R.B.I. Baseball

{{about|the series|the first game in the series|Pro Baseball: Family Stadium}}

{{Infobox video game series

|title = R.B.I. Baseball

|image = R.B.I. Baseball Cover.jpg

|caption = Cover art of R.B.I. Baseball, the first game of the series.

|developer = Namco (NES)
Atari Games (arcade)
Tengen (1988-1994)
Novotrade (Home computers, 2)
Gray Matter (Super RBI)
Behaviour Interactive (14)
HB Studios (15, 16)
MLB Advanced Media (17-21)

|publisher = Atari Games (arcade)
Tengen (1988-1994)
Domark (Home computers, 2)
Time Warner Interactive (1995)
MLB Advanced Media (14-21)

|platforms = NES, Arcade, Commodore 64, Amiga, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST, Genesis/Mega Drive, Game Gear, Super NES, 32X, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Android, iOS, Switch, BL6{{cite web | url=https://www.techspot.com/news/87636-bud-light-bl6-mini-pc-shaped-like-six.html | title=Bud Light's BL6 is a mini PC shaped like a six-pack that actually plays games | date=17 November 2020}}

|first release version = Atari R.B.I. Baseball

|first release date = September 1987

|latest release version = R.B.I. Baseball 21

|latest release date = March 16, 2021

|parent = Family Stadium

}}

R.B.I. Baseball is a baseball sports video game series. R.B.I. stands for "runs batted in". Launched in 1987 as a localized version of Namco's Family Stadium series, the R.B.I. Baseball series initially ran through 1995. In 2014, the series was rebooted as a competitor to MLB: The Show, with releases each year until its cancellation. The series ended in 2022 with the release of MLB The Show 22 on the Nintendo Switch.

History

Namco developed and released Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium (Pro Baseball: Family Stadium) for the Family Computer (Famicom), the first game in their Family Stadium series, on December 10, 1986.{{cite web|url=http://www.bandainamcoent.co.jp/cs_support/catalog/index.php?div=3&par=7&st=0&start=140|title=総合ゲームカタログ (7)|publisher=Bandai Namco Entertainment|access-date=2018-10-19}} Pro Baseball: Family Stadium was created by Namco programmer Yoshihiro Kishimoto, who had previously worked on games such as Baraduke (1985).{{cite book |last1=Szczepaniak |first1=John |title=The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers |date=11 August 2014 |isbn=978-0992926007 |pages=363 |publisher=SMG Szczepaniak |edition=First |url=https://archive.org/details/TheUntoldHistoryOfJapaneseGameDevelopersVol.2JohnSzczepaniak/page/n361?q=cutie+q |accessdate=12 August 2019}}

Atari Games released a Nintendo VS. System arcade machine of Family Stadium named Atari R.B.I. Baseball in 1987.{{cite web|title=Atari R.B.I. Baseball|url=http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=6958|website=Killer List of Videogames|access-date=27 April 2016}} Atari programmer Peter Lipson adapted Family Stadium into the American localized version R.B.I. Baseball for the NES, which was published by Atari Games subsidiary Tengen.{{cite book |last1=Hickey |first1=Patrick |title=The Minds Behind Sports Games: Interviews with Cult and Classic Video Game Developers |date=24 August 2020 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=978-1-4766-4010-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x-n5DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA194 |pages=194–201}} Subsequent editions were published until 1995, mostly on Sega systems.

In 2014, Major League Baseball Advanced Media, the digital arm of MLB, revived the name for a new series of MLB games featuring arcade-style gameplay influenced by the original series. The new series, which had annual releases, was made available on multiple platforms. The series was meant to contrast the Sony-published and formerly PlayStation-exclusive MLB The Show, which is considered more simulationist in its focus.{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2018/1/22/16911760/rbi-baseball-18-ps4-switch-xbox-one-mlb-mlbam-history|title=Brand new ballgame: A look at MLB's in-house development of R.B.I. Baseball 18|first=Samit|last=Sarkar|website=Polygon|date=January 22, 2018|access-date=March 6, 2019}} In 2022, the series was cancelled due to the release of MLB The Show 22 on the Nintendo Switch.{{Cite web|url=https://gamerant.com/rbi-baseball-22-cancelled-series-ending/amp/|title = RBI Baseball is Coming to an End Following MLB the Show 22 Launch|date = 23 February 2022}}

Gameplay

Image:RBIBaseballNES.png

RBI Baseball was the first console game of its kind to be licensed by the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) and used actual MLB player names, unlike other baseball video games of the late 1980s. As it was not licensed by Major League Baseball (MLB) itself, it did not use team names or logos. Instead, the game contained 8 teams listed by only their location: Boston, California, Detroit, Houston, Minnesota, New York, St. Louis, and San Francisco; their real-life, MLB counterparts were the first place teams in each division in {{mlby|1986}} (Boston, California, Houston, New York) and {{mlby|1987}} (Detroit, Minnesota, St. Louis, San Francisco) MLB seasons. The game also boasted two All-Star teams, American League and National League; the two featured established veterans such as George Brett, Mike Schmidt, Dale Murphy and Andre Dawson—none of whom appeared on the other eight teams—and up-and-coming players like Mark McGwire, Andrés Galarraga, Kevin Seitzer and José Canseco.

