Homerun (Atari 1978) F
I can see why Atari didn't name this one "baseball", since it bears little resemblance to the national pastime. This early title has few redeeming qualities. The sound and graphics are minimal. There are four bases, but no diamond. Your three fielders move in unison, and cannot throw the ball. There are no fly balls, but hits to straightaway centerfield are automatic homeruns. Pitching is probably the best aspect of this game; you have total control of the ball and can fool batters by catching the corner of the plate. The computer AI is simple and easy to beat, and the two-player game is pointless - no one will score unless someone makes a stupid mistake. This oldie has not aged well, and most will argue it was never any good to begin with.
1 or 2 players

Super Challenge Baseball (M-Network 1982) C+
In the sorry field of Atari 2600 baseball games, this one is notable because it does NOT suck. Super Challenge plays very straightforward and doesn't try to do too much. There are nine blocky fielders on a blocky diamond. There are no fly balls. Selecting fielders requires using joystick move combinations. It's tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, it works okay. The main drawback is that this game is two players only. Nothing fancy here, but you could do much worse.
2 players

Realsports Baseball (Atari 1982) D-
This was Atari's big opportunity to make up for the dismal Homerun debacle and release a decent baseball game -- but they failed. It's a shame really, because the graphics and controls are respectable, and the gameplay is fundamentally sound. Unfortunately, due to an apparent lack of play-testing, the game is chock-full of obvious flaws and bugs that spoil the action. The pitching portion is ruined by the fact that every pitch looks the same (straight over the plate). You never know if the pitch is a ball until you let it go or swing right through it! The hitting is weak; balls get hit to the same spots over and over. Atari's attempt at implementing fly balls, having the ball "ring", is ill-conceived. Runner control is surprisingly good - you can even lead off and steal. Intuitive fielding and throwing controls make it fun to toss the ball around. The only problem is that the ball often sails over your teammate's HEAD, forcing him to chase down the ball. The computer does this all the time and it looks absolutely ridiculous. The one-player mode is incredibly tough. Another annoyance is having to wait for all the players to enter/leave the field after every inning (yawn). This game is a major disappointment.
1 or 2 player

Super Baseball (Atari 1988) F
The last 2600 baseball game from Atari takes two steps back for every step forward. This was Atari's last chance to fix the Realsports Baseball game, which was flawed but at least showed potential. Both games look and play nearly the same. Although several bugs from Realsports have been fixed, the poor gameplay remains. The blocky field looks basically the same. The players look slightly WORSE (they are now a single color), but they do move faster - even faster than thrown balls in some cases! Unlike Realsports Baseball, you have the additional annoyance of having to wait for the batters to walk to (and from) home plate, and these guys are SLOW. Thrown balls don't go sailing over fielder's heads as often, but balls still get hit to the same spots over and over. The computer opponent still cannot be beaten. There is a nice title screen, but this can't hide the fact that Super Baseball is repackaged garbage.
1 or 2 players

Pete Rose Baseball (Absolute 1988) A-
I can't believe I finally found a good baseball game for the 2600! Not only does it play well, but it even has extras that you would never expect. Let's start with the graphics. When pitching, you get a behind-the-pitcher view just like television; you can even see the catcher and umpire. The pitcher looks good and winds up before throwing the ball. The batter is detailed and well animated. Once the ball is hit, the screen switches to one of two infield views. If the ball leaves the infield, one of three outfield views is shown. There is no dirt diamond, but there are well-defined baselines. The outfield has a warning track and a blue wall with distance marks! Control is responsive and uses the same type of control scheme used in modern baseball games. Ball movement is smooth and easy to follow. I was amazed to see balls actually bounce off the outfield walls. My biggest beef is that it's way too easy to hit homeruns. Also, the control scheme gives each infielder a very limited area to move around, which can be frustrating if the ball is just out of his "zone". My other complaints are minor, such as the fact that both teams are the same color (white). But overall, there's little doubt that this is the best Atari 2600 baseball game.
1 or 2 players

Odyssey 2

Baseball (Magnavox 1978) B
The Odyssey 2 baseball game has the good fortune of being compared to Homerun, the pitiful Atari 2600 baseball game that was released the same year. If Homerun had been done right, it would have been more like this game. The graphics aren't great, but at least you have all nine players in the field, and there's even a home run fence. You can position your outfielders before the pitch, which adds a little strategy. The controls are responsive. Your pitcher can curve the ball from side to side, and the batter can time his swing to direct his hit. There are both grounders and fly balls, although they both look the same. Fielders can throw the ball around, but the ball moves slowly, making it difficult to throw out runners. All the pertinent scoring information is displayed on the screen. The sound is minimal, except for the "take me out to the ballgame" tune, which is by far the WORST rendition I've ever heard. The main strength of this game is that it's so easy to play, but it's also pretty fun.
2 players

