HardBall III
 Super NES cover art | |
| Developer | MindSpan |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Accolade |
| Producers | Pam Levins Pam Davis |
| Designers | Mike Benna Jeff Sember |
| Programmers | Mike Benna Jeff Sember |
| Artist | John Boechler |
| Composer | Alistair Hirst |
| Platforms | MS-DOS, Genesis, Super NES |
| Release | MS-DOS Genesis/Mega Drive Super NES |
| Genre | Sports |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
HardBall III is a baseball video game developed by MindSpan and published by Accolade between 1992 and 1994 for MS-DOS, Genesis, and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is licensed by the Major League Baseball Players Association and is the sequel to HardBall II.
Ports
[edit]In November 1993, Accolade signed an agreement with Atari Corporation to be a third-party developer for the recently released Jaguar and licensed five games from their catalog to Atari, including HardBall III (then titled Al Michaels Announces HardBall III). It was announced in early 1994.[4][5][6][7][8] It was originally planned for a Q3 1995 release date and was being developed by NuFX.[9][10] However, the port went unreleased for unknown reasons.
Reception
[edit]| Publication | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Sega Genesis | SNES | |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | N/A | 8/10 7/10 5/10 7/10 8/10[11] |
| GamePro | N/A | 3.5/5 4/5 4/5 3.5/5[12] |
| Joypad | 81%[13] | N/A |
| Total! | N/A | 62%[14] |
| MegaTech | 69/100[15] | N/A |
| Sega Force | 63/100[16] | N/A |
Computer Gaming World in 1992 said that "HardBall III looks like another winner", complementing its emphasis on action while also providing simulation functions. The magazine praised its "glorious" support for VGA graphics and sound cards, and concluded that the game "packs more features in a single box than any of its competitors".[17] Reviewing the Super NES version, GamePro praised the huge number of options and player stats, but felt the rough graphics and "choppy" player movements reduce the game to merely above average.[12]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Review Crew: Hardball 3". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 44. March 1993. p. 26. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ↑ "MegaDrive Review: HardBall III". MegaTech. June 1993. pp. 68–69. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
- ↑ "Super NES Games" (PDF). Nintendo of America. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 11, 2014. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ↑ "Other Stuff". GameFan. Vol. 2, no. 1. Shinno Media. December 1993. p. 212.
- ↑ "ProNews: Atari Announces Jaguar Licenses". GamePro. No. 55. IDG. February 1994. p. 186.
- ↑ "News - Update - Sports Accolade". ST Format. No. 55. Future plc. February 1994. p. 86. Archived from the original on 2016-07-20. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
- ↑ doctorclu (May 23, 2016). Interview with Faran Thomason about Bubsy on the Atari Jaguar. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14.
- ↑ Wallett, Adrian (September 3, 2017). "Faran Thomason (Atari/Nintendo) – Interview". arcadeattack.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
- ↑ "Sports titles coming from Atari". TheFreeLibrary.com. Business Wire. January 6, 1995. Archived from the original on 2018-09-22. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
- ↑ "Feature - XT Generation Report - Atari Jaguar". MAN!AC (in German). No. 20. Cybermedia. June 1995. p. 40.
- ↑ "HardBall III". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Vol. 7, no. 4. April 1994. p. 40. Retrieved September 18, 2025 – via Internet Archive.
- 1 2 The King Fisher (May 1994). "Number III is Best Hardball Yet". GamePro. No. 58. IDG. p. 108. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ↑ T.S.R.; Destroy, J'm (April 1993). "HardBall III". Joypad (in French). No. 19. pp. 68–69. Retrieved September 18, 2025 – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ Andy (October 1994). "Hardball III". Total!. No. 34. p. 42. Retrieved September 18, 2025 – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ Glancey, Paul (June 1993). "Al Michael Announces HardBill III". MegaTech. No. 18. pp. 68–69. Retrieved September 18, 2025 – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ May; Paul (July 1993). "Hardball III". Sega Force. No. 19. pp. 32–33. Retrieved September 18, 2025 – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ Rogers, Win (August 1992). "Accolade's Al Michaels Announces Hardball III". No. 97. pp. 78–79. Archived from the original on 2014-07-02. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
