Bad News Baseball Review

...is that it's great!It is very simple baseball, but not to a fault.Some of the player attributes are fairly detailed; for example, your fielders have three seperate attributes, which determine how fast they run, how well they catch at each position, and arm strength.So sticking an outfielder at second base for added power will cause him to make lots of errors, and it's unwise to put a weak thrower at third base, regardless of their speed fielding skill.I like the strategy here, because a lot of the talented fielders tend to be weak hitters, and vice versa.So you've got a bit of flexibility as to what style of baseball you'd like to play.

Hitting is an exceedingly simple one-button exercise in timing.If you're swinging for the fences, however, you can wait a little longer and pull the ball, as the field tapers at the foul poles quite a bit.Wait too long, though, and you'll miss.These pitchers can throw pretty fast, too, so it's easy to get suckered by a change-up.

One minor quibble is that the AI is weak in spots.The hitters swing at everything that comes across the plate, regardless of speed.You could throw ten fastballs of over 100 mph, then follow with a 60 mph change-up and the AI will always be waiting on it.I don't think I've ever thrown a called-strike against the computer.It will fish for the same pitches consistently, however.

It sometimes makes poor choices in the field, too, like chasing a ball with the wrong fielder (and leading the right one out of position) or always going for a forceout on sacrifice bunts, even if they could easily cut off the runner on third.There's no infield fly rule, either, so you can easily exploit that for a double play if you're a big-fat-cheater.Some of the throws will be off-line, too, though that's actually kind of realistic.

It does some things very well, however.Your cutoff men are almost always in position to recieve outfield throws, for example.You need 'em, too, because your outfielders will occasionally (and realistically) miss very long throws, such as from deep-center to home.With practice, you can get your outfielders in position to make catches almost as frequently as the AI.Pitcher fatigue is managed very well, too.And it's tracked by the password system.

And there's plenty of humor to keep it interesting.When players make errors they're either bowled over, Charlie Brown-Style (love the "DONK" sound!), or hopping from foot to foot, bobbling the ball. The umpires are rabbits, who like to relax with a nice, hot bath during password screens.And the homerun cinematics, which vary frequently, are fun to see.

There's also a girl's league, accessible by code, for additional challenges.A minor quibble is that the female players turn male in the cutscenes, but that's not terribly important.

Fantastic game.Simple, engaging baseball.

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