Acclaim's vaunted baseball series makes its first appearance on Game Boy Advance with the release of All-Star Baseball 2003. As in its console siblings, the game features 30 MLB teams, stadiums, and over 700 authentic players for use in six modes of play: Exhibition, Quick Play, All-Star Game, World Series, Batting Practice, and Home Run Derby.
The perspective is from the eyes of the catcher as players pitch and hit using the same style of interface found in the console versions of the game. Each batter swings at pitches using a triangular cursor, the size of which is based on the athlete's real-life hitting performance during the 2001 season. Pitchers can throw up to five different pitches, depending on the individual on the mound, and a cursor is used to aim its location.
Once contact is made, the screen switches to an overhead view of the stadium, where a dotted line indicates the trajectory and location of the ball. Players can manually field or have the computer handle defense, with options including the ability to make defensive shifts, dive to stop ground balls, or rob home runs by jumping near the fence. Substitutions can also be made during the game to bring in a reliever or pinch hitter.
Seasons can be adjusted to three, 81, or 162 games, with choices of unbalanced or balanced schedules and interleague play. Individual games may be simulated and statistics for the league and team are saved throughout the season via battery backup. Pitching rotations are also modifiable and trades are permitted. Another feature is the option to collect trading cards each time a game is won. A total of 64 cards can be collected and traded with friends using a Game Link Cable.