[{"TitleName":"R.B.I. 2 Baseball","Publisher":"Domark Ltd","Author":"Andrew Taylor, Tony West","YearOfRelease":"1991","ZxDbId":"0004044","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 89, Jun 1991","Price":"£2.99","ReleaseDate":"1991-05-23","Editor":"Richard Eddy","TotalPages":52,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"EDITORIAL\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nEditor: Richard Eddy\r\nSub Editor: Warren Lapworth\r\nStaff Writers: Mark Caswell, Nick Roberts, Lloyd Mangram\r\nArt Editor: Mark Kendrick\r\nPhotography: Michael Parkinson\r\nProduction and Circulation Director: Jonathan Rignall\r\nSystems Operator: Paul (Charlie) Chubb\r\nReprographics: Matthew Uffindell (Supervisor), Robert Millichamp, Robb Hamilton, Tim Morris, Jenny Reddard\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Judith Bamford\r\nAdvertisement Sales Executive: Christine Moore\r\nAdvertisement Production: Jackie Morris (Supervisor), Joanne Lewis\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\nSubscriptions: Caroline Edwards [redacted]\r\n\r\nTypesetting Apple Macintosh Computers using Quark Express and Bitstream Fonts.\r\n\r\nSystems Manager: Ian Chubb\r\n\r\nColour origination Scan Studios [redacted]. Printed in England by BPCC Business Magazines (Carlisle) Ltd, [redacted].\r\n\r\nDistributor COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nYearly subscription rates: UK £17.20 Europe £24.00, Air Mail overseas £37. US/Canada subscriptions and back issues enquiries Barry Hatcher, British Magazine Distributors Ltd [redacted]. Yearly subscription rates US$47.00, Canada CAN$57.00 Back Issues US$5.20, Canada CAN$6.20 (inclusive of postage). \r\n\r\nCOMPETITION RULES\r\nThe Editor's decision is final in all matters relating to adjudication and while we offer prizes in good faith, believing them to be available; If something untoward happens we reserve the right to substitute prizes of comparable value. We'll do our very best to despatch prizes as soon as possible after the published closing date. Winners names will appear in a later issue of CRASH. No correspondence can be entered into regarding the competitions (unless we've written to you stating that you have won a prize and it doesn't turn up, in which case drop us a line). No person who is related, no matter how remotely, to anyone who works for either Newsfield or any of the companies offering prizes, may enter one of our competitions.\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced whole or in part without the written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return anything sent into CRASH - including written and photographic material, software and hardware - unless it is accompanied by a suitably stamped addressed envelope. Unsolicited written or photo material on 35mm transparencies is welcome, and if used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates. Copy published in CRASH will be edited as seen fit and payment will be calculated according to the current printed word rate. The views expressed in CRASH are not necessarily those of the publishers.\r\n\r\nCopyright CRASH Ltd 1991 A Newsfield Publication. ISSN 0954-8661. Cover design and illustration by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Tengen/Domark\r\n£10.99/£14.99\r\n\r\nTengen's latest offering is RBI 2, a sports game that takes you to the baseball field to indulge in the great summery pastime that gets American's very excited.\r\n\r\nIf the finer points of baseball are as totally incomprehensible to you as they are to me, fear not, 'cos there's a guide entitled Baseball For Idiots And Englishmen included in the package (along with a smart RBI 2 baseball cap, would you believe). The computer version is a one-or-two player game and teams are selected from a list of 26 before the game begins.\r\n\r\nThe field is split into two parts, the outfield and the infield - otherwise known as the diamond, where most of the action takes place. At each corner of the diamond is a base - Home, First, Second and Third - and it's each batter's task to run between the four bases and so score a run.\r\n\r\nThe game is viewed from behind the batter, facing the pitcher. The pitcher stand on a mound of earth in the centre of the infield and tries to strike the batter out (ie, force him to miss the ball). To this end the player controlling the pitcher can choose the speed and curve of the ball as he winds up the shot.\r\n\r\nIf the batter hits the ball, the outfielders come into play. It's their job to catch the ball and, as the batter runs around the infield, throw it back to a base and attempt to intercept him.