| Platform Reviewed | Sega Saturn |
| Genre | Arcade Baseball Simulator |
| Number of Players | 1 - 2 |
| Multiplayer Value | minimum |
| Length | Variable |
| Difficulty | Variable |
| Skills Required | Hand-Eye Coordination, 'Sports Sense' |
| Interface Devices | Sega Saturn Joypad |
| Interface Design | Superlative |
| Programming | Superlative |
| Game Design and Playability | Excellent |
| Type Of Fun | Sporting Play |
| Replay Value | High |
| Overall Value | Superlative |
| Quality | The Best Money Can Buy |
| The Best | This is essentially a nearly perfect Baseball game. Utterly amazing. This is simply the best Baseball game I have ever played. |
| The Worst | I would have liked the option to invent my own personal team. No teams from outside North America are included. |
| How much would I be willing to pay for this | 60 Bucks |
Description:
Sega Sports World Series Baseball is an arcade style baseball simulator. It is both easy to play, and accurate and complete. The graphics are as good as it is possible currently to make them, with digitized players, a fully 3D stadium with vast camera options, and possibly the best play by play commentary ever created for an interactive game.
Story:
In 1907 America, a special commission decided the Official Origin of the game of Baseball. Silencing rampant speculation, the conclusion was that Baseball was invented by the West Point cadet Abner Doubleday at Cooperstown, N.Y., in 1839. This decision, however, remains controversial to this day, with historical evidence that English boys played a game they called Baseball in the 1700's. Additionally, bat and ball games have existed in many cultures throughout history. Nevertheless, variations of modern day Baseball have been played by Americans since at least 1803. Originally, different parts of the U.S. had different rules for the game, but in 1845 the first set of standardized rules were adopted. These rules, which formed the basis of modern Baseball, were created by Alexander Cartwright and his Knickerbocker Baseball Club of New York. Baseball first became professional in 1869. Although Baseball was adopted as the national sport of America, it should be noted that the game was introduced to Japan in the 1800's and that the Japanese have almost as long and dedicated history of playing the game as Americans, a fact often overlooked by American Baseball fans. It is no surprise, therefore, that Baseball games are a staple of Japanese game companies, and great attention and care is applied to the creation of them. Although all reference to traditional Japanese teams have been excluded from the American release of this exquisite game, none of the power and beauty has been removed.
Review:
Quite simply put, Sega Sports World Series Baseball is the finest Baseball game I have ever had the privilege of enjoying. It is just about perfect. The views are spectacular, the gameplay sparkling, the interface brilliant, the programming flawless, the detail and accuracy stellar.
I wish I could create my own team, and my own original stadium. I wish world teams were included, such as from Japan and the Philippines. I wish that they had added more 'color' to the play by play than they did, just because I like that sort of thing. I wish the CD was made of solid gold and that I were queen of the world. I can quibble endlessly over little, petty wants, but this game still stuns me. In short, If you like Baseball, THIS is the game to get. End of story.
Jennifer Diane Reitz is a Game Designer and Computer Artist, and one of the founders of Happy Puppy. She is the creator of numerous games and software products, including Boppin' , Shark Chums, Elsewhere, and many others. She has worked for such companies as Activision, Sculptured Software, Epyx, SRI, and Electronic Arts, and founded Accursed Toys. She has been active in the computer gaming industry since it's earliest days. She considers games to be works of artistic merit and achievement, and views computer entertainment as the most important media of our era.