Each player has different capabilities in the game; hitters vary in ability to make solid contact, to hit the ball with power, and their base running speed. Vince Coleman is the fastest player in the game; it is very difficult to catch him stealing second base. Pitchers vary in pitching speed, and the amount by which the player can steer the ball left and right during its flight. Pitchers also have varying stamina; as a pitcher gets tired, the ball slows down and is harder to steer. Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens are two pitchers in the game with the fastest pitches. Fernando Valenzuela, without a hard fastball, has tremendous movement in both directions with his pitches. Mike Scott has a sharp and deceptive breaking ball. The best pitcher is debatable, depending on how they are used by the players. There is no evidence that fielding abilities correspond to individual players.

The abilities of each player do not necessarily correspond with the statistics shown on the screen when the player comes to bat or takes the mound. These statistics are generally accurate, with many exceptions. They do not change during the course of the game or sequence of games.

A rudimentary box score is displayed during and after the game showing composite statistics for each team. A hit batter is credited with a walk, and anyone reaching on an error gets credited for a hit even as the other team is charged with an error. Conversely, a batter thrown out while trying for extra bases is not credited with a hit.

The infield fly rule is not implemented.

The rosters for the eight teams are fairly accurate if simplified representations of the playoff rosters from their respective years. Each team has 8 starting batters, four bench players, two starting pitchers and two relievers. The player can start any pitcher they like, though the relievers have very low stamina. If they play consecutive games without resetting the system, any starting pitcher used in the previous game will be unavailable. The player has to wait until the game starts before substituting players with pinch hitters, who can play any position. Pinch runners are not implemented.

Unlike Major League Baseball, R.B.I. Baseball implements the mercy rule—if one team is ahead by ten or more runs after any number of completed innings, the game ends immediately.

Additionally, while the statistics shown on the screen for each player in the original game were reasonably accurate, their playing attributes were not always accurate. For example, George Brett was depicted in-game as a right-handed batter, while the real-life Brett batted left-handed. Also, all real-life switch hitters, such as Tim Raines, were depicted exclusively as left-handed batters.{{cite news|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/legacy-tim-raines-old-school-nintendo-rbi-baseball-011919402.html |title=The legacy of Tim Raines, old-school Nintendo and 'RBI Baseball' |first=Jeff |last=Passan |work=Yahoo! Sports |date=July 27, 2017 |access-date=July 29, 2017}}

In Vs. RBI Baseball, the teams are made up of legends from 10 different franchises. These players were statistically represented with their best seasons. A notable exception was that of McGwire, who was included on the Oakland team, and was statistically represented by his potential numbers. In a remarkable display of foresight, he was projected to hit 62 home runs in his best season. In 1998, he set the then-major league record for home runs in a season with 70.

From the second game onward in the original R.B.I. Baseball series, all of the (then) 26 (later 28) Major League Baseball teams were featured; however, these later games also did not have a full MLB license, so the teams were only identified by their cities (though they still had real player names as they had the MLBPA license). Beginning with the third game in the series, some playoff teams of the recent past were featured, which also include the rosters of those teams in the years that they qualified.

Games

=Original series=

{{Video game titles|

{{Video game titles/item

|article=Pro Baseball: Family Stadium

|title=R.B.I. Baseball

|date={{vgrelease|NA|September 1987 (arcade)}}{{vgrelease|NA|June 1988 (NES)|AU|1989 (NES)}}

|multiplereleasedates=yes

|refs=

|release=1987 – Nintendo VS. System
1988 – Nintendo Entertainment System

|notes=

Based on Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium.
Released as Atari R.B.I. Baseball in the arcades.
Released as R.B.I. Baseball on the NES.

