Mike Piazza's Strike Zone
Encyclopedia
Mike Piazza's Strike Zone is a baseball
game licensed by Major League Baseball
and was released for the Nintendo 64
. It was developed by Devil's Thumb Entertainment and released on June 16, 1998, by GT Interactive. While being endorsed by Mike Piazza
, Strike Zone represents all of the MLB players in the 1997-98 season including those in the National League and American League. The game offers standard baseball game play with all 30 official stadiums, a choice of leagues to play for, but also offers the player the option to design their own team and league, from the logo, and uniforms all the way up to player abilities and appearance. The player can play a single game, season of 15, 81, or 162 games, the World Series
game, All-Star Game
, or compete in a batting challenge known as the Home Run Derby
.
it cannot be replaced with the control Pak while the game is being played, and a separate controller is needed to save.
. When finally released, however, the game was criticized for its graphics, few voice clips, continuous sound elements repeating themselves over and over, simple challenges and unrealistic home run hitting. It was compared to contemporary games such as All-Star Baseball '99 and Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey, Jr.
, both released for N64 that same year. . The game would generally receive low scores from the gaming media;
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
game licensed by Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
and was released for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
. It was developed by Devil's Thumb Entertainment and released on June 16, 1998, by GT Interactive. While being endorsed by Mike Piazza
Mike Piazza
Michael Joseph "Mike" Piazza ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He played in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics....
, Strike Zone represents all of the MLB players in the 1997-98 season including those in the National League and American League. The game offers standard baseball game play with all 30 official stadiums, a choice of leagues to play for, but also offers the player the option to design their own team and league, from the logo, and uniforms all the way up to player abilities and appearance. The player can play a single game, season of 15, 81, or 162 games, the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
game, All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
, or compete in a batting challenge known as the Home Run Derby
Home Run Derby
The Home Run Derby is an event played prior to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It is a contest among the top home run hitters in Major League Baseball to determine who can hit the most home runs. The event is currently sponsored by State Farm Insurance...
.
Game Play
The official players in Mike Piazza's Strike Zone have different batting and pitching styles as well as stamina that causes them to perform with less precision after being used continuously. When batting the ball has a flame-like trail behind it that tells the hitter whether it is in the Strike Zone (red) or in the Ball Zone (blue), allowing the player to better choose which balls to hit. Saving the season, and saving a player created team, require separate Control Paks. While playing with a Rumble PakRumble Pak
The is a removable device from Nintendo which provides force feedback while playing video games. Games that support the Rumble Pak cause it to vibrate in select situations, such as when firing a weapon or receiving damage, to immerse the player in the game. Versions of the Rumble Pak are available...
it cannot be replaced with the control Pak while the game is being played, and a separate controller is needed to save.
Reception
With a long list of customizable features and early test previews, the game received good previews from gaming Sites such as IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
. When finally released, however, the game was criticized for its graphics, few voice clips, continuous sound elements repeating themselves over and over, simple challenges and unrealistic home run hitting. It was compared to contemporary games such as All-Star Baseball '99 and Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey, Jr.
Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey, Jr.
Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey, Jr. is an arcade-style baseball video game produced by Nintendo and developed by Angel Studios for the Nintendo 64 platform. It was released on May 25, 1998, and allows players to choose any contemporary Major League Baseball franchise and play through...
, both released for N64 that same year. . The game would generally receive low scores from the gaming media;
- Nintendo Power 5.4/10
- IGN.com 3.0/10
See also
- Chronology of baseball video games
- List of Nintendo 64 games
- Mike PiazzaMike PiazzaMichael Joseph "Mike" Piazza ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He played in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics....