Well, actually I was cleaning out my closet and my garage and I came across a number of games that I want to give a go. I still have a lot more stuff to go through so hopefully I'll find more - especially since I seem to be missing at least a little bit from everything. We had a fire a few years ago and a company came in and moved everything out that wasn't destroyed and after our home was restored, moved everything back in. Well, I never unpacked some of the stuff including most all of my sports games.
Here's what I came across:
Strat-o-matic Baseball 1995 and 1996 - missing the rules and the charts. I know I have those somewhere unless they were destroyed in the fire - a distinct possibility. I have no idea what projects I was working on at the time.
Strat-o-matic Basketball 1988/89 and 1995/96 Basketball - missing the fast action deck. I think I've seen that one somewhere. Hoping to find it in the next few days.
APBA Pro Football 1996 - Unfortunately complete. This game in this form is not the kind of game I'm looking for. There aren't enough players to have a full complement of backups. The receiver cards seem like a complete waste as do the defensive cards. Perhaps the game is a bit more in depth now or the Master Game fixes some of the problems, but I played through a quarter and it's really not my cup of tea.
Strat-o-matic Pro Football 1986 - No idea how I got this. I wouldn't have purchased it in 1986, so I'm guessing I found it a few years later in a store. Anyhow, I also ran a quarter of this and was disappointed with how fumbles were handled. It seems that all ball-carriers have the same fumble rate! That should be an easy fix and one I hope Strat has already remedied.
Dynasty League Baseball 1993 - missing the rules and charts. I'm really hoping to find those since this might be my favorite baseball game.
Statis Pro Basketball 1988-89 - looks like it's complete! I really had fun with this in college until I discovered Strat basketball at which point this was rarely played. Might just play a nostalgia game or two, but I can't see doing a complete replay since Strat just does it better.
Statis Pro Baseball 1988 - also complete! I really liked how Statis Pro had a PB rating for pitchers that determined if the result would be read of the pitcher's card or the hitter's card. Again, I don't see doing a full replay without a better platoon system, but I could see introducing my son to sports gaming with this one. It's fun.
Hot Corner Baseball 1992 - Looks like all I'm missing are the rules. I don't recall much about this game at all and would love to give it a go, but I can't find the rules. The company appears to have gone out of business and I can't find a copy of the rules online anywhere. Anyone play this game or know where I can get a copy of the rules? I have the charts (at least I think I have them all).
I also found my rules for Pursue the Pennant Baseball including charts for three years. I can't find the cards or box however. I'm hoping all the missing stuff is in a box somewhere and I find it in the next couple of weeks. I know I have at least one other baseball game, but I can't remember what it's called.
Here's what I have my eye on that I haven't tried yet:
Replay Baseball
Replay Basketball
Second Season Pro Football
History Maker Baseball
Hockey Blast
Hockey Bones
Titlebout Boxing (when the new edition comes out)
There are also a number of computer titles I'm interested in trying out.
And as usual, I plan to review all titles here as well as update the site with progress on my replays and other projects. What games am I missing that I should definitely try?
Friday, November 21, 2014
National Pastime Next Generation Reviewed
I recently came across a free tabletop baseball game called National Pastime Next Generation and downloaded the rules along with the 1975 player cards. Amazingly the game is based on National Pastime which was created in 1931 (although I'm sure there have been many tweaks). This game does not feel like a game older than my father. It incorporates park effect and left/righty matchups. So what's the verdict?
The game is fun. I played APBA baseball once in the mid 70's until my friend's brother found out we were using his game, but I've also investigated APBA for possible purchase since then. I've also played Baseball for Windows when it came out. This game is very reminiscent of APBA.
You select your starting lineups and pitchers and away you go. Play begins with the roll of two six sided dice. The dice are not added together but instead read as two separate digits. This roll is then referenced on the batter's card giving you a number between 1 and 45. These numbers are then cross-referenced off of the appropriate chart. There are charts for each possible baserunner situation. The chart will tell you the result of the play.
So, now that we have the basics out of the way, how does the game hold up?
Well, I think the results are fairly accurate and the game really is fun to play. I'm getting quicker now and don't need to access the chart for every result (although I still need to check the chart more often than not). I plan to continue my replay of the '75 season and will publish results here from time to time.
So, what do I wish were different about the game? Well, first, I'm disappointed the lefty/righty matchups only work for pitchers. I see that a complete redesign of the card would be required to include lefty/righty hitter results, but I enjoy having my right handed pinch hitter that can mash lefties. I don't get that with NPNG.