Intellivision

Major League Baseball (Mattel 1979) C+
This was a groundbreaking baseball game in 1979, and it's still fun today, despite some major flaws. The graphics are good; there's a full diamond with nine fielders. Hitting, running, and stealing are easy to do. You use the keypad to activate the proper fielder. Unfortunately, there is one flaw that can ruin the game: the pitcher can field almost everything, and in the process could easily shut out the other team. Be sure to ban this from your contests. Also, stealing is cinch, especially if the pitcher throws anything but a fastball. There are no fly balls, but that's not that big of a deal. Overall, MLB still holds up pretty well. As with most early Intellivision games, this is two-player only. Mattel released a better, more advanced baseball game called World Championship Baseball in 1983.
2 players

World Championship Baseball (Mattel 1983) A-
This game was the result of Mattel attempting to "update" its line of sports games. Apparently it was a bit rushed, as the title screen reads "All Star Baseball" (unlike the label) and there is said to be a nasty bug that will crash the game. In addition, there is no voice synthesis! Why the hell not?? Still, this game does have an impressive feature list: a one-player mode, variable difficulty levels, positioning of fielders, overrunning bases, sliding, fly balls, pitch-outs, errors, foul balls, bouncing balls, leading off, stealing, pick-offs, and extra innings. No other classic baseball game offers this kind of robust gameplay. The overrunning of bases is an awesome feature, giving your runner an extra burst of speed up the line. Sliding creates a cloud of dust. The graphics are basically the same as the first Intellivision baseball game, but the diamond looks a little better. Control is good, although you often need to glance at your controller to choose your fielder, which is a pain in the ass. The computer usually chooses the closest fielder automatically, but often makes poor decisions. But once you get the hang of the controls, you'll be turning double plays in no time. The computer is a worthly opponent. He doesn't swing at balls, and won't hesitate to steal. The sound effects are odd. The crowd is silent except between innings or after a homerun. A series of beeps are used to simulate umpire calls like "YER OUT!" You'll need to use your imagination. The biggest flaw would have to be the weak pitching controls; it's nearly impossible to strike anyone out! But despite that, I was highly impressed with this ambitious game. As far as classic baseball games go, only the Atari 5200 Baseball is in the same league.
1 or 2 players

Atari 5200

Realsports Baseball (Atari 1983) A
This is my favorite classic baseball game. It may not have all the features of Intellivision's World Championship baseball, but it beats that game hands-down with its superior graphics, awesome control, and impressive voice synthesis. The visuals feature uniformed players, a sharp-looking diamond, and a stadium complete with a homerun fence and a crowd. There's even a scoreboard that displays the complete box score. The pitching controls are outstanding! You can choose between 12 pitches, and even control the ball in flight. Each pitch is visually distinctive. The batting controls are innovative, taking full advantage of the odd Atari 5200 joystick design. You swing by sliding the joystick left to right, and can even control the height of your cut. It works surprisingly well. Fielding takes a while to get used to, but the computer is surprisingly adept at choosing the appropriate fielder. Check out these advanced features: tagging up, hit and runs, squeeze plays, no wind-up pitches, base stealing, and throwing errors! Thanks to some nifty voice synthesis, an umpire calls strikes, balls, and outs. The menu screen allows you to fully configure the number of players, difficulty, and number of innings. No game is perfect, and I found the offense to be lacking in this game. Also, waiting for the teams to leave the field between innings gets boring after a while. But when it comes to classic baseball, this is second to none!
1 or 2 players

Colecovision

Super Action Baseball (Coleco 1983) D-
What a monumental disappointment! This is the game that you need those huge Super Action Controllers to play. These monstrosities feature 16 buttons, a joystick, and a roller! You really can't use them without looking rediculous. The main draw of this game is the groundbreaking pitcher/batter screen, featuring large animated players. I must admit this looks pretty cool, except the players are wearing the ugliest uniforms imaginable (purple and orange?!? What were they thinking??). Unfortunately, the programmers must have spent 90% of their time on that screen alone, because the fielding screen is repugnant! Sure you can see the entire field, and there's a nice-looking diamond. But the fielder movement is painfully choppy and the player animation is non-existent. The ball movement is equally horrific, featuring THE worst physics I've EVER seen in a baseball game. In addition, the control scheme is overcomplicated and often a pain. The sound effects are annoying too. In the end, this one is only good for a laugh.
1 or 2 players

Nintendo

Baseball (Nintendo 1984) F
This early Nintendo game may look promising at first, but its gameplay is utterly atrocious. The graphics have a classic look to them, in that you can see the entire field on one screen. There's a separate screen for the pitcher/batter duel. The ball is well animated. The players look okay despite their small size, but their movements are PAINFULLY slow and choppy. Much of the fielding seems computer controlled, and it's common for outfielders to throw out the runner going to first. The sound effects are pretty much non-existent. When it comes to NES baseball games, it doesn't get any worse than this.
1 or 2 players