\r\n\r\nSo there you have it, basically, each player batting and fielding in turn and scoring as many runs as possible. The winning team's success is splashed across the front page of the Baseball News and the losers are laughed off the pitch.\r\n\r\nAfter a spell of okay-ish games, Tengen finally appear to have a hit on their hands - RBI 2 is great! Although I know as much about baseball as I do quantum physics, I picked the game up pretty easily.\r\n\r\nThe angst felt when my batter whacked the ball outfield and legged it for the next base kept me playing for ages, and the game is particularly good when playing against a chum. Graphically, RBI 2 is excellent, all the character sprites, although tiny, are brilliantly animated, especially the pitcher and batter. The only thing lacking is a decent league system.\r\n\r\nOverall, it's pretty fab: playable, entertaining and pleasantly competitive. RBI 2 definitely scores a home run (see how quickly one picks up the terminology)!\r\n\r\nMARK 88%","ReviewerComments":["It's not very often you see a baseball game on the Spectrum. The last one I can remember was, erm, (think, think) World Series Baseball about six years ago and its gameplay wasn't too dissimilar to this (not surprisingly; it's all baseball, isn't it?). What first impressed me about RBI 2 was the slick presentation and excellent music. I don't usually get my toes tapping to Spectrum music but I must admit this was very good, complementing the logo scrolling around the screen perfectly. So, it's all very flashy up front but what about the game? Well, the smallish sprites do the job well and you really get into the swing of things, the close-up display giving a detailed look at the batting and showing where the ball is at all times. There isn't that much you can control in the game, though: other than pitching and batting, you can only control the direction the fielders throw the ball, and that isn't very taxing. But I'm not going to end on a moan, 'cos I really enjoyed playing RBI 2 and reckon all sports action fans will too!\r\nNick Roberts\r\n84%"],"OverallSummary":"RBI 2 is great but don't expect a simulation-type thing, just a very playable knockabout.","Page":"40,41","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Nick Roberts","Score":"84","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Mark Caswell","Score":"88","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Prepare to hit it for six as Dawson plays Blyleven in RBI 2."},{"Text":"With a well-placed thwack the baseball goes hurtling sky high (and the sound FX when this happens are ear-piercing!)."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Presentation","Score":"88%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"89%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"85%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"84%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictivity","Score":"86%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"86%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 66, Jun 1991","Price":"£1.95","ReleaseDate":"1991-05-02","Editor":"Andy Ide","TotalPages":84,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Andy Ide\r\nArt Editor: Sal Meddings\r\nGames Editor: James Leach\r\nStaff Writer: Linda Barker\r\nDesign Assistant: Andy Ounsted\r\nAdvertising Manager: Simon Moss\r\nDeputy Advertising Manager: Philip Davenport\r\nProduction Coordinator: Melissa Parkinson\r\nPublisher: Jane Richardson\r\nPublishing Assistant: Michele Harris\r\nGroup Publisher: Greg Ingham\r\nCirculation Director: Sue Hartley\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair, Future Publishing [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: Computer Posting [redacted]\r\nDistribution: MMC [redacted]\r\n\r\nCover Illustration: Robert Bliss\r\nISSN 0269 6983\r\nABC July-Dec 1990 60,368\r\n\r\nYS comes to you from the same folks who 'knock out' Commodore Format, ST Format, Amiga Format, New Computer Express, Amstrad Action, MacPublishing, Classic CD, PC Plus, 8000 Plus & Sega Power, Amiga Power, Amiga Shopper & Needlecraft"},"MainText":"Domark (Tengen)\r\n£10.99 cass/£14.99 disk\r\nReviewer: James Leach\r\n\r\nWhat's all this 'baseball' malarkey about then, eh? I mean, people wear 'baseball' boots, and put 'baseball' caps on their heads - but everybody knows the game they're really talking about is rounders.\r\n\r\nOf course, that doesn't sound half as street-cool and hip - which is probably why the Americans changed the name. Anyway, whatever you call it, it's a damn simple game to understand so without further ado let's get out there and have a bit of a bat, shall we?