Major League Baseball
Reviewed by Jim Mortland
Major League Baseball is a solid baseball game for the NES. One of
the few NES games to have all major league players, this game still
has several accuracy problems. But if you want to have a baseball
game with players from the 1980's, then this is your game.
Graphics 6 out of 10
The graphics for "Major League Baseball" are mediocre. While
they are nothing that will take your breath away, the graphics
do get the job done. There are several disturbing problems in the
game. For instance, all the baseball players are white. And all
the batters have the same stance in the batters box. But, overall,
the graphics are good enough for a baseball game.
Music and Sound 4 out of 10
The sound effects for this game get tiresome after a while because
they are all generic effects that occur over and over again. Some of
the sound effects, like the crowd noise (that sounded awfully fake
to me) got on my nerves after a few games. But once again the sound
effects are enough for a baseball game.
The music is not really present in this game as far as I am concerned.
The only real solid music in this game are little jingles in the game,
that you will hear at a ball park. But that does not really help the
game too much.
Game Challenge 5 out of 10
If one has played a lot of baseball games for the NES, this game is
not very hard. After a few games I beat the computer 32-7. The game
has the basic view of an RBI baseball game with the overhead look on
the pitcher and catcher. The hardest part of the game is fielding,
especially in the outfield, as it can be hard to catch most fly balls.
Game Play-Fun 7 out of 10
Despite several problems, "Major League Baseball" is fun to play.
The game is not one that will often have 1-0 scores, so it is good if
you like an offensive-styled baseball game. It is also nice to play
the game using the baseball players from the 1980's with the real
stats. So, this category is one of the games' strengths.
Frustration
Major League Baseball also has several frustrating points. This games
can take long and sometimes there will be stretches of many foul balls
being hit in a row. Also the batter can only move vertically in the batter's
box and the pitcher cannot move around the pitching rubber. These two
constraints defiantly limit the enjoyment of batting or pitching as
the batter can be prone to missing pitches on the outside corner of
the plate. But these seem to be the main frustration points in the game.
Replayability 5 out of 10
After one can thoroughly beat this game, Major League Baseball has only
one reason to play, the players. There are a lot of players in this game,
so the only real to play this game more is to try different line-ups and
different teams.
Game Value 9 out of 10
Even though there are several problems with this game, Major League
Baseball is worth the price. This game can be found for less than a
dollar at the right stores. And today anything for less than a dollar is
probably a good deal. This game will provide you with at least an hour
or two of enjoyment, so at this price, the game is worth a dollar.
Accuracy 3 out of 10
Major League Baseball has several problems. Besides the problems
mentioned in the frustration section. The World Series in this game
is apparently only one game. Also, many pitchers can through above
100 MPH in this game and many of the hitters have the running speed.
Players 7 out of 10
Major League Baseball does have all the players in the game. However,
the one problem is that this game is not licensed with the Major League
Baseball Players Association, so the players names are not used, only
numbers are. Still, one can find favorite players and enjoy using them
in the game.
Overall 46 out of 80
Major League Baseball" is a solid game for the NES. Though the graphics
and sound are not the best, the real players and stats help make this game
a good deal. If you enjoyed baseball in the mid to late 1980's and want to
get a game with the players, then this is the game for you.