From the trademark score and sound effects to the simple and addictive gameplay, the RBI Baseball series was legendary on the Nintendo Entertainment System and even had some cool moments on the Super Nintendo and Genesis.
In the end though the story remains the same.
If you’re looking for a casual and simple game of baseball to play with your friends, “RBI Baseball 16” is for you. If you want something with a little more pizazz and sizzle, then you’re a Show person. In the end, the comparisons made between the two titles are unjust ones as they are two entirely different dishes, for gamers on two different diets. Trying to convert someone to one side over the other just isn’t going to happen. In order to truly enjoy “RBI Baseball 16” you either have to have to travel back in time, granted you could find a flux capacitor (Ask a Cubs fan, they’ve tried that before, but it didn’t work out so well.) or just play. Don’t whine that it’s not pretty, just play.
With no play-by-play and advanced batting stances or pitching motions, “RBI Baseball 16” can feel vanilla to many Millennial gamers. Those that remember the heyday of the NES however will find it old-school in approach and void of distractions. Although it’s got a glitch or two here and there and requires you to revert back to your retro gaming mindset of time-based hitting and fielding, once you reset you can quickly get into a game and have a decent time.
All in all, the team at MLB have continued to polish the gameplay engine and add things that players want to see like dives, double-switches and great looking ballparks. Those that have become fans of the series will see the visual and gameplay improvements and enjoy the new rosters in a way much different than gamers of a AAA series, who expect the wheel to be invented all over again every year.
With gameplay as simple and straight ahead as this, there’s no need to. Without the bells and whistles of the competition, “RBI Baseball 16” is still a solid game of America’s pastime that ultimately caters to more fans of the sport than “The Show.”
Pros:
Simple to Pick Up and Play: Much like the Nintendo and other retro games it gets its inspiration from, “RBI Baseball 16” can be played by just about anybody. With no complex button sequences or crazy HUD to master, anyone can just jump right in.
Beautiful Parks: While the visuals on the players has been purposely toned down and the game mechanics are simple, the parks in “RBI Baseball 16” are gorgeous. From the dynamic lighting and atmosphere, you always get the feeling you’re playing in a different park.
Cons:
Stripped Down Gameplay: While it’s obvious what these guys are going here and things like play-by-play aren’t needed, it would have been nice to have authentic stances and pitching, or at least a few differences between players. At this point, it’s hard sometimes to realize who’s at the plate because many players look similar and their stances are all the same.
Final Thoughts:
For what it is, a throwback baseball game, “RBI Baseball 16” is playable and can be, with the right people, enjoyable. But with a lack of overt sexiness and bells and whistles, hardcore baseball fans will obviously look to the show for a more complete next-gen offering.
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