Out of the Park Baseball 18
Having grown up on MicroLeague Baseball in the mid-to-late 80’s, I was always waiting for the next “pure” baseball sim to come along that would rival the managerial joy of that first classic. The 90’s and 2000’s were filled with some great baseball games, but they were dependent upon you being able to hit “X” at the right time. OOTP’s early offerings were the first in decades to take the MicroLeague Baseball approach, giving you full control over both existing historical teams and leagues as well as the creation of your own fantasy teams and leagues from any era. Better yet, they’re completely stat driven, with the most “in game” influence (if you want) being your job as manager.
– Real player with 812.5 hrs in game
Read More: Best Sports Simulation Games.
I own OOTP 15, 16 and now 18. I have over 1000 hours played in both 15 and 16, and am at about 400 hours on 18. While I like this game, and it is the closest thing to a baseball simulation (as opposed to other ‘Madden-style’ games that are just arcade games appealing to gamers and not really baseball enthusiasts). The biggest problems with this game seem to keep getting pushed forward into the next iteration, they never fix anything. The devs just update the years players, add some near-useless flash, and put it out as if it’s any different from the games you have already bought. Example: Challenge Mode, the ‘new’ addition to 18. It is virtually unplayable, as the injury level set is so over the top it’s laughable. Yes, injuries are part of the game, and injuries force you to provide depth to your roster, I get it. My team was so devastated by injuries my first season that I made sure I had 8 SP for season 2. 2 of them went down for the year in spring training, and 4 more were out at least 4 months by the 6th game of the season. Yes, 6 of my 8 SP were gone before the first week of the season was complete. This isn’t an anomaly, either, it’s typical. In 3 seasons I never had one single SP start more than 22 games. And my two aces averaged 8 starts a year. The injury levels for challenge mode (the one ‘new’ thing they added) makes it unplayable. The other problem with this game (that never gets fixed) is that the players have ratings that are supposed to represent their skill levels in various catagories, these skill levels mean almost nothing. You are just as likely to get some scrub pitcher without a pitching skill over 60 throw a shutout or lock you down as you are having Kershaw or Kluber do it. Got an 80 contact, 75 power and 75 eye rating? has this player hit 290 with 35 homeruns 8 years in a row? Doesn’t matter, he will hit .189 with 12 home runs for you, because in this game, the ratings don’t really matter, it’s virtually random who plays well in this game. I suppose this makes the game unpredictable and replayable to them? I don’t expect the players to be exact copies of their previous stats, but I do expect the excellent players to actually play somewhat close to excellent, even if they drop off a little. When you add in all of the passed balls (like 3 a game) wild pitches (also 3 or 4 a game) and HRs by the Dee Gordon’s in the clutch against the Kenley Janson’s, just to make the game more interesting (and less realistic). While this game bills itself as a simulation for baseball fans, it plays considerably more like an arcade game produced by math-guys who look at stats and think they know baseball. The game looks right, the box scores look realistic, but the game plays like a video game designed by sports hating nerds who have absolutely no clue about baseball outside of box scores. I will never buy OOTP again unless I confirm they have actually made changes, and not just repackaged the same old game in a new shiny box.
– Real player with 545.3 hrs in game
Super Mega Baseball 3
Superb. Almost perfection. The negatives a very VERY small so I’ll list them first. There is no 1. instant replay which is a shame because you cant watch close up “climbing” the fence to get the out, (yeah they do that)
pick-off of heavy leaders (yeah they do that too) Double plays, outfield to plate saves, etc;;you get the drift. amazing stuff happens and it would be cool to watch it up close. 2. The information of players could be presented a little better. for those that dont care about stats this is a good thing as the game moves along quickly. But this is baseball. It Is THE sport for Stat heads like myself. Dont get me wrong there is a lot of information, but it flashes too quickly. What I would do is show a large image of their BB card to the left with some summaries of their daily performance to the right and maybe versus their season performance to the right of that. 3. Broadcasters are needed imo. It would give more “life” to the game. I would hope if they do add this in the next iteration of the game or a patch or DLC for this one, the announcers would be able to say player created names. This is 2020 i am sure the technology exist to say any word typed on a screen.
– Real player with 795.7 hrs in game
Read More: Best Sports Arcade Games.
