Baseball (1983 video game)
Baseball[lower-alpha 1] is a 1983 video game from Nintendo. Being a launch game for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and the universal appeal of its namesake sport, are said to have made Baseball a key to the system's overall success, and an important piece of Nintendo history.[3]
| Baseball | |
|---|---|
 North American NES boxart | |
| Developer(s) | Nintendo R&D1 |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Designer(s) | Shigeru Miyamoto[1] |
| Platform(s) | Famicom/NES Arcade PlayChoice-10 Famicom Disk System Game Boy |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Sports |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, two-player |
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]
Development
In 1983, the Famicom had only three launch games — soon to be seven, including Baseball. Shigeru Miyamoto said he "personally really wanted there to be a Baseball game", and was "directly in charge of the character design and the game design".[1]
At the 1985 launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System in the Manhattan initial test market, the game was featured prominently among 18 total games. It was demonstrated on a large projector screen, by real Major League Baseball players who played the video game and signed autographs for fans. Because the video game industry was so young and had recently crashed in America, and because the other NES launch games featured fantasy themes that weren't recognizable on sight, the presence of a traditional American pastime was said to be an instantly relatable aid to the system's introductory presentation.[3]
Re-releases
| Name | Date | Platform | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| vs. Baseball | 1984 | Arcade | Nintendo Vs. Series. Unlike the original, the game features additional graphics and speech. |
| Baseball | 1986 | PlayChoice-10 | Arcade |
| Baseball | 1989 | Game Boy | |
| Baseball | 2002 | e-Reader | Barcoded cards, readable with e-Reader and Game Boy Advance. |
| Baseball | 2002 | GameCube | Baseball is a bonus NES game in the GameCube game, Animal Crossing. |
| Baseball | 2007 | Wii | Virtual Console |
| Baseball | 2011 | 3DS | Virtual Console |
| Baseball | 2013 | Wii U | Virtual Console |
| Baseball | 2018 | Nintendo Switch | Nintendo Switch Online. The emulator allows the game to be played online. |
Reception
In Japan, Game Machine listed VS. Baseball on their June 1, 1984 issue as being the most-successful table arcade unit of the year.[5]
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 October 17, 2016.
- White, Dave (July 1989). "Electronic Gaming Monthly". Electronic Gaming Monthly (3): 68.
- Thomas, Lucas M. (January 16, 2007). "Baseball VC Review". IGN. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
- Thomas, Aaron (January 4, 2007). "Baseball Review". GameSpot. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 237. Amusement Press, Inc. June 1, 1984. p. 29.