HardBall!

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Description

Hardball is a baseball action game for one or two players. You can throw a variety of pitches from fast balls to curve balls, steal bases, select team members, and substitute players as the game is played.

Screenshots

Promo Images

There are no promo images for this game

Alternate Titles

• "Hard Ball" -- Alternate spelling

Part of the Following Group

• HardBall series

User Reviews

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Critic Reviews

Computer and Video Games (CVG)	Commodore 64	Apr, 1986	10 out of 10	100
Computer Gamer	ZX Spectrum	Feb, 1987	90 out of 100	90
Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM)	Genesis	Aug, 1991	28 out of 40	70
The Games Machine (UK)	Amiga	Oct, 1987	69 out of 100	69
Commodore User	Amiga	Oct, 1987	6 out of 10	60
All Game Guide	Commodore 64	1998		60
The Video Game Critic	Atari 8-bit	Nov 04, 2006	C	50
Sega-16.com	Genesis	Aug 05, 2013	3 out of 10	30
The Video Game Critic	Genesis	Jul 07, 2011	F	0
Happy Computer	Apple II	Mar, 1986	Unscored	Unscored

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Trivia

Development

When Sean Pearce (a Choice Software employee) and Colin Gordon (Choice Software's owner) were to convert this game to ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC, they were given the US release of the C64 version (without source code), its manual and a NBL rules book. They converted as much code and graphics as they could and altered anything that would not convert. For example, the 'little men' on the main screen did not convert correctly so Sean Pearce reanimated them, pixel by pixel. The pitching screen was also redone due to the memory restraints of the ZX Spectrum. The same screen shows up in the Amstrad CPC version because the CPC was converted from the Speccy version.

Names

For the ZX Spectrum release, the All-Stars player names were those of the conversion team at Choice Software and their associates.

The Champs player names were other famous musicians (Jimmy HENDRIX), sports personalities (Gary LINEKER, Steve CRAM, Daley THOMPSON, Jim? CLARKE), literary characters (Dr. WATSON, HOLMES, DANTE) etc. and also Jack TRAMIEL (founder / CEO of Commodore, and later Atari).

References

In the movie Princess Bride, Hardball was briefly shown being played by Fred Savage in his bedroom.

Sales

The game achieved the American Software Publishers Association's Platinum Award, which is granted for 250,000 games sold.

Awards

• Computer Gaming World
  • November 1996 (15th anniversary issue) – #15 Most Memorable Game Villain (Tom Frisinia)

Information also contributed by LepricahnsGold