HardBall!

The game is controlled with a joystick or the arrow keys and an action button. You use one of the four cardinal directions to select the throw and aim it downwards, upwards, inwards (towards the batsman) or outwards (away from the batsman). The same directions are used to align the swing when hitting. When defending the field after a hit, the defensive player closest to the ball flashes to indicate that he has it under control. The four directions are then used to throw to one of the four bases. The game includes a pitcher's perspective, often used in MLB broadcasts. There are also options for the manager. The player has a selection of pitchers to choose from. Each team member has their own stats that affect their performance and can be rearranged at will. Before the release of HardBall! there were already baseball games with manager options, such as Micro League Baseball, but HardBall! was the first game to combine this aspect with the arcade controls of the actual gameplay.