Hardball 4 is a surprisingly realistic game considering when it came out. It is an easy to play game even without a control stick. Using your keypad does not affect the overall game play. The controls are basic and easy to pick up. However I am still trying to figure out how to pick off runners in this game and you can not move your players diagonally when going after a batted ball. But the game is still manageable with your keypad.
In terms of its graphics Hardball 4 is smooth with very little problems in terms of screen transitions and player movement.
Even though the players look the same as each other they are as realistic as one can expect for a game that came out around 1994. All the MLB cities are included in this game but the team logos and nicknames did not come with them. And even though the player’s names are different their numbers all match up perfectly with the rosters for each respective MLB team so you can go in and edit their names to fit with actual MLB players.
Also for the most part each ballpark is a close replica to that of their actual stadium, although the dimensions might be a bit exaggerated. For example, while Seattle’s old King Dome was definitely a hitter’s ballpark, its distance from home
plate to straight away centre field wasn’t 364 feet as the game portrays it.
As far as the actual game play goes the game tends to be difficult. As far as my experience goes, I’ve had trouble keeping balls hit by opposing ball clubs in the ballpark. Some teams are more difficult than others. Also the computer seems to pick the most random times to choose when your fielders commit errors and sometimes they happen at the most inopportune times. It takes time to be able to master the art of pitching with this game. Also the pitchers are not always accurate so if you try to place a pitch it might not always go where you want. Hitting in this game is quite easy; it is not uncommon to get 20 hits a game with Hardball 4. Also scores in the mid 20s and 30s aren’t all that rare either.
All together this game provides a challenge to any who play it and it is by far not an easy game to win a championship on your first try. However the challenge makes this game enjoyable to play.
