OVERALL RATING		4.5
Presentation		4.5
Control		4.0
Gameplay		4.5
Fun factor		5.0
User Rating		3.0

Baseball fans have had their fare share of good simulation baseball titles on the iPhone but most casual player have been left out in the rain when it comes to something simple and accessible.  That has been changed however with the release of Baseball Slugger: Home Run Race 3D, a game that not only appeals to casual players but will also have fanatics jumping for joy.

You see, Homerun Slugger is a homerun hitting contest that is filled with so much action and so many features that you'll be hard-pressed, like me, to put it down.  It's just totally addicting and much of that is due to the fact that there is quite a bit of customization plus the opportunity to play against opponents online.  That's right, not just Wi-Fi but through the actual carrier service which means you'll go head up against players across the country.  But first, let me talk about some of the game features...

The game offers four modes:  Training, Classic, Arcade and Match Up.  Training allows you to set specific conditions that allow you to practice your swings.  These conditions include type of pitch, style of pitching and speed of the pitch.  Classic puts you against the pitcher to see how many runs you can hit.  In Arcade, the objective is more to see how high a score you can reach, therefore a few of the rules from Classic are changed.  Finally, in Match Up, that's where you'll challenge other players for pride and glory.

Now, just hitting homeruns is OK but when you are given the option to customize your own batter, that really makes the game more personal.  You can purchase many features including skin, hair, bats, uniform, glasses and other strange items to give your character a unique look.  The currency, in this case, to buy these items are gold balls that are won either by hitting specific balls during a contest or by clearing up to 50 types of missions.  

Once you have customized your character and have practiced enough to feel you are good for the big leagues, it's time to see how good you really are when you go online to play others.  First, you'll start off as a Rookie and by winning matches, you'll climb the ladder to more tougher player leagues.  It becomes a race to be king of the hill and there are always plenty of players to take on.

What I really like about Baseball Slugger is that you are given options galore to play and the game itself is very simple.  You can play all day by yourself or just challenge others while trying to clear missions for more gold balls, but in both places you'll certainly feel the spirit of competition.  What's best is that the play is balanced so that strong players aren't beating up on entry level players, unless those beginner players decide so.  About the only issue I have with the game is that it doesn't  keep track of your progress in the missions so it's tough to know how much farther you need to go to clear said missions.  It's still however an excellent game with many fun features that everyone should experience.