Top Ten Baseball Video Games



RBI Baseball - OCP Fav and Chris Getz' Walk-Up Music

First off, this is not necessarily a list of the most realistic, deepest simulation, or best graphics. Certainly, games of today would destroy their previous generation counterparts in those categories. Top ten lists are about opinions, and although I'm satisfied this list is a good one, it represents my opinions alone. This list is about the impact these games had on me when I was playing them, and the utility I got out of them at the time. Enclosed are my favorites with a couple of highlights about each game and why I loved them so much.

10. Color Baseball (RadioShack Tandy TRS-80)
I was probably about 8 or 9, and I think this was the first computer (if you could call it that) my family ever owned. It had some cool games, none better than Color Baseball. The TRS-80 had a one button joystick, and I remember it was the first game I saw where you could create the lineups. The only problem was they couldn't be saved, so you had to create them every time you turned on the game. I must have created the 1986 Mets 200 times. That's probably why I'll always have that team memorized including batting order.


9. MLB The Show 2009 (Playstation 2)
Remember, this is not about game play, realism, or graphics so much as it's about impact. This game was great, however. It was the first game I recall that featured a My Player mode where you could be one guy simulating just your at bats and fielding plays. Home run derby was great as well. I never made the jump to PS3, so I lost out on future "Shows."

8. MLB 2K10 (Xbox 360)
This might be the best graphics game I've ever owned. Great simulation and season modes. Definitely all around incredible game. I just haven't played it quite enough to crack the pantheon of my absolute favorites. It's also harder to really get into a game when there's a new version each year.

7. Major League Baseball (NES)
I believe this was the first console baseball game I ever owned. It had player numbers instead of names due to the MLBPA not endorsing the game. It was pretty easy to figure out who was who using the player number and stats. The game play wasn't that great (poor man's RBI), but as an 11 year old kid, it was cool to know I was playing with Roger Clemens or Doc Gooden (even if just their number)

6. Bases Loaded 2 (NES)
I liked this one because it was the first game I remember that you could throw real curve balls. It wasn't licensed by MLB or MLBPA, so no real players. Instead they were made up of famous people's last names. I loved the game play in this one, especially the pitching.

5. Triple Play 97 (Playstation 1)
The first of the incredible graphics games with outstanding interstitials and cutaway scenes. This was the first game that was more simulation than arcade baseball. You felt like you were there almost with very realistic graphics. Played this one a lot in college.

4. Hardball 3 (Sega Genesis)
This game was the first I had that really utilized in-depth statistics. It would track everything on your team. Also had Al Michaels doing play-by-play.

3. MVP Baseball 2004 (Playstation 2, Albert Pujols on cover)
I may have played this game the most of any baseball game I've ever owned. What I loved about this game were the legends. You could unlock different Hall of Fame legends and then use them on your season team. I had Jose Reyes and David Wright along with Lou Gehrig and Ted Williams. It also had a neat feature that let you manage the game at bat by at bat. Game play was so fluid, it was just an awesome baseball game.

2. RBI Baseball (NES)
If you had a Nintendo, chances are you had one of the games in this series. RBI is a classic and utilized real player names unlike Major League Baseball. It had resonating sound effects and music that I still recall exactly. There's a Youtube video where someone recreated the end of Game 6 of the 86 World Series using RBI baseball. Super fun game, even today with emulators on computers. You could probably get most Nintendo games on a plug in zip drive nowadays. RBI was only outdone by...

1. Baseball Stars (NES)
This game was light years ahead of its time. It didn't have real players, or even their numbers, but it was the first to introduce being a general manager. You earned money for every win, and could use that money to buy players or pay them more to increase their stats. The game play was arcade-like, but very fluid and realistic. Plus, it kept your stats from game to game over the course of a season. Game play combined with an ahead of its time managerial mode makes this the best baseball game I've ever owned.

Are there any out there that you loved playing as a kid or even today?

22 comments:

  1. Must have played a few thousand games of RBI Baseball... That and Tecmo Super Bowl got me through a lot of Winter nights. RBI was awesome- well ahead of it's time. The pitchers would tire and although the game wasnt licensed by MLB, they somehow got away with using player names.

    Check out the wiki page... crazy Nostradamus-like prediction; they predicted that McGwire would hit 62 HR in his best year... This was 1987 so he had not touched a syringe.

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  2. Wow I have not owned a baseball game since my nes, but I have played many of these. I loved how MLB baseball would let you create an all star game with all players available. It also has most of my favorite players from my younger days(I was 8 when it came out). But you have it right with Baseball Stars being #1. It had everything you wanted in a sports game to play against your friends if you think about it. Forget the names just look at abilities and reward winning and beating better teams.

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  3. No one ever gives any love to Tommy Lasorda Baseball, but I couldn't put that game down when I got a Sega Genesis. That and Big Hurt Baseball for SNES would go on my "All Time Underrated" list.

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  4. The best one has got to be Major League Baseball, featuring Ken Griffey Jr. (Nintendo 64)

    EVERYONE played it. EVERYONE loved it. It marked the transition from choppy, really old-school baseball games and today's high-tech, graphic-centric games. That game was awesome! It got everybody hooked.

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  5. Seriously, though... check out the intro song. This game was AMAZING.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9O032KK_jM

    "It's showtime!"
    "Call, call, call me Jr."

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  6. My younger brother had N64 (truthfully, the only system that I ever had was the original NES) and I remember he had that game. Junior was my favorite player growing up- the epitome of cool. Great stuff!

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  7. YES!!! I have been talking about Baseball Stars for years. I still have the cartridge. I dont know why I keep it, I just do. If I remeber correctly, you could play games against a girls team to have a better chance to win. Then challange a stronger team, like the one made up of players names after the design team. AWESOME!

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  8. Are there any other games like Baseball Stars? Where you earn money for every win and you can use it to upgrade your players stats.

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  9. on nes? baseball stars 2, base wars, i believe baseball simulator 1.000 you could too. i know there were ridiculous power ups in that one

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    1. Totally forgot about BS 1.000! that had the crazy power ups and parks too!

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  10. When isn't it? ... When it is.

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  11. Hardball 3 was epic! Oh man that game brings me so many memories! Good list mate

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  13. Baseball Stars 2 was Baseball Stars 1 without the ability to change players names and with 4 total fields. It was released by Romstar who obviously took the first one and did the bare minimum. SNK also released Little League Baseball and Super Baseball 2020 (you use a jet pack to catch obvious HRs and there were landmines randomly planted on field to name a few). Little league featured kids but retained the gameplay style and chase camera perspective.

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  14. Baseball video game are always my priority for consoles. This article brings back so many old memories. Baseball Gloves are the best for any enthusiast gamer.

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  17. My coworker and I were just talking about how amazing this game was back in the day.

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