Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first decision in All-Star 1997 Featuring Frank Thomas is how much baseball you want. Exhibition games are there when you simply want to put two clubs on the field, while Batting Practice and Home Run Derby offer a more focused way to spend time with the sport. That range matters: you are not forced into a long campaign just to enjoy a few swings.

Season mode is where the game has its clearest argument. It tracks more than 27 statistical categories across a full year, turning individual games into part of a larger record. If you enjoy checking how a roster is performing over time, that kind of bookkeeping gives each result more weight than a one-off exhibition.

Trading players during the season is another welcome layer. It lets you respond to the team you have rather than treating the roster as permanently fixed, and it gives a long schedule some room for your own decisions. The Playoff and All-Star modes round out the package neatly, even if the overall hook is straightforward rather than particularly distinctive.

This is a game for the fan who values options and licensed baseball context over novelty. The mode list is generous for its era, but the lasting pull depends on whether you want to invest in a season and follow the numbers. If all you want is a quick retro baseball match, Exhibition will do the job; if you want a reason to return, start a season.

Graphics

The licensed teams, players, stadiums, and logos give All-Star 1997 a recognizably major-league frame. Seeing the period’s 28 MLB clubs alongside Tampa Bay and Arizona places it firmly in that late-1990s expansion moment.

Story

There is no authored drama to carry this one; its story comes from a baseball season taking shape in the standings and stat sheets. A player’s numbers matter because the game records them across the year, giving you a running account of who is delivering and who is falling behind.

Trades provide the closest thing to a turning point. Moving someone from your team can change the direction of a season, so your club’s identity does not have to remain exactly as it was on opening day. That is a modest kind of sports storytelling, but it is the right one for a game built around licensed rosters.

The All-Star and Playoff modes offer shorter, self-contained baseball scenarios, while the full season supplies the longer arc. If you enjoy making your own narrative out of roster choices, accumulated stats, and the push toward the postseason, there is enough structure here to support that investment.

Overall Experience

All-Star 1997 Featuring Frank Thomas is a broad, sensible baseball package rather than a game with one irresistible signature idea. Its strength is that nearly every common way to enjoy baseball is represented: quick games, a season, postseason play, skill practice, and a home-run-focused diversion all sit in one place.

The real-player and team license adds value, especially for anyone fond of 1997 baseball. Jon Miller’s play-by-play commentary also gives the on-field action a familiar broadcast connection. Still, the game’s appeal rests more on its complete set of modes and season tracking than on a standout hook.

Give it a chance if you want a period baseball game with enough season management to make stats and trades worthwhile. Skip it if you need every retro sports title to deliver a singular reason to choose it over the rest. It is solidly equipped, but the 5.8 score fits: a competent licensed ballgame with useful depth, not a landmark.

Retro Replay Score

5.8/10