Super Baseball

Batter up!

The late-summer sun sits high above the ballpark. The centerfield flags are barely moving. You can feel the sun’s heat reflecting off home plate. The crowd behind you murmurs, afraid to break the spell. It’s the bottom of the ninth, the score is tied, and the pennant is on the line.

You have a runner on base and only one out. The pitcher tries to stare you down. But you know he’s getting tired, and his sinker ball is starting to creep up into the strike zone.

Finally, he makes the throw. Your whole body moves into the swing. With the crack of the bat still ringing in your ears, you head for first. As you round the bag at first, you look up in time to see a fan in the centerfield bleachers make the catch. You head for home, and the crowd goes wild!

You’ve just won the pennant with a two-run homer. Now on to the championship!

About the Game

Super Baseball is similar to Atari’s RealSports Baseball, with minor improvements. A title screen was introduced, allowing an easier and clearer selection of the game mode. Programming changes allowed for more accurate throws to bases and a tougher computer opponent.

Graphically, the game has sharper colors and more defined, easier-to-see player characters complete with baseball caps. Atari ditched the three-toned player uniforms of RealSports Baseball in favor of a single color. The monotone uniforms were generally seen as a step backward in graphical changes to Atari’s previous title.

Object of the Game

Super Baseball follows the same rules as real baseball. Two teams of nine players take turns playing the field and batting. The game is played for nine innings, with one inning consisting of both teams having a turn to bat.

The batting team tries to score as many runs as possible. A run is scored when a player has completed a run around the bases and returned to home plate. The team in the field tries to prevent the batting team from scoring runs by getting three outs. Outs are accumulated in three ways: catching a hit ball, throwing a hit ball to a destination base before a runner reaches the base, or striking out a batter.

How to Play

The home team takes the field, and the first batter enters the batter’s box.

Up at Bat

To hit the ball, press and hold the red controller button while moving the joystick. The direction in which the joystick is moved determines the type of swing.

If the swing results in a hit and no one is on base, the runner automatically moves to first base. If the batter gets a hit and one or more runners are on the bases, press the red controller button and use the joystick to move the runner(s) along the baseline.

If the batter hits a solo home run, the runner automatically runs the bases. If one or more runners are on the bases when a home run is hit, press the red controller button to run the bases.

To have a runner steal a base, push the joystick toward the base the runner is on. To return the action to the batter, pull the joystick toward you.

Strikes and balls are displayed on the bottom of the screen, and outs are displayed at the top of the screen between the teams’ scores. After three outs, the team at bat takes to the field.

In the Field

When your team is in the field, first select your pitch by moving the joystick. The direction of the joystick determines the type of pitch.

Once you’ve selected the pitch, hold the red controller button down and move the joystick handle down quickly to release the pitch.

To throw the ball from one player to another, move the joystick handle to select the direction of the throw, then press the red controller button to release the ball.

Game Options

There are three game modes in Super Baseball, selectable on the menu screen when you start up the game. You can choose between two single-player games (first up to bat or second up to bat) and a two-player game.