R.B.I. Baseball 4

n/a

NTSC-U NTSC-J
R.B.I. Baseball 4
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Tengen
Developer: Tengen
Distributor: Samsung (KR)
Licensor: Atari Games, Major League Baseball Players Association
Sound driver: Lisa's Sound Driver
Genre: Sports (baseball)
Number of players: 1-2
Official in-game languages: English 日本語
Release Date RRP Code JP 1992-12-18 ¥7,800 (8,034)7,800e T-48063 US 1992-09 $54.9554.95 301036-0150 KR 199x GM8081JG

R.B.I. Baseball 4 or R.B.I. 4 Baseball (Ｒ.Ｂ.Ｉ.４.ベースボール) is a 1992 baseball game for the Sega Mega Drive by Tengen and the sequel to R.B.I. Baseball 3. It was followed by R.B.I. Baseball '93.

A Sega Mega-CD version was announced, but cancelled for unknown reasons.

Gameplay

The game is a Major League Baseball game including the 26 teams of the 1991 MLB season. The game carries a Major League Baseball Players Association license, so it contains all of the Major League Baseball players but not the team names or logos. Teams have had their stadiums recreated for the game, which include details such as the fountains at Royals Stadium (Kansas City) and the asymmetric outfield of Yankee Stadium (New York). The Japanese version also uses MLB teams (rather than Nippon Professional Baseball teams) and can be played in English or Japanese. Other changes from the previous entry are redrawn player graphics with smoother animation, improved spoken commentary, updated statistics, new game modes (Home Run Derby and Game Breakers), and more historical teams.

	Defense
	The player can position the pitcher on the mound with or . The pitcher throws the ball by pressing . During the pitch, holding or curves the ball, holding throws a knuckleball or a sinkerball, or holding throws a fastball. When the other team has a runner on base, pressing switches to a field view. In this view, the pitcher can throw the ball to a base by pressing and holding a direction corresponding to the base ( for first, for second, for third, or for home) or pressing alone to throw to first. Or the pitcher can run to a base for a tag-out by pressing and holding a direction corresponding to the base or pressing alone to run to first. Pitchers lose stamina over the course of the game, causing them to throw balls slower and have less control over their pitches. Starting pitchers have more stamina than relievers. Fastballs and sinkers use more stamina than normal pitches. When fielding, the player can move all fielders together using the D-Pad. An X appears on the field to show where the ball will land. The fielder can dive to catch the ball by pressing while holding in the direction of the ball or jump with . After catching the ball, it can be thrown to base by pressing while holding a direction for the desired base or run to base by pressing while holding a direction for the desired base. If no base is specified, the ball is thrown to the cut-off man. The player can call a time-out by pressing  START . This brings up a menu where the player can substitute a relief pitcher, substitute a fielder, view the scoreboard, or watch a replay of the last play. Players who are substituted into fielding positions that they do not typically play are more likely to make errors.
	Offense
	The player can adjust batter's stance with or . The batter swings at the ball by holding , with the batter doing a checked swing if the button is released before the bat crosses the plate. The batter can hold a bunt by pressing (or return the bat to the ready position by pressing again). Before the pitcher starts his wind-up, the player can have the baserunners lead-off by pressing . The player can cancel an extra lead by pressing with a direction for the return base. When the pitcher is beginning his wind-up, the player can steal a base by pressing while holding a direction on the D-Pad for the destination base ( for first, for second, for third, or for home). After hitting the ball, baserunners can advance to the next base by pressing while holding a direction for destination base or return to a base by pressing while holding a direction for the previous base. The player can call a time-out by pressing  START . This brings up a menu where the player can substitute a batter or runner, switch the batter's position (for switch hitters), view the scoreboard, or watch a replay of the last play.

Modes

Home Run Derby

Game Breakers

The game has the following modes:

• Play Ball: A nine-inning exhibition game between any two teams from either league (which can be the same team) or a series. The selectable series are Best of Seven (play any team in a best of seven playoff series), Play Division (play against every team in the 1991 American League, 1991 National League, American division winners, or National division winners), or Play All Teams (play against every team in the game). Series games use a password system for continuing.
• Home Run Derby: Players choose a team, a batter, and a pitch speed (60, 70, 80, 90, or 100). Each player gets 20 pitches and tries to hit as many home runs as possible. In two-player games, the stadium used belongs to player one's team. Awards are given for 3 (bronze), 5 (silver), 8 (gold), or 11 or more (grand prize) runs.
• Game Breakers: Players choose a team. Rather than starting a new game, players choose from a list of 17 situations, such as starting the eight inning down nine points, starting the ninth inning with neither team having any points, or being in the bottom of the eighth inning ahead one point but with the opposing team having bases loaded and no outs. After choosing a situation, players choose a relief pitcher and finish the game with the selected premise. A password is given after each completed game.
• Stadium Tour: An overhead view of any of the 28 ballparks in the game (one for every team, plus an American League and a National League stadium).
• View Teams: View all of the team rosters and statistics for any player.

