____ ___ ___ ___ __ _ ____ ___ ____ / | | | \ | | \ | _\ / \ / | / \___ | | |___/ |___ |___/ | /_ |___| \___ |___ \___ \ | | | | | \ | __ \ | | \ | \ ____/ \__/ | |___ | \ |____/ | | ____/ |___ ____/ __ _ __ ___ __ ___ | / \ / \ | \ | | \ \ . | | | |___| | \ |___ | \ ___/ | | | | | | | | | | \ . |___ \__/ | | |___/ |___ |___/ ___/ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___ _ _ _ | | / | |\ | / | | / \ / | | / \ | | | | |- | \| \_ |- | | | \_ | |- |---| | |_ | \_ |_ | | __) |_ | \_/ __) | |_ | | |_ VinnyVideo's FAQ/Strategy Guide =============================================================================== Table of Contents =============================================================================== [INTRO] Introduction [CONTR] Gameplay Controls [MODES] Modes of Play [STRAT] Strategies [QUEST] Frequently Asked Questions [REALL] Comparing to Reality [VERSN] Version History [COPYR] Copyright [CONTC] Contact Information Navigation tip: Press Ctrl and F to bring down a search bar. Then type in the name of the section you're looking for - like [CONTR] for the controls. =============================================================================== Introduction [INTRO] =============================================================================== You get a windshield wiper from a rusty old car, Five scoops of jelly from the grape jelly jar, Four long whiskers from a polka-dotted cat, And stir them all together with a baseball bat. - Joe Scruggs - "The Grape Jelly Cure" This is my third (and possibly last) in my recent series of guides for Super NES baseball games, and the songs have gotten a little less relevant each time. Super Bases Loaded 3: License to Steal is an old baseball game (released in 1994) that includes names of actual MLB players of that time, although it doesn't have official team nicknames (you can figure them out, though). In contrast to the high-scoring Barbaric Baseball that dominated most video games of its time, Super Bases Loaded 3 stacks the odds in favor of pitchers. In fact, games are actually low-scoring a lot of the time (incidentally, most Jaleco sports games were relatively defensive-oriented). Continuing in this vein of realism, the graphics look less cartoony than many games and are pretty realistic, despite showing strong hints of Blocky and Jerky. The game makers get most of the players' skin colors right, and some players even have different hairstyles. The music is admittedly a little cheesy, but I like the perky, jazzy music in this game much better than the punk rock and Euro-pop you hear in a lot of newer sports games. The umpire's voice is ultra-compressed, but still the sounds are above-average for a Super NES sports game. Play control is a little awkward at times, and you have very little control of hitting and no control over pitch location. Since you can't change your batter's contact area, some pitches are impossible to hit, including strikes. The game is pretty tough, especially in comparison to ESPN Baseball Tonight, which was released the same year as this. The fielders - especially catchers - have rocket arms, so, ironically, it's very difficult to steal bases unless you learn the art of gaining bases through crafty evasion of rundowns (a move discussed in the Strategies section). In season play, the game keeps track of each player's cumulative stats, which is a nice thing, and the statistics are pretty detailed. Overall, it's a decent baseball simulation, and it beats watching "reality" TV or serving lunch at some stranger's funeral. =============================================================================== Gameplay Controls [CONTR] =============================================================================== Chances are you can figure these out on your own, but here goes anyway: ---Any time--- START: Pause game/call time SELECT: Toggle score display on or off If you press A when the game is paused, a menu will appear, allowing you to pinch-hit, pinch-run, or change your batter's stance, or if you're pitching, to bring in a relief pitcher, change fielders, or adjust the defensive shift. ---Hitting--- A: Swing the bat B: Bunt Control Pad Left/Right: Hold to angle hit towards first or third, respectively Control Pad Up/Down: Hold to change hit trajectory ---Pitching--- A, B, Y, X: Throw corresponding pitch Control Pad: Select pitch location L: Call for a pitchout/return catcher to squatting position R (with runners on): Change to overhead view A + Control Pad (with overhead view): Throw over to corresponding base ---Fielding--- Control Pad: Move selected fielder B: Cycle through nearby fielders A (without ball, while stationary): Jump A (without ball, moving): Dive A (with ball): Throw to first base A + Control Pad (with ball): Throw to corresponding base (Up = second base, etc.) These controls apply only for manual fielding control. ---Baserunning--- X + Control Pad: Advance to corresponding base (X + Right to go from first base to second, for example) Y + Control Pad: Retreat to corresponding base (Y + Up to go back to second when between second and third) All of these baserunning maneuvers will work both before the pitch and while the ball is in play. They do not apply in automatic running mode. ---Changing Lineups--- Use the Control Pad to highlight the player you want to replace, then press A. Then scroll down to the bottom part of the screen, highlight the player you want to bring in, and press A to make the switch. Also remember that when a player is highlighted, you can press Left or Right to toggle between displaying 1993 stats and the stats for the current season (if