Bad News Baseball

"Don't be fooled by the kiddie look; this is one of the best NES baseball games"

When you see that the umpires in Bad News Baseball are pink rabbits, you may assume the game is for kids and is therefore too simple to be entertaining. Nothing could be further from the truth. Bad News Baseball is a surprisingly solid baseball game, maybe the best on the NES. You choose one of twelve teams and play a one or two player game, in Exhibition or All Star, or Spectator Mode, in which you watch two teams play.

Graphics: 8/10

Not bad for NES, and lots of nice touches, such as players making errors, and cut scenes for home runs, close plays at a base, winning and losing a game, and more. Also, points for the interesting umpires.

Sound: 9/10

Kiddie-like, but surprisingly good. The sound effects are above average.

Gameplay: 10/10

This is where the game shines. The game is very easy to pick up and play; the A button pitches, hits and throws. The controls are excellent as well. Pinch hitters are available, and you can change pitchers as well. Each home run brings one of several cut scenes, including one where your player high-fives everyone on the team, including a guy that seems to be a wrestler wearing face paint at the end of the line. One negative is that players in the outfield move agonizingly slow; if the ball gets past your player and he's playing in close, an inside-the-park home run is possible. However, that's about the only negative. Players make errors on occasion, such as bobbling grounders, missing catches and failing to make accurate throws to a base. The two player mode is fun, and the Spectator Mode is interesting, though truthfully, it doesn't add much to the game. The All Star mode is a nice addition.

Replay: 9/10

A very fun game. A season mode would have been nice, but otherwise the replay value is excellent.

Overall: 9/10

A very solid NES game. If you're looking for an NES baseball game, I recommend you rent this one and give it a try, because it very well could be the one you buy.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99