Games can be played as Human vs. Comp (single-player, where the player is the visiting team and bats first), Human vs. Human (two-player game, where player two as the home team), or Comp vs. Comp (two computer-controlled teams play each other, which can be overridden by either control pad to take over play or make substitutions). Before each game, players choose any team and set the batting line-up and choose starting and relief pitchers. A pitcher can only start every other game in a series.

Players can choose from three difficulty levels for computer-controlled opponents (Easy, Medium, and Hard).

Teams

Current

The game includes all 26 teams from the 1991 MLB season, with their stadiums.

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

Previous

In addition, the game includes historical rosters of every division-winning team going back to 1983.

League	Year	West		East
		Team	Based on	Team	Based on
American	1990	Oakland	Oakland Athletics	Boston	Boston Red Sox
	1989	Oakland	Oakland Athletics	Toronto	Toronto Blue Jays
	1988	Oakland	Oakland Athletics	Boston	Boston Red Sox
	1987	Minnesota	Minnesota Twins	Detroit	Detroit Tigers
	1986	California	California Angels	Boston	Boston Red Sox
	1985	Kansas City	Kansas City Royals	Toronto	Toronto Blue Jays
	1984	Kansas City	Kansas City Royals	Detroit	Detroit Tigers
	1983	Chicago	Chicago White Sox	Baltimore	Baltimore Orioles
National	1990	Cincinnati	Cincinnati Reds	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh Pirates
	1989	San Francisco	San Francisco Giants	Chicago	Chicago Cubs
	1988	Los Angeles	Los Angeles Dodgers	New York	New York Mets
	1987	San Francisco	San Francisco Giants	St. Louis	St. Louis Cardinals
	1986	Houston	Houston Astros	New York	New York Mets
	1985	Los Angeles	Los Angeles Dodgers	St. Louis	St. Louis Cardinals
	1984	San Diego	San Diego Padres	Chicago	Chicago Cubs
	1983	Los Angeles	Los Angeles Dodgers	Philadelphia	Philadelphia Phillies

All-Star

Finally, the game includes All-Star teams for each league going back to 1989.

League	Team
American	1991 American League All-Stars
	1990 American League All-Stars
	1989 American League All-Stars
National	1991 National League All-Stars
	1990 National League All-Stars
	1989 National League All-Stars

Production credits

• Programmers: Michael Alexander, Doug Coward
• Graphics: Greg Williams, Jose Erazo, Linnea Wigren
• Sound: Brad Fuller, John Paul, Don Diekneite
• Special Thanks: Michael Klug

Source:

In-game credits

Magazine articles

Main article: R.B.I. Baseball 4/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

JP flyer

Print advert in GamePro (US) #37: "August 1992" (1992-xx-xx)
also published in:

• Sega Visions (US) #9: "August/September 1992" (1992-xx-xx)
• Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #39: "October 1992" (1992-xx-xx)

Print advert in Sega Visions (US) #10: "November/December 1992" (1992-xx-xx)
also published in:

• Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #41: "December 1992" (1992-xx-xx)
• Game Informer (US) #8: "January/February 1993" (199x-xx-xx)
• Electronic Games (1992-1995) (US) #5: "February 1993" (1993-01-12)
• Sega Visions (US) #11: "February/March 1993" (199x-xx-xx)

Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1993-01: "January 1993" (1992-12-08)

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score 1700 igr dlya Sega (RU) 40 Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J 63 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 70 Game Mania (UK) 87 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 83 Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J 40 Joypad (FR) NTSC-U 69 Joystick (FR) NTSC-U 84 Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) PAL 87 Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) PAL 87 Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J 62 Mega (UK) NTSC-U 65 MegaTech (UK) NTSC 74 Marukatsu Mega Drive (JP) NTSC-J 71 Sega Power (UK) NTSC-U 71 Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-U 78 Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-U 78 Sega Zone (UK) NTSC-U 79 Sega Force (UK) PAL 89 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 73 Tricks 16 bit (RU) 61 VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (US) NTSC-U 80

	72
Based on 22 reviews

R.B.I. Baseball 4

Mega Drive, JP
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart Poster

Mega Drive, KR
Cover
Cart

Technical information

Main article: R.B.I. Baseball 4/Technical information.