My biggest complaint, however, is how base stealing is handled. Bunting, hit and runs, positioning of the infielders, pinch hitting, and removing a pitcher are all strategy decisions in the hand of the manager. The same cannot be said of base stealing. Base stealing is built into the card which leads to a number of issues in my opinion.
First, good armed catchers are worthless. I'm a Reds fan (hence my wanting to replay 1975) and was looking forward to playing with Johnny Bench. Well, Johnny might was well be me behind the plate because his rocket arm makes zero difference. I want teams to steal less frequently and less successfully vs the Reds, but in my first game Bench allowed 3 SB.
Second, obviously if catchers don't impact the running game, neither do pitchers. Some pitchers biggest weakness was the propensity to give up stolen bases. For instance, when Greg Maddux won his four consecutive Cy Young awards, he was terrible at holding baserunners. In this system, Maddux will be even more dominant as walks and singles don't become doubles.
Third, and most troubling, there is no looking at game situation in determining whether the baserunner steals a base. Generally if the game is not close, teams don't steal bases. They still will with this game. But more importantly, players will attempt stolen bases even if the situation doesn't call for it. I've only played about ten games so far and yet I've had a very extreme case in which the stolen base rules gave a very unrealistic result. The Cardinals were tied in the bottom of the 9th with two outs and a man on first. Lou Brock laces a single moving the runner to third and immediately gets thrown out stealing second. Lou Brock is one of the all-time great basestealers and would realize his run meant absolutely nothing in that situation. There's no way he would have attempted that stolen base.
Despite my frustration with the stolen base system and the lack of platoon splits for hitters, I still strongly recommend this game. First off, it's completely free. Second, it's very fun. Third, the results seem very realistic. Follow along as I post replay results here and we'll see how strong those results are.
The game is fun. I played APBA baseball once in the mid 70's until my friend's brother found out we were using his game, but I've also investigated APBA for possible purchase since then. I've also played Baseball for Windows when it came out. This game is very reminiscent of APBA.
You select your starting lineups and pitchers and away you go. Play begins with the roll of two six sided dice. The dice are not added together but instead read as two separate digits. This roll is then referenced on the batter's card giving you a number between 1 and 45. These numbers are then cross-referenced off of the appropriate chart. There are charts for each possible baserunner situation. The chart will tell you the result of the play.
So, now that we have the basics out of the way, how does the game hold up?
Well, I think the results are fairly accurate and the game really is fun to play. I'm getting quicker now and don't need to access the chart for every result (although I still need to check the chart more often than not). I plan to continue my replay of the '75 season and will publish results here from time to time.
So, what do I wish were different about the game? Well, first, I'm disappointed the lefty/righty matchups only work for pitchers. I see that a complete redesign of the card would be required to include lefty/righty hitter results, but I enjoy having my right handed pinch hitter that can mash lefties. I don't get that with NPNG.
My biggest complaint, however, is how base stealing is handled. Bunting, hit and runs, positioning of the infielders, pinch hitting, and removing a pitcher are all strategy decisions in the hand of the manager. The same cannot be said of base stealing. Base stealing is built into the card which leads to a number of issues in my opinion.
First, good armed catchers are worthless. I'm a Reds fan (hence my wanting to replay 1975) and was looking forward to playing with Johnny Bench. Well, Johnny might was well be me behind the plate because his rocket arm makes zero difference. I want teams to steal less frequently and less successfully vs the Reds, but in my first game Bench allowed 3 SB.
Second, obviously if catchers don't impact the running game, neither do pitchers. Some pitchers biggest weakness was the propensity to give up stolen bases. For instance, when Greg Maddux won his four consecutive Cy Young awards, he was terrible at holding baserunners. In this system, Maddux will be even more dominant as walks and singles don't become doubles.
Third, and most troubling, there is no looking at game situation in determining whether the baserunner steals a base. Generally if the game is not close, teams don't steal bases. They still will with this game. But more importantly, players will attempt stolen bases even if the situation doesn't call for it. I've only played about ten games so far and yet I've had a very extreme case in which the stolen base rules gave a very unrealistic result. The Cardinals were tied in the bottom of the 9th with two outs and a man on first. Lou Brock laces a single moving the runner to third and immediately gets thrown out stealing second. Lou Brock is one of the all-time great basestealers and would realize his run meant absolutely nothing in that situation. There's no way he would have attempted that stolen base.
Despite my frustration with the stolen base system and the lack of platoon splits for hitters, I still strongly recommend this game. First off, it's completely free. Second, it's very fun. Third, the results seem very realistic. Follow along as I post replay results here and we'll see how strong those results are.
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