Bases Loaded (Jaleco 1988) B+
This game helped usher in a new generation of baseball video games. It features smooth, clean graphics, simple controls, and solid gameplay. The "behind the pitcher" view and the scrolling field, which are now standard in baseball games, was pretty impressive looking when this game came out in 1988. There are no major league teams or players, and not many options or features. But the graphics are great, and you can start a brawl by throwing too many bean balls, a cool feature that should be adopted by all baseball games (in my opinion). The movement of the balls and players is fairly slow, but at least they move smoothly. Throw a ball way outside the strike zone and watch the catcher's mitt "float" away from the catcher. The non-stop music may turn off some people, but others consider it a soundtrack to their childhood. The controls are a piece of cake. With so many complicated modern baseball games out today, it's fun to get back to the basics.
1 to 2 players

Baseball Stars (SNK 1989) B-
Here's a quality baseball game for the NES. It's not perfect, but it's extremely fun to play, and that's the bottom line. No, you won't find real teams or players in this game, and as a matter of fact, many of the players are girls (in shorts no less!). The uniforms are especially ugly (one team is all purple), but the players are nicely animated. The ball travels and bounces very smoothly and realistically. Gameplay is similar to the Ken Griffey games for the SNES (that's a compliment). Despite several modes of play (including league play), there aren't many bells and whistles here. There's plenty of annoying background music that plays throughout the game. Fly balls can be difficult to track down, because the ball has no shadow (the sound effects indicate the ball's height). But in spite of these deficiencies, Baseball Stars provides plenty of arcade fun.
1 or 2 players

Bases Loaded 2: Second Season (Jaleco 1989) F
I was in shock when I first played this game. What the heck happened? The first Bases Loaded game was SO much fun and SO nice looking! This game is utter crap! The whole thing has been redesigned, and everything that was good about the first game was thrown out the window. The players are smaller and their movement is downright choppy! For some odd reason, the field is viewed as if you were sitting in the nosebleed seats behind third base. As clean and polished as the first game was, this one feels sloppy and unfinished. What a dramatic turn-about! No wonder this line of baseball games faded into oblivion.
1 or 2 players

Baseball Stars II (Romstar 1991) A
Not only is this a big step up from the original, but Baseball Stars II is arguably THE best NES baseball game ever! In a tribute to the Babe himself, all the players look like fat slobs. But at least they're well animated and easy to control. The pitcher/batter screen lets you keep an eye on the base runners. Infielders can dive for the ball. To catch fly balls, you'll need to utilize both the ball shadow and the sound effects, but sometimes it's difficult just locating your fielder. The players have pretty weak arms; many of the throws bounce in the dirt. All the players and teams are fake, as are the four stadiums. The graphics are simple but attractive. You can choose your starting pitcher, alter your batting order, insert pinch hitters, and change pitchers at any time. There's some upbeat background music that plays throughout the whole game. Some of the sound effects are odd, like a pitch that sounds like a bird. But hey, this game isn't for purists; it's for people who want to have fun! Baseball Stars II delivers that.
1 or 2 players

Atari 7800

Realsports Baseball (Atari 1988) C+
This game does a lot of things right. The graphics are attractive, detailed, and move smoothly. A big scoreboard at the top of the screen holds the whole box score. The controls are well thought out and easy to learn. You can play a one or two player game. But there are problems. It's tough to judge the fly balls. Hit balls travel so quickly there's virtually no time to react with your fielder. The base runners are too fast. The computer is too tough. The crowd sounds like a strong wind. Can't one team come onto the field at the same time the other team is coming off the field? Do we really have to wait for both? On top of everything, this game has been known to freeze up in the middle of the game. Yikes. You would think that this game would at least be as good as the Atari 5200 version. Nope, not even close!
1 or 2 players

Pete Rose Baseball (Absolute 1989) C
Pete Rose Baseball looks a little better than the Atari 2600 version, but plays exactly the same. OK, I did rave about the 2600 version, but this is a third generation system for Pete's sake! I was expecting much more. You do get a nice TV-style pitcher/batter view, but the back of the pitcher's head is solid white. He looks like a mummy! I didn't even know Egypt had a team. Did I mention that the batter is also a mummy? Yeah, this is a great game to pull out around Halloween. The control scheme that lets you choose your fielder is awkward, but you'll get the hang of it. Unfortunately, the fielder who's closest to the ball often can't reach it because the ball's not in his "zone". Funny how they can't get the fielding right but they still have the infield fly rule. The "charge" music plays constantly, making you want to turn down the sound. In the end, Pete Rose is just another average baseball game.
1 or 2 players

