I guess that
it's going to be a fastball so if it is the ball is basically going out to
the bleachers. This is a bit dangerous because occasionally your opponent
will never throw a fastball. If that's the case on strike 2 make sure you
are going up with contact to hit the ball. When using contact, the box is a
lot bigger and even if you are using contact with a good hitter, he can
still knock the ball out of the park with a good swing. Batting is a very
necessary key in baseball and don't get discouraged if it's hard to hit the
ball right when you pick up the game. Once you strart getting good, it
won't be a problem to be good at hitting like I am. If you need any help
with hitting, feel free to contact me at: DreThug@hotmail.com.
---------------------------------
6: Pitching Strategy
---------------------------------
Pitching is nearly just as important as hitting in baseball. Even if you
have a good team that can score a lot of runs a game, if you have a bad
pitching staff it could be even worse. Pitching is a lot easier in All Star
Baseball 2002. I think that it's really easy to strike batters out
especially if you are playing against the computer. When the computer is
playing they will usually swing at the first pitch. Usually, I like to go
down and outside on the first pitch. They will usually miss the ball. It's
good to also throw around the plate and not just throw at one side of the
plate or players will expect where you are going to pitch the ball. Another
thing is, I think the sinker and the curve ball is the best pitch. If you
have a right handed pitcher and you are facing a right hander batter the
curve ball is almost unstoppable. If you pitch the curve ball so its aimed
up to almost hit the batters arm it will curve in for a strike. It's
basically a pitch that is near unhittable. A major mistake that a lot of
pitchers do is that they throw the same pitch more than once in a count.
Usually, I'll never go back and throw the same pitch in the same direction
because I figure that if they missed it the first time they aren't going to
miss it again. While pitching, you should always check out the status bar
to see how much more power your pitcher has. Usually, I'll push the pitcher
until he has 0 as his power and he will still get the job done. The only
problem with doing that is that the pitcher loses a lot of the control he
had one before. For example, a curve ball might not curve as much anymore
or a fastball might not be as fast anymore. Before putting in a reliever
make sure you warm him up in the bullpen or he'll be very cold. I find that
relievers give up the most homeruns right when they get in to the game.
Usually, if i'm winning a game I will not put in any relievers other than my
closer. It seems like that they always blow the game for you. Another
thing that people don't do is walk batters. If a man is on 2nd and theres
one out and the best batter for opposing team comes up it's stupid not to
walk him. If you walk him it now makes it a lot easier for a double play.
Plus walking him gives up the threat of him hitting a homerun which can
change the way the game is going. Really, pitching is not a hard thing to
do in All-Star Baseball 2002 it's just hard to think of what pitch to pitch
to make sure you don't give up a hit or at the worse a homerun.
---------------------------------
7: Base Running Strategy
---------------------------------
Base running is the easiest thing to do in the game. With one button you
can control all the runners and either make them go forward, stop, or move
backwards. Theres really no strategy in to base running except a few things
that I would like to share. If you have a man on third base with one out,
make it so the bat is tilting up. This will most likely cause a pop fly in
to the outfield so that your base runner on 3rd can tag up and score home.
That is a sure run if you are a good hitter and runner. Another thing is
that you should never try to steal 3rd base. The distance to third base is
a lot shorter for the catcher so it is a lot harder to get to the base
before the pitch is thrown. If you have a fast runner then stealing second
base shouldn't be that hard. Make sure you have a good amount of a lead off
before the pitch is thrown. While the pitcher is in his windup take off
running. If you take off too early the pitcher will throw to first base and
you will be caught in a pickle. If you take off too late you will be easily
thrown out at 2nd base. Remember, if you take off at the right time the
picture can't change his windup or it will be a balk. If theres no outs and
you have a man on second you should lead off and have the batter do a drag
bunt down the first baseline. While he bunts the ball have your guy on
second take off to third. This will force the fielder to throw to first
base and get the runner out on first and advance your other runner to 3rd
base with only one out. It works like a charm all the time. Basically,
base running is a simple mechanic in All-Star Baseball 2002. Right above I
have just listed some scenarios that I use when I am running the basing. If
you have any of your own scenarios that seem to work out feel free to send
them to me at DreThug@hotmail.com.