\r\n\r\nMINE!\r\n\r\nRBI 2 is a 3D simulation, in which you get to become your very own baseball team. You start off by selecting the American city you want to represent, then you pick a pitcher (the blokie who chucks the ball, not a jug with handles) and finally an opening batter (the blokie who hits the ball, not a pancake mix).\r\n\r\nStill with me? Good. Then the scene shifts to the ballpark. If you're fielding, your 5 blokes automatically take up sensible positions, so there's no faffing around. The pitcher stands on his mound, and then it's all up to you.\r\n\r\nWhen batting is in progress, a blown-up view of the pitcher and batter is shown (so you can see what you're doing presumably). If you're pitching, you can move from side to side choosing the best angle, and also set the joystick to do fast or slow deliveries and curve balls. And it actually works! With a bit of practice you get to know which balls certain players have trouble hitting and which they like. The batter is finally out if you throw 3 balls which he misses (And that's the origin of the \"Strike1, Strike 2\" saying, fact fans.)\r\n\r\nBut if the batter hits then you've got to run your men, footy sim like, until they 'field' the ball (which basically means 'going and fetching it'). They've got to throw the ball to any base with an opponent running to it. The joystick controls takes some getting used to (it's a case of getting your stick in the right position and pressing Fire), but it works brilliantly when you do. (You've no idea how satisfying it is to whip the ball from the outfield straight into a base's hands just before the computer's little man wheezes up to it!)\r\n\r\nUP, UP, AND AWAY!\r\n\r\nBatting is an altogether easier option. You see the same close-up view of the batter and pitcher, but this time you must move the batter into the best position. It's trial and error, but after a couple of games you'll have the measure of it. But here's the dodgy bit. Once he hits, your batter automatically runs to first base. Any other men you have on other bases also run automatically. The only control you have is to prompt a man to keep running when he would normally have stopped. It would have been nice to have control of at least one of the runners - but no, you have to just bite yer nails as the bods paddle round slowly to the next base.\r\n\r\nAlthough this can seem like an eternity (like the speed your men run at when they're fielding), the game is pretty quick, and the scrolling as the ball is followed around is nice and neat. A little screen below the main display tells you exactly where the ball is and who's nearest to it, while another displays a radar-type view of all the action. It plots the positions of the ball and all the players, so for the most part your eyes will be glued to it when you're into bat.\r\n\r\nThe aim is to get your men round all 4 bases safely. Once 3 blokes are out, the other team has a go. There are 10 rounds of this to-ing and fro-ing and each one lasts a couple of minutes (or less if you're completely atrocious at it). This quickfire approach is completely different to, say, cricket, and it's certainly a lot more exciting, that's for sure.\r\n\r\nBaseball is hardly the most obvious thing to do on the Spec (you might fall off, hur hur). but Domark have managed a pretty spiffy job here. The only niggle, as I've said, is that you do a lot when you're fielding, but you tend to sit back and watch your guys struggling when it comes to the batting bits. Oh well. Variety is, as they say, the spice of life.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Good representation of baseball, and a lot of fun. Don't control as much of it as you should though.","Page":"70,71","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"James Leach","Score":"82","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"And here's the so-called diamond where the pitcher, er, pitches the ball and you just stand there shaking your legs a bit. (Well, that's what I do anyway!)"},{"Text":"STRIKE! (Which is 'Baseballese' for \"Oh drat, I've just jolly well dog-gone missed the ball\"."},{"Text":"The ball get a trifle big compared to your size but you soon get used to it. (You still miss the ball though.)"},{"Text":"Time to 'select your starters', folks. (I'll have the garlic mushrooms please!)"}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"SO HOWJA PLAY IT DEN?\r\n\r\nBaseball is an easy game. Basically, the rules are as follows.