The name World Series Baseball has been synonymous with quality ever since Sega's glorious Genesis days and not so glorious Saturn ones. During the Saturn era, the franchise was one of the few shining lights in the system's otherwise dim existence. Admittedly, Sega's game of hardball struck out on the Dreamcast a couple times, but thanks to Visual Concepts and Blue Shift, World Series Baseball is once again vying for console baseball supremacy.

New to the game this year is the incorporation of the ESPN license. Unlike in previous games where the ESPN brand was attached to mediocrity, this time the license has actually been used to enhance an already solid game. WSB 2K3's menus and in-game camera (including an awesome playable pitcher's view) really make you feel like you're viewing a cable broadcast rather than playing a videogame. They've even included a few versions of the SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight themes we all know and love, and sometimes hum while on the can...er, forget I said that. It would have been nice to hear real ESPN personalities such as Joe Morgan and Jon Miller, but Mets broadcaster Ted Robinson and Angels color-man Rex Hudler do an adequate job of calling the game. After a few games of listening to Hud's exaggerated tone and baseball clichés, though, you might feel like putting your head through the television screen.

As you might expect, WSB 2K3 offers similar gameplay mechanics to last year's version. While the batting cursor method may not feel as realistic as High Heat's "zone" hitting, it's certainly the best implementation of cursor baseball thus far. Depending on the difficulty setting and each batter's hot and cold zones, the cursor will vary in size, thereby making it easier or harder to make solid contact. Moving the cursor with the analog stick feels smooth and responsive, as it should. The game also gives you the option of swinging for power (B button) or contact (A button). This is a great feature, although on easier settings it can lead to the game's becoming too "homer happy." You should be aware that swinging for power too often will result in far more pop-ups, so when a clutch hit is needed, contact is the way to go -- just as in real baseball!

Pitching is also quite intuitive and works wonderfully with the new behind-the-pitcher view. You simply select a pitch type and move the analog stick in the zone to aim while hitting the A button to start your wind-up. Holding in the button will result in some more "oomph" on the pitch, but it will also drain your pitcher's stamina meter faster. You can pitch by using a target indicator, but a real man relies on feel and the vibration function, which begins to vibrate slowly when your aim approaches the fringes of the strike zone. It takes a little getting used to, but is much more satisfying to play with. The gameplay really shines, however, because it can be manipulated to fit your tastes. By fiddling with the difficulty settings and A.I./gameplay sliders, you'll be able to tweak pitch speeds, pitching ability, batting average, and more. Whether you're just starting out or you desire a fierce challenge, you can adjust WSB 2K3 accordingly.

Once you've come to grips with the basics in some exhibition games, you can choose to play through a season mode, playoffs, "Big League Challenge" (which is much like the classic Home Run Derby where players square off inning-by-inning), or a real beefy franchise mode. Clearly, Sega devoted much of its resources to the game's franchise mode, as it's possibly the deepest ever created for a console. Fantasy league addicts should have a field day managing everything from a team's roster to its overall budget and player contracts. This actually isn't that different from other titles' franchise modes, but Sega didn't stop there. You actually have control over things like player loyalty and player health. Furthermore, in order to maximize the potential of your up-and-coming minor leaguers, you are responsible for assembling a strong coaching staff to boost players' skills. It's uncanny how much this mode offers.

Not only does WSB 2K3 offer addictive gameplay, but it also showcases some of the prettiest visuals around. Textures and wrinkles on players' uniforms are quite realistic, and the character models are even self-shadowing! The Major League stadiums are a wonder to behold and are, for the most part, accurate representations of their real-life counterparts. For those of you with HDTV sets, the game looks fantastic in 480p and absolutely mind-bogglingly stunning in 720p. There are no words to describe the game's beauty at this high resolution. While we're on the subject of high-tech features, the game also includes Dolby Digital 5.1 support for superior audio immersion. It really makes a difference to hear the crowd all around you as a play unfolds. It's also satisfying to listen to hecklers shout nasty things specific to certain players -- it's one of those extras that just puts a smile on your face.

As much as I've praised the game throughout this review, WSB 2K3 does have some problems worth mentioning. The biggest of these isn't a problem per se, but an omission. There's no online play, not even an option for downloadable rosters. It's a shame really, but at least next year's edition is guaranteed to be Xbox Live-enabled. You'll also notice that certain batting stances aren't accurate; some character models aren't proportioned properly (David Wells almost looks thin, for crying out loud!); identical generic player faces are used for far too many team members; and color shades are a tad off for a few teams. Additionally, while animations have been improved overall (especially in the double-play department), outfielders often look as if they are throwing home no matter which base they are actually heaving the ball towards. Finally, certain A.I. glitches (despite generally good A.I.) can be extremely frustrating. For example, if a runner is on second or third with less than two outs and a ground ball is hit to the right side, the runner should advance automatically, but he doesn't. This can be costly when you need to score a run. Nevertheless, these shortcomings do little to detract from the complete package.

While High Heat Baseball 2004 may offer a slightly more realistic experience, and All-Star Baseball 2004 may include more unlockable goodies, World Series Baseball 2K3 is hands-down the best overall hardball title on any console. If you like baseball and this title isn't already in your Xbox library, do yourself a favor and add it...Now!