Relief Pitcher

Relief Pitcher is more than just another day at the arcade ballpark. It steps up to the plate with great baseball features and awesome graphics.

You can play ball against the computer or go head-to-head with a friend in either a 7-game series or one 9-inning game. Choose from four different teams and five different ballparks. Reflecting current capitalistic trends in modern baseball, players start off with a minimum salary and earn bonus dollars for outstanding plays. The more money your players earn, the better they play!

Relief Pitcher features one multi-directional joystick and a unique "cluster" button, subdivided into three sections. Each section controls a different aspect of pitching and batting. The button's designed to give players ultimate control and secrecy in their moves. When pitching, select fastballs, curve-balls, sinkers, knuckleballs, screwballs, or rising fastballs.

You can also arbitrarily vary your ball speed by throwing hard, regular, or off-speed pitches. Batters can aim their hits by choosing to either swing, bunt, or "go for it" with a home run stroke! In addition to the usual fielding plays, fielders can hit the cutoff man and rundown overaggressive base runners!

Relief Pitcher's graphics are beautifully rendered. The fluid animation and fast-scaling action is seen from a third-person perspective, behind home plate. Characters are large and clear, and no shortcuts were taken in creating the backgrounds and playing fields. The "baseball reality" in this game is definitely believable.

Although it doesn't reinvent Abner Doubleday's favorite creation, Relief Pitcher is a well- crafted arcade baseball game worth taking a swing at. Jack Buck's digitized play calling adds an authentic touch to the proceedings. Your only dilemma will be deciding whether to play it or just watch it!

Atari's Relief Pitcher looks and sounds like a coin-op grand slam! The near TV-quality graphics combine with real-life announcer Jack Buck's commentary to take you out to Atari's arcade ballpark. Using the joystick and a special Cluster button, one or two-players control the action and manage their teams. Pitchers choose from a range of throws, and batters can call their shots and use power swings. No real Major League teams, but you get five stadiums, salary bonuses, on-screen baseball cards for the players, an All-Star game, and play-offs.