Play Ball
Playus Soft hits a grand slam with their mobile sports game Baseball Star. This title allows you to experience the thrill of being on a baseball team without having to break a sweat. Create a game-winning team that can crush your opponents on your way towards the championship titles. Every feature in this game adds to the charm and thrill of playing.
Batter Up
Baseball Star begins by letting you pick your team name and mascot before showing you the ropes on how to play. Players take control during pitching and batting while the AI controls fielding. This doesn’t make the game any easier as you still have to strike out the opposing team and hit the ball. The mechanics can be a bit challenging to get the hang of at first. Pitching is the simpler of the two. Each time you throw the ball, you can choose which type of pitch to throw. If you don’t have any knowledge of baseball, just let the game auto choose for you, but you might not be as successful in striking out the batter. Batting is more complicated, but simple once you get the hang of it. As the ball comes towards you, wait for it to enter the strike zone. Once the circle gets small enough (but not too small or that’s a strike), you click either to hit or bunt the ball.
Outside of games, you can customize your team. Winning games gives you a player card that can also be purchased with two different game currencies, premium and free. Players train to improve stats, or the cards can be combined to get a better card. There are four levels of players, those with four stars being the best. Along with getting better cards, you can buy gear and costumes to increase stats on your players. They have time limits, but equip your pitcher with a glove to improve speed or a bat to give your power hitter a stronger swing. Available bats include lightsabers, guitars and plungers. These are fun addons that make the game look silly. Baseball Star’s graphics remind me of Wii Sports, and the odd accessories only fuel that comparison.
The Bases are Loaded
Compared to real baseball, Baseball Star does a great job of providing a realistic experience. The AI acts just like a real team would when running defense. Players throw the ball to the base with the lead off runner instead of to first. Pitchers can hit you with their pitch, which allows your batter to go to first. The realism adds to the excitement of each game. Nothing is as disappointing as finally figuring out how to hit the ball only for them to catch it in the air.
Between each game, select how many innings you want to play. You can play as few as three innings in a game or not play at all. There are three currencies in the game. With AP currency, you can skip game play all together and allow the AI to do all the work. This is expensive, so it is not an ideal thing to do. BP currency, which you get from playing games, is free. CP currency is earned from watching ads or using real money. AP is bought with CP, which is hard to get if you only watch ads for them. Ten AP costs 100 CP, and you only earn five CP by watching an ad every two hours.
Grand Slam
Baseball Star slides into first with its addictive gameplay. Each game holds your attention with its quick plays and random setup that never feels repetitive. Every feature in this title makes sense and doesn’t overwhelm you as you get used to the game. Even those with no knowledge of baseball can enjoy this game thanks to the simplicity of the playstyle, but fans of baseball will enjoy the realism.
Hardcore?
It's a home run!
Baseball Star recreates all the fun of baseball without any of the injuries. Realistic aspects of baseball don’t lose their appeal due to the cartoonish graphics. Randomized games bring fun and challenge together as you train to become an all-star team.