applicable). ---Menus--- Press A to select an option, or B to return to the previous screen. ---Options--- Three game options can be set before each game (including during the middle of a season) and have a tremendous impact on the difficulty of the game. Fielding can be set to Auto, Semiauto, and Manual control. In Auto mode, the computer does literally everything in the field, from running to catch fly balls to throwing to the appropriate bases. In Semiauto mode, the computer moves the fielders to the appropriate positions, but you do all the throwing. In Manual mode, you do everything. Because the game plays very fast, I strongly recommend not using Manual mode for this, even for experienced players. Also keep in mind that when errors are turned on, players will sometimes muff balls regardless of the fielding control. Batting can be set to Auto or Manual. I always choose Manual, but there isn't much difference between the two. Auto mode makes it easier to make contact with the ball, since the computer will always help you swing at the right height. Running also has two settings, Auto and Manual. In Auto mode, the computer takes care of all baserunning. Taking manual control of runners allows you to get extra bases more frequently than the ultra-cautious computer, but you'll have to be careful to avoid getting doubled off or picked off. If you set everything to Auto control, all you will be doing is choosing the lineups, swinging the bat, and selecting pitches. This is a lot like MicroLeague Baseball for the PC. =============================================================================== Modes of Play [MODES] =============================================================================== Roger Clemens' MVP Baseball hardly has a wide variety of playing options: ---Season--- For the patient person in all of us! Guide your favorite team through a complete 162-game season following the real 1994 calendar. And help answer the eternal question of who would have won the World Series had the season not died prematurely. Of course, it'll take a REALLY long time to play through the full season, and there's no way to shorten it. You can save after each date, though, and there are two save slots available. In season play, errors and wind will always be turned on, so fielders will occasionally make random bobbles, and wind can affect the path of fly balls. On the main season screen, select Exit to play the next game, Information to view season standings or your team roster, Schedule to see the game calendar, or Options to decide what aspects of your game the computer will control (see Options in the previous section). ---Exhibition--- Play a game using the teams of your choice. You'll have the option of playing at three different venues and turning the DH, errors, and wind on or off. You can play against the computer or against a friend, or you can even watch the computer play itself. ---Championship--- This mode is for two human players only and allows you to play a 3-, 7-, 11-, or 15-games series with the teams of your choice. As in the real World Series, this matches up an American League team with a National League team. After every game you'll have the opportunity to save so you can resume your game at a later time. ---MVP Game--- MVP Game matches up the A.L. and N.L. All-Star teams (whose rosters can't be manually selected, by the way). Otherwise, it's just like an exhibition game. ---See Roster--- This useful feature allows you to see a list of players for any team in the game. But it's not just that! Press A on a position to scroll through the names of the players. Then press A on a player to view detailed information about that player's attributes. Much of this information, like runner speed, is not available on lineup screens, and it can be very helpful when selecting your lineups. You might want to write down the player data for your favorite team (I didn't feel like including all the data in this guide). =============================================================================== Strategies [STRAT] =============================================================================== Here are some strategies used in various aspects of this game. ----------------------------------Baserunning---------------------------------- Stealing second base (and especially third base) is pretty iffy even if you get a good jump and have a fairly speedy runner. To steal a base (assuming the runner is on first), press X and Up on the Control Pad once to get a jump, then another time to take off running. If you're trying to steal and the pitcher throws a fastball or you don't get a good jump, just press Y and Right on the Control Pad to return to first. Also consider the opposing catcher's arm strength; I wouldn't risk stealing against Ivan Rodriguez. If you become overzealous in taking extra bases, you may end up getting caught in a rundown. However, if you have quick reflexes, you can get an extra base whenever you get caught in a rundown. Let's assume you have a runner on first and you want to steal second: 1. Get a lead and try to steal second. 2. When the second baseman gets the ball, turn back to first. He will throw to first. 