With the MLB offseason in full swing, Old School Gamer’s Patrick Hickey Jr. counts down the most influential baseball video games of all time. Encompassing nearly 40 years of video game history, America’s pastime has a rich legacy in video games.
10: Little League Baseball: A little-known game for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Little League Baseball was a great simulation in the fact that it epitomized a real game of Little League Baseball. Every team had a slugger or two, a utility guy, a speedster. All about strategy, it was definitely a title worth blowing on to get work in the early ‘90s.
9: Hardball 99: While the gameplay wasn’t perfect, the horde of retired and legendary players included and the ability to edit attributes made for a memorable experience. It also made it feel more like a PC game than a Playstation title. Regardless, it set an example for future titles, many which included Hall of Fame players.
8: The Bigs: NBA Jam meets baseball. Fun and with plenty of options, The Bigs, especially for the Wii is the type of game even a non-baseball fan can and will enjoy.
7: Sports Talk Baseball: Gamers went nuts when this game was originally released on the Sega Genesis. Armed with real players and play-by-play commentary, it was the closest experience you could have to a real MLB game. Boy, have times changed.
6: Ken Griffey Jr.’s Winning Run: This game had fantastic graphics and proved Rare could make more than Donkey Kong games. Although it was hurt by a lack of real players, the smooth and easy to learn gameplay experience made for its shortcomings.
5: MVP Baseball: This was truly the first great baseball game on the PlayStation 2. With a bevy of options, beautiful graphics and online play, this game set the bar high for other titles in the genre.
4: World Series Baseball: Another game on the Sega Genesis that revolutionized the genre. The behind the catcher viewpoint wasn’t optimal, but it was different. Sporting easily some of the best visuals for a sports game on that console, it fueled the next run of amazing sports titles from Sega and later, 2K games.
3: RBI Baseball: If you’re over 30, this was the baseball game you fell in love with. The little bobblehead looking dudes running around, the wacky knuckleballs, the power hitters, this game was a classic.
2: MLB 2K10: Easily the best title in the 2k baseball games. From the base running to the pitching, ever system is intuitive and easy to learn. It’s not the most realistic baseball sim out there, but it works better than the rest.
1: MLB 12: The Show: Without a doubt one of the most realistic baseball sims in video game history with top notch sound, graphics and a plethora of options. If you’re a fan of the sport, this is the game to dedicate yourself to.
