kjell1979's Full Review: Baseball for Game Boy Color
Gaming's Good Old Days
Back when the original Gameboy first came out this game was one of the first 5 or 6 available. Looking back, it was one of the best for the system. This game was good for a quick 30-minute game. Even high scoring games were limited to the 10 run rule. For me, a very casual baseball fan, it was great. Now you can pick up a Gameboy Pocket system (which is what I have) for anywhere between $12 and $20 on Ebay. This is the same as the original Gameboy only smaller and its power supply is more efficient (read: it takes 2 AAA batteries instead of 4 AA batteries). If you have this system, go to your local Funcoland or Gamestop and pick up this cartridge. It'll be well worth it.
What It Features
This game features what you'd expect from a sports game on the original Gameboy platform. It focuses on the game play on the field and minor aspects of strategies. You can bunt, steal, hit and run, and tag up runners. You can select which pitcher you want to use. There are 4 different ones you can select from a right handed and left handed over the shoulder style pitcher, and two right and left handed side-armed pitchers. Each has pitcher has their own unique style. As the game progresses and if you throw a lot of pitches, the pitchers begin to fatigue and not throw as fast. You have the option of sending in one of your other 3 pitchers in a relief pitcher role. You can also sub in a pinch hitter when you are at bat too. Since there are no designated hitters, you can put in a pinch hitter for your pitcher as a calculated strategy.
The game offers you two choices, American style or Japanese style. The only difference is that different players with different name and batting averages appear on each team. The teams are still even despite these differences. You also have the option of playing against he computer or against another player via a gamelink cable. I've never done the gamelink cable for this game, so I can't comment on how it plays.
The game progresses rather quickly, although the on the field action is rather slow. Your fielders will automatically move towards the ball, although on rare occasions, you can move your fielders manually to record an out which might have turned into a triple. Your fielders as well as the runners move very slowly compared to the major league pace. This is good for beginners, but veterans might want an option to speed up the action.
Homeruns are common, but not overused. However, hits on the field tend to land in preset locations. I would say there are between 50-100 preset landing locations on the field for balls hit. This is to be expected for such a simple platform game. On the other side, it has almost as many preset spots as World Series Baseball for the Genesis platform.
Each batter has a name a batting average and a number of homeruns. The batting average signifies how likely he'll hit the ball in a spot where no fielders can get it. The homerun number signifies how likely he'll hit it out of the ballpark. Pitchers on the other hand just have a preset batting average (.190 I think). However a nice wrinkle is that Mario and Luigi are both players on opposite sides of the American teams.
One thing that it really lacks is a box score at the end. Baseball now is dominated by stats. I'd like to see how my players did on the whole. I need help recalling the player who hit the 3 run homer in the second inning. Also special recognition for great feats would be nice. I pitched a no hitter once or twice, but I only found that out when I saw the line score at the end of the game. What if I had a player hit 3 or even 4 homeruns?
The Stats
The graphics are rather polished and nice for such an old game or even just one on the original Gameboy platform. Well done! The view for both pitching and batting is behind the plate. This is the best view in my opinion. I have trouble perceiving depth in the Bases Loaded games due to the persistent behind the pitcher view. The graphics might seem dated for those modern gamers.
The sounds are really nice and polished too. Nintendo during the late 80's through the mid 90's did a fantastic job with their graphics and sounds. This is no exception. The music is well done too. No complaints here.
The controls are good when pitching and hitting, though the slow game play does seem to make it seem as if the controls don't respond well on the field during hits.
The game play as I said before is slow. Stealing is virtually unstoppable. Although striking out opposing players is challenging yet fun. This game receives a very solid score here.
The replay value is virtually unlimited. The teams are so even you never know which way the game is going to go. You seem in control, yet you never know if it's going to be a nail-biter or a blowout. You need to employ different strategies almost every game.
The Verdict
Don't let the vintage factor deceive you. This is a great game. Perfect for baseball fans that like to watch (and play) the game and aren't caught up in all the statistics. If you're dad or grandfather enjoys the simplicity of the game (and still has his eyesight), this might be a game he'll enjoy for years. This is also a great game to teach a young child who enjoys to go to ballgames, but hasn't grasped the little things about the game.
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