}}

{{Video game titles/item

|article=R.B.I. Baseball 2

|title=R.B.I. Baseball 2

|date={{vgrelease|NA|1990 (NES)}}{{vgrelease|NA|1991 (Home Computers)|EU|1991 (Home Computers)}}

|multiplereleasedates=yes

|refs=

|release=1990 – Nintendo Entertainment System
1991 – Commodore 64, Amiga

|notes=

}}

{{Video game titles/item

|article=R.B.I. Baseball 3

|title= R.B.I. Baseball 3

|date={{vgrelease|NA|1991 (NES)}}{{vgrelease|NA|July 1991 (Gen){{cite magazine|title=16-bit Gamer's Guide: Part 1|issue=23|publisher=GamePro|date=June 1991|page=42}}}}

|multiplereleasedates=yes

|refs=

|release=1991 – Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis

|notes=

}}

{{Video game titles/item

|article=

|title=R.B.I. Baseball 4

|date={{vgrelease|NA|September 1992{{cite magazine|title=Genesis Pro Review: R.B.I. Baseball 4|issue=39|publisher=GamePro|date=October 1992|page=50}}}}{{vgrelease|JP|December 18, 1992}}

|multiplereleasedates=yes

|refs=

|release=1992 – Sega Genesis

|notes=

}}

{{Video game titles/item

|article=

|title=R.B.I. Baseball '93

|date={{vgrelease|NA|1993}}

|multiplereleasedates=yes

|refs=

|release=1993 – Sega Genesis

|notes=

}}

{{Video game titles/item

|article=

|title=R.B.I. Baseball '94

|date={{vgrelease|NA|1994|EU|1994}}

|multiplereleasedates=yes

|refs=

|release=1994 – Sega Genesis, Game Gear

|notes=

}}

{{Video game titles/item

|article=Super R.B.I. Baseball

|title=Super R.B.I. Baseball

|date={{vgrelease|NA|June 1995}}

|refs=

|release=1995 – Super Nintendo Entertainment System

|notes=

}}

{{Video game titles/item

|article=R.B.I. Baseball '95

|title=R.B.I. Baseball '95

|date={{vgrelease|NA|1995}}

|refs={{cite magazine|title=RBI '95|magazine=Next Generation|issue=7|publisher=Imagine Media |date=July 1995|page=69}}{{cite magazine|title=RBI '95 Goes Deep on the 32X|magazine=GamePro|issue=84|publisher=IDG|date=September 1995|page=74}}

|release=1995 – Sega 32X

|notes=

}}

=Modern series=

{{Video game titles|

{{Video game titles/item

|article=

|title=R.B.I. Baseball 14

|date={{vgrelease|NA|April 8, 2014 (iOS)}}{{vgrelease|NA|April 9, 2014 (PS3, X360)}}{{vgrelease|NA|June 24, 2014 (PS4, XONE)}}

|multiplereleasedates=yes

|refs={{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2018/1/22/16911760/rbi-baseball-18-ps4-switch-xbox-one-mlb-mlbam-history|title=Exclusive: Why MLB decided to develop R.B.I. Baseball 18 itself|last=Sarkar|first=Samit|date=2018-01-22|website=Polygon|access-date=2018-01-24}}

|release=2014 – PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Android, iOS, Steam

|notes=

Developed by Behaviour Interactive and published by MLB Advanced Media.

}}

{{Video game titles/item

|article=

|title=R.B.I. Baseball 15

|date={{vgrelease|NA|March 31, 2015 (PS4)}}{{vgrelease|NA|April 1, 2015 (XONE)}}{{vgrelease|NA|April 22, 2015 (iOS, AND)}}{{vgrelease|NA|April 30, 2015 (Steam)}}

|multiplereleasedates=yes

|refs=

|release=2015 – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, iOS, Steam

|notes=

Developed by HB Studios and published by MLB Advanced Media.

}}

{{Video game titles/item

|article=

|title=R.B.I. Baseball 16

|date={{vgrelease|NA|March 29, 2016 (PC, iOS, AND)}}{{vgrelease|NA|April 5, 2016 (MAC, PS4, XONE)}}

|multiplereleasedates=yes

|refs=

|release=2016 – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, iOS, Steam

|notes=

Developed by HB Studios and published by MLB Advanced Media.

}}

{{Video game titles/item

|article=

|title=R.B.I. Baseball 17

|date={{vgrelease|NA|March 28, 2017 (iOS, PS4, XONE)}}{{vgrelease|NA|April 4, 2017 (AND)}}{{vgrelease|WW|September 5, 2017 (NS)}}

|multiplereleasedates=yes

|refs=

|release=2017 – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch

|notes=

Developed and published by MLB Advanced Media.

