HARDBALL II

 "There's the wind-up. The three-and-two pitch is hit. It's way back...w-a-a-a-y
back...it's gone! Home Run!!! Holy cow!! Rich wins! Rich wins!" Baseball in
January in Chicago? With HARDBALL II (HBII), this scene can be yours. (This
review is based on the IBM-PC version; Amiga version notes follow.)

 HBII is a player-action game versus a text-strategy game. It opens by
presenting you, the Manager, with the various choices you must make. First, you
select Home or Visitor Teams. Imaginary teams are included, but you also have
the option of compiling your own. Next, you pick one of seven ball parks. Being
a Chicago native, I found the friendly confines of Wrigley Field enjoyable and
realistically drawn (although I didn't notice any beer vendors). Then, you make
a decision regarding the Designated Hitter issue, after which you choose the
type of play: Manager vs. Manager, Manager vs. Computer, Computer vs. Computer;
league play is available.

 And finally, it's time to...play ball! Once the game begins, HBII involves
pitching, hitting, catching, throwing, and running the bases.

 Pitchers select the type and the location of the pitch. Batters select the type
and the location of the swing. Batters will automatically run to first when the
ball is hit. Runners on base must be directed to other bases. Lead-offs and
steals are possible. Pitchers can pick runners off the bases or throw
intentional walks. Relief pitchers must be warmed up before entering the game.
Fielders must be directed to catch the ball and throw it to the proper base.
Fielders can also be repositioned with hot buttons. Customized positions are
possible.

 Three views of the field are available: pitcher's view, batter's view, and full
field view. An Instant Replay option is included so you can rub Hall of Fame
plays in the face of your opponent. (I find this to be an important element of
the game.) The 16 different levels of play for both teams offer numerous
possible combinations.

 As the teams take the field, you can specify that either "The Star-Spangled
Banner" or "Oh, Canada" be performed, with the appropriate flag waving in the
background -- a nice touch that (fortunately) can be toggled off.

 HBII plays very well. As in most sports games, the players' abilities depend on
their attributes. These are represented by numerical values between one and ten
for running speed, fatigue, pitching speed, and ball control. The players'
batting average and slugging percentage, as well as other statistics, directly
affect performance. Team Editor options let you manipulate these factors to
allow for the formation of "Super Teams." And that, of course, is when the fun
begins.

 When fielding, as soon as the ball is hit, the computer simultaneously
activates the player closest to the ball. Translation: Patience is a virtue; if
you move too soon, you'll see your pitcher in the outfield shagging balls.

 The game's graphics portray realistic-looking players. The change of batters is
similar to the "beaming up" effect on "Star Trek," and fun to watch. EGA
graphics are best, but the game plays very well on CGA. Joysticks are optional,
but they make play more responsive. Concealing your play choices is certainly
easier using joysticks than when you and your opponent are sharing a keyboard.

 The program is distributed on three 5-1/4" floppies, with 3-1/2" disks
available for $5.00. The software supports IBM PC/XT/AT and compatibles, PS/2
models, and Tandy 1000 Series, 3000, and 4000. Disks are unprotected, but a
codewheel is necessary to run the game. You can replace a lost wheel for $15.

 On a 4.77 MHz XT, HBII loads and plays s-l-o-w-l-y; changing innings is almost
painful. It helps to select the CGA mode, and to prevent players from taking the
field by hitting the enter key as they appear. (I'd like to see this as a
permanent option.) Obviously, the game runs best on AT-class and faster machines
with EGA graphics.

 As an aficionado of player action games, I consider HBII one of the best
baseball games on the market. I do think HBII should have major league team
disks available; it's always more fun playing the real teams. It would also be
great to have all the corresponding ballparks on disk. And, finally, I'd like
pitchout capability. These minor omissions notwithstanding, HARDBALL II is at
the forefront of sports simulation games, and a valuable addition to my sports
software collection. I give it three out of four bats.

 AMIGA VERSION NOTES

 When software manufacturers release a game for the Amiga that originally was
designed for the IBM PC, they face a major question: Should extra time and money
be spent on the Amiga conversion in order to take full advantage of the
machine's outstanding sound and graphics capabilities?

 Unfortunately, when Distinctive Software reworked HARDBALL II for the Amiga,
they decided to take the simplest route. HARDBALL II for the Amiga is almost a
carbon copy of the IBM version. The game looks, feels, and plays almost the
same. The screen shots on the back of the box, taken from the IBM EGA version,
are representative of what you'll see on the Amiga.

 There are a few nice touches. You can hear the umpire bellowing out the
strikes, and when a batter strikes out, the ump will mumble, "You're outta
there." The crack of the bat and the sweet thump of the ball settling into a
glove can be plainly heard, as well. And you can almost feel the dust fly when
your runner dives into third head-first.

 Those sound bites, all well done, may offer consolation to gamers who had hoped
the Amiga version of HARDBALL II would offer graphics superior to the IBM
version's. That isn't the case, but HARDBALL II is still a gas to play on the
Amiga. Sometimes, Amiga owners can be too demanding. Sure, HARDBALL II could
benefit from even more sound and more color, but the game is a decent conversion
from the IBM, and worthy of consideration.

 You can make backup copies of HARDBALL II, but you'll need the HARDBALL II
codewheel -- it's included, of course -- to find the answer to a question and
begin the game.

 HARDBALL II runs on A500s, A1000s, and A2000s with at least 512K RAM. One
megabyte is required for hard disk installation, but the program comes on one
diskette, and plays fine from the disk drive.

 HARDBALL II is published and distributed by Accolade.

*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253