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| "Super Baseball 2020 is a futuristic baseball video game... The game follows the basic rules of baseball, but there are several upgrades since the game takes place in the year 2020. The most obvious difference from real baseball is that some of the characters in this game are robots. All the human characters are equipped with powerful armor, computer sensors, and jet-packs for improved offense and defensive skills." -- Wikipedia |
I decided to choose a theme for my fantasy baseball teams in 2012: Super Baseball 2020. This decision caused me to dust off my Super Nintendo and ProPad controller, connect them to our television, blow out the old cartridge, and play a couple games last night. No emulators for me!
Oh, sweet childhood nostalgia. I sincerely hope mentioning this game causes a stroll down one's memory lane. Here's a little background info courtesy of Steve from RVGFANATIC:
When Super Baseball 2020 came out nearly 20 years ago in 1991, 2020 seemed like it would never come. It's a bit of a trip to think we're only a short decade from seeing our favorite Major League ball players all replaced with robots who can leap in the air 50 feet to rob potential game winning home runs. 10 more years...
In the year 2020, baseball rules and regulations have drastically changed. Now the emphasis is on a large fair playing field, making action quicker and more exciting. The foul zone has now been reduced to strictly behind the catcher. One can score hits all over the field!
Also new in 2020 is the usage of money to upgrade your robot players into super soldier robots of destruction. Earn or lose money on positive and negative plays alike. Adds a bit of depth and strategy to the ol' baseball formula.
One of the coolest things about Super Baseball 2020 for me as a kid was NO DOUBT about it those futuristic looking blue glass plates that cover the audience. Not just used to cosmetic purposes, in the year 2020 balls that are hit on the glass plates are in play! This leads to what I like to call "Wall Ball" and balls potentially rolling down several planes of glass for miles and miles, allowing you to stretch singles into doubles or even triples! No other baseball game offers this, so it made SB 2020 very unique and fun to play.
Instead of a lame 7th inning stretch, in 2020 the 7th inning means the WILD CARD INNING where both teams receive a major dosage of added power. You can call "time out" and replace your pitcher, fielders, base runners or hitter with a robot off the bench, or upgrade if you have the cash. Throughout the course of a game, robots will lose energy and give warning signs before completely breaking down. Be sure to replace them as once they start to leak, so to speak, they become close to ineffective (hit/power/speed all drastically dip).
Perhaps there are some teams you remember whenever you played this game yourself. I recall always choosing the Mechanical Brains or Korea Dragoon while growing up, though last night I played as the Battle Heroes and Tokyo Samurais.
I intend to draft at least four teams this season and as many as six, so more votes will help me. As an additional challenge for myself, I will attempt to draft my teams toward an equivalent statistical goal as the teams chosen. (i.e. American Dreams. Hitting:10/10, Pitching:5/10)
Without further ado, here is the poll:
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I've thought about this before, but how cool would it be to see a modern day version of Super Baseball 2020 using today's players from Major League Baseball? How awesome would it be to see the guys wearing cybernetic suits and jet packs? Justin Verlander could hurl the ball upwards to 300 miles per hour, Jose Bautista would launch the ball into the stratosphere, and Yadier Molina would be a fielding abomination behind the plate. Would Albert Pujols still be "The Machine" or would the robot? I'll keep dreaming.
Thanks for your participation and walking down memory lane with me.
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