}}

{{Video game titles/item

|article=

|title=R.B.I. Baseball 18

|date={{vgrelease|NA|March 20, 2018 (PS4, XONE)}}{{vgrelease|NA|March 27, 2018 (iOS)}}{{vgrelease|NA|May 2, 2018 (AND)}}{{vgrelease|NA|June 14, 2018 (NS)}}

|multiplereleasedates=yes

|refs=

|release=2018 – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch

|notes=

Developed and published by MLB Advanced Media.

}}

{{Video game titles/item

|article=

|title=R.B.I. Baseball 19

|date={{vgrelease|NA|March 5, 2019 (PS4, XONE, NS)}}

|multiplereleasedates=yes

|refs={{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/r-b-i-baseball-19-release-date-announced-c303812530|title=R.B.I. Baseball 19 hits consoles on March 5|website=MLB.com|date=February 12, 2019|first=David|last=Adler|access-date=June 3, 2020}}

|release=2019 – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS

|notes=

Developed and published by MLB Advanced Media.

}}

{{Video game titles/item

|article=

|title=R.B.I. Baseball 20

|date={{vgrelease|NA|March 16, 2020 |NA|November 17, 2020 (BL6)|PAL|March 24, 2020|JP|April 2, 2020}}

|multiplereleasedates=yes

|refs=

|release=2020 – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, Steam, BL6{{cite web | url=https://www.techspot.com/news/87636-bud-light-bl6-mini-pc-shaped-like-six.html | title=Bud Light's BL6 is a mini PC shaped like a six-pack that actually plays games | date=17 November 2020}}

|notes=

Developed and published by MLB Advanced Media.

}}

{{Video game titles/item

|article=

|title=R.B.I. Baseball 21

|date={{vgrelease|WW|March 16, 2021}}

|multiplereleasedates=yes

|refs=

|release=2021 – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, Steam

|notes=

Developed and published by MLB Advanced Media.

}}

Reception

Most every edition of R.B.I. Baseball typically received "generally unfavorable reviews" from critics starting with its 2014 reboot, according to review aggregator Metacritic.{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/rbi-baseball-18/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-one |title=R.B.I. Baseball 18 for Xbox One Reviews |website=Metacritic |access-date=April 4, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/rbi-baseball-17/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch |title=R.B.I. Baseball 17 for Switch Reviews |website=Metacritic |access-date=April 4, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/rbi-baseball-16/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-one |title=R.B.I. Baseball 16 for Xbox One Reviews |website=Metacritic |access-date=April 4, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/rbi-baseball-15/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-one |title=R.B.I. Baseball 15 for Xbox One Reviews |website=Metacritic |access-date=April 4, 2019}} R.B.I. Baseball 19 received "mixed or average reviews".{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/rbi-baseball-19/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch|title = R.B.I. Baseball 19|website = Metacritic}}

IGN called R.B.I. Baseball 14 and 15 "bad".{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/04/15/rbi-baseball-14-review |title=RBI Baseball 14 Review |website=IGN |last=Mitchell |first=Mike |date=April 15, 2014}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/04/08/rbi-baseball-15-review |title=RBI Baseball 15 Review |website=IGN |last=Rudden |first=Dave |date=April 8, 2015}} Forbes gave bad reviews to 16,{{cite magazine|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/games/2016/04/11/r-b-i-baseball-16-review-you-get-what-you-pay-for/#7d4c9249422c |title='R.B.I Baseball 16' Review: You Get What You Pay For |magazine=Forbes |last=Mazique |first=Brian |date=April 11, 2016}} 17,{{cite magazine|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/games/2017/04/04/r-b-i-baseball-17-review-in-foul-territory/#449e20ef1fbe |title='R.B.I Baseball 17' Review: In Foul Territory |magazine=Forbes |last=Mazique |first=Brian |date=April 4, 2017}} and 18. 18 was criticized for its animation and collision detection.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/games/2018/04/01/r-b-i-baseball-18-review-the-good-the-bad-and-the-bottom-line/#6b19b35c49a1 |title='R.B.I' Baseball 18' Review: The Good, The Bad And The Bottom Line |magazine=Forbes |last=Mazique |first=Brian |date=April 1, 2018}} Polygon called R.B.I. Baseball 18 "primitive".{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/4/4/17191164/rbi-baseball-18-review |title=R.B.I. Baseball 18 strives for arcade and sim, and falls short of both |website=Polygon |last=Good |first=Owen S. |date=April 4, 2018}}

R.B.I. Baseball 18 was nominated for "Sports Game" and "Strategy/Simulation Game" at the 2019 Webby Awards.{{cite web|url=https://www.webbyawards.com/winners/2019/ |title=2019 Winners |publisher=The Webby Awards |date=April 22, 2019 |access-date=April 26, 2019}}