I don’t think there’s a baseball game I haven’t played, so over the years I still have my all-time favorites. SMB3 may not seem like a big change from SMB2, but the quality of life improvements are almost worth it by themselves. It compiles all the good, all the stadiums, and all the DLC from SMB1&2 into one polished product. At the moment on PC, you have this or R.B.I. Baseball which is a terrible MLB licensed product. OOTP is cool if you like being the GM of your team, but that’s all it is. You just don’t see developers making baseball games like they used to in the early 2000’s. The reason why I stand by this game is because it is SO CLOSE to replicating the feelings those old games gave you. In an age dominated by MLB the Show, a PS exclusive atm, Metalhead is providing a VERY GOOD baseball game. The default teams are amazing, and the ballparks are beautiful. But what I love is the customization options. You can create just about any team, and customize your players exactly how you want them. The recent update only enhanced this by doubling the layer count from 16 to 32. My only gripe with the game is that it limits itself in its possibilities. This game would easily surpass MLB the Show, MVP Baseball, Mario Super Sluggers, Slugfest and others on my All-Time list if it offered more arcade game modes in addition to a solid Franchise and Online mode. They say they have no plans on adding a Home Run Derby mode, or even a batting practice mode like Backyard Baseball had. Sometimes I just want to tee off and hit some dingers, not create an exhibition match on low ego to do it. I also would love if they allowed the PC community to create new ballparks via mods/workshop to enhance the experience. Or allow a logo vault to easily transfer logos from team to team without spending additional hours to simply copy and remake them. All that being said this is still one of the best baseball games being produced atm, which is why I highly recommend this game. Support these devs! More support = more features!
– Real player with 748.5 hrs in game
Super Mega Baseball: Extra Innings
Outstanding baseball game that is a lot more than meets the eye. The pitching and hitting mechanics are as good as any baseball sim and it will scratch the itch of super casual and hardcore baseball gamers. It does lack a lot of the stat tracking and normal gameplay options you would find in normal baseball games (no pitch outs, no pick off moves, etc) but the things that are included are implemented, presented and executed at an above avg level.
What really makes this game appeal to casual and hardcore and all in between is the way difficulty is handled. You choose from 0-99 with 99 obviously being the toughest. A few points tweaked either way can mean the difference between a fair challenge, a walk in the park, or a flat out RNG laced tirade mixed with occasional rage quits. Luckily the sweet spot can always be adjusted as your skill level goes up even between in season games. This in my mind is groundbreaking and it should be adopted in every sports game in my opinion and it’s one of the main reasons there is so much replay value in this game.
– Real player with 294.1 hrs in game
Read More: Best Sports Simulation Games.
I like baseball games but I don’t like overly complicated baseball games so I haven’t bought a baseball game in years. I’ve played the Xbox 360 trial of RBI baseball and thought it was terrible.
After this came out on PS3 one of my friends snagged it and told me about it so I purchased it. Don’t let the cartoonish graphics fool you, this game is tons of fun.
They did a great job on the physics and took care to make sure base runners were the correct speed compare to throws and whatnot so double plays are realstically difficult and you’re not going to throw out a batter at first base from right field.
– Real player with 186.0 hrs in game
Super Mega Baseball 2
Unfortunately I had to change this to negative. Negative means I do NOT recommend this game. I’m not saying it’s bad. Here’s why:
The devs fell into the trap of “Fixing what’s not broken”. They nerfed pitching SO much that batting is a slugfest. You can literally pitch halfway into the other batterbox and have the reticle LITERALLY in the dirt, and power teams such as overdogs and sirloins will smashit. There is NOTHING you can do to stop it if the batter doesn’t mess up.
It’s such a sinking and resigning feeling when you KNOW 100% without a sliver of doubt that you can not stop a comeback or an onslaught. They have runners on base and thus are swinging at everything. If you approach the strike zone within like 2 ball lengths, it is smashed.
– Real player with 81.1 hrs in game
I’ve been playing baseball games for 30 years, starting with a game called Color Baseball on my dad’s Coco 2 computer. Then, on top of my head, I played Baseball (Nintendo/Gameboy), the Bases Loaded series, RBI Baseball series, Little League Baseball, Baseball Stars, Hardball 3 and 4, World Series Baseball series, Super Baseball Simulator 1.000, Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball, Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball (and winning run), The Triple Play/EA MLB series, High Heat Baseball series, MLB 2K series, MLB the show series, and Super Mega Baseball 1. I’ve also probably played countless others that I can’t recall right now.
– Real player with 45.1 hrs in game
R.B.I. Baseball 20
Nice work on this series over all. I have the other iterations released here on STEAM a couple of years ago and this version is worlds better. Unfortunately, it has some issues. Manual fielding still seems awkward and some animations seem a bit off. Players seem to warp around the field to get to balls and the ball warps into the fielders glove, ect. While others have had controller issues, I have not with an xbone wired controller. Also, the game doesn’t seem to allow for more than one franchise mode save. This may not be a big deal for some, but I routinely play a couple of long, 162 game franchises and swap up teams when I get bored with one.
