Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Baseball Advance offers a robust selection of play modes that cater to both casual fans and dedicated baseball enthusiasts. With Season, All-Star, Playoff, and Exhibition modes at your disposal, you can dive into a full Major League Baseball campaign, challenge yourself against the league’s best, or simply enjoy a quick pickup game. The Season mode serves as the heart of the experience, letting you guide your favorite team through a full slate of games, track player statistics, and, at times, influence roster moves much like a real general manager.

Controls are intuitive and responsive, striking a solid balance between accessibility and depth. Batting and pitching take place from a third-person view behind the batter, allowing you to gauge pitch speed and movement with relative ease. Timing your swing or lining up that outside fastball becomes a satisfying test of reflexes and hand-eye coordination. Fielding shifts to a top-down perspective, giving you a clear view of baserunners and infield angles—this transition feels natural and ensures that every diving catch or relay throw is both fair and engaging.

One of the standout features is the inclusion of real MLB teams and players, which heightens the authenticity of each match. Whether you’re squaring off against the Yankees in Fenway Park or trying to break Wingley Field’s notorious no-glove zone, each venue brings unique dimensions to the diamond. The game faithfully recreates these ballparks with accurate outfield fences, foul territory depths, and idiosyncratic quirks that can turn routine pop flies into dramatic highlight-reel catches.

Multiplayer is limited to the Game Boy Advance Link Cable but proves to be a rewarding experience for those who own the necessary hardware. Face off against a friend in tight, pressure-packed scenarios or set up a full season series to see which player reigns supreme. While the lack of online play dates the title, the head-to-head option still delivers thrilling moments of competitive baseball.

Graphics

Graphically, Baseball Advance makes the most of the Game Boy Advance’s modest hardware capabilities. Players are rendered as clear, detailed sprites, each sporting team colors, uniform logos, and even subtle animations like batting gloves flicks or pitcher crouches. Though the resolution is limited, the developers have cleverly used shading and color contrasts to distinguish between infield dirt, outfield grass, and foul territory.

Stadiums are faithfully recreated with distinct backdrops and landmark features. Fenway Park’s Green Monster looms large in left field, while Pacific Bell Park’s cozy dimensions are immediately recognizable. Each field’s dimensions affect gameplay visually, too—deep center at Safeco Field feels cavernous, forcing extra innings fans to hold their breath on every fly ball. The occasional pop of end-of-inning fireworks at Wingley Field, misspelled though it may appear, adds a sense of celebration that complements the action.

Animation is smooth for a handheld platform of its era. The transition from batting stance to swing, from pitch wind-up to release, and from fielding dig to throw home plate is fluid. Baserunners slide into the bag with just enough flare to feel realistic, and catchers pop up quickly after framing pitches. Frame rates remain consistent even in the busiest moments on the diamond, ensuring input latency never hampers your defensive gem or game-winning homer.

While the lack of dynamic lighting and the top-down fielding camera occasionally flatten depth perception, the overall art direction remains colorful and true to the spirit of baseball. The scoreboard and on-screen HUD elements are clearly legible, providing up-to-date pitch counts, ball-strike-out displays, and player stats without cluttering the screen.

Story

Baseball Advance doesn’t follow a traditional narrative arc, but its Season mode effectively creates a story via career progression and statistical milestones. Each game contributes to your team’s standing in the league, setting up moments of triumph, heartbreak, and the drive to push for postseason glory. As the weeks tick by, you grow attached to breakout rookies, fear rival sluggers, and savor the tension of must-win matchups.

The All-Star and Playoff modes further enhance this implied storyline by showcasing the sport’s biggest stages. Taking your chosen squad from a midseason All-Star Game—where your best performers represent their league—to the high-stakes intensity of a multi-game playoff series gives every victory extra emotional weight. You’ll feel the pressure of a late-inning relief appearance or the thrill of a walk-off homer, much as real MLB players do under the bright lights.

Even Exhibition matches carry narrative value when you pit legendary teams against each other. Dream matchups—such as the Yankees of the early 2000s versus a modern powerhouse—can invoke “what if” scenarios that sports fans love to debate. Though there’s no cutscene drama or voiced characters, the ebb and flow of each contest weaves its own dramatic thread that keeps you invested from first pitch to final out.

While the game lacks cinematic storytelling or a dedicated career mode, its faithfully realized settings and roster authenticity supply enough context to make every inning feel meaningful. Collecting stats, chasing milestones, and comparing performances to real-world records create a sense of purpose that will resonate with longtime baseball aficionados.

Overall Experience

Baseball Advance stands as one of the Game Boy Advance’s finest sports titles, capturing the essence of Major League Baseball in a portable package. Its robust selection of modes ensures that players of all skill levels have something to sink their teeth into, whether that means enduring a grueling 162-game season or knocking out a quick exhibition match on the go. The authentic rosters and ballpark recreations make it a satisfying digital counterpart to the real thing.

The mix of behind-the-batter and top-down fielding perspectives ensures gameplay remains fresh throughout. While purists might wish for additional depth—such as managerial options or deeper stat-screen analysis—the core baseball mechanics are polished and rewarding. Pitchers respond differently to how you position your fingers on the D-pad, and batters adjust to pitch movement in ways that demand both strategy and split-second reaction times.

Graphically and technically, the game maximizes the GBA’s capabilities. Sprites are vibrant, animations are smooth, and HUD elements are intuitive. There may be occasional flatness in perspective during fielding, but you quickly acclimate and begin to appreciate how the top-down view simplifies defensive decision-making. The inclusion of famed MLB venues adds a layer of visual authenticity that grounds the action in real-world ballparks.

In the absence of online multiplayer or extensive off-field management, Baseball Advance still delivers an engaging, portable baseball experience that holds up years after its release. Whether you’re a die-hard fan looking to recreate historic matchups or a newcomer seeking a straightforward, fun baseball sim, this title remains a home run for the Game Boy Advance library.

Retro Replay Score

7.8/10