Cyber Stadium Series—Base Wars
{{short description|1991 baseball–fighting Nintendo game}}
{{use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox video game
| image = Base Wars cover.jpg
| alt = The cover art for the game features a stylized baseball field with one robot pitching, one batting, two fielding, and two fighting; the title says "Cyber Stadium Series Base Wars", and the logo for both Ultra Games and Nintendo are featured in the lower corners, respectively.
| genre = Sports
| developer = Konami
| platforms = Nintendo Entertainment System
| publisher = Ultra Games
| fetchwikidata = no
| released = May/June 1991
| title = Cyber Stadium Series—Base Wars
| modes = {{hlist|Single-player|multiplayer}}
}}
Cyber Stadium Series—Base Wars is a 1991 baseball video game developed and published by Konami (under the Ultra Games brand), exclusively in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Cyber Stadium Series—Base Wars was released in May or June 1991 in the United States; the game did not receive a European release. It is a baseball video game for one or two players. The ROM cartridge features the ability to save games, whether playing either an individual game or the ten-game pennant race.
Plot and gameplay
In a 24th century where baseball team owners are dissatisfied overpaying their players (e.g. {{US$|2.4 billion}} per year for a lifetime .250 hitter), they have replaced the athletes with armed robots; there are four models of robot to choose from, each optimally suited for specific baseball positions. One of the game's innovations is where upon force plays, the two opposing players fight for possession of the base; another is the ability to upgrade robots' abilities between pennant games. If a team loses three robots in a game (to destruction from incremental damage), they forfeit the game.
Reception
{{video game reviews |title={{spaces}} |align=left |EGM=7.75 / 10 |rev1=Entertainment Weekly |rev1Score=B- |rev2=HonestGamers |rev2Score={{rating|3|5}} |NP=3.275 / 5 |Allgame={{rating|2.5|5}} }}
In 1991, across its four 1–5 metrics of "graphics and sound", "play control", "challenge", and "theme and fun", Nintendo Power gave Base Wars an average score of 3.275 (3.6, 3.0, 2.9, and 3.6 respectively). Entertainment Weekly{{'s}} Bob Strauss rated the game a {{nowrap|"B-",}} primarily penalizing Base Wars for playing too much like a typical baseball video game and not leaning enough into its science-fiction potential. Electronic Gaming Monthly{{'s}} four reviewers averaged a {{fraction|7.75|10}} rating for the game, positively comparing it to Cyberball and noting its multiplayer mode, variety, and polish. As of February 1992, Funco was offering {{US$|26|1992}} to customers selling a copy of Base Wars.
In December 2003, HonestGamers gave a score of {{fraction|3|5}}. In 2004, Game Informer described Base Wars{{apostrophe}} traditional baseball content as similar to Baseball Stars and R.B.I. Baseball, and while they liked the combat aspect, the game was hindered by poor controls, cameras, and AI; they did opine that, if updated to then-modern standards, a remake would be successful. In 2014, Game Informer placed the "super bizarre, but in all the best ways" game as their number-two weirdest sports game. That same year, Allgame's {{fraction|2.5|5}}-star review—penned by Skyler Miller—was lukewarm, dismissing the combat aspect and describing fielding as "nearly impossible due to a screen that scrolls too slowly to keep up with fast-moving balls".
