Nintendo
Baseball Stars
| Graphics: Sound: Gameplay: Overall: |
8.38 7.78 9.06 8.99 |
| Votes: | 68 |
| Reviews: | 2 |
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| Reviewer: Daerdevil | Date: Jun 28, 2006 |
| Baseball Stars has got to be the best Baseball game ever created. PS2, Xbox, you name it... they've never captured the game as convincingly as Baseball Stars for the NES. Sure the graphics get better, but the gameplay has never been this good.
Graphics: 9 OK, the graphics are dated, but they are clean. Each player has a different stance. The uniforms, which are slightly customized (based on your team logo) look good. The batting animation gets the job done, and you can even check your bat. There are even female players. The management screens (GUI) have player pics and are intuitive. Sound: 9 Alright, so you might not approve of the soundtrack. I, for one, love it. Sure, it's repetitive; goofy; grating at times; predictable; but, WOW, is it nostalgic! And it even changes mood depending on situation (bases loaded). Foul balls give an audible clue, so you can get your catcher in on the play. Gameplay: 10 This is the best playing sports game of all time. Batting is done right. Bunting, well implemented. Pitching, top notch...fast balls, drops, curves, all at your finger tips. Fielding even incorporates dives, and wall climbing catches for those near homers. Let's talk about the "hot box". You can lead runners prior to the pitch-- oh yeah, the pitcher can throw you out if you're not careful. You have total control over your runners via a small diamond. Tap up to lead with your man on 2nd base--right to lead the man on 1st. If the pitcher calls your bluff, a quick tap of the button will send him back to the plate. I've yet to seen this done right in an EA game. If you're feeling lucky, and your runner's got good speed stats, you can even snag a steal! Tag up and run after an out and this game starts to shine! Runners can trick the basemen into throwing an error (especially fun to trash talk in a 2 player game when this happens). On defense, a fielder with the ball can chase the base runner down or try to throw him out. Time your throw with the direction button, and you'll throw faster. I can go on and on about the game play and I haven't even talked about the team management mode. You can create your own League and your own teams. The original game had a battery backup to save your team. Name it, pick logo, fire players w/ no potential and hire new players. You even gain money to spend on beefing up player stats. Overall: 10 This game is as near perfection as possible! A true sports classic. You'll love this game. The controls are easy to use and give you complete control. The tournament options allow for multiple users. The create a team mode is top notch. Yeah, there's no MLB teams or name brand players, but you get to customize your own team. If the music isn't your thing, there's always the mute button. For me tho, that digitized tune means Baseball to me. When making a team, name it WHAT IS A WREN? Then rename it A BIRD. and you just got an all-female team. If all those women on one team doesn't suit you, fire some and hire male players... instant coed team... how progressive. |
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| Reviewer: Darin Lisonbee | Date: Jan 2, 2006 |
| This was my all time favorite Nintendo game. I am quite into my adult years now but I still got a top loading Nintendo system and frantically hunted down a copy of this game. If you are a baseball fan this game is for you.
Graphics: 9 The graphics for a NES game are superb. Batters have different hittings stances. No glitches. Pitchers can be over handed or side armed. Teams have two colors, and a logo. The graphics always move smoothly during gameplay. It's not over the top to distract from gameplay but well done. Sound: 7 The sound is where the game is weakest, but mainly for one reason. The music!!! Don't get me wrong, the music is fantastic sounding for an 8 bit game, but it goes on and on and on when you're in stat mode. You can get sick of the music over time. You just have to steel yourself against it to appreciate the best part.....the game play. Gameplay: 10 Imagine what a game Triple Play 2001 might have been like could it have been converted some how to NES. Well it sort of was. You see Baseball Stars has In Field gameplay and graphics similar in structure to Triple Play. Of course the graphics aren't Playstation level but the gameplay comes close. The best part though, for myself at least, is you can make your own teams! That's right! Throw in your buddies, cousins, whoever and make you own team. When you win games you get money to spend on improving the players. Don't like a player? Trade him, or even fire him! You can sign Veterans and Rookies. You can set up 6 game leagues for 125 game seasons that tracks Batting Avg, RBI, Home Runs, Strikeouts, saves, and Wins. The game saves it all! The part I actually like most is that one team contains real Hall of Famers as the sort of Dynasty Team on the game while the other 5 teams that come are dummy characters. I like that, it allows the game to never get old. Think about Tecmo Bowl. We all love the game, but doesn't it get under your skin a little to see those old names rather than today's players? If you have imaginary players then they just don't get old. You always remember that one player on the Ninja Black Sox (Acutal team in game) as this slugger that has taken advantage of you. You just don't have an time passing other than your players getting better. Best Baseball game ever made. Overall: 10 For the Baseball fan who is looking for a game that never ages (in other words existing rosters that age) with tracking ability, season capability, Team creation (did I mention you can MAKE up to 5 or 6 teams !!!), you cannot beat Baseball Stars, Classic game. I have so many great memories of this game. Making up my own teams, trying to get a league together with my buddies. Having in game rivalries with other teams that always seemed to get me every other game. Can't wait to play it again! |
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