3. The instant the 2B throws the ball, reverse and move toward second, taking the base. This trick is effective when stealing bases, taking an extra base on a hit, and tagging up on a sacrifice fly. It requires good reflexes to pull off, so until you're experienced I would only use it when you've made a mistake and been a little too aggressive on the basepaths. Also, it can be used to advance from any base, not just from first to second as described in the above example. Be careful on fly outs and line outs. As soon as the ball is hit on force plays, the computer may send your runners toward the next base. However, if the ball is caught, the baserunners can be doubled off if you don't return them to their original bases. Use Y and the respective Control Pad directions to turn back just before the ball is caught. Of course, you can throw caution to the wind when there are two outs. Most fielders have rocket arms, so go for the extra base only when you're pretty sure you can succeed. If the opponent's throw is good, you can simply turn back to your previous base, but you might get caught in a rundown. I wouldn't try to get extra bases through sacrifice flies unless the ball was hit pretty hard, the runner is fast, or you know the outfielder has a weak arm. Also remember that your runners are fast, and the fielders are slow. If you slug the ball down the foul line, you can frequently get a triple or even an inside-the-park home run, sometimes even standing up! ------------------------------------Fielding----------------------------------- Fielding in Super Bases Loaded 3 is mostly a matter of learning the controls and anticipating how to position your fielders against certain kinds of hits. Because everything moves so quickly, and because cycling through the fielders can be cumbersome, fielding is definitely a challenge. I recommend using Automatic or Semiauto fielding control to permit the computer to take care of most of the fielding. The CPU's fielding is always reliable, and its skill in turning sleek double plays will bail you out of many a tight inning. When you're in charge of the defense, keep an eye on the radar on the bottom- right part of the screen. The fielder you're controlling is the yellow dot, and the white dot is the ball. Runners are blue. On the field, your fielder has the blue triangle over his head. One play that deserves special consideration is the dribbler to the first baseman; you must run over to first base to get the runner out; you can't throw to first, since the pitcher won't be covering the base. Be vigilant at all times! If an opponent hits a hard line drive to the center fielder with a runner on first, throw over to second base and you can often get the runner out (8-4, if you're keeping score). ------------------------------------Hitting------------------------------------ First, stay on your toes. Unlike most older baseball video games, the computer throws quite a few balls. If you're patient, you can occasionally get on base from walks (and from getting hit by pitches), especially if the opposing pitcher is wild. Never swing at bad pitches, unless you'd like to whiff or hit a puny ground ball. Checking your swing doesn't work very well, so when you swing the bat, bash that A button to get the full swing. Don't just give it a tiny tap. On the pause menu, it's possible to change your batter's stance. This may be worth a try if a pitcher is throwing a certain kind of pitch with great frequency. It would be nice if you could change your batter's stance with the Control Pad. Bunting is definitely worth a try with fast runners. With a little practice, you can get your leadoff man on base about 40% of the time just using bunts. Usually it's best if you angle the bunt toward third base; if you bunt hard enough, the fielders will get confused about who's supposed to pick up the ball and you'll get an easy hit. Just don't bunt with two strikes. Hit-and-run plays are not recommended because of the risk of runners getting doubled off. I'm not a big fan of squeeze bunts, either. -----------------------------------Management---------------------------------- Even the best managers disagree on the best way to set up a batting order. The default lineups for each team are OK, but they may not be the best for your situation and playing style. For example, when facing a left-handed pitcher, you might bring in more right-handed batters, who tend to be stronger against lefties (and vice versa). Personal preference plays a part, too; if you like stealing bases, you might swap a lumbering slugger who strikes out a lot for someone who runs and fields better. Feel free to tinker with the lineup to your heart's content, but remember that after every game in season mode, the lineups will stay in the same configuration as in the previous game (excluding pitchers). In this game, you have some flexibility as to where you play people; any outfielder can play any outfield position, and any infielder can play any infield spot. However, an infielder can't play the outfield, and catchers can only catch. In contrast to a lot of old baseball games, there's a huge difference between player abilities in this game. After a few games in season play, your best players may be hitting over .400, while pitchers and other weak hitters will often be hitting below .100. The arrow next to each player's name on the lineup screen indicates the player's current form. A player in a hot streak shows a blue upward arrow, while a red downward arrow means the player hasn't been doing as well lately. You may want to give a slumping player a day off, especially if there's a hot replacement on the bench. The game won't let you start a pitcher every day in season mode; he'll require three days' rest before he can return to the mound. Note that some teams have four-man pitching rotations, while most use five. You may also notice that different teams use different numbers of players per each position; some opt for more infielders, etc. on their 25-man rosters. At the end of an inning where you pinch-hit for a pitcher, a special screen