References
{{reflist |refs=
{{citation |year=1991 |title=How to Play Cyber Stadium Series—Base Wars |publisher=Ultra Games |place=Buffalo Grove, Illinois |language=en}}
{{cite magazine |date=April 1991 |editor1-last=Tilden |editor1-first=Gail |title=Now Playing |magazine=Nintendo Power |language=en |location=Redmond, Washington |publisher=Minoru Arakawa |volume=23 |pages=87–91 |issn=1041-9551 |oclc=760783416}}
{{cite magazine |last1=Strauss |first1=Bob |date=1991-06-21 |title=Cyber Stadium Series: Base Wars |url=https://ew.com/article/1991/06/21/cyber-stadium-series-base-wars/ |url-status=dead |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |language=en |issn=1049-0434 |oclc=21114137 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910095003/https://ew.com/article/1991/06/21/cyber-stadium-series-base-wars/ |archive-date=2018-09-10 |access-date=2020-06-28}}
{{cite magazine |date=July 1991 |editor1-last=Douglas |editor1-first=Jim |title=ACE Games News |magazine=ACE |language=en |location=London |issue=46 |pages=7–10 |issn=0954-8076}}
{{cite magazine |author=Ultra Games |author-link=Ultra Games |date=June 1991 |editor1-last=Semrad |editor1-first=Ed |title=Base Wars |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |language=en |volume=4 |issue=6 |pages=2–3 |issn=1058-918X}}
{{cite magazine |date=June 1991 |editor1-last=Semrad |editor1-first=Ed |title=Software Calendar |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |language=en |volume=4 |issue=6 |pages=26–27 |issn=1058-918X}}
{{cite magazine |date=July 1991 |editor1-last=Semrad |editor1-first=Ed |title=Review Crew |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |language=en |volume=4 |issue=7 |pages=18–26 |issn=1058-918X}}
{{cite magazine |author=Funco |author-link=FuncoLand |date=February 1992 |editor1-last=McDermott |editor1-first=LeeAnne |title=Swap Your Old Nintendo Games for Cash or New Titles |magazine=GamePro |language=en |location=Redwood City, California |volume=4 |pages=32–33 |issn=1042-8658}}
{{citation |title=Intro Pak |chapter=The Complete Game Pak Directory |publisher=Nintendo of America |place=Redmond, Washington |language=en |page=4}}
{{cite magazine |date=May 2004 |location=Minneapolis |editor-last1=McNamara |editor-first1=Andrew |title=Buried Treasures |department=Classic GI |magazine=Game Informer |language=en |volume=XIV |issue=133 |pages=116–118 |issn=1067-6392 |quote=Franchises That Didn't Deserve to Die}}
{{cite magazine |date=October 2004 |location=Minneapolis |editor-last1=McNamara |editor-first1=Andrew |title=Retro Reviews |department=Classic GI |magazine=Game Informer |language=en |volume=XVII |issue=174 |pages=134 |issn=1067-6392}}
{{cite magazine |last1=Federspiel |first1=Isaac |date=2014-02-05 |title=Top 10 Weird Sports Games |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2014/02/05/top-10-weird-sports-games.aspx |url-status=live |magazine=Game Informer |language=en |issn=1067-6392 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190824151637/https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2014/02/05/top-10-weird-sports-games.aspx |archive-date=2019-08-24 |access-date=2020-06-28}}
{{cite book |last1=Scullion |first1=Chris |year=2019 |chapter=Licensed Games |title=The NES Encyclopedia: Every Game Released for the Nintendo Entertainment System |language=en |location=Great Britain |publisher=Pen and Sword Books |page=30 |isbn=978-1-52673-779-3}}
{{cite web |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=278&tab=review |title=Cyber Stadium Series: Base Wars |last=Miller |first=Skyler |website=AllGame |language=en |access-date=2021-04-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116043129/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=278&tab=review |archive-date=2014-11-16}}
{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/nes/587110-cyber-stadium-series-base-wars/index.html |title=Cyber Stadium Series: Base Wars |website=GameRankings |language=en |access-date=2021-02-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209015431/https://www.gamerankings.com/nes/587110-cyber-stadium-series-base-wars/index.html |archive-date=2019-12-09}}
{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/games/cyber-stadium-series-basewars |title=Cyber Stadium Series: BaseWars |website=IGN |language=en |access-date=2019-12-19 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003065016/https://www.ign.com/games/cyber-stadium-series-basewars |archive-date=2017-10-03}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cyber Stadium Series-Base Wars}}
Category:fantasy sports video games
Category:multiplayer and single-player video games
Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games