Virtual League Baseball

Forget anything bad I have ever said about 2020 Baseball or Baseball Stars 2, Virtual League Baseball for the Virtual Boy is by far the most unfair, uninteresting, and poorly programmed baseball game since the original baseball games on the N.E.S.

What's bad? Just about everything is. It's not that the graphics look good, because they don't, or that the sounds is anything special, it surely isn't. The game is bad because it feels rushed. I almost wonder if it was thrown out simply based on the fact that they may be able to sucker people in to buying this half finished game, and at least recoup their money.

The game begins to grate on your nerves the MOMENT you realize that you control the ENTIRE outfield. Don't get me wrong, I complained about the outfield before, but nothing could have prepared me for this. I almost wished they had taken out the fielding all together. The problem? Move one person to the left, everybody goes to the left. Often times when you're running trying to judge a ball, it's impossible to get your players under the ball, because they have been running too far in the wrong direction.

It's also extremely difficult to judge who exactly is on your team. All the players are the same color (which can be blamed on the system, and not the programming), and in split second situations, which happen more frequently than you may think, it's just too difficult to get your players in the right spot.

The game has a large number of teams. Being as they didn't get the MLB license, Virtual Baseball is forced to give us fake teams. In this case, we're talking a whole plethora of countries I didn't know where interested in baseball (Spain?). Regardless of the amount of teams, they don't actually play very different, and the game stats per player doesn't seem to matter at all. So, if you're looking for a simulator, Just say No!

There isn't even a two player mode (I assume they ran out of time). And the one player mode ranges from being too hard (I can lose 5-15 easily) to being too easy (I won 15-5 several times). The balance just isn't there.

So, how can I recommend this game? Well, I can't. This is a horrible excuse for a baseball game. I love the 3D and the backgrounds, but the game just plays too poor to recommend. Steer clear.