Bottom of the 9th

• Release Date: 1999
• Genre: Sports
• Style: Baseball
• Similar Games: Triple Play 99 (IBM PC Compatible), Triple Play 99 (PlayStation), All-Star Baseball 99 (Nintendo 64), Bottom of the 9th '97 (PlayStation), Bottom of the 9th (Sega Saturn), Bottom of the 9th (PlayStation), Bottom of the 9th '99 (PlayStation), All-Star Baseball 99 (Game Boy), All-Star Baseball 2000 (Nintendo 64), All-Star Baseball 2000 (Game Boy Color)

Game Description

Konami's first baseball game for the Nintendo 64 continues the franchise which began on the PlayStation in 1996. The 128-Meg cartridge includes 30 big league teams and over 750 MLBPA players with statistics and ratings based on the 1998 season. While Bottom of the 9th does not offer a Major League Baseball license for professional team names or logos, the featured clubs are all represented by city name and play in authentic ballparks.

Players can work on hitting, pitching and fielding in Practice, play one game against the computer or a friend in Exhibition, participate in an All-Star Game, take one team through an adjustable Season, jump directly to the Playoffs or World Championship, or try their hand at finishing a Scenario. In addition, three different camera angles let you customize your view of the action. Besides the traditional behind-the-batter perspective, you can choose from a behind-the-pitcher or an angled view to the left or right of home plate.

The cursor system featured in previous installments is available in this game as well. In order to hit, players steer a rectangular cursor to the anticipated location of the incoming pitch. An "X" in the center of the cursor represents the sweet spot of the bat, resulting in solid contact if it is aligned with the "O" representing the ball. Pitching involves first selecting the pitch using the control stick, then aiming it with the help of a transparent catcher's mitt. If players attempt a throw that is not available, the pitcher will shake the catcher off.

The Scenario mode places you in the thick of things as you try to work your way out of twenty fantasy situations based on the 1998 and 1999 seasons. Some of these include Mo Vaughn facing former teammates as the Anaheim Angels visit the Boston Red Sox, Robb Nen working out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth, or David Wells trying to finish his 1998 perfect game with the New York Yankees. Scenario progress, season statistics (in 29 categories), trades and option settings can all be saved to Controller Pak (using 112 pages), and a play-by-play announcer will call the action from the booth as you strive to reach the championship!

Roots & Influences

Konami has traditionally offered several "super-deformed" baseball titles in Japan. This style of game has on-screen players looking like children with exaggerated heads, and emphasizes light-hearted arcade action over the strategic elements typically associated with a detailed simulation. Needless to say, these games were not deemed appropriate for U.S. audiences. Konami's Bottom of the 9th series was an attempt to establish a presence in the U.S. baseball market, which initially began in 1996 on the PlayStation console (later followed by a Saturn version of the same game).

As of 1999, there have been three additional games in the series: Bottom of 9th '97, Bottom of the 9th '99 and this title here, which is the first 64-bit cartridge version. While all games feature polygonal graphics and an MLBPA license for real players, each title is missing the Major League Baseball license for authentic teams. This may have proved to be a major stumbling block when trying to compete with the likes of Electronic Arts' Triple Play Baseball franchise, 989 Studios' MLB franchise and Acclaim's All-Star Baseball series of games.

Review: Overall

As the third Nintendo 64 baseball game released in 1999, Bottom of the 9th will almost certainly be overshadowed by the earlier titles from Electronic Arts and Acclaim, not to mention the upcoming game from Nintendo (due to be released on May 11, 1999). It's not easy for a new title to grab some attention, especially when it's going against more recognized brand names. For those unfamiliar with the series, Bottom of the 9th debuted on the PlayStation in 1996. The game featured polygonal athletes at a time when sprite-based graphics were the norm in baseball games, and it even managed to incorporate many of the players' real-life signature moves.

