“Yeah, umm, I think you’re looking for the other Ken Griffey game.”
Super Nintendo
Released in 1996 by Nintendo
Grade: C+
Where it falls in the series
This game came after Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball on SNES, but it’s made by a different developer (Rare) and unfortunately bares little resemblance to its beloved predecessor. On its own, it’s the usual round of 16-bit baseball, with simple controls, quick action in the field, and some unfortunate gameplay flaws.
Praises and gripes
The presentation is an odd mix. The at-bat view is meant to look realistic. The camera is low, you can see the outfield stands, players have a non-cartoony dullness to them … but you hit the ball and suddenly you’re playing a cutesy retro baseball game, with a zoomed-out bird’s eye view and simplistic player models zipping around. Even the sound of the bat is cutesy. It’s not a “crack”; it’s more of a “doink.”
The batting-pitching interface is the standard old-school style. Pitchers steer the ball mid-flight and batters time their swing. Sounds simple, except the pitching is friggin’ annoying. You need to press a direction at the right time to avoid throwing something you don’t mean to throw. I really don’t see the need for that.
I also don’t see the need for pauses between pitches to watch the catcher throw the ball back. The first Ken Griffey game’s fast tempo was just right. Why change it?
The bit of saving grace is that batters still have an easy time making contact. Whatever pitch is thrown, it’ll likely end up in the field anyway.
But wait, even that part is annoying, because balls hit into the field don’t usually do what they should. Even when it looks like you just ripped a laser into the gap, an outfielder is there to scoop it up. If you have runners on, the best you can hope for is to advance them one base. It’s out of whack.
Winning Run is on the stronger end of 16-bit baseball games, which isn’t saying too much. But don’t think you’ll pop this bad boy in and get even half the groovy fun of the first Ken Griffey game.