\r\n\r\nSomeone throws a large ball at your head very hard. To stop it smashing into your face you must deflect it with the bat. Then you must run as fast as you can towards first base, where you dive headlong into the ground before the ball arrives. When it does, it'll be doing roughly the speed of sound, and will usually connect with the back of your neck.\r\n\r\nThe next batter hits, forcing you to move your crippled body towards base 2, where a very big man will tread on your hands in his steel-spiked boots. At base 3 you will collide with a team-mate who, suffering from concussion, has wandered off in the wrong direction. The impact will fracture your collarbone. And at base 4 you'll have completed a run and will be mobbed and jumped on by your team-mates, ensuring an extended stay in hospital and all the grapes you can eat."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Life Expectancy","Score":"77%","Text":""},{"Header":"Instant Appeal","Score":"78%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"80%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"81%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"82%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 88, Apr 1993","Price":"£2.5","ReleaseDate":"1993-03-02","Editor":"Linda Barker","TotalPages":52,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"YOUR SINCLAIR\r\nABC 40,648\r\n\r\nEditor: Linda Barker\r\nArt Editor: Andy Ounsted\r\nStaff Writer: Jonathan Nash\r\nEditorial Contributors: Craig Broadbent, Dave Golder, Tim Kemp, Simon Cooke, Rich Pelley\r\nArt Contributors: Phil McCardle\r\nCover Artwork: Paul Kidby\r\nSenior Sales Executive: Jackie Garford\r\nProduction Co-ordinator: Charlotte Brock\r\nProduction Technicians: Chris Stocker\r\nScanning: Simon Windsor, Jon Moore, Simon Chittenden\r\nPublisher: Colin Campbell\r\nPromotions Manager: Tamara Ward\r\nGroup Publisher: Greg Ingham\r\nCirculation Director: Sue Hartley\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair, Future Publishing [redacted]\r\n\r\nManaging Director Chris Anderson\r\n\r\nPrinters: Riverside Press [redacted]\r\nBack Issues: Future Publishing Ltd. [redacted]\r\n\r\n©Future Publishing 1992. No part of this magazine may be reproduced unless you can prove to us that you are in fact the Dalai Lama. Photographic evidence is permissible.\r\n\r\nISSN 0269 6983\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair isn't adverse to the occasional tumble with Commodore Format, Amstrad Action, Amiga Format, PCW Plus, PC Answers, Mega, Super Play, PC Plus, Sega Power, Amiga Power, Amiga Shopper, Classic CD, Needlecraft, Cycling Plus, Mountain Biking UK, Patrick Moore Monthly, PC Format, ST Format, Total!, Caravan Plus, Good Woodworking, Camcorder Plus, Future Music, Mac Format and Cross Stitcher."},"MainText":"RBI 2 BASEBALL\r\nThe Hit Squad\r\n£3.99\r\n[redacted]\r\nReviewer: Rich Pelley\r\n\r\nSports sims always tend to turn out quite well on the old Spec - until the advent of Sensible Soccer on the Amiga, Match Day on the Speccy was still the ultimate footy game, and has a multi eventer anywhere ever surpassed Daley's (original) Decathlon?\r\n\r\nSo what of RBI 2? I like it, because it captures the feel of the sport in that perfectly Spectrummy way which actually makes you glad that you are playing it on computer you could pick up at a car boot sale for the price of a packet of tea bags (as opposed to a £45 import cart on a Super Nintendo which you got in exchange for your granny).\r\n\r\nMy only niggle is that there's not quite enough to do. Batting is a simple case of waiting for the ball to be pitched, then moving your batter accordingly and swiping at the ball. The ball is larger than your head (!) but still quite difficult (at first) to hit. and impossible to direct. Your men run and stop around the our bases automatically - you can prompt men to run when the computer has decided that they shouldn't, but this is seldom so you tend to have to sit back and watch.\r\n\r\nThere's a bit more to do whilst fielding - you take control of the man nearest to the ball with a chance to dive for, or run after and return, each hit. You also have to take care of the pitching with a selection of slow, fast or curve balls at a touch of a key. And, well, that's it, really. Baseball on the Speccy for four quid. File under 'If you like.'","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"44","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Rich Pelley","Score":"79","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Brian the ball didn't like being a ball. In fact, he hated being a ball. He would rather have been a basin than a ball. At least basins were sometimes given Angel Delight. One of Brian's greatest regrets was that he had never tasted Angel Delight."