Baseball & Video Games

I picked up "MLB 10: The Show" this past weekend, and it got me to thinking- buying a baseball video game has become one of my longest running traditions. Today, I'm going to take a walk down memory lane.

The first baseball video game I remember was Homerun by Atari. Quite simply, it was awful- even by 1978 standards. There was no mound, the pitcher appears to be standing on 2nd base. But I was really young, so I'm sure I was entertained. Take a look (the video is long, but you'll get the point after 30 seconds).



It wasn't till I was older that the baseball games started getting better. Two for Nintendo really stuck out, for completely different reasons. RBI Baseball was not great graphically, but for the first time, you had REAL players! They would have the division winners from the previous 2 years plus the All-Star teams. So if your team stunk, you were out of luck.



Bases Loaded for NES had some of the best graphics of its time. Plus, you could pick your lineup and pitcher, and even get ejected for rushing the mound! The problem? Generic team names, generic player names made for very little root-ability.



The first game I really got excited for was Super Nintendo's ESPN Baseball Tonight. The fact that you had real teams (all of them!), the ESPN set with Chris Berman and Dan Patrick, getting better with graphics. Gameplay was not great, however, and you had real player numbers but not names.



The absolute height of baseball video games, for me, was Triple Play 98 for Playstation 1. The reason that I initially bought a PS1 was for this game, and it did not disappoint. The graphics were fantastic, the stadium were realistic, and for the first time, stats were continually updated. You could play a "season" and try to make the World Series. It You had more control over pitch selection, batter set-up, etc. And best of all, you can create yourself to play for your favorite team! The Triple Play series had a great run through 2003.



As the 2000's progressed, great series came out (with the exception of 2K, which is pretty awful). High Heat was a one-year wonder before MLB made stricter rules about licensing. The game that is worlds-above right now is MLB: The Show. You can play as your favorite team and the minor league affiliates, create your own budget and concessions, or play as yourself and follow your career from minors to retirement.

So who knows what's next? But what a great run it has been the last 30 years.