Field
Field
Home Run
| NOTE: Always turn the console POWER switch OFF when inserting or removing an ATARI Game Program™ cartridge. This will protect the electronic components and prolong the life of your ATARI Video Computer System™ game. |
1. INTRODUCTION
2. GAME PLAY
3. USING THE CONTROLLERS
4. CONSOLE CONTROLS
5. SCORING
6. GAME VARIATIONS
7. HELPFUL HINTS
1. INTRODUCTION
Join the Atari Aces in the World Series of video baseball - RealSports BASEBALL! It's a hot day in the ballpark - you can see the hot dog and soda pop vendors making their way up and down the bleachers. The crowd roars after each pitch, and filling the stadium is the sound of "STEERIKE! YOU'RE OUT!" Down on the field it's a different story - just you and the pitcher facing each other in an enormous diamond of brown and green.
The roar of the spectators fades into the distance as the pitcher winds up. His arm arches back, his leg goes up, and . . . THUNK! The ball flashes by and hits the catcher's glove at 90 miles an hour. "STEERIKE!" Another windup, another 90 mile an hour fastball, and "STEERIKE TWO!" Gripping the bat tightly, you stare down at the pitcher, see him wind up, and watch as the ball seems to float in slow motion down the field toward you. Everything falls into place as you swing with perfect timing, feel the contact, and see the ball sail over the right fielders outstretched glove and over the wall. HOME RUN!
2. GAME PLAY
You play RealSports BASEBALL just like real baseball. The game lasts for nine innings (or more in the case of a tie score), with each team coming to bat once during each inning. The first team up to bat (pink action figures) is the visiting team, and the last team to bat (yellow action figures) is the home team. A team remains at bat until three of its players either strike out, fly out, or are tagged out. A base runner may also be "forced out" when an outfielder with the ball tags the base in front of the runner while another base runner is occupying the base behind him. (Force outs are needed to make those double and triple plays!)
Pitchers can throw either a BALL or a STRIKE. Three strikes count as an OUT; four balls count as a WALK. A walked batter automatically advances to the first base. If a batter swings at a pitch that is programmed to be a ball, it counts as a strike.
A batter can also hit a FOUL BALL outside the baselines. A FOUL BALL is counted as a strike unless the batter has already made two strikes, in which case it does not affect the count.
3. USING THE CONTROLLERS
Use your Joystick Controllers with this ATARI Game Program cartridge. Be sure the controller cables are firmly plugged into the CONTROLLER jack at the back of your Video Computer System. For one-player games, use the Joystick plugged into the LEFT CONTROLLER jack. Hold the Joystick with the red button to your upper left, toward the television screen. (See Section 3 of you Owner's Manual for further details.)
STARTING THE GAME
To start the first inning, press one of the red controller buttons. The home team will run to the outfield, the catcher will throw the pitcher a new ball, and a batter from the visiting team will step up to bat. PLAY BALL!!
CONTROLLING THE BATTER
Make the batter swing by holding down your controller button and flicking the Joystick at the same time. The direction you move the Joystick determines the direction and trajectory of the ball.
Move the Joystick straight up to bunt the ball; to the right to hit a ground ball in left field; to the left to hit a ground ball in right field; and straight back to hit fly balls and home runs. Fly balls and home runs can also be hit by moving the Joystick diagonally to the lower left and lower right; the lower right position hits the ball to left field, and the lower left position hits to right field.
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The direction of a hit ball can be affected by the timing of your swing. Like regular baseball, swinging early will "pull" the ball to the left field. Swinging late - that is, swinging when the ball is nearly past you - will tend to slice the ball towards right field.
By careful timing, you should soon be able to hit the ball to any part of the field.
CONTROLLING THE RUNNER
Once a batter has successfully hit the ball, he becomes a runner. A runner's direction is determined by holding the controller button down and pushing the Joystick to either the right or the left. After a batter has hit the ball, let the Joystick return to the neutral (center) position, then push it to the right to make him advance to first base. To continue running, keep holding the controller button down and push the Joystick to the right. To make a runner retreat - if, for example, he must go back a base to avoid being tagged out - simply hold down the controller button and push the Joystick to the left
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Stealing a base is a two-step maneuver: First you transfer control from the batter to a base runner, then you make him run. To transfer control, move the Joystick without holding down the controller button in the direction of the base that the runner is on . Move the Joystick right to indicate first base; up to indicate second base; left to indicate third base; and down to indicate home plate. The controller player will turn slightly brighter in color.
Make the base stealer run by holding the controller button down and pushing the Joystick to the right. If the pitcher on the opposing team has the ball and in not moving, the base runner will steal the base quickly. If any outfielder with the ball is moving - running or throwing the ball, for example - the runner will move much more slowly towards the base. Therefore it is best to steal a base when the pitcher is motionless and "isn't looking."
After the runner has stolen a base, transfer control back to the batter by pushing the Joystick straight down.
