Batter Up (Game Gear)

n/a

US JP
Batter Up
System(s): Sega Game Gear
Publisher: Namco (JP) Namco Hometek (US)
Developer: Namco
Peripherals supported: Gear-to-Gear Cable
Genre: Sports (baseball)
Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code JP 1991-04-05 ¥3,5003,500 T-14037 US 1991-10 $29.9529.95 T-14028

Batter Up, known as Gear Stadium (ギアスタジアム) in Japan, is a baseball game developed and published by Namco for the Sega Game Gear. It is a handheld entry in Namco's World Stadium series, itself inspired by the earlier Family Stadium series for the Famicom, whose first entry, Pro Yakyuu Family Stadium, dates back to 1986. Players have a cartoonish, "super deformed" appearance.

An updated version titled Gear Stadium Heiseiban (ギアスタジアム平成版) was released in Japan in 1995.

Gameplay

The game follows the rules of baseball. Players choose from 14 fictional "Namco League" teams, each with their own unique players and statistics. Players pick their starting pitchers, the length of the game (5 or 9 innings), and the venue (Park or City). The Park venue is a standard-size stadium with artificial turf and a view of the nearby marina. The City venue is a smaller stadium with high walls that make hitting home runs more difficult. There is a mercy rule that ends the game early if one team is ahead by 10 or more points by the middle of the game.

In one-player games, the player chooses a team and plays up to 15 games against the computer. The first 13 games are against the other selectable teams, and the last two games are against the unselectable "P" and "A" teams. The same pitcher cannot start two games in a row. The game ends if the player loses a game. It can be continued using a four-character password given at the end of every victorious game. In two-player games (using a Gear-to-Gear Cable), players choose different teams and play a single game against each other. The first player to press  START  is player one and decides the length of the game and the stadium.

	Defense
	When pitching, use and to position the pitcher on the mound. Throw the ball with ; use and for a breaking ball, to throw a change-up (slow pitch), or to throw 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 a "beanball" (batter hit by pitch). The player can substitute a relief pitcher by pausing the game with  START  and pressing . 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 or dive toward the ball by pressing . Once the ball is in possession, throw it to base by pressing while holding a direction corresponding to the base ( for first, for second, for third, or for home) or press by itself to throw to first base. If the opponent has players on base, the player can press while pitching to switch to the fielding view in order to pick off players who might be trying to steal a base. Then the pitcher can walk to a base for a tag-out by pressing and holding a direction corresponding to a base (or by itself for first base) or throw the ball to a base by pressing and holding a direction corresponding to a base (or by itself for first base).
	Offense
	When hitting, the D-Pad positions the batter in the batter's box. Swing with ; the batter stops the swinging motion when the button is released. The player can bunt the ball by releasing mid-swing. While the pitcher is winding up, the player can try to steal a base by holding a direction corresponding to a base and pressing . Runners automatically advance to the next base after the ball is struck; they can be instructed to run to another base by holding a direction corresponding to the base ( for first, for second, for third, or for home). If they are between bases, they can be ordered to return to the last base with . The player can substitute a pinch hitter by pausing the game with  START  and pressing . Hitters that twirl their bat when approaching the base have extra confidence and are more likely to get a good hit. In the seventh inning, every batter is a prime hitter.

Teams

Most of the teams are anonymous stand-ins for the teams of the Nippon Professional Baseball league.

	G
	Based on the Yomiuri Giants.
	D
	Based on the Chunichi Dragons.
	C
	Based on the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
	W
	Based on the Yokohama Taiyo Whales.
	S
	Based on the Yakult Swallows.
	T
	Based on the Hanshin Tigers.
	M
	A Major League Baseball all-star team.
	L
	Based on the Seibu Lions.
	Bu
	Based on the Kintetsu Buffaloes.
	B
	Based on the Orix Braves.
	F
	Based on the Nippon-Ham Fighters.
	H
	Based on the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks.
	O
	Based on the Lotte Orions.
	N
	A Nippon Professional Baseball all-star team.
	P
	The penultimate opponent in the single-player series.
	A
	The final opponent in the single-player series.

Versions

Localised names

Also known as

Language	Localised Name	English Translation
English (US)	Batter Up	Batter Up
Japanese	ギアスタジアム	Gear Stadium

Magazine articles

Main article: Batter Up (Game Gear)/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Print advert in Sega Visions (US) #6: "Fall 1991" (1991-xx-xx)
also published in:

• Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #27: "October 1991" (1991-xx-xx)
• GamePro (US) #29: "December 1991" (1991-xx-xx)

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J 80 Consoles + (FR) 61 Console XS (UK) PAL 79 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 56 Game Zone (UK) NTSC-J 82 Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J 70 Joystick (FR) 76 Sega Power (UK) NTSC-U 76 Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-J 78 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 76 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 65

	73
Based on 11 reviews

Batter Up (Game Gear)

Game Gear, JP
Cover
Cart Manual

Game Gear, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Technical information

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
?	CRC32 0e300223 MD5 681b18412b7861c02c2c7110114a3216 SHA-1 10124c1ca517fa933ca0488f288d205b0cc80d9c	128kB		Cartridge (JP)
?	CRC32 16448209 MD5 3190da5093d53b220bf15229b5299d42 SHA-1 107496f1afff8bcebcd507226e953871fc4d80e4	128kB		Cartridge (US/EU)