Instead of everyone having the same motion, the game included different animations that made it seem like you were actually playing with your favorite stars: Carlos Perez quickly raised both arms after a strike out, Hideo Nomo threw in his tornado-style delivery, and sluggers held their bats like they did in the bigs. These nuances gave the game a sense of personality which set it apart from similar titles. The other notable aspect was the engaging batter-pitcher interface. The game featured a cursor system that was surprisingly well thought out.

Rather than using the traditional circle, the game offered a rectangular box to expand the hitting zone, making it easier to make contact. Hits could be directed high or low simply by positioning the center of the box under or over the incoming pitch. Pitching was fun too -- involving more of a feel-based system than what was found in Sega's World Series Baseball franchise. Players manipulated a catcher's mitt during the throw instead of first aiming the cursor and then watching as the computer executed the pitch.

While Bottom of the 9th for the Nintendo 64 is Konami's first baseball game on a 64-bit system, it's the fourth title in the series. Unfortunately, not much has changed from the 1996 title, and the leap in technology has not offered an improvement in visuals. As in most earlier games on the system, there is a blurriness to both the players and stadiums that will make you wonder if you need glasses (or at least a new prescription). There's STILL no MLB license, meaning you don't get real team names or the pretty logos and insignias you'd expect on uniforms. Players are lacking in the polygon count as well, although they look more "human" than the chicken-legged athletes in Nintendo's 1998 Ken Griffey Jr. game.

So what's here that makes it a worthy purchase? Well, the behind-the-pitcher view is a refreshing change of pace from the majority of baseball games, and it's just as easy to hit from this view as it is to pitch. The scenario mode is very fun too, offering a type of role-playing experience as you try to overcome each of the game's twenty challenges (your progress can be saved to Controller Pak).

Yet the game lacks statistical depth, a create-player feature, draft mode, home run derby, spring training option, dynamic atmosphere and the presentation to place it into the "must-have" category. That's a lot of missing elements for a game that was already at a disadvantage for being third to market. Bottom of the 9th is a solid, no-frills baseball game that simply needs more features, better graphics and a slicker all-around package if it is to find a strong audience among fans of the sport.

Review: Enjoyment

The best part of the series has always been the simple, yet effective interface for batting and pitching. The only gripe is that an icon should appear to inform you of your pitcher's arsenal. Pitches are selected using the analog stick, but you can't see which are the most effective without going to the roster screen. The computer also plays a generally solid game (there are three difficulty levels), but there are a few lapses here and there. Some games the computer will do everything right (make substitutions, tag on deep flies and advance properly on extra-base hits), but you'll scratch your head more than once during other games!

Review: Graphics

The problems with the graphics are as follows: blurry players and stadiums; lack of details such as individual names on the backs of jerseys (they're generic); the fielding perspectives are lacking, making defense unnecessarily difficult; and the menu screens have an 8-bit look with each name highlighted by a different colored box -- it's more distracting than functional. The graphics aren't all bad, however. Nice touches include realistic pitching motions (even the herky-jerky motion of Kevin Appier) and the ability to pitch looking toward the catcher (you'll even notice Randy Johnson's stringy hair from this view). Now if the fielding perspective let you play from the vantage point of your fielders, Bottom of the 9th would have a distinct edge over the other titles. I'm still waiting for the game that lets you field the ball directly behind the players!

Review: Sound

The game's play-by-play announcer is pretty boring and there's no color commentator or PA announcer to add some variety. Sound effects are average at best, but the crowd will roar and boo at the appropriate times. There's hardly any organ music!

Review: Replay Value

Seasons can be customized from 15, 30, 69, 112 or a full 162 games. The Scenario mode is also hard to complete, so most players will be kept busy for quite a long time. One of the scenarios has you pitching in Chicago during 55 mph winds, while another has you trying to overcome a 4-0 deficit in the bottom of the ninth. The catch? There are two outs and two strikes against the batter! At least you get to hit as Jeff Bagwell... While the Scenario mode is entertaining, the game lacks the options and features found in just about every other baseball game released in 1999. This is a big disappointment.

Review: Documentation

The manual is as complete as they come, although it's not in full color. A description of each scenario is available and the three different control schemes are clearly marked.

Production Credits

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