Baseball Superstars 2013 [Android, iOS]

You may recall I reviewed Baseball Superstars 2011 back in 2010 and it has been one of my favourite mobile games since then. 2013 doesn't offer all the modes of 2011 but instead focuses on the My League play where you play as a pitcher or batter throughout their career. This was pretty much the only mode people played in 2011 anyway so nothing is really lost, plus 2013 adds online multiplayer.

2011 cost me $5.99 and I think it was worth it, 2013 on the other hand has gone for the free to play model. I found this really disappointing as now there are a huge number of resources and items to keep track of, which diminishes the fun you have playing. Spending $6 in this game is not going to get you anywhere near as much stuff or replay value as 2011 did.

There are some redeeming qualities this time around though. Pitches have a lot more variety and hang in the air longer allowing for more tactical gameplay. The graphics are improved too, though there are some odd graphical quirks as you can see below. The music is nice and it seems more polished overall, despite seeing a lot of the same flaws from previous games.

Why are the pitchers blurry yet the batters are so detailed?

The game still suffers from an Engrish problem which can be witnessed in the rest of the series but mostly has an interesting story, though it is fairly similar to the previous games. You get to play quizzes and challenges all in the hopes of winning bonus G points to spend upgrading your character and team. I like the RPG aspect of the game it's just that this time around it is less generous with the G points and you need to spend them on more things. Going through and upgrading each of your team mates is boring and adds nothing of value to the gameplay whilst robbing you of G points. The addition of time machines so you can replay that all important match is a nice touch, though they are quite expensive.

I bet you are.

The game has seen some improvements but it has taken many steps back due to it's switch to freemium. I would say if you haven't played them before this is the one to get but personally I cant help but feel a little disappointed 7.5/10.