Baseball. It’s long since been defined as America’s favourite pastime, and while I am personally not really a big fan of the sport… a two-dimensional pitcher-vs-batter video game version might still be fun. 2D Baseball Duel certainly looks like a good time, but can the complexity of a skilled pitch truly transfer properly to an experience lacking the third dimension?
Well, you know what? I actually have no idea, seeing how I haven’t played 2D Baseball Duel prior to writing this (you’d be surprised how many miss the ‘news’ category and assume everything is in ‘review’). That aside, if I were to wager a guess, I’d say yes, given the amount (25+) of unlockable pitches and the way each is depicted in-game. With enough skill and reaction time on the batting side of things, a one-sided duel is unlikely to be a frequent occurrence.
Enter the mind of Pitcher vs. Batter, the sweet drama of Baseball!
Besides, if all else fails, the pitcher does have a trick up their sleeve with the so-called Breaking Ball, and the Steam page does note how there are other secrets and surprises. Interesting. Does that mean the batter might also have something unique to help them counter those insanely fast curveballs? Only one way to find out. At least the pitcher has to demolish the Local Teams to unlock additional pitches, which might mean those early matches will be less… varied, I suppose. That’s how it is in an actual game of baseball too, in a way, experience provides certain benefits. Which is perfectly alright.
Then, after you’ve laid waste to enough AI-controlled opponents, why not challenge a friend to a 2D Baseball Duel? Batter up!
2D Baseball Duel is available on Steam, carrying a $7.99 price tag.
