MICRO LEAGUE BASEBALL II

 If you're looking for a baseball simulation that lets you swing a bat and move
players to catch baseballs and run bases, MICRO LEAGUE BASEBALL II (MLBII) may
_not_ be the game for you. But if you favor the management aspects of baseball,
you'll love MLBII. (This review is based on the IBM-PC version.)

 Geared toward the manipulation of strategies and statistical data, MLBII uses
actual teams and players from prior years. The manager also has the capability
to input current teams' and players' stats, or (better yet!) create a new team,
players, and stats.

 The game is at its best when two great baseball minds meet in head-to-head
competition. Brawls erupted between disgruntled fans when Richard's '27 Yankees
blew out Karen's '75 Reds by an 8-0 score before Karen conceded during the 7th
inning stretch. But we're getting ahead of ourselves....

 The MS-DOS version of MLBII is supplied on two unprotected 5-1/4" diskettes
(3-1/2" diskettes are available at no charge). We used an IBM XT and AT; the
game will also run on the IBM PS/2, Tandy, and PC compatibles.

 MLBII offers twenty-four teams from American and National League greats,
through the 1988 AL and NL All-Stars. Some other teams include the
aforementioned '27 Yankees, the '45 Cubs, and a selection of championship teams
from the '50s, '60s, '70s, and '80s.

 You begin by selecting a team and deciding whether to manage the team yourself
or permit the computer to call the shots. True bleacher bums can tell the
computer to play itself; if you wish, you can sit back, pop a few brews,
scratch, and spit. Ah, baseball: the American pastime.

 Managers are presented with several choices: designated hitter (yes/no),
starting lineups, and bullpen picks. A myriad of statistical data is available
at any time to aid this process. (We found a printout of the stats to be very
handy.) The home team's ballpark dimensions are listed, giving stat-crazed
baseball fanatics even more numbers to juggle while they plot and plan their
strategies.

 Offense and defense options are activated by numbers from 0 to 10, giving the
managers plenty of decision-making options. The defensive options let you
position players, select pitches, visit the mound, warm up the bullpen,
intentionally walk a batter, and even throw a pitch-out. The offense can swing,
bunt, sacrifice, steal, hit and run, or put in pinch-hitters and runners.

 Batters usually get one pitch; so, unlike the real game, events move right
along. There are some nice touches: rain delays, arguments and ejections, and
even a condensed "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch.
(Where is Harry Caray when you need him?)

 When the game is over, you have the option of printing out the box score, which
includes the final score, player stats, stolen bases, and extra-base hits. You
can compile these statistics, allowing players' stats to develop as additional
games are played. Again, the stat freaks will be in heaven. Another nice option
is the quick game, lasting just a few minutes, in which the computer whizzes
through the game with limited graphics.

 Always a realist, Karen appreciated the option of having the player walk back
to the dugout after an out was made. True, it slowed the playing time, but it's
a great touch. She'd like to see the relief pitcher come to the mound in an
automobile...but she'll just have to wait for MICRO LEAGUE BASEBALL III.

 Being an aficionado of games in which the movement of the players can be
controlled, Richard was somewhat disappointed that he couldn't move his players
and make the plays (right or wrong) to the various bases. MLBII gives you plenty
of features you can control, but the actual plays aren't among them.

 MLBII game is similar to other sport simulation software in that the stats and
ratings of the players determine the better team. MLBII lets the managers change
the players' stats to allow the formation of super teams. Richard liked this
option, thinking (incorrectly) that his naive wife wouldn't notice the .600
batting averages, the blinding speed ratings, or the Golden Glove ability of all
nine in his active roster.

 Players can be traded among teams, allowing for unlimited variety. Additional
disks are available (at extra cost) to update your team statistics; otherwise,
you must key in statistics from published books. We think MLBII should be a
three-disk game, with the third disk including the previous year's teams and
statistics.

 As with any other game, MLBII has a few drawbacks. The speed can be adjusted
from 1 to 9 (to accommodate PCs from XTs all the way up to 386s), but we found
the XT to be a tad too slow even in the fastest mode. On a 386, however, the
game flies. The CGA graphics are a pale imitation of the EGA version (or VGA in
EGA emulation mode). During the game, when a ball is hit to the corner of the
ballpark, both the player and the ball disappear from sight. We thought a full
view of the ballpark was definitely in order.

 MLBII has some nice features, which create the flavor of the old ballpark. It's
easy to get hooked, and we really enjoyed the game. Armed with our new-found
baseball savvy, maybe we can both be managers in the Show -- after we get
divorced, of course!

 MICRO LEAGUE BASEBALL II is published and distributed by Micro Sports
Association, Inc.

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