77 lines
4.3 KiB
Plaintext
77 lines
4.3 KiB
Plaintext
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OREL HERSHISER'S STRIKE ZONE
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If you're looking for real-life stats, all-time great players, in-depth
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managers' strategy and intense league play, then look somewhere else. But if you
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want one-on-one pitcher/batter confrontations without complicated fielding
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commands, then OREL HERSHISER'S STRIKE ZONE is the game for you. This is a
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near-perfect implementation of the popular arcade game by Tradewest (reviewed
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here for the IBM PC).
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The game runs in two distinct operating modes: "Strike Zone" and "Home Run
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Derby." In "Strike Zone" mode, you're playing a normal game of baseball. As you
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begin the game, you're asked to enter your initials and date of birth. The game
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keeps track of stats for the top batters and pitchers using initials and
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birthdates (presumably to distinguish between players who have identical
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initials).
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A "Hall of Fame" screen is presented next, allowing you to view the leaders in
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each category, if desired. If not, simply wait a few seconds and the game will
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begin. Stat compilation is both ongoing and automatic; when you start a new
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game, you'll see your current cumulative batting average and ERA on the
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scoreboard.
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For batters, STRIKE ZONE tracks: At Bats, Hits, Batting Average, Doubles,
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Triples, Homers, Slugging Average, Runs, Runs Batted In, Walks, Strikeouts, On
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Base Average, Hit into Double Play, Stolen Bases, and Caught Stealing. For
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pitchers, it records: Wins, Losses, Won/Lost Percentage, Complete Games, Innings
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Pitched, Runs Allowed, Earned Run Average, Shutouts, No-Hitters, Hits Allowed,
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Walks, Strikeouts, and Home Runs Allowed. Additionally, slugging stats are
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accumulated from the "Home Run Derby" mode: Number of Pitches Taken, Home Runs
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Hit, Home Run Percentage, Average Distance of Home Runs, and Longest Home Run.
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The screen is divided into two sections. On the left side, you're viewing the
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field from the batter's point of view, with the scoreboard visible behind the
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pitcher. On the right side, your view is from behind the pitcher, facing the
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batter. As a pitcher, you can control the location of the pitch, the degree of
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the curve, and the speed of the throw. As a batter, you can determine the power
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and the height of your swing.
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Fielders react automatically and professionally, and runners advance one base
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when the ball is hit. You must control movement to try to "take the extra base."
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During the course of game play, an announcer talks to you in digitized speech.
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The voice is very clear, and one of the finest examples of digitized English
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I've ever heard on the tiny IBM speaker. However, one can listen to "Strike,"
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"Ball," "Foul Ball," "Out," "Next Batter," and "Home Run" only so many times
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(even though "Home Run" sounds pretty funny): Thankfully, the sound can be
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toggled off.
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The only strange quirk in "Strike Zone" mode comes at the end of the game --
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or, at least, what should be the end. If the home team is ahead after the top of
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the ninth, it's allowed to bat anyway! I suppose this was carried over from the
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arcade version, in which players paid their quarters and wanted to play their
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innings; it really has no place in the computer version.
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The "Home Run Derby" mode is very simple. You're given twenty pitches in which
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to hit home runs. If you fall short, it counts as nothing; if you hit a home
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run, it's added to your lifetime "slugging" stats. This is a great way to learn
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how to hit those pitches, and to get in a little practice before facing a
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computer or human opponent.
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The graphics and animation in STRIKE ZONE are superb for EGA, VGA, and Tandy
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16-color screens. In fact, they're identical to the arcade version. The CGA
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screen is difficult to use, though not impossible. MCGA and Hercules modes are
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also suported. A joystick is optional, and the game is not copy-protected. One
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or two players can play.
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OREL HERSHISER'S STRIKE ZONE takes a basic approach to computer baseball,
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concentrating on pitching and batting -- the core of the game -- rather than
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stats and strategy. It's a fine game for the casual computer baseball player,
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and an interesting diversion for the hard-core league player who just wants to
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"smack a few" or "whiff 'em by some guy."
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OREL HERSHISER'S STRIKE ZONE is published by Melbourne House/Virgin Games and
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distributed by Electronic Arts.
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*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253
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