},{"Text":"The day that Jorvik led his team to victory was indeed a great one. His mum cheered for 72 hours. She broke the world record which she had set two months earlier."},{"Text":"The trampoline was the reason that most people joined the New York City firefighters. On dry days when they weren't too busy, they used to take it in turns to jump around."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"79%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 134, Apr 1993","Price":"£2.5","ReleaseDate":"1993-03-18","Editor":"Alan Dykes","TotalPages":36,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Alan Dykes\r\nArt Editor: Sarah Pruce\r\nCoin Ops Editor: Ed Laurence\r\nSU Crew:\r\n Mr Hacking Squad: Garth Sumpter\r\n Mr Checkout: Steve Keen\r\n Reviews: Tony Kaye\r\n Mr Patrick Eggle and a few reviews: Philip Lindey\r\n Nigel Mansell's Best Mate: Tony Kaye\r\n Historic Games: Mark Patterson\r\n Reviews: Paul Davis\r\n Smart Comments: Tom Guise\r\n Mr Technical: Graham Mason aka Specman, Turbo etc\r\n Adventure: Pete Gerrard & The Sorceress\r\nAd Manager: Tina Zanelli\r\nMarketing:\r\n Product Manager: Sarah Ewing\r\n Marketing Assistant: Fiona 'Doh!' Malloch\r\n Publisher: Mike Frey\r\n Managing Director: Terry Pratt\r\n\r\n(c)1992 EMAP IMAGES\r\nPart of EMAP PLC\r\nTel: [redacted]\r\nFax: [redacted]\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nColour by Colourtech\r\nPrinted by Riverside Press Gillingham\r\nTypeset by Altyp Inc\r\nBack Issues [redacted]\r\n\r\nAbsolutely no pert of this publication may be reproduced, stored in an electronic retrieval system or copied without the express written permission of the publisher. Sorry folks but this is it. Thanks for all your letters, all your support and all your compliments and complaints. Many, many thanks to Freda, without whom SU would have been frightfully boring. Well done Paul, Jim, Ken and the boys at Colourtech and all the people who have helped with this last issue. A final goodbye to Mark D. Richards who will, no doubt, be glad to see the back of us (NOT!) and Roland Richardson who has broken the record for writing to a magazine. Au Revoir!"},"MainText":"Label: Hit Squad\r\nMemory: 48K/128K\r\nTape: £3.99\r\nReviewer: Big Al Dykes\r\n\r\nOriginally released by Domark two years ago RBI is, without a shadow of doubt, the best baseball sim available. Ok, maybe baseball isn't as popular over here as it is in America but then they don't understand cricket, do they?\r\n\r\nRBI is beautiful to look at and just as beautiful to play. Baseball can be confusing so it's a good idea to have a rule book to hand but the concept of the game is relatively simple and once you get the hang of all the statistics and the jargon you'll really start to enjoy this game.\r\n\r\nYou can select any baseball team from across the USA and compete in single games or a world series against the computer or a human opponent. Two player mode is actually great fun. Once you've chosen your team you must then select your pitchers and the line up of the rest. The game is really simple enough, someone pitches the ball and another guy hits it, but as you scramble about for outfield balls and try to knock out the batsmen with expert throws this game becomes very absorbing.\r\n\r\nExcellent graphics excellent gameplay mark RBI as a very worthy sports simulation. Well worth pitching for at this stingy Hit Squad price.","ReviewerComments":["I remember RBI when Domark first launched it two years ago. It really impressed me then but at this price it simply has to be bought, especially if you're a fan of baseball. Remember to get a rule book if you're not though.\r\nSteve Keen"],"OverallSummary":"This is a very high quality piece of software. There are several things happening on screen simultaneously, in separate boxes and it's a fast and clear. RBI has always been one of my favourite Sorts sims on the Spectrum and is simply unmissable at this price.","Page":"29","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Alan Dykes","Score":"92","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Steve Keen","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"94%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"57%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"89%","Text":""},{"Header":"Lastability","Score":"90%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"92%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 112, Jun 1991","Price":"£1.85","ReleaseDate":"1991-05-16","Editor":"Garth Sumpter","TotalPages":52,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Garth 