3DO paid us a visit to show off a late beta of Sammy Sosa Softball Slam. The game uses a tweaked version of the High Heat 2001 engine, and it will emphasize the qualities of softball that its millions of fans like best. Instead of professional baseball's terse drama between the pitcher and the batter, Softball Slam will put more emphasis on what softball fans love - lots of hits, high scores, and lots more play on the field.

　　There's a lot to Softball Slam, despite the fact it's geared more toward easy-to-learn pickup play than serious simulation. Players will have access to 24 "neighborhood business" teams, like the local gym or the deli on the corner, and each team member's abilities are measured by different statistics: pitching, fielding, throwing, batting power, battering accuracy, and running speed. These abilities all come into play on the field; the game includes a simple, mouse-driven batting interface that will typically result in a whole lot of hits. As a result, there will be more play in the field than in a typical baseball game; much more of the game will be spent fielding hits and chasing down runners between bases. But despite all this, the game will also have a great deal of humor and character; the infield is a constant source of chatter, and the pitcher can not only hurl taunts at the batter, he can even bean the guy.

　　And yes, the game will star Sammy Sosa himself - the game's title probably wouldn't work without him. Softball fans everywhere can look forward to slugging pitch after pitch out of the park when the game is released at the end of the month.