For 2003, most of the old favorites are back with updated versions of their products. Sporting a wealth of new features, these games will be trickling out over several weeks, vying for our hard-earned gaming dollars. We hope our scouting report will provide you with the information you need to draft the game that best suits your needs.

Shaun Sullivan’s on-field and general management simulation is back this year with a new financial model, multi-player trades, more association/league configurations (still no 16 team leagues), and support for using real MLB players via the Lahman database.

Will PureSim build on last year's success or suffer the sophomore jinx?

Have you ever scratched your head at a pre-season trade wondering what your team could be thinking only to have that player perform far above expectations? One of the more interesting AI aspects in PureSim is the new team chemistry and player disposition modeling. These factors expand the complexity of the management simulation: just because a player has great stats, it doesn’t mean he’s going to be a fit for your team. And vice versa.

Don’t want to go through all the hassle to get your league started? PureSim now includes a QuickStart option which will automatically draft a league and assign you a team. There are also many more stats options, greater control over lineups, and enough little tweaks and features to keep gamers happy the entire summer.

PureSim Baseball 2003 is available online for $29.99.

Out of the Park Baseball is one of the more veteran games in our list. Since its initial release many years ago, the game has continued to grow and evolve into one of the more solid and well respected baseball sims available (REVIEW). That said, OOTP5 looks set to continue the tradition of solid gameplay and stat-candy that gamers have come to love. But of course there has to be new features…

Lots of stats and options knock this one out of the park.

The AI engine has been completely rewritten. Not just on-field, but the general manager aspects of the game including trades, finances, and player evaluation by your coaches and scouts. The interface now supports hyperlinked player and team names to allow easy navigation, wheel mouse scrolling, “skinned” GUI (think WinAmp), as well as sounds and music.

A new, and bold, gameplay mode allows you to roleplay your manager character. Instead of just calling the shots, you actually create a virtual manager who can date, marry, have kids – perhaps even a son who will follow in dad’s footsteps. Unfortunately divorce and firing are both harsh realities of this mode (as in life), so be sure you manage your family and career properly.

Out of the Park Baseball 5.0 is available online for $34.95.

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