World Series Baseball (Saturn)

From Sega Retro

For the Game Gear version, see Nomo's World Series Baseball.

n/a

  • NTSC-U/PAL
  • NTSC-J

WSB Saturn title.png

WorldSeriesBaseball Saturn JP Title.png

World Series Baseball
System(s): Sega Saturn
Publisher: Sega
Developer:
Licensor: Major League Baseball Properties, Major League Baseball Players Association
Sound driver: SCSP/CD-DA (1 track)
Genre: Sports[1][2] (baseball)

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Saturn
JP
¥5,8005,800 GS-9061
Sega Rating: All Ages
Sega Saturn
US
$59.9959.99[4] 81109
ESRB: Kids to Adults
Sega Saturn
EU
MK81109-50
ELSPA: 3+ OK
Sega Saturn
DE
MK81109-50
USK: 0
Sega Saturn
UK
£39.9939.99[6] MK81109-50
ELSPA: 3+ OK
Sega Saturn
PL
Sega Saturn
AU
OFLC: G

World Series Baseball, known in Japan as Hideo Nomo World Series Baseball (野茂英雄ワールドシリーズベースボール), is a Sega Saturn baseball game developed and published by Sega. An entry in the World Series Baseball series of baseball titles, it is a version of Kanzen Chuukei Pro Yakyuu Greatest Nine with Major League Baseball players, teams, and ballparks.

The game was first released in the United States in November 1995, with a worldwide release in the following months. In Japan, the game is sponsored by professional Japanese baseball player Hideo Nomo (野茂・英雄).

Gameplay

The game follows the rules of MLB baseball. It contains all of the players and teams from the 1995 MLB season. There are several modes:

  • Exhibition Mode: An exhibition mode, for playing a single game against a human or computer player. The player can also watch two computer-controlled teams play. The player chooses the team and the batting line-up for computer players.
  • Pennant Race: Plays a season of 13, 26, or a full 162 games, culminating in the World Series. The game uses the Saturn's internal memory or a backup cartridge to save the player's progress.
  • Playoffs: A truncated season with only the play-offs. Up to four players can participate, with two players playing at a time.
  • All-Star Game: An exhibition mode against a human or computer player but featuring teams consisting of the best players from the American and National Leagues.
  • Home Run Derby: A competition where players can choose any player in the league and compete to get the most home runs. There are no balls, strikes, or outs and no baserunning or fielding. This mode can be played with up to four players taking turns (with the computer pitching for every player), with each player batting for 5, 10, 15, or 20 balls.
  • Data Base: View the statistics for any of the 700 players in the game.

Before each game, players choose a team and a batting line-up. Players can choose from one of four stadiums (Fenway Park in Boston, the Astrodome in Houston, Wrigley Field in Chicago, or Yankee Stadium in New York), whether to play a daytime or nighttime game, and whether to play as the home or visiting team (home bats last).

In the game options, players can select the difficulty (affecting the skill level of computer-controlled teams), toggle errors (whether fielders occasionally drop fly balls or miss grounders), toggle wind (whether wind conditions affect the ball physics), toggle designated hitters (whether the pitcher bats or a designated hitter replaces him in the batting line-up), and choose the number of innings (determining the length of the game).

World Series Baseball Saturn, Defense, Pitching.png

World Series Baseball Saturn, Defense, Fielding.png

  • World Series Baseball Saturn, Defense, Pitching.png

  • World Series Baseball Saturn, Defense, Fielding.png

Defense
When pitching, position the pitcher on the mound with L and R and throw the ball with C. While throwing, hold Left and Right for a breaking ball, Up for a change-up (slow pitch), or Down for a fastball. Faster pitches are harder for the batter to hit but more likely to travel farther or potentially result in a home run. The batter is eliminated when three strikes are thrown; the batter gets a free base if the pitcher throws four balls or hits the batter.

An indicator in the corner of the screen shows the wind speed and direction, which can affect the trajectory of the pitch. Wind can be disabled in the options before starting the game.

When fielding, the D-Pad controls all of the fielders simultaneously (with the camera focused on the one closest to the ball). The player can have the nearest fielder jump by pressing C or dive by pressing C while holding a direction. Once the ball is in possession, throw it to base by pressing C while holding a direction corresponding to the base (Right for first, Up for second, Left for third, or Down for home) or press C by itself to throw to first base.

The player can pause the game with  START  to substitute a relief pitcher or change the positions of fielders. This menu also has options for toggling the radar (which shows the speed of the pitch), toggling auto-fielding (allowing fielders to move into position automatically), and toggling the ball mark (a ring on the ground that indicates where the ball will land).