---------------------------------
8: Fielding Strategy
---------------------------------
Fielding is not really a hard thing to do in All-Star Baseball 2002.
Basically, all you need to do is run over to the ball and get under the
little shadow and then the ball will fall in to your mit. If it's going to
be a close then you can either dive or jump up in the air which might help
you have a better chance of catching the ball. In the infield, throwing
runners out is as simple as pie by just pressing the base you want to throw
it at. The only thing I can help you in strategy is that you can set up how
your field is aligned. Usually, I don't really care to do that because I
don't really see effects that I would like to see from it. Basically, you
could set your infield in, far out, and vice versa with the outfield. If
you are going to lose the game if a ball gets hit in to the outfield, I
guess it would be wise to set the outfield in. Other than that, I don't
really see any big reason to do that except if you want to experiment.
Along with other fielding strategies, make sure you always throw one base
ahead of you and you are positive you won't get the runner out. This
ensures that the runner will not try to even stretch out for another base
because the ball will already be in direction to the base. Other than that,
there isn't really other fielding strategies that I can give you guys.
---------------------------------
9: Home Run Derby Strategy
---------------------------------
Home Run Derby is a really nice option in All-Star Baseball 2002. While
hitting homeruns you can either use the contact icon or the power icon. I
feel that the power icon is more useful because it hits the ball a lot
harder and farther. The only thing about the power icon is that the you
can't control where you hit the ball while in the contact icon you can pick
where you want to hit the ball. The only benefit I can see with the contact
mode is that if you play in stadiums that have a short wall or a short side
you can always try hitting it to that side. With the power mode, you can
only hope that you hit it out. If you want to hit a lot of home runs you
better use a good home run hitter in this mode. If not, it might be a lot
tougher to hit home runs. Other than that, there really isn't any other
strategy to hitting home runs. All I can really say is goodluck and swing
for the fences!
---------------------------------
10: Hints and Tips
---------------------------------
These are just basic hints and tips that you should know about All-Star
Baseball 2002 before you start playing.
1. Make good use of the batting target. Angle the target down to hit a
ground ball, and tilt it up for a ball in the air. Remember that the wide
part of the triangle represents the sweet spot of the bat. Line them up
right and you'll be crushing the ball!
2. On the controller select screen, you can switch team uniforms by pressing
L1 or R1 + Up or Down on the directional button.
3. Use future throws to make quick, seamless plays. The future throw
buttons must be pressed before a batted ball is fielded. Future throws can
also be used to field bunts, turn double plays, make relay throws, and play
balls hit off of the outfield wall.
4. Defensive positioning can prevent runs if you use it wisely. Even with
the defensive positioning option turned on, the user can still override the
CPU decisions.
5. Guessing the pitch type will affect the size of the contact icon.
Guessing the pitch location will affect the size of the sweet spot.
6. A hitter's batting target will be affected by the opposing pitcher's
handedness. For some hitters, the difference will be extreme, while other
hitters will have no difference at all. Some bench players may be more
effective against certain pitches than the regular starter
7. Drag bunts can be an effective way to get runners on base. Sacrifice
bunts should be used to advance a runner to the next base, sacrificing the
out for the extra base. Use this strategy if a particularly weak hitter is
at the plate.
8. Use Easy Batting if you prefer not to use a batting target.
9. When manipulating a team's pitching staff in the Set Pitching Staff
screen, starters may be used as relievers and vice versa though the results
may vary.
10. Raising and lowering a Created Player's attributes will affect the stat
lines that are generated.
11. When drafting a team, utility infielders (UT) are good late round
selections because of their versatility. They can play any infield or
outfield position without penalty. Corner infielders (CI) can play first
base or third base, middle infielders (MI) play shortstop or second base,
and infielders (IF) can play all four infield positions.