'baseball' Sumpter\r\nDesign Editor: Andrea 'diamond' Walker\r\nDesign: Yvette 'Slide, slide!' Nicholls\r\nStaff Writers: Steve 'Pitcher' Keen\r\nSU Crew: Tony 'Home base' Naqvi, John 'home run' Cook, Pete 'you're out!' Gerrard, Phillip 'no ball' Fisch\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Jerry 'Fatboy' Hall\r\nAd Production: Jo 'I want a change' Gleissner\r\nMarketing Dept: Sarah 'New Flat' Ewing, Sarah 'Homeless' Hillard\r\nPublisher: Graham 'let's talk' Taylor\r\nManaging Director: Terry 'Umpire' Pratt\r\n\r\n(c)1991 EMAP IMAGES\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nDISTRIBUTION: BBC FRONTLINE\r\nSU SUBSCRIPTIONS: [redacted]\r\n\r\nTypesetting by Garthtype.\r\nColour work by Proprint.\r\nBlack and White by no-one.\r\n\r\nIf you want to reproduce this magazine you can try. Budgets are tight and quite frankly, you won't make any money unless you're as streetwise as the SU team.\r\n\r\n(c)1991 EMAP - the same miserable sods that produce these healthy titles: C+VG, SU, CU, Ace, Mean Machines, PC Leisure, The One Amiga, The One ST, Smash Hits, Performance Bike, Just 17, Q, Empire, Motor Cycle News, Radio and Music, Period Homes, Gas Bills Quarterly................"},"MainText":"Label: Domark\r\nMemory: 128K\r\nPrice: £10.99 Tape, £14.99 Disk\r\nReviewer: Alan Dykes\r\n\r\nStrike One! Another two of those missed balls and you're out, and believe me this game is so realistic you'll feel the disappointment.\r\n\r\nDomark have packed a lot of graphic action into R.B.I Baseball, with up to four separate views running simultaneously on screen (on a Spectrum!) so it could have ended up looking like gremlin in a food mixer. Instead it looks like a live game in a stadium which is of course what was planned.\r\n\r\nThose familiar with baseball will love this, those not may struggle at first. There's a complete list of Major League baseball teams from Seattle to Miami to choose from. There are team statistics, starting and reserve player line ups and of course you must decide on the correct pitching or batting order for your players.\r\n\r\nR.B.I has two difficulty levels. The easy mode slows down the action and when you re batting, it delays the pitching team's return of outfield balls thus allowing your team to get in a few runs. However on the difficult level, they'll run you down if they can and the familiar cry (or bleep in this case), of \"all out\", will send you back to the \"pit\" with the imprint of first base on your forehead.\r\n\r\nWhen pitching, (known as bowling here in blighty, I believe), there is full control of the player on the mound, he can move left or right and throw a fast or a slow ball. Once he has thrown, control is switched to the fielding player nearest to the ball, who must retrieve it and throw it at one of the four bases to put the opposing players out.\r\n\r\nIf you're batting then you only retain control long enough to whack the ball, hopefully into oblivion, after that the computer takes over and co-ordinates your players as they run between the bases. This means that you must practise hitting the ball properly before you start getting home runs. It also helps to look at your current player statistics before you start showing off, as some are better than others!\r\n\r\nIntro screens are wonderfully colourful and there is a Baseball newspaper at the end to announce the winners. The theme music is smashin' and the sound during the game isn't half bad either, as long as the volume is kept at a respectable level. Overall R.B.I. 2 Baseball has good graphics, sound and gameplay shows a lot of respect for the real game and is a spiffing example of a sports simulation.","ReviewerComments":["Prior knowledge of baseball would be a big plus as without it RBI might drive you batty at first. But persevere and you will be rewarded with a lasting gem of a sports sim.\r\nSteve Keen"],"OverallSummary":"Domark's Baseball simulation! It's a must for sports sim fanatics and followers of the game alike, but be a little wary, however if you do not fall into one of these categories.","Page":"24","Denied":false,"Award":"Sinclair User Silver","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Alan Dykes","Score":"87","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Steve Keen","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"88%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"89%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"86%","Text":""},{"Header":"Lastability","Score":"89%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"87%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]