Baseball (1983 video game)
| Baseball | |
|---|---|
 North American NES boxart | |
| Developer(s) | Nintendo Research & Development 1 |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Designer(s) | Shigeru Miyamoto[1] |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo Entertainment System, Family Computer Disk System, Game Boy |
| Release date(s) |
NES Famicom Disk System
Game Boy |
| Genre(s) | Sports |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, two-player |
Baseball (Japanese: ベースボール Hepburn: Bēsubōru) is a 1983 video game from Nintendo, one of the first early titles for the Family Computer. In 1985, the game was featured prominently amongst the 18 titles at the Manhattan test market launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System, being demonstrated on a large projector screen by real Major League Baseball players. The game's launch position and the universal appeal of its namesake sport are said to have made Baseball a key to the NES's overall success, and an important piece of Nintendo history.[3]
Gameplay
As in real baseball, the object of the game is to score the most runs. The game supports one player versus a computer opponent, or two players. Each player can select from one of six teams.
Though lacking a license to give official team names,[3] their initials in the game are meant to represent the names of real teams from the Japanese Central League or the American Major League Baseball in their respective regions. In gameplay, the only practical difference between the teams is the uniform colors.[4]
Other releases
- Arcade – vs. Baseball is slightly different from its NES counterpart. The game features additional graphics and some speech.
- PlayChoice-10 – Baseball is one of the games in PlayChoice-10 arcade machines, released in 1986.
- Game Boy – Baseball is one of the first games to have launched with the Game Boy, along with Super Mario Land and Tetris. The background music is different than the NES version.
- e-Reader – Baseball is one of the NES games ported to the Game Boy Advance e-Reader in 2002.
- Baseball is a bonus NES game in the GameCube game, Animal Crossing.
- Wii – The NES version was released for the Wii's Virtual Console on January 1, 2007
- Nintendo 3DS – The Game Boy version was released for the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in North America on July 14, 2011 and in the PAL region on July 28, 2011
Reception
In 2007, IGN gave Baseball a 5.5 out of 10, noting its depth of pitching, its two-player support, "its still-intact sense of fun", and its important place in Nintendo's history. The review said that the 1985 test market launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System had "heavily relied upon" Baseball, due to the globally recognizable status of the sport. The review summarized that "the NES came out a winner—thanks, in part, to Baseball".[3]
In 2006, GameSpot gave Baseball a 4.2 out of 10, stating that while it was easy to play, the "bare-bones" replica of the sport "hasn't withstood the test of time."[4]
References
- ↑ Kohler, Chris. "Miyamoto Spills Donkey Kong's Darkest Secrets, 35 Years Later". Wired. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ↑ White, Dave (July 1989). "Electronic Gaming Monthly". Electronic Gaming Monthly (3): 68.
- 1 2 3 Thomas, Lucas M. (January 16, 2007). "Baseball VC Review". IGN. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
- 1 2 Thomas, Aaron (January 4, 2007). "Baseball Review". GameSpot. Retrieved December 13, 2013.