RBI Baseball 14 Review: Impressions, Features, Gameplay Videos and More

Brian MaziqueApr 10, 2014

Are you old school?

By that I mean: Are you an old-school video game fan? If the answer is yes, then you undoubtedly remember the classic R.B.I. Baseball franchise.

Along with series such as Baseball Stars, Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball and others, R.B.I. Baseball was an iconic representation of America's pastime.

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Here we are in 2014, and the series that made its mark in the 1980s is making a comeback. As the first console game developed by MLB.com, R.B.I. Baseball 14 has tremendous support from the majors.

The redux is available on Xbox Live Marketplace for Xbox 360, the PlayStation store for PlayStation 3 and Apple iOS.

It will be released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One later this spring.

Instead of attempting to give the game massive graphical and gameplay alterations, MLB.com elected to keep it simple and true to its arcade roots.

Does it work? Here's my take.

Graphics and Animation

image from RBI Baseball 14

Don't bother looking at this game the same way you would MLB 14: The Show. Gamers who do that are way off base and have the wrong idea about what this title is meant to be.

Shunning R.B.I. Baseball 14's graphics is like turning off a cartoon because the characters don't look realistic enough.

This game is meant to look cartoonish. It's part of the charm.

It's clear, the objective was to keep it as simple and retro as possible.

The game does look a lot different than it did in its heyday, but proportionately it's in an entirely different lane than simulation-style sports video games.

The players are scaled-back models and the ball is rather large.

The animations are equally as retro as the player models and ball. The nostalgic approach has its benefits, but there are a few misses on this front.

Retro doesn't have to mean that the physics need to be off base.

There are times when fielders make catches when they don't appear to be lined up with the ball. Obviously, on previous generations of gaming consoles this was common. But that's an aspect of the game that should have been brought into this century.

Ultimately, it would have helped the gameplay. Here's a look at some demo gameplay.

Gameplay and Fun Factor

Normally I'd evaluate the level of realism in this section. But because R.B.I. Baseball 14 is an arcade game, it's all about fun.

The simplistic nature of the game has great appeal. It's the epitome of a pick-up-and-play experience.

From the analog stick and button-combination throwing mechanics, to the easy pitching methods, the game can be enjoyed by fans from five to 60 years old.

These are the types of gaming experiences MLB.com hopes to create for families of gamers:

Here's a quick and easy breakdown of the pitching controls:

Sound and Presentation

The sound effects are as retro as the rest of the package. There are no announcers, which is fitting. It doesn't detract from the game's overall presentation.

Announcers and ultra-realistic sound effects simply wouldn't match the gameplay and graphical style.

One thing that would have been nice is the inclusion of some sort of player stats. Obviously, we don't need a baseball almanac for this experience, but simply seeing if a player is 1-for-1 or 3-for-4 in the game would be nice.

There are team user statistics but nothing related to the players. Steve Noah of Operation Sports also cited the lack of stats as a drawback:

You'll especially feel the absence of player statistics in season and postseason mode. Baseball is such a stat-driven game that it makes it difficult to get engrossed in the season experience without the individual numbers.

Balancing which aspects of the new-school experience to include with a retro product was probably the developer's biggest challenge.

Stat tracking is a technological advancement that should have been included in the new version.

Modes and Options

It's great that the game isn't chock full of game modes. Exhibition, season and postseason are appropriate for the demographic this game targets.

This gameplay video from Sports Gaming Universe shows off season mode.

What would have been awesome is an inclusion of an arcade-like home run derby or some other mini game. There's a chance that mode could have been as popular as the full game.

A home run derby would have only made R.B.I. Baseball more attractive as a party game, which is ultimately where this game will likely find its niche.

The Bottom Line

If you have it in the proper perspective, R.B.I. Baseball 14 can be an enjoyable gaming experience. It accomplishes its goals of reintroducing old-school baseball gaming concepts, with just a touch of modernization.

A few more improvements along those lines would have made the game a home run instead of a double.

At $19.99, it might be slightly overpriced. If it drops to $9.99—or even $14.99—it'll be one of the best digital downloads available.

(Xbox 360 version used to complete this review)

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