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Pitching the ball is also done in two steps: First you program the type of pitch, then you throw the ball. As an ace pitcher, you can select a FASTBALL, a RISER, or a SINKER. You can also psych out your opponent by throwing an INTENTIONAL BALL. Push straight up to pitch a fastball; directly right to pitch a sinker; directly left to pitch a riser; and straight down to pitch an intentional ball. An intentional ball will always be counted as a ball unless the batter swings, in which case it counts as a strike.
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After programming the pitch, throw the ball by holding down the controller button and lightly flicking the Joystick down.
THROWING THE BALL AROUND THE OUTFIELD
The player with the ball can throw to the pitcher or any of the four basemen. To throw to first base, hold down the controller button and push the Joystick to the right. To throw to second base push straight up. To throw to third base push to the left. Throw to the catcher at home plate by pushing the Joystick straight down. Leave the Joystick in the neutral (center) position to throw the ball to the pitcher.
Remember to release the controller button after the ball is thrown, or you may accidentally throw the ball again after it is caught.
If an intended receiver of the ball misses the catch, the ball will roll and come to a stop on the field. Pick up the ball by running the controlled player over it. You'll hear the "plop" of the ball hitting the glove when it is picked up.
You can identify a controlled player by color; controlled players are solid yellow or pink. Non-controlled players are two-toned white and blue. If you're in doubt, move the Joystick to see which team member is under your control.
RUNNING IN THE OUTFIELD
Use your Joystick to move a controlled player in the outfield. The player moves up, down, right, left, and diagonally in the same direction you move the Joystick.
4. CONSOLE CONTROLS
GAME SELECT SWITCH
To select the RealSports BASEBALL game variation you want to play, press the GAME SELECT switch. The game variation number will appear on the screen bottom. Continue pressing the switch until the game variation you want to play is displayed. (See section 6, GAME VARIATIONS for further information)
GAME RESET SWITCH
Once you've decided on a game variation, press either the GAME RESET switch or the red controller button to start game play.
TV TYPE SWITCH
Set this switch to COLOR if you're playing on a color television set. Set it to B/W to play the game in black and white.
DIFFICULTY SWITCHES
The LEFT and RIGHT DIFFICULTY switches have no function in this game.
5. SCORING
Each time a batter touches all the bases in a counterclockwise direction and returns to home plate, the team scores one point. Scores are kept on the top of the screen; the home team on the left and the visiting team on the right. The number of outs in the inning also appears on the top of the screen, between the two scores.
Balls and strikes are recorded behind home plate on the bottom of the screen. The umpire's calls flash after each pitch on the bottom of the screen.
The umpire also calls out the inning number every time a team has three outs and runs to the outfield. Look at the bottom of the screen to see the inning number flash onto the screen before the first pitch.
6. GAME VARIATIONS
There are four game variations in RealSports BASEBALL: Two 2-player games and two 1-player games.
In the 1-player version the computer automatically controls one team. The computer always knows what pitch you're about to throw, so you'll have to brush up on your best baseball strategy to beat the computer!
| GAME 1 | 2-player game | Left player starts in the outfield. Right player starts at bat. Batter can hit every pitch. |
| GAME 2 | 2-player game | Left player starts at bat. Right player starts in the outfield. Batter cannot hit balls. |
| GAME 3 | 1-player game | Player starts in the outfield. Batter cannot hit balls. |
| GAME 4 | 1-player game | Player starts at bat. Batter cannot hit balls. |
1. Hold the controller in your hands so that your opponent can't see what direction you're moving your Joystick. If you're pitching, this will prevent your opponent from knowing what type of pitch you're going to throw. If you're at bat, this will prevent your opponent from noticing if you're about to steal a base.
2. When stealing a base, try to steal when the pitcher has the ball and is motionless (two-toned). This will allow you to steal the base faster. But watch out! If the pitcher sees you and throws the ball, you'll slow down in mid-run!
3. Trust your Joystick when throwing a ball to a base, even though the direction may not seem right. Pushing the Joystick UP, for example, will always throw the ball to second base, even if the outfielder is at the top of your screen.
MORE HELPFUL HINTS
1. If you can't make the batter swing, he probably is not a controlled player. Push the Joystick down without holding the controller button; then try swinging the bat using both the Joystick and the controller button.
2. If no batter appears at home plate after an out, throw the ball to the catcher and then back to the pitcher. A batter will run out to home plate.
3. Occasionally a missed ball will roll near an object on the field and will be hard to see. Simply run the controlled player over the area the ball was last seen to pick the ball up.
4. To make sure the pitcher has the ball, press the red controller button once.
5. If the pitcher has the ball and is being controlled, you must run him back to the pitchers mound to resume pitching. When he is positioned on the mound, he'll turn back to blue and white and will be ready to pitch once again.
6. If an outfielder throws a hit ball back to the pitcher before the batter starts running, the batter is counted out.