Sega Master System

Great Baseball (Sega 1987) F
I've learned that games with titles that start with "Great" are usually anything but. "Awful Baseball" would have been a more appropriate label. At first glance, this game looks pretty impressive. The pitcher/batter screen is similar to Bases Loaded on the NES, but looks much better. The pitcher and batter are smoothly animated. Unfortunately, once the ball is put into play, everything goes to hell. The screen switches to show the whole field, and the fielders are slow as malasses. It's like controlling a team of 90 year old men, only slower. There's not even a dive control. The diamond doesn't look good either; there are narrow dirt paths between the bases. Ironically enough, the field on the "radar" screen is more realistic looking! The umpire sounds good, but the fans sound like thunder. And for some reason, these fans go NUTS over foul balls, which are painfully abundant by the way. Great Baseball is bad, but it does have something I've never seen in another baseball game - balks! It's true, but it takes more than that to win me over.
1 or 2 players

Reggie Jackson Baseball (Sega 1988) B
Once you get used to the controls, Reggie Jackson is one heck of a baseball game. It features real teams with fake players. My first impression of this game was not good. When I first turned it on, I saw was a RED FIELD with a green crowd! I was like "What's going on?" I thought my TV was broken or something. Fortunately, I located the green field (and a yellow one, believe it or not). The graphics are actually pretty decent. The behind-the-batter view of the pitcher looks good, although anticipating pitches is pretty difficult. Once the ball is in play, the game switches to an overhead view with tiny fielders. The ball movement is smooth, but its takes some practice to track fly balls (thanks to a decieving shadow). Your fielders are slow, so you'll need to get a good jump on the ball. The game offers an "auto fielding mode" for the lazy player. Throwing control is very intuitive; you'll be turning double plays with ease. During plays at the plate, a closeup gives you a nice view of the action. There are some nice graphical touches like animated umpires, third base coaches, pitchers warming up, and... cheerleaders?!. There's some voice synthesis; the umpires call runners safe or out. Annoying music plays constantly throughout the game. The computer isn't too bright, but against a human opponent, this game could be a lot of fun.
1 or 2 players

Sega Genesis

Tommy Lasorda Baseball C-
For being the first Genesis baseball game, this isn't nearly as bad as I expected. The game has a fast-paced, arcade quality that I like. Unfortunately there are no real teams, players, or stadiums. The behind-the-batter viewpoint features large, well-animated players. The transparent catcher looks particularly good. Once the ball is hit, the game switches to a rather cheesy overhead perspective. It doesn't exactly show off the Genesis' graphics prowess; in fact, the players look like blobs. At least the fielding is easy enough, even though you can't jump or dive. Throwing the ball around is no problem, thanks to some very responsive controls. This is an arcade-style game, but you do have the ability to lead off, steal, slide, tag up, position fielders, commit errors, pinch-hit, or bring in a relief pitcher. The pitchers seem to have a big advantage over the hitters - it's hard to hit the ball! But the worst problem with this game is the sound. The cheers are disjointed, and there are frequent crackling/popping noises in the audio. There's some modest play-by-play, as well as some background music (which you can turn off, thankfully). There are a few nice graphical touches, like cars in the parking lot that you can see after hitting a long homerun. After hitting a homer, all of your teammates are waiting to give you hi-fives. You can play a season, but you'll have to jot down long passwords. If you like fast, arcade style baseball, this isn't a bad choice.
1 or 2 players

Cal Ripken Jr. Baseball Mindscape 1992 D+
I'm from Baltimore, and Cal Ripken is like a God in these parts. But I don't think Cal had much input into this game. Simply put, Cal Ripken Jr. Baseball is unsurpassed in terms of sheer mediocrity. It came out about the same time as Sportstalk Baseball, and frankly, there's no competition. No, it isn't particularly bad in any way, but it doesn't have much to offer either. There are no major league teams or players (except Cal, of course). You choose between three fictional stadiums. The graphics are dull, and all the players look the same (generic white guys - like Cal!). The pitching controls are very simplistic (fast, slow, curve). An exceedingly large outfield area allows too many balls to be hit in the gap. It's hard to field the ball with your tiny players, and you'll need to use the dive button to snag anything that's not hit directly to you. Close plays result in a close-up "action window". It's a nice touch, but if you blink you'll miss it! As far as the sound effects go, an umpire calls strikes, balls, and outs, but he sounds like he has bronchitis. At least after you hit a homerun, you get to hear the "Bad News Bears" theme (I like that). The league mode gives you a password to save your spot. The homerun derby mode is unusual in that it scores points for hits other than home runs. Overall, Cal Ripken baseball is a fair but unremarkable baseball game.
1 or 2 players

Sports Talk Baseball (Sega 1992) B+
This was a ground-breaking game in 1992, featuring all of the major league teams and players, and even live commentary! The one-man play-by-play is surprisingly good, only lagging slightly behind the action. The graphics are rather cartoonish, but the animation is silky smooth. Easy-to-learn, responsive controls and fast gameplay make this game a blast to play. There are three fictional stadiums to choose from. You can modify the rosters and choose from several season modes, although the user interface is a bit clunky. The most bizarre feature has got to be the "domination" rule, in which a team automatically wins if it goes up by ten runs. What the heck is that all about?? Another let-down is the lack of an instant replay. Overall, it isn't very realistic, but Sports Talk Baseball stands as one of the most fun baseball games ever made for the Genesis.
1 or 2 players

