When I first started playing video games, oh a long time ago, one of my favorite games was Baseball. MLB Advanced Media gives us this year’s R.B.I. Baseball 21 with some new and updated features and graphics. It has been a long time since I have had any fun with Baseball titles so let’s see how this one measures up.
The main staple for any good sports game is the franchise mode. The next runner-up would have to be the ability to create-a-player so that you can customize your own piece of the game. Franchise mode allows you to start by picking the team of your choice. Then it is off to the races as you select difficulty and season lengths spanning from a very small one game per team season up to a normal length season. One thing is for sure while the premise is the same as the original R.B.I. Baseball that I played on the original Nintendo growing up. The big difference is all of the new controls you have to use because let’s face it, the Nintendo had a lot fewer buttons to deal with.
Which leads into the control face for this title. Whether you are pitching, batting, or taking the field there are separate control layouts for each. Thankfully the buttons are reused for most of them. The biggest thing I had a hard time getting used to was the base-running keys. Usually, I push the wrong thing and everyone starts running, and inevitably the other team gets someone out to end the inning. Frustrating as it may be it is still a lot of fun figuring out the best strategy for base-running. Depending on the player on base their speed stats will also determine your ability to steal bases as well. There is a lot to think about.
All of the different modes will give you ample time to hone your skills and determine which way you want to pursue your valuable gaming time. I prefer franchise mode and the home run derby for starters. Franchise mode is great if you want to see how well you can do against all of the other teams in a season-by-season setting. With injuries turned on to realistic, the ability to trade, and everything else that comes from running a sporting team. It makes it worth playing. The home run derby is a lot of fun once you get your swing timing down. An average home run count has been between ten to fifteen home runs for me, but that still loses in the final most times.
Whether you are playing exhibition mode or playing online, these are also options to occupy yourself. The controls are easy enough to learn that a younger kid could play along with you. If you have a son or daughter who is interested in that sort of thing. Along with being fairly easy to learn the musical soundtracks are great as is usually the case with sports games. There isn’t much not to like about this title except maybe the lack of a mode where you can start your player in a story-type setting like other sports games have been doing.
Note: Our copy was reviewed on Switch with a code provided by PR.
