ST Format


Hardball

Author: Stuart Campbell
Publisher: The Hit Squad
Machine: Atari ST

 
Published in ST Format #51

Hardball

Blimey, this takes you back, it's been around for years. It's still a baseball game, though, that dullest and most pointless of sports simulations.

Basically, this is a game of Stone Paper Scissors - your ST or human opponent chooses a type of pitch, you choose a type of swing, and, if you're lucky, bat connects with ball and sends the latter flying off on a suspiciously arbitrary-looking flightpath, where another helping of luck sees it (probably not) flying straight into the waiting palms of a fielder.

At this point the single screen that you see for most of the game switches to a rudimentary fielding screen where robotic characters twitch their way around while you try unsuccessfully to decipher the control contortions that enable you throw the ball to the pitcher or try to steal second base, and then it all starts all over again.

Verdict

This is dull, and there's no excuse for a game as dull as this selling for ten quid in late 1993 - it was a stupid idea in the first place, but it's been executed ineptly, it looks naff (six of the eight screenshots on the box are of the same screen!), the only sound consists of a horrible burst of white noise when you finally manage to hit the ball, the presentation is cheap, nasty and confusing and there's practically nothing to do. But then the game was written six years ago - so what did you expect?

Highs

  1. Um... quite good animation on the pitcher?

Lows

  1. Almost no sound, looks primitive, not much to do - and how old is this now anyway?

Stuart Campbell

Other Atari ST Game Reviews By Stuart Campbell


  • Strike Fleet Front Cover
    Strike Fleet
  • WWF European Rampage Tour Front Cover
    WWF European Rampage Tour
  • Chase H.Q. II: Special Criminal Investigation Front Cover
    Chase H.Q. II: Special Criminal Investigation
  • Zone Warrior Front Cover
    Zone Warrior
  • European Superleague Front Cover
    European Superleague
  • World Class Rugby: Five Nations Edition Front Cover
    World Class Rugby: Five Nations Edition
  • Toki Front Cover
    Toki
  • Exile Front Cover
    Exile