RBI Baseball '93 (Tengen 1993) C+
Remember when the year in the title of the baseball game actually coincided with the year it came out? RBI 93 is a fun baseball game with some excellent animation. The stadiums (they're all here) look realistic and detailed. The players are cartoonish-looking but well drawn. I remember being so impressed with Royal stadium and it's fountains of frozen water. The gameplay is fair, but you only see a small view of the field, so picking up fielders can be a challenge. The higher a ball is hit, the larger it becomes, which makes it easier to track down, but looks funny. Pop-ups look like beach-balls. This game is one of the few from the time period to have foul balls, but there's too many of them! It can't match Sports Talk, but RBI is still a good baseball game.
1 or 2 players

Super Baseball 2020 (Electronic Arts 1993) C
You really have to hand it to EA for at least coming up with something original. This futuristic baseball game features non-stop action, flashy graphics, robot players, a huge field, 135 MPH pitches, land mines in the outfield, and crazy power-ups that let your fielders jump 20 feet (to snag those would-be homers!). There's some great ideas here, no question, but the execution leaves much to be desired. Before I go further, I should mention that this game is hyper-kinetic to the point of being dizzying. The moving backgrounds of the menu screens will make you sick. Informational screens are flashed before the game and between innings so fast you can hardly read them! Even "close-up" action screens go by so fast it's hard to tell what's going on. In general, the graphics and sound are outstanding. The view of the ball getting knocked into the outfield is awesome (but often misleading). The ultramodern sound effects are imaginative and not at all annoying. But below all the glitz is an arcade baseball game that isn't as wild as it tries to be. The gameplay is pretty much like any other baseball game, except for less homeruns, fewer fouls, and more off-the-wall action. Sure you can buy power-ups during the game, but they don't do much more than give you more power at the plate. Yes, there are land mines in the field, but since the fielders are mostly computer-controlled, there's not much running around going on. In fact, the fielders always seem in the right position to catch the long fly balls (which take an eternity to come down). This is one of those games that seems great a first, but ultimately won't get much playtime in your Genesis.
1 or 2 players

Tony LaRussa Baseball (Electronic Arts 1993) F
This game was an abomination in 1993, and it still is today. Sure the menus have options and stats out the wahzoo, but the gameplay is hideously slow and unbelieveably choppy! The pitcher's windup looks okay, but the ball blinks about 4 times between him and the catcher. The control is another nightmare. The announcer sounds like he's choking on a hotdog. The fields look good, but all the stadiums look the same. I took this one back the same day I bought it. EA had made some great football, basketball, and hockey games by this time. What happened with baseball?
1 or 2 players

RBI Baseball 4 (Tengen 1994) C+
This is basically RBI Baseball 93 with updated rosters. Man, that pisses me off when game companies do that! Yes, there are some new options, but Tengen missed an opportunity to make some real improvements. And there was plenty of room for that! Heck, the players aren't even the right colors! Too bad Tengen couldn't take RBI to the next level.
1 or 2 players

ESPN Baseball Tonight (Sony 1994) C+
I was initially very impressed by this surprisingly good-looking baseball game. The players are plain, but the animation is absolutely stunning. The pitcher delivery and the way the ball comes off the bat is a sight to behold. The designers tried recreate the look of an ESPN telecast, and the results are mixed. The pitching is impressive, but the fielder movements are pretty stiff. There are bits of commentary by Dan Patrick and Chris Berman, but most of the time the game is strangely silent (even the fans get very quiet). Your view of the game is always from behind the catcher. When the ball is hit towards first or third base, the camera pans over. This makes it almost impossible to react to grounders hit anywhere but up the middle. Also, the camera doesn't zoom when the ball is hit to the outfield. That means you need to move around your fielder far in the distance. Actually it's not as bad as it sounds. This game probably could have given Sega's World Series baseball game a run for the money if it had the stadiums. At least it has the major league teams and players. There's not many bells or whistles to talk about. Overall, ESPN Tonight looks impressive, but beauty is skin deep.
1 or 2 players

World Series Baseball (Sega 1994) B-
This long-awaited game really set the high-water mark for realism in a baseball game. All the players, teams, and stadiums are real. There are loads of statistics and options. Modes include batting practice, homerun derby, and a battery backed-up season. The players look nearly digitized, and all of the stadiums are rendered realistically. An innovative catcher's view gives the hitter a great view of the strike zone. You can barely see the batter, who's just out of the frame. Unfortunately, all of this realism takes its toll on the gameplay. The action isn't as fast or smooth as SportsTalk baseball, and a graphics are drab. Unless you really appreciate the finer points of the game, the gameplay can get a bit tedious. The height of the baseball is represented by a huge shadow, which looks pretty bizarre. The SportsTalk announcer has returned for this game, and is slightly improved. There's an innovative scoreboard that displays humorous cartoon animations in addition to the box score. There are plenty of other neat little touches like vendors shouting in the stands. This was a very ambitious game, and Sega did a good job.
1 or 2 players