12. Check the Free Agent List to see if any of those players can help out
your team. Keep in mind that you must drop a player in order to pick one
up.
---------------------------------
11: Personal Review
---------------------------------
I usually don't run out and buy videogames after I had my job where I got
all the games for free. Well, not that the job is over I have to once again
buy all the games I want. So when I saw that All-Star Baseball 2002 was out
for Playstation 2 I thought that it was going to be a great baseball game.
I was in the mood to play a baseball game with the updated rosters because
the season just started so I decided to buy All-Star Baseball 2002 for 50
dollars at my local videogame store. I'm pretty disappointed that I threw
away my money on this peice of junk.
Graphics: 3
The graphics in All-Star Baseball 2002 are horrible. The Playstation 2 is
suppose to be a next generations system? What was Acclaim Sports thinking
when they released this game? The player models are very choppy and have a
lot of edges, the whole field is blurry, and the crowd is one of the worse
crowds I have seen for a long time. The stadiums are the only thing that
save the graphics because all of the stadiums are designed like their
real-life counterparts. Other than that, the graphics in All-Star Baseball
2002 suck.
Gameplay: 7
Gameplay-wise, All-Star Baseball 2002 is what you would expect. It comes
with a season mode, all star mode, practice mode, home run derby mode, and a
few other goodies like that. Also, there is a hall of fame team which is a
nice addition ot the game. Pitching and hitting is exactly like it was in
the previous All-Star Baseball games except that the game seems a bit
slower. Even though the gameplay is decent in All-Star Baseball 2002 it
doesn't make up for the graphics.
Control: 6
I never really liked the control in the All-Star Baseball series. The
control is too complex for most people. I usually like having my friends
come over and letting them play for their first time and explaining the
control to them from my memory. With this game, there is so many little
things that you can do that you will always have to look in the instruction
booklet to remember what to do. Baserunning is not a problem in the game,
but I don't really like the batter/pitcher interface. Guessing the pitch
seems a lot easier then it should be and if you guess the pitch there is a
lot of a better chance that you can hit a homerun.
Sound: 5
There isn't really much sound in the game. Yes, you can hear ball or strike
but that's basically it. You can hear the crowd cheering all the time which
gets pretty annoying after a while. Basically, this game is soundless.
It's surprising that on the back cover of the game they don't say anything
about the sound because Acclaim Sports probably knows that the sound sucks
in the game.
Overall: 4
Overall, this game is pretty bad. If you want to play a good baseball game
I think that you should probably go with High Heat 2002. I'm not sure if
that game is good but I read some reviews on it that said that it was a lot
better than this game. I don't know what Acclaim Sports was thinkinm when
they released this game, but I think that this game should have been delayed
a few months to fix up the mistakes.
---------------------------------
12: Codes/Secrets
---------------------------------
Here are all the codes/secrets I could find for All-Star Baseball 2002.
Thanks to GameWinners (www.gamewinners.com) for supplying these codes and
secrets.
Hidden teams:
Select exhibition mode. Repeatedly press L2 + R2 and the Dingers and the
Islanders teams will be unlocked. A sound will confirm correct entry. The
Dingers can also be unlocked in batting practice mode. Press L1 + L2 + R1 +
R2 at the batting practice team selection screen and that team will appear
next to the Cooperstown Legends.
Information in this section was contributed by Jeremy Hutcher and
Redboyz522.
Alternate uniforms:
Press L1 or R1 in exhibition mode.
Information in this section was contributed by ADRANGERS.
For alternate uniforms during season mode, press L1 or R1 + Up or Down at
the controller selection screen. Note: This can only be done on a Sunday.
Information in this section was contributed by Andre.
Hint: Hit more homeruns:
While batting, press Square to change from contact to power. Then, line up
the upper corner on the side of the batting triangle with the pitching aid.
If swung at the correct time, 90% of the time you will hit a homerun.
Information in this section was contributed by Ben Pooin.
