Baseball Stars was one of those transcendant sports video games.  Saying it was ahead of its time would be an understatement.  In 1989 we got a glimpse of what we now would call "In season franchise building"... which has recently become a standard in both EA and 2K's games.

 

You see, not only did Baseball Stars play a fun, fast paced game of baseball, but your team also made money that could be used to "buy" skills for various players.  These skills included better pitches, better fielding rating, better bat power... you name it.  The game was highly addictive and fast-paced.  It was by no means a sim, but it did track stats and player progression like the simulations of today.

Despite its advanced "Season Sports RPG" approach, the game never took itself to seriously (a hallmark of Japanese sports games, not unlike the game MLB Power Pros today).  Even the "teams" in Baseball Stars didn't have "serious" names.  Who could forget the American Dreams, the Ninja BlackSox, Brave Warriors, Japan Robins, World Powers, Ghastly Ghouls, Lovely Ladies (an all-women's team), and SNK Crushers.

The actual "fast and fun" gameply of Baseball Stars would later go on to influence arcade-like experiences such as Nintendo's own Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball, but the underlying player development features and "player building" that Baseball Stars pioneered would obviously influence such future modes of play as franchises with training camps (that give player attributes a push), owner mode, and other sports rpg elements such as "Superstar Mode".

We have Baseball Stars to thank for pioneering the early phases of those modes.  A true classic.

 

 

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