World Series Baseball 95 (Sega 1995) B+
This game was a significant improvement over the original World Series game. The biggest difference is the graphics, which look much more vibrant and colorful. Now you can clearly see the batter in the box, and he looks great. The ball even hits off the bat realistically. The user interface is more streamlined. The SportsTalk announcer was canned this time, and there is very little speech in this game. There is a new PA guy to announce each batter, but he talks VERY slowly. A high-pitched commentator describes action in the field, but he's not very good. This was the peak of the World Series games, which Sega never bothered to improve after this.
1 or 2 players

World Series Baseball 96 (Sega 1996) B+
Unfortunately, this is almost exactly the same as World Series 95. Only new rosters and schedule options set this game apart. Too bad!
1 or 2 players

World Series Baseball 98 (Sega 1997) B+
That's right, Sega has once again released World Series 95 with an updated roster. There are also a few new statistics, but who cares? The bottom line is that Sega milked this thing for all it was worth. But there's something else interesting to note about this game - check out the year in the title. Sega "skipped" a year in order to keep up with all the other baseball games. It's a mad, mad world.
1 or 2 players

Super Nintendo

Cal Ripken Jr. Baseball Mindscape 1992 C
Wow, this is certainly a step up from the mediocre Genesis version! Sure it's the same game, but the increase in graphic and sound quality is significant. In case you didn't read the Genesis review, this baseball game is as generic as they come. The teams and players are fictional, as are the three stadiums. The outfield is huge, resulting in an inordinate number of extra base hits. The coolest feature is the "zoom window" which displays full screen close-ups of close plays. Pretty neat, but you won't see these often. Although it's basically the same game, the SNES version is clearly better than the Genesis version. The graphics aren't very exciting, but they are sharp and smooth. As far as the control goes, it's much easier to hit the ball. Also, it's easier to field grounders and throw the ball. Unfortunately, the dive control doesn't work as well, and the tiny ball shadow makes fly balls harder to track down. Sound-wise, the umpire sounds MUCH better, and the background music isn't bad either. The game is still barely average, but I'll take this over the Genesis version any day.
1 or 2 players

Ken Griffey Major League Baseball (Nintendo 1994) B+
This game finally gave the SNES a great baseball title. It's a polished, well-designed arcade game featuring all the major league teams and stadiums. The crisp, colorful graphics are terrific, even if the players look cartoonish with exaggerated muscles. The stadiums are detailed and fun to look at. Controls are simple and responsive; this is one of the fastest moving baseball games I've ever played. The scrolling and animation are VERY smooth. It may be short on realism, but this game is extremely fun and entertaining. Unfortunately, it doesn't have any of the major league players (except Ken Griffey of course). You can actually modify the rosters to reflect the real teams, but this is excruciatingly tedious. Also, there is no instant reply feature.
1 or 2 players

Ken Griffey's Winning Run (Ninendo 1996) A-
This is a phenomenal baseball game that's even better than the first Ken Griffey game. The pitcher/batter screen is now at a low enough angle that you can see the ballparks in the background, and they look breathtaking. After the ball is hit, you view the field from a higher camera. It makes the fielders look smaller, but it's also easier to track down the ball. This reminds me of Bases Loaded for the Nintendo. The players look much more realistic than they did in the first Ken Griffey game (although Ken Griffey looks rediculously muscular on the title screen). The fast, fun arcade gameplay has been left intact, and the crowd and umpire sound effects are noticeably improved. The only faults with this game are no major league players and no instant replay. Otherwise, this is the best arcade baseball game you will find.
1 or 2 players

Sega Saturn

World Series Baseball (Sega 1995) C+
This first generation Saturn baseball game plays well, but was a slight disappointment. There are only FOUR stadiums! At least the ones included look good. The players are generic small and generic looking. When a ball is hit to the outfield, the camera does not zoom in, so you have to control some tiny fielders. The sound is pretty bad. The crowd sounds like somebody banging on a trashcan, and there's no commentary. The umpire is annoying. It's tough to complain about the gameplay however. The players control well and are animated nicely. The game moves along at a fast clip. Certain features that you would expect, like a replay option, are conspicuous in their absence. Even though it's nothing spectacular, World Series is still a respectable baseball game. Many of its shortcomings were addressed in World Series II.
1 or 2 players