World Series Baseball Saturn, Offense, Hitting.png

World Series Baseball Saturn, Offense, Running.png

  • World Series Baseball Saturn, Offense, Hitting.png

  • World Series Baseball Saturn, Offense, Running.png

Offense
When hitting, the D-Pad positions the batter in the batter's box. Swing with C or bunt with Z. The batter stops the swinging motion when the button is released. While holding a direction corresponding to the destination base (Right for first, Up for second, Left for third, or Down for home), the player can instruct an individual baserunner to lead-off or steal a base with B or return to his previous base with A. The player can instruct all baserunners to lead-off or steal a base with Y or instruct them to return to their previous bases with X.

The player can pause the game with  START  to substitute a pinch hitter or swap out runners.

Teams

League Division Team Players
American Western California Angels California Angels
Oakland Athletics Oakland Athletics
Seattle Mariners Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers Texas Rangers
Central Chicago White Sox Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians Cleveland Indians
Kansas City Royals Kansas City Royals
Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee Brewers
Minnesota Twins Minnesota Twins
Eastern Baltimore Orioles Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox Boston Red Sox
Detroit Tigers Detroit Tigers
New York Yankees New York Yankees
Toronto Blue Jays Toronto Blue Jays
National Western Colorado Rockies Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants San Francisco Giants
Central Chicago Cubs Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds Cincinnati Reds
Houston Astros Houston Astros
Pittsburgh Pirates Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals
Eastern Atlanta Braves Atlanta Braves
Florida Marlins Florida Marlins
Montreal Expos Montreal Expos
New York Mets New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia Phillies

History

This Saturn version is unrelated to the Sega Mega Drive and Sega Game Gear games of the same name (or the later World Series Baseball arcade game). Rather, it is a brand new entry that takes advantage of the system's 3D graphics. The Japanese version is sponsored by Hideo Nomo, which can be a source of further confusion, as there is a Nomo Hideo no World Series Baseball for the Game Gear also.

During development, the game was known as Grand Slam Baseball.

Legacy

This Saturn version of World Series Baseball was followed by World Series Baseball II in 1996.

Versions

Localised names

Also known as
Language Localised Name English Translation
English World Series Baseball World Series Baseball
Japanese 野茂英雄ワールドシリーズベースボール Hideo Nomo World Series Baseball

Production credits

Main article: World Series Baseball (Saturn)/Production credits.

US version

Source:
US manual
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[7]

Japanese version

Magazine articles

Main article: World Series Baseball (Saturn)/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1995-11: "November 1995" (1995-10-07)
Logo-pdf.svg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1995-12: "December 1995" (1995-11-08)
Logo-pdf.svg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in GamePro (US) #79: "February 1996" (199x-xx-xx)
also published in:
  • GamePro (US) #tce: "The Cutting Edge: Spring 1996" (1996-xx-xx)[9]
Logo-pdf.svg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Strana Igr (RU) #3: "Aprel 1996" (1996-xx-xx)
also published in:
Logo-pdf.svg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Blue Jean (TR) #12/96: "Aralik 1996" (1996-xx-xx)
also published in:
  • Blue Jean (TR) #01/97: "Ocak 1997" (1997-xx-xx)[11]
Logo-pdf.svg

Artwork

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
CD Consoles (FR)
100
[12]
Digitiser (UK)
78
[13]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
73
[14]
Fusion (US) NTSC-U
50
[15]
Game Players (US) NTSC-U
97
[16]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
80
[17]
GamesMaster (UK) PAL
70
[18]
Game Informer (US) NTSC-U
89
[19]
Hobby Consolas (ES) PAL
79
[20]
MAN!AC (DE) PAL
85
[21]
Maximum (UK)
50
[22]
Mega Force (FR) PAL
87
[23]
Mega Fun (DE) PAL
71
[24]
Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL
87
[6]
Player One (FR)
92
[25]
Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J
69
[26]
Saturn+ (UK) PAL
84
[27]
Sega Magazin (DE) PAL
81
[28]
Sega Saturn Magazine (UK)
81
[5]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
70
[29]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
75
[30]
Video Games (DE) NTSC-U
72
[31]
VideoGames (US) NTSC-U
90
[32]
Sega Saturn
79
Based on
23 reviews

World Series Baseball (Saturn)

