Microleague Baseball (C64)

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VideoGameCritic
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Microleague Baseball (C64)

Postby VideoGameCritic » August 2nd, 2022, 7:17 pm

I visited old buddy Scott (the C64 Critic) last night and we played a few C64 games including Beach Head II and Micro League Baseball.

I have to say a few words about Micro League. It seems very simplistic but this game brings out the strategy in baseball like no other game. This game has everything... visiting the mound, hit and runs, warming up the bullpen. Granted, on offense most of the time you're just pressing Return to swing away, but when you're down by one in the bottom of the 9th, it's intense!

I played my 83 O's against his 79 Pirates, and was down 2-1 in the bottom of the 9th, with me on 2nd and 3rd. I had Al Bumbry at the plate, who I knew was my fastest runner. I opted for a bunt aka suicide squeeze. Wouldn't you know, Scott pitched out for an intentional walk? Then the next guy popped out.

I wonder what would have unfolded if I was able to lay down that bunt...

Heck this is a game you could just sit back and enjoy with the CPU playing itself! There is color commentary displayed across the top of the screen.

jon
Posts: 1562
Joined: April 9th, 2015, 4:30 pm

Re: Microleague Baseball (C64)

Postby jon » August 3rd, 2022, 9:59 pm

This was maybe the first game I played (Apple II) that I remember real players. I remember the 1927 Yankees and being like, oh my, that’s Babe Ruth! These strategy games were around on computers and I totally understand having the computer run things instead. A lot of these games are strategic at the core. I know that Earl Weaver Baseball and Tony La Russa Baseball had those respective managers dedicate a lot of time to have the strategy be realistic.

It’s funny but a little upsetting to me that the C64 kind of ended right before another slew of amazing strategic games came out. I remember ASalvaro I think talking about a really interesting basketball game from decades ago. I really wish that somehow the C64 would’ve had some of these games I played in the early 1990’s until like 1994. There is the first Madden game which I could imagine would be a blast to review.

I heard that NHL ‘95 on the computer was amazing. There were some really cool looking racing games and of course the Front Page Sports games. I didn’t know it in the mid 90’s but I think there were some football game competitors to FPSFP. For all I know those might have been good too but those games are pretty much untouchable. I used to play FPSFP but after a while I realized it was so much more fun being the owner, GM, coach, and calling the plays.


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