World Series Baseball 2 (Sega 1996) B
The Saturn system was ultimately a failure, but it did have some really good baseball games. World Series II is fast, nice looking, and a lot of fun. The first thing you'll notice is the great looking, meticulously detailed stadiums. Sega really did their homework on these. The players are digitized and smoothly animated. Control is easy to learn and very responsive. Arcade fans will love this game, but purists might balk. The umpire calling strikes is incredibly annoying. And what's up with that lame announcer? He makes idiotic statements like "That was a great pitch! What will he throw next?". Where did they get that guy? The crowd noise sounds like a bunch of trash can lids crashing together in the distance (the crowd even LOOKs like sheet metal!). The high, behind the plate camera angle makes it difficult to tell balls from strikes. In addition, the camera is often too slow following the ball, especially on balls hit up the lines. And why isn't there an instant replay option? This is 32 bit right? OK, so there are some problems, but somehow the underlying baseball game manages to be fun.
1 or 2 players

World Series Baseball 98 (Sega 1997) A
If you're looking for baseball on the Saturn, it gets no better than this. This game improves upon World Series II with three-dimensional polygon players and a new TV style presentation. The stadiums haven't changed a bit, but the new player graphics allow for some dramatic camera angles, like batters stepping up to the plate, or runners colliding with the catcher at home plate. The players looks a little rough, but at least they are well animated and mirror the batting stances and pitching wind-ups of the actual players. Thankfully, the crowd noise and play-by-play has been improved. The batting is a bit more sophisticated, but the controls are still easy to learn and very responsive. This is one of the best baseball video games I've ever played.
1 or 2 players

Sony Playstation

MLB 99 (989 Studios 1998) B+
This is a solid arcade-style baseball game with legendary Cal Ripken on the cover (that's good enough for me). What it lacks in realism it makes up with fast, fun gameplay. The players look very nice, but they're a little stiff. Before and after plays, they stand at attention like soldiers. Controls are excellent, allowing you to easily dive for ground balls and throw runners out from your knees. The stadiums look fine but don't expect anything spectacular. Vin Scully does a fine job calling play-by-play, and the vendor voices in the background are pretty funny. The AI isn't the greatest, and there seems to be too many home runs, but unless you're an anal retentive purist, you'll enjoy this game.
1 or 2 players

MLB 2001 (989 Studios 2000) B
In the two years since I've played an MLB game, and it looks like things haven't changed much! Apparently 989 is content with updating the rosters and adding some unwanted bells and whistles every year. Yes, this game is just as good as the past few MLB games, but it's definitely not worth the upgrade. One the the newest features is a franchise mode which lets you bring up a rookie and develop his career through a season. Sorry, but like the "dynasty" modes in basketball games, no one will ever bother with that. Most people just want to play a game now and then, not make it part of their life. Another unwanted feature are oldie songs that play in the background between innings. If I hear "Respect" or "Wooly Bully" one more time, I'm gonna have to hurt somebody! MLB 2001 isn't bad by any stretch, but if you've owned any of the other MLB titles, then you're probably already sick of it.
1 or 2 players

Nintendo 64

All-Star Baseball 2000 (Acclaim 1999) B-
All Star Baseball combines realistic graphics with solid control and good game play. The presentation is very much like a real telecast. The players actually look like the actual players, with the pitching motions and batting stances well represented. Animation is good, but could be more fluid. Players move realistically during the action, but when the play is over, they revert to robot-like stances. The well-designed control scheme makes it easy for a beginner to start playing right away. This game has just about every option you could imagine, including a nice 4-player mode. A special screen allows you to configure which person is controlling which players. The game moves along at a decent speed, but the pitching can get a bit tedious. Play-by-play is sparse, and there are a very limited number of comments. You can only listen to "that fast ball made him look silly" so many times. Another minor quibble is that the computer opponent is too easy to strike out. This baseball game may be the premiere N64 baseball game, but it lacks excitement.
1-4 players
Rumble pack support: Yes.
Save game: Save takes up a whole controller pack.

All-Star Baseball 2001 (Acclaim 2000) B-
The thing that stands out about All-Star Baseball 2001 is the shiny new red cartridge - very nice! But once you turn it on, you find last year's All Star Baseball game! Sure, last year's game was good, but now it's old news! It's a sad commentary on the state of baseball video games. The changes in this game (besides updated rosters) are so minor that someone would really need to point them out for you to notice. When reviewing sports games I run into this problem a lot. I would like to penalize the game for being such a rip-off, but I can't deny it's still a solid game. If you want a baseball game for your N64 and DON'T have ASB 2000, this is a reasonable purchase. But if you have last year's game, don't bother.
1-4 players
Rumble pack support: Yes.
Save game: Save takes up a whole controller pack.

