Okay folks... I'm a newbie here, and somewhat new to RBI baseball. I remember playing it back in the 80s/90s and haven't touched it in years. Now that I've got an NES emulator loaded on my PocketPC, I'm playing it again.
Can someone give me a run down on the differences between the three games? Which version would you consider the "best" of the three? Why?
I hate to speak for others, but for the pure purposes of much of what is refered to on this board, the orginial NES version (licsenced or unlicensed doesn't matter) is king!!!
Can you expand a bit on your reasoning? I've sort of gathered...based on a few other posts and such... that the first version is generally accepted as the best. But why? What about the second version and the third make them worse than the first?
By versions do you mean rbi 2 and 3?
Yes. I read on the main page who the game play was changed dramatically for RBI2 but there are really no specifics on what is different... and then there comments that some of the things were "fixed" in RBI3, but again, no real info on what is different between 2 and 3 or 1 and 3.
I, of course, like the smoother graphics of version 2 and 3, but if it was all about looking fantastic and realistic, well, we wouldn't be playing RBI would we?? ;)
What's better about version 1 than 2 and 3?
The are three completely different animals, related (IMO) by little more than a name, interface, and musical score. The graphics are very different in 2 and 3 than in 1. They are not versions they are sequels produced from the rosters of subsequent years. There are about 4 million things better in rbi one, but they are mostly asthetic to me. We are all talking about the players from rbi one and they are not all in the others. It's not even a contest.
As someone who spent the majority of elementary school playing the RBI series (at least until Tecmo Super Bowl came out), I'll chime in. Here are some of the changes from RBI to RBI 2/3 (3 was mostly a roster update; the gameplay changes were minor, such as allowing the batter to move closer to the plate):
1) Updated graphics and sound. The players are tall and skinny instead of short and fat. Also, the field is a little smoother, and the fence and scoreboard are nicer looking. Player names are now 8 characters instead of 6. The music was changed to have a couple of songs that rotated, plus different music for men on base. In addition, an umpire voice was added - he says "Out", "Strike", and "Foul".
2) More teams. RBI 2 had every major league team from 1989, and RBI 3 had every 1990 team plus every division winner from 1983 on (except the 1985 Cardinals, who are listed in the manual but aren't in the game for some reason).
3) Full rosters. I believe each team has a 24-man roster. Each team has 4 starting pitchers and (I think) 6 relievers, and the game enforces a limit of 2 starters and 5 total pitchers per game. Also, each player has a position (infield, outfield, or catcher), and if you field a roster with an incorrect alottment of fielders, your error frequency increases.
4) DHs. Use of the DH rule is determined by the home team's league, like in the World Series. The DH always bats ninth, which can be alleviated because of...
5) Changeable batting orders. You can switch around your starting lineup however you like, with the exception that the pitcher has to bat 9th.
6) Fielding changes. Fielders can now dive and jump for balls. Also, if a fielder is running toward a base, he can change which base he's running to.
7) No 10-run rule. However, there's an option called "Computer Forfeit" that's on by default, and if it's enabled, the computer will forfeit if behind by 12 runs.
8) Homerun distances. Not really a big deal, but it's neat. The longest I've ever seen is 476 ft., and I've played enough games to feel comfortable saying that it's the maximum.
9) The Tengen Team. If you select a team in one league, then play and beat every team in that league consecutively (playing a team in the other league results in a World Series), you will be pitted against the Tengen Team, which is full of players with lots of homers, lots of speed, and pretty good pitchers. There's even a 70-homer guy.
10) More realistic gameplay. This is why most of the people on the board like the original RBI better. RBI 2 and 3 dramatically reduced the frequency of homeruns. Instead of 10 homers a game between both teams (a reasonable number in the original), it's now common to see only two or three, unless you're using the All-Star teams. Combined with the new fielding moves, scoring is way down. It's still possible to score 15 runs in a game, but it's hard to do against a human opponent. Other gameplay changes: Bunting isn't a hack anymore, as it's done with the SELECT button. Pickoff plays throw to a base right away, and are really quick. Switch-hitting has been added, and the batting player has remember to change it. Both players can pause the game, so player 2 doesn't have to worry as much about player 1 being a jerk.
Okay, I wrote a lot more than I thought I would. I'll probably think of more stuff later, but I think this list is plenty long already.