– Real player with 53.7 hrs in game
This is straight up Baseball! They have updated the rosters (for what seems like) every week. Guess that will change with the season being over. It’s the closest I’ve played to the old EA Sports baseball games. Except I don’t have to keep up with playing all the minor league games. I can just concentrate on the Majors. Really well made all the way around. Pitchers run outta steam. Umpires makes bad calls. That homerun just went foul by a few inches. You can have the fielding set to assisted; or keep full control in your hands. So if you don’t make it to that pop up…it’s on you. The other team just scored a run on your error. Trying to get one more batter out before you change pitchers… only to have that batter knock it out the park. And then there is nothing like having the other team get a double play in what seemed like a couple of seconds because you hit the ball right to the SS; who then picked off your base runner who was just a “bit” to far off base. Like I said… Baseball! Love this game!
– Real player with 46.9 hrs in game
R.B.I. Baseball 21
MY SUPER IN DEPTH R.B.I. BASEBALL 21 REVIEW
BACKGROUND/CONTEXT
I am a veteran MLB The Show player and I’ve never played an RBI Baseball game in my life.
Soundtrack: 9/10
The soundtrack is really good. It’s filled from top to bottom with super dope indie songs and they are really really catchy. I dig the soundtrack a lot.
Commentary: 6.9/10
Commentary is a NEW feature to the RBI Baseball Franchise (Surprisingly… Not sure how they’ve gotten away with no commentary for so long lol). I personally really like Fran Charles’s voice and my favorite line of his would have to be when he tells me I have “NO BALLS” Okay but seriously Fran Charles is great and it’s nice coming over from MLB The Show where I’m used to hearing Dan Plesac and Matt Vasgersian sucking each other off while Harold Reynolds chimes in ever so often. Now the problem with the commentary in this game for me is that it’s very one dimensional and basic. It’s missing the little things and if you’re gonna have commentary you need the banter and the details. The little things really add up to a lot. Also GET FRAN CHARLES A FRIEND IN THE BOOTH!!!! Fran is great but there is only so much you can freaking do as a commentator with no partner in crime…
– Real player with 227.2 hrs in game
UPDATE II - after 30 hours of gameplay
After playing a little over a week i have had a lot of fun in the franchise… havent really found too many more issues they all seem upfront … i got sick of listening to justin beaver so i turned off the music completely … some of the other tracks were just terrible too so i decided to turn it off … this is only a taste issue of course would still love to see a feature where you can choose what music plays … anyway the music thing is a secondary issue … great games can also have crap music…..
– Real player with 32.8 hrs in game
2D Baseball Duel
A baseball game like I’ve never seen before. The outwardly simple gameplay proves to be shockingly deep, and the uniquely clean art, witty writing, and catchy soundtrack complete the package. Well made all around and definitely worth picking up.
– Real player with 120.7 hrs in game
Disclaimer: I made the soundtrack for this game but I was otherwise uninvolved with its development.
This game is hilarious and good old fashioned arcadey fun. I don’t want to spoil anything, but you should play through the entire single player campaign. I was laughing the entire time. I could see the 2p mode catching on in competitive circles as it’s a great mix of mindgames + execution. With the crazy number of unlockable pitches + the breaking ball mechanic there is a ton of depth there to explore. It amazes me that this was all made by one person, from the programming to the game design to the art. Looking forward to future releases from Largemann!
– Real player with 27.7 hrs in game
ANOTHER DERBY!
Good for the price, but sadly not as unfairly hard as it’s inspiration.
– Real player with 2.0 hrs in game
Astonishing Baseball Manager 21
Astonishing Baseball (or AB for friends) is not your usual baseball simulation game. It’s not only about tables full of players and stats. It’s about people! Well okay, you heard that line from your Economics 101 class already. But I promise, this game will be way more interesting! It’s like a narrative roguelike sports game, Seriously!
What’s new in AB21
Already an AB player? Here are some of the main new features:
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Play historic seasons or try our brand new scenarios. There’s a challenge for every kind of coach!
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Always play for the best team in the new career mode
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A new minor team system, where you can hire your coach and train your rookies!
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Edit the portrait of your favorite player, or import an online logo for your team!
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Congratulate your starter, taunt your rival or ask your fans what to do with your new rookie thanks to the Bleachers message creator!
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Hire a brand new coaching staff to get advice on contracts and strategies
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Join the excitement of the draft thanks to the new Draft projections, or the top prospect interview
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Enjoy a brand new history listing, retire your Hall of Famer number in the ballpark, or use the new player history to check past performances!
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Pick the menu at your stadium, and hire a chef to get the prestigious ballpark awards!
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Show who’s the boss in the new World Cup, or admire the best players in the Power Contest and Pitching Contest.
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And more, like league records, improved game simulation, smarter AI, new awards, legendary players… Too much to describe here!