Hint: Always steal second base:
Get a baserunner on first and third base. Attempt to steal second base and
the CPU will always throw to third base.
Hint: Super fastball:
Pitch with Randy Johnson and select his fastball. Aim it as low as it can go
in the strike zone. Hold X (his fastball) and bring it up towards the middle
of the strike zone. The pitch will as fast as 100 to 105 mph.
Information in this section was contributed by BOOSKIE10.
---------------------------------
13: Frequently Asked Questions
---------------------------------
There are a lot of questions that a lot of people regularly ask about
All-Star Baseball 2001. Here I have listed those questions and the answers
to the questions.
Question:
Is this game just like the Nintendo 64 version of the older All-Star
Baseball 2000's?
Answer:
The engine is basically the same but the graphics and gameplay are a bit
more sluggish. In the past N64 versions of this game series the graphics
and gameplay were superb. For some reason, Acclaim Sports had some trouble
making the graphics look at least decent. Other than that, the game is
basically the same.
Question:
Is there really a homerun derby mode in the game?
Answer:
Yes
Question:
I have Playstation 2 and I want to know what the best baseball game is for
the system. Is it Triple Play 2002, High Heat 2002, or All-Star Baseball
2002?
Answer:
It all depends on your likings. Tripla Play 2002 is more of an arcade style
baseball game while High Heat 2002 is a really realistic baseball game.
Most of the reviews said that High Heat 2002 is the best baseball game on
the market. I haven't played anything other than All-Star Baseball 2002 so
I can't really answer the question. All I can say is that people were
expecting All-Star Baseball 2002 to be just as good as the Nintendo 64
versions and that didn't happen.
Question:
Who endorses All-Star Baseball 2002?
Answer:
Well, that's a pretty easy question if you just look on the cover you could
see that Derek Jeter endorses the game.
Question:
I'm having some problems with this game. Where can I find help?
Answer:
If you can't find the answer in this guide feel free to e-mail me at
DreThug@hotmail.com.
---------------------------------
14: Credits
---------------------------------
This strategy guide was made 99 percent by me. The only people I would like
to thank is:
GameWinners (www.gamewinners.com)
For supplying all the codes for this guide. Without them, there would be no
codes for the game on this guide.
---------------------------------
15: Before You E-mail Me
---------------------------------
Please don't e-mail me asking stupid questions or I won't respond. When I
use to write strategy guides under a different name I would get 100's of
e-mails asking the same question which I already answered in my FAQ. Don't
think I'm being mean if I don't respond to your e-mail, it's just that I
have many other FAQs and I get tons of e-mail a day. Also, if you want to
e-mail me about the game please put in the Subject of the email All-Star
Baseball 2002 so I know what game I'm getting e-mailed about. If I just see
hey or something like that, I might think it's porn and just delete it. Now
if you write an educated e-mail to me, then for sure you will get a
response. Thanks.
---------------------------------
16: Legal Information
---------------------------------
Basically, for all the people that want to steal my information and put it
on their website, FAQ, or anything like that can't. This document Copyright
2001 DreThug can not be reproduced in any way without written permission
from it's author (DreThug). If you would like to use this strategy guide on
your website please just send me an e-mail at DreThug@hotmail.com and I will
most likely give you permission to use this guide at your site. Remember
the most updated version of this FAQ can always be found at GameFAQs
(www.gamefaqs.com) so if you think I haven't updated this guide in a while
you might just be looking at an old version of it. If I find that anyone
copied any of my information you will be screwed.
---------------------------------
17: Final Thoughts
---------------------------------
Even though most of us are really disappointed with All-Star Baseball 2002
it's still a decent baseball game. I hope that after reading this guide
that you came out with some tips and strategies that you didn't know about
before. Hopefully, the next version of All-Star Baseball 2002 will be a
much better game then this version of the game so the next strategy guide
will be more enjoyable to write. Well, it was fun writing this guide and I
hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. If you have any comments, questions,
or suggestions please throw them my way at: DreThug@hotmail.com. Thanks for
reading.
