It's no secret that I am the resident old man on staff here at Operation Sports. Sure, I take quite a beating from the young whipper snappers on staff, but growing up in the '80s and early '90s did have its perks, specifically some great 8-bit baseball gaming on the NES.

The Nintendo Entertainment System was synonymous with great sports titles, and baseball was no exception. To this day, many of the NES' baseball titles still play great, with a select few defining the genre.

Being the classic gaming aficionado that I am, I could not resist taking a trip down baseball gaming memory lane. With my NES ready to go, a few cold beverages, and a complete disregard for my "honey do" list, I dove into my massive NES baseball collection in an attempt to identify the five greatest hardball titles to be released for the system.

The competition was fierce, the hours of testing long, the MIDI soundtracks piercing, but in the end only five could make the cut. So which games stood the test of time and are worthy of being in my top five list of the best NES baseball games of all time? The answers may surprise you.

5. Baseball (1985)

Probably the most underrated 8-bit baseball game ever, Nintendo's Baseball is an absolute classic. The gameplay is about as simple as it gets, but batting, pitching and fielding have an old-school sense of strategy to them that many modern baseball games fail to re-create.

In the batter's box it is important to time your swing to ensure a great hit; on the mound you have to watch how many fastballs you throw as to not fatigue your pitcher; and while in the field proper angles to the ball are required to avoid giving up extra base hits.

Yes, the game only included six teams, and did not include either the MLB of MLBPA licenses, but it really does not matter. Baseball is a phenomenal blast from the past, and it is a must play for anyone who enjoys classic baseball gaming.

4. Bases Loaded (1988)

Bases Loaded's fixed camera angle behind the pitcher turned many off, which is a shame because it was one of the best simulation-style games of baseball to grace the NES. While the game sparked several sequels, I still believe the first Bases Loaded was the greatest in Jaleco's long-winded franchise.

But what makes the game so great? To me, it's the team balance. Every team has distinct strengths and weaknesses, making Season mode a baseball version of rock, paper, scissors as you feverishly search out your team's strong suit against the opposing team's weakness.

It also does not not hurt that the game plays like a dream in the field. The ball travels at just the right clip, and player speed is tuned accordingly -- a major flaw in many NES baseball games, like LJN's Major League Baseball. If you were too young at the time to have enjoyed everything this game has to offer, I suggest you pick it up on the Wii's Virtual Console. Also, watch out for Utah's Agua -- he's the game's version of Albert Pujols.

3. Baseball Stars (1989)

Here's a little nugget of info for all you youngsters out there. In addition to superb fighting games, SNK also used to make one of the best baseball gaming franchises ever.

Baseball Stars has what can be best described as the first console baseball franchise mode. A team can be created in the game, with the user being given a sum of virtual money to purchase players. Once the team is chosen, each subsequent win earns money that can be spent on free agents or to upgrade player attributes.

Add in phenomenal on-field gameplay and deep stat tracking (that is dynamic as a season progresses), and you have an NES baseball game equivalent to Final Fantasy.

2. Baseball Simulator 1.000 (1989)

Long before the days of MLB Slugfest and The Bigs, baseball gamers had Culture Brain's Baseball Simulator 1.000. The game featured an extremely deep and customizable Season mode and some of the best on-field gameplay in the business. While I enjoyed BS 1.000's in-depth simulation style, the reason it lands in the second spot on this list is because of the Ultra mode.

Ultra mode took everything that was outstanding about the game's on-field play, and gave pitchers and hitters special powers that could be activated before the ball was delivered. Batters were able to hit missiles or cause earthquakes with balls put in play, and pitchers could literally throw fireballs or super-weighted cannon balls.

The best part about Ultra mode in BS 1.000 was that it felt like the perfect mix of arcade and simulation baseball. While over the top, Culture Brain struck a balance between these two elements that has not been seen since.

1. RBI Baseball (1988)

Honestly, how could this game not be number one on this list? RBI Baseball is a gem, and it deserves to be mentioned in any list discussing the greatest baseball games of all time (not just 8-bit).

With the MLBPA license in hand, gamers were finally able to control their favorite players of the era, provided they were included on the game's eight teams, or All-Star teams. Even better was that the players had specific attributes that separated them from others in the game.

For the first time ever in a baseball video game, it actually meant something to play as a team like the Red Sox and use Roger Clemens. The era of "banned teams" and "house rules" officially began when RBI Baseball was released.

RBI Baseball is the Tecmo Bowl of hardball, and it deserves to be re-released with updated MLB rosters and the full MLB license on XBLA/PSN.


Christian McLeod is a senior (citizen) staff writer here at Operation Sports. With his wife and him expecting their first child in July, he can only hope to raise the child on a steady diet of classic NES and SNES sports games. Make sure to follow him on Twitter @Bumble14_OS, talk to him here on our forums via Bumble14, and challenge him on XBL/PSN via Bumble14.