Fake (but real) baseball players
AB is about fake (sorry, virtual) baseball players. Some you’ll like, some you will hate, and a lot of them you will LOVE! That anonymous “Jim” guy at the top of your lineup? Give it a few minutes, and he will become your favorite player ever. Or maybe he’s actually very bad, and you’ll send him finish his career in your minor league team, because he disappointed you. Poor Jim…
And that starter, Sandy. Is he an ace or not? Well, maybe you should train him a bit. And make sure you have solid relievers to help him if a left-handed batter is giving him a headache. After all, you’re paying him 12M a year, that’s a lot! And he’s asking for an even bigger extension contract now. Not sure you’ll like Sandy after all… Oh but look, his nickname is “Cubbie”, that’s so cute!
Watch them evolve!
One of your tasks is to draft rookies. And once you’ve drafted your first prospect… Let’s call him John okay? Well, you’re going to be very interested in John’s life. Where to put him in the lineup? How much training does he need? Do I start him everyday, or does he need to go to the minor leagues first? Why is he suddenly struggling? Wait, it’s getting better… HE’S THE MVP NOW! But is he really worth 20M per year? See, it never stops!
The lineup of your dreams
Okay so the team is not too bad these days, but you want to do a big move and win the Baseball Cup. Is it time to do a big trade with another team? Or maybe it would be better to wait next year and sign a big free agent during the offseason? Or maybe do both? One thing is sure, building the lineup of your dream is actually super hard! And you haven’t even tested the “Extreme Mode” yet. Or maybe you want freedom and receive job offers from other teams too. In that case, the career mode is for you!
A living world
Astonishing Baseball features an artificial but living world. Fans are posting about the game and your brand new rookie. Journalists write articles about your starter’s last night performance. Players send you messages about their concerns or their contract. It’s all about baseball! Fortunately, all these people are very positive persons! Except if they complain about their contract. Or their role in the lineup. Or the team performance… Well, it could be worse. It’s not like they’re French and complain all the time, right?
For baseball fans and stats nerds
Astonishing Baseball is very easy to learn. If you know the game rules, you’ll know how to play! But if you’re a sabermetrics savant, you’ll find all kind of stats to satisfy your nerdy instinct! I even suggest to use wOBA. You don’t know what wOBA is? Don’t worry, according to very serious studies, about 99.999% of people don’t care about wOBA. Good news, right? And now you can even see the future thanks to our WAR projections!
Get international
Not enough talent in your league? Send your incredible and local scouts to find the best prospects in the world, and then invite the most promising player to your team! But be careful, even the best scouts can make mistakes… My favorite one is named “Francis Dupont”. Yes, he’s French, from Paris, and he’s always hyping up his prospects. Like “Look, I just saw that guy from Strasbourg for three minutes and I’m rating him 80/80 and he’s already in the Hall of Fame blablabla”. Best thing to do with Francis is to ask him to spend a bit more time on the prospect. Generally it ends with a final rating of 50+/80 and a simple “I told you so”. I really like you Francis, but if you’re reading this, do your job correctly please.
Live incredible stories
As a coach, you have a life too! In Astonishing Baseball, you can take your team to a burger restaurant, help local associations, but also meet your favorite author, become a rock star, visit Iceland and even marry the love of your life!
Apparently I have to put a disclaimer here. You’re not going to really meet the love of your life with this game. It’s like… Your in-game soulmate, okay?
If you like baseball, fantasy sports and simulations, or just good stories, you’ll love Astonishing Baseball Manager! I hope. If you don’t, I like messages!
BASEBALL STARS 2
Great little baseball game. But before buying be prepared to RAGE, cause game as arcade game was ment to take your coins. So winning in succesion isn’t easy, well only if you spend your childhood playing it. But for me as huge baseball fan that never played this before it takes a lot out of me. It will stress you to the point of losing your mind, but that sweet WIN makes up for it every single time. The biggest issue i have with it is NO SAVE option. And every game can take lot of time, 30-50 minutes deppending if there are extra innings. So playing 15 games league is almost impossible, except maybe pause idling it. But that is a big minus that you would have to do something like that just to be able to finish whole league. So every time you go out of the game you have to play from the start. Becasuse after every game you get option to select new and better player, making changes in your lineup, making you better as a team and giving the game replay value, But because there is no save option that is somewhat tedious to do.
– Real player with 44.9 hrs in game
WARNING:
Before you buy this sensational classic title, Please keep in mind that the save feature is 100% absent from this version of the game. I genuinely have zero idea why SNK thought it was a cute idea to remove this extremely vital feature, As it can actually make it possible for most regular people to complete the game. Instead, If your going for the World Championship game, You’re gonna need some tremendous skill, timing, knowledge, and of course, time. It took me about 6 to 7 hours to fully complete this game, & yes, I took a shower after playing. My soul hurts, for the extreme limits the user has to go through just to beat this game, & the lack of the F***** save feature. If you’re going for World Champion, Good Luck, & Godbless you.
– Real player with 15.3 hrs in game