Saturn, JP
WSB Saturn JP Box Back.jpgWSB Saturn JP Box Front.jpg
Cover
WSB Saturn JP Disc.jpg
Disc
Saturn, US
WSB Saturn US Box Back.jpgWSB Saturn US Box Front.jpg
Cover
World Series Baseball Saturn US Disc.jpg
Disc
Wsb sat us manual.pdf
Manual
Saturn, EU
WSB Saturn EU Box.jpg
Cover
WSB Saturn EU Disc.jpg
Disc
Saturn, DE
WSB Saturn DE cover.jpg
Cover
WSB Saturn EU Disc.jpg
Disc
Saturn, AU
WSB Saturn AU cover.jpg
Cover
WSB Saturn EU Disc.jpg
Disc

Technical information

Main article: World Series Baseball (Saturn)/Technical information.

External links

  • Sega of America webpage: Saturn
  • Sega of Japan catalogue page (Japanese): Saturn

References

  1. File:WSB Saturn JP Box Back.jpg
  2. 2.0 2.1 https://sega.jp/history/hard/segasaturn/software.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-03-30 22:53)
  3. https://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.video.sega/c/6a0WsenOnYQ/m/eRfXXuy5GQsJ
  4. Sega FY 1997 Brand Review, page 10
  5. 5.0 5.1 Sega Saturn Magazine, "November 1995" (UK; 1995-10-26), page 76
  6. 6.0 6.1 Mean Machines Sega, "December 1995" (UK; 1995-10-30), page 91
  7. File:Wsb sat us manual.pdf, page 34
  8. File:Nomo Hideo World Series Baseball Saturn credits.pdf
  9. GamePro, "The Cutting Edge: Spring 1996" (US; 1996-xx-xx), page 49
  10. Strana Igr, "May/Iyun 1996" (RU; 1996-xx-xx), page 2
  11. Blue Jean, "Ocak 1997" (TR; 1997-xx-xx)
  12. CD Consoles, "Janvier 1996" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 58
  13. Digitiser (UK) (1995-12-12)
  14. Famitsu, "1995-11-24" (JP; 1995-11-10), page 30
  15. Fusion, "Volume 1, Number 6: January 1996" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 95
  16. Game Players, "Vol. 8 No. 12 December 1995" (US; 1995-1x-xx), page 91
  17. GamePro, "January 1996" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 118
  18. GamesMaster (UK) "Series 5, episode 7" (1995-11-07, 24:00) (+11:07)
  19. Game Informer, "November 1995" (US; 1995-1x-xx), page 39
  20. Hobby Consolas, "Diciembre 1995" (ES; 1995-xx-xx), page 116
  21. MAN!AC, "01/96" (DE; 1995-12-06), page 82
  22. Maximum, "November 1995" (UK; 1995-11-xx), page 143
  23. Mega Force, "Décembre 1995" (FR; 1995-1x-xx), page 88
  24. Mega Fun, "01/96" (DE; 1995-12-20), page 69
  25. Player One, "Février 1996" (FR; 1996-0x-xx), page 113
  26. Saturn Fan, "1996 No. 3" (JP; 1996-01-19), page 78
  27. Saturn+, "Christmas 1995" (UK; 1995-12-14), page 64
  28. Sega Magazin, "Januar 1996" (DE; 1995-12-13), page 76
  29. Sega Saturn Magazine, "December 1995" (JP; 1995-11-08), page 187
  30. Sega Saturn Magazine, "Readers rating final data" (JP; 2000-03), page 14
  31. Video Games, "12/95" (DE; 1995-11-21), page 71
  32. VideoGames, "December 1995" (US; 1995-11-21), page 87


World Series Baseball (Saturn)

WSB Saturn title.png

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Games in the World Series Baseball Series
Sega Mega Drive
World Series Baseball (1994) | World Series Baseball '95 (1995) | World Series Baseball '96 (1996) | World Series Baseball 98 (1997)
Sega Game Gear
World Series Baseball (1993) | World Series Baseball '95 (1994) | Nomo's World Series Baseball (1995)
Sega 32X
World Series Baseball Starring Deion Sanders (1995)
Sega Saturn
World Series Baseball (1995) | World Series Baseball II (1996) | World Series Baseball 98 (1997)
Windows PC
World Series Baseball '96 (1996)
Arcade
World Series 99 (1999) | World Series Baseball (2001)
Sega Dreamcast
World Series Baseball 2K1 (2000) | World Series Baseball 2K2 (2001)
Xbox
World Series Baseball (2002) | World Series Baseball 2K3 (2003)
World Series Baseball related media
Book
Prima's Official Strategy Guide: World Series Baseball 2K1 (2000)