Baseball Stars review by Torture

Baseball Stars, developed by Saurus is another game in Neo Geo Pocket's pocket sports series. I must admit, this game had a tough act to follow in Neo Geo Cup 98. Baseball Stars hold up though, but it does lack some of the appeal and polish of Neo Geo Cup. The game just doesn't seem as dazzling. Perhaps the sport itself didn't make the transition as well. Whatever the reason, let us dig deeper and see what makes up this game.

Graphics
The graphics are not phenomenal. The game's graphics are probably best described as average, for the most part. The pitching/batting screen is done well. The field view shows a lot of area, but the sprites are a bit small, and therefore lack detail. The ball looks good, as it rises for fly balls. They gave it plenty of detail. The strongest graphical part of the game is the artwork. When you change players, or hit home runs, there are special cutscenes, which are very well done. All in all, the graphics don't really do anything to hurt or help the game. They seem functional, not bad, but lacking compared to other NGP games.

Sound
What can I say about sound? In my opinion, the sound works well for the game. The sound effects are standard baseball game sounds. They work well in the game. The music seems pretty good, and overshadows the effects sometimes.

Gameplay
First and foremost, it's baseball. It follows the typical Baseball video game formula. The controls are typical for a game of this type with one button used for most functions, and running is based on button presses and directions. The game runs a tad slow, but doesn't hurt things. It takes getting used to, but it's no big deal. The guys tend to have overly strong arms, which means you might get caught at first base with a throw from the outfield. The game also includes the ever familiar 10 run rule, so the game won't get too humiliating. Batting is simple enough, you can mode the batter all around the batters box. The runners tend to be slow, but it's easy to outsmart the computer in baserunning after some practice. Two cool aspects of the game are the special players, and status. The special players are enhanced players, they can be pinch hitters/runners, and have specific animations. For example, a special pinch hitter will flame a bit before he is ready to hit. There are also well drawn cutsce nes each time you choose them. The status system is self-explanatory. The players aren't always in tip-top form, and their status is represented by a little face when you view them. Overall, very nice touches to spice things up.

Overall
There isn't really anything to say here. It's baseball. If you like baseball, pick it up. I'm no baseball fan, but I have fond memories of the old Babeball Stars, and I like this game...and its box art. The game is fun, but can be rather slow paced, but that can also be part of the sport's nature. It definitely is a worthy addition to any good NGP game library, but it isn't the best sports game out there for the system. Regardless of that, it's still a solid game, which I can recommend...after recommending Neo Geo Cup.