Sega Dreamcast

Playstation 2

All-Star Baseball 2002 (Acclaim 2001) C
I've been anticipating baseball on the PS2, but I was not impressed with this one. All-Star is realistic but boring. This game really needs an injection of excitement. The graphics, especially the realistically animated player models, look very good. Their faces are lifelike, and their batting stances are perfect. Acclaim even included lifelike umpires and base coaches. The fielders are animated smoothly and realistically. They scoop up grounders and jump to catch high throws. Less impressive are the stadiums, mainly because you don't see much of them due to the largely overhead view of the action. The control scheme is a mixed bag. Throwing the ball is easy, but it's hard to get used to pressing R2 to dive. The pitching is similar to the Nintendo 64 versions of this game; it's too hard to hit the ball, and there are annoying pauses between pitches. As a result, the game moves at a snail's pace. I was impressed however with the variety of the pitches. Each pitcher has his own arsenal, with stuff like four-seam fastballs, circle changes, cutters, and "slurves". The more you aim your pitch away from the strike zone, the more your controller vibrates. Unfortunately, your friend isn't likely to swing when he sees your controller doing about 6.5 on the Richter scale! The fielders are small, but at least you have some room to track down fly balls. Unfortunately, there is a noticeable pause between the time the fielder catches the ball and throws it; it's as if he can't get it out of his glove! In addition, the ball doesn't connect very well with the bat or the player's gloves. There are some confusing camera angles, and the players don't always throw in the same direction they're facing. The pitcher flags down too grounders, sometimes even DIVING for the ball! That should never happen. The voice commentary is sparse and dull, and the crowd seems pretty disinterested as well. Some problems are downright unforgivable, like the lack of a voluntary instant replay system. The announcers call the homeruns immediately, leaving absolutely no room for any kind of drama. Same with foul balls. This game does have at least one innovative feature: the home team mascot dances on top of the dugout between innings. You'll get a kick out of this. The Oriole mascot actually scared me a little. With his small head and lanky body, he looked more like the Fly instead of a bird. After each game, you get a nice complete box score. All-Star baseball is a respectable first generation PS2 game, but there's plenty of room for improvement.
1 or 2 players

Triple Play Baseball (Electronic Arts 2001) C
You really can't win if you're looking for a PS2 baseball game. After being disappointed with All-Star Baseball, I decided try the more arcade-oriented Triple Play. And although Triple Play is better in many respects, it's worse in many others! The graphics are pretty flashy and often dramatic. There is some brilliant camera work, and it never seems to interfere with the action. When the camera zooms in behind the batter, it looks positively breathtaking. The wild camera angles also give you a chance to enjoy the excellent stadium graphics. Unfortunately, the players don't look nearly as good. They are all stubby with short arms and big heads! What's up with that? They look positively freaky! The animation is also lacking, and the players look very stiff compared to All-Star. One thing this game definitely has going for it is the pitcher/batter screen. It looks great, controls wonderfully, and doesn't feel nearly as tedious as All Star Baseball. Best of all, it's easy to hit the ball. Unfortunately, the fielding is really bad. You hardly have any time to react to grounders. Diving isn't very effective. The fielding "assistance" graphics are so big they're distracting. The computer often does a poor job of selecting your fielder, and you'll have to press the triangle button to switch to a closer player. I knew I was in trouble when my second baseman chased a grounder into center field! The game does offer an original control scheme. Did you know that the X, O, square, and triangle buttons on the PS2 controller were pressure sensitive? I didn't. Well, the harder to press the buttons, the harder you throw the ball! It's a novel idea, but I can see it resulting in a lot of sore thumbs. I mean, how often do you want to just lob the ball?? Another problem is there are too many homeruns. And as you watch the ball leave the park, it never decreases in size, so by the time it goes over the fence it looks like a beach ball! Batters argue strike calls, which seems like a great idea, until I saw a batter argue a strike on a pitch that he swung at! There is a serious a lack of options, including time of game and weather. You don't warm up pitchers before you bring them in the game, which I actually like. Triple Play isn't very realistic, but it has more fun and excitement than All-Star Baseball. 1 to 2 players

High Heat Baseball 2002 (3DO 2001) B
Hey, this looks like a Playstation One game! The players are stiff and awkward looking. Their faces look generic and dorky. The stadiums aren't particularly accurate, and the dugouts are always empty. The two-player commentary is unremarkable as well. That said, this is still the best baseball game you can get for your PS2. Why? It's the gameplay! High Heat is fast, realistic, and simple to play. The presentation might be a little sloppy, but 3D0 put the most effort into where it really counts. There aren't any crazy plays or fancy graphics, just pure baseball action, and it's great fun! Pitchers can't find the strike zone when they get tired. Coaches visit the mound. Players get ejected. Third strikes are dropped by catchers. The controls are intuitive and responsive. For your hyperactive friends, this game has few annoying pauses, and you can even set the game speed. Other nice options include a replay frequency setting and "view stadium" mode, which lets look around at your leisure. After each game, there's a load of statistics including a full box score and a complete game summary! With awesome control, realistic gameplay, and fast action, High Heat is the baseball game you SHOULD have gotten for your PS2.
1 to 2 players