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PETE ROSE BASEBALL by Absolute
Just for trivia, the guy who programmed this game did the music for Ikari Warriors. Impressed? Oh well. Anyways, this game has a bunch of different play fields, depending on where the ball is going (like bases loaded), and that helps make it pretty cool. The batting screen is that over the pitcher's shoulder view that was so popular in the day, and works pretty well here. Each outfielder has his own screen, and there are three different screens in the infield, for a total of seven. Good number. Good movie too, but I digress.
The pitching is cool, as you can do a number of different throws, and change speeds and such. The one flaw is that you can't hit the batter. I've tried so hard . . . batting is very easy, because it seems the ball doesn't have to line up perfectly with your bat to connect, which makes life worth living. Home runs are pretty easy to hit, which is cool, but then you have to watch each of your baserunners plod to home plate like Marlon Brando on the treadmill. Anyways, expect high scoring games. The fielding is this game's only flaw, and it's pretty annoying to me. For the infield, rather than having the player closest to the ball activate so you can control him, you have to pick the one you want to control yourself. And above that, each player can only move within a small zone, and if you pick the dude, and the ball rolls slightly out of his reach, you'll have to select another player and get the ball with him. This gets annoying quickly, as picking the guy you want is comfusing, and you might go through the pitcher, shortstop, and second baseman, before finally getting the ball. Outfield play is easier though, and throwing to the bases is no problem. The only major flaw is the infield mechanics, and with a lot of time and patience it might be overlooked. It is very counter intuitive though. Too bad. Graphics are good, albeit a little bland. They get the job done, although more crowd shots would be nice. You can see everything you're supposed to, and the players look pretty well defined. Sound is okay. The crowd noise is pretty much a continuous rumble, and an occasional organ riff breaks up the quiet. Lack of music is okay, since it's baseball. The sound effects are pretty much what being in a stadium are like, although drunken screaming could have been a welcome improvement. An okay baseball game, and between the two offerings available to the 7800, way, WWWAAAYYY better than Realsports. If you want an old school baseball title, pick this mug, yo.
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