will appear, allowing you to select a new pitcher, and, optionally, make a double-switch. This screen is complicated, confusing, and rather difficult to explain. A fielder will have a yellow box on him. If the "OK" box is flashing, press A to cycle through to the fielder who will be leaving the game. Then press Up or Down to cycle through to the player who will be going into the game. Most likely, you will want to highlight the pitcher and bring in someone from the bullpen. If you want to make a double-switch, swap the pinch-hitter (currently in the pitcher's position) into the position you want him to play. Then make the pitching change. Selecting "OK" won't make you leave this screen unless a valid pitcher is on the mound. I hope I didn't confuse you too much; it confused me. This same screen is used to make fielding changes, by the way. Use pinch-hitting and pinch-running to your advantage. ------------------------------------Pitching----------------------------------- In this game, you don't have a huge amount of control over what your pitches do. Here's a brief description of what each of the 10 pitches available in this game can do. Not all pitchers are available for all pitchers, of course. * Fastball: A fast pitch! The computer usually makes juicy contact with fastballs, so even though every pitcher can throw this pitch, it should NOT be your "go-to" pitch. This is always assigned to the A button. * Curveball: An OK pitch that curves gently. This is also part of virtually every pitcher's arsenal in the B slot (Darren Dreifort of the Dodgers is one of the very small number of exceptions). * Slider: Similar to a curveball, but this curves more sharply. A pretty good pitch, and one of the more common pitches in the Y slot. * Changeup: Most pitchers in this game can throw a changeup, generally with X. This slow pitch doesn't have any motion, but the reduction in speed can throw batters off. If they're expecting it, however, it's possible to make pretty good contact. * SFF: The split-fingered fastball dips just before it crosses the plate. While it's very hard to hit, it must also be remembered that you can't throw it for a strike. Use it as a change of pace. Also, not all that many pitchers throw splitters. * Forkball: Same as the split-finger fastball, only a bit slower. * Sinker: Sinkerballs are among the rarer pitches in the game, but if you have a pitcher who can throw it, you'd be wise to use this pitch profusely. It's a little similar to this game's split-finger fastball, but you can throw it for a strike. And when a batter makes contact, it'll usually be a weak grounder, especially when your pitcher is fresh. * Knuckleball: This rare pitch is REALLY slow, and in real life, extremely erratic and unpredictable. It has almost died out in the 21st century. * Screwball: Tom Browning, Carlos Pulido, and Craig Lefferts are the only users of the screwball in this game. This pitch curves in the opposite direction as a regular curveball and has more velocity. In real life, it can also "screw up" your elbow if you're not careful. * Palmball: Used exclusively in this game by Steve Bedrosian and Joe Boever, this is the least frequently-seen pitch in the game. It's a weird pitch that's almost as slow as the knuckleball. Make sure to keep an eye on your pitcher's pitch count, shown at the bottom- right corner of the screen. If it gets close to your pitcher's pitch limit, or you start getting hit hard, it may be time to bring in a new hurler. The longer a pitcher pitches, the more his velocity will decline. An intentional walk may be worth considering if first base is empty and a particularly dangerous hitter is up, especially if the rest of the lineup is weak. For pickoff attempts to have any chance of succeeding, make sure to throw the ball an instant after you press R. Your odds still aren't too much better than the lottery. On the pause menu, you may find it helpful to adjust the defensive shift when facing certain hitters. =============================================================================== Frequently Asked Questions [QUEST] =============================================================================== Q: What team should I use? A: If you want to boost your chances of winning, use a strong team like the Braves, Expos, or Blue Jays. If you're in the mood for a challenge or you're playing a less experienced human player, pick a weaker club like the Cubs or Brewers. Q: What do those strange abbreviations in the player stats mean? A: These are the player ratings (on the 1-10 scale) found on the team rosters. For hitters, Hitting (H), Power (PW), Throwing (TH), Speed (SP), and Fielding (FD); for pitchers, pitch speed (SPD) and pitch limit (PIT). If you mean the common baseball statistics like RBI and ERA, check a baseball encyclopedia or an Internet source like MLB.com or Baseball-Reference.com. Q: Does anything special happen if you throw a perfect game? A: The box score that appears in the newspaper after the game will say something like "Trachsel is perfect!" (or whatever your pitcher was). Special messages also appear if you throw a no-hitter or a complete game shutout. Q: Can you make trades in this game? A: No. You can't change the rosters in any way. Q: How far have you gotten in season mode? A: I used the Cubs to get to April 20, completing 13 games in season mode. I'm on top of the N.L. Central division, but there's 149 games left in the season, and I'm not planning on trying to win the World Series. Q: What other miscellaneous notes do you have? A: A few random notes: * All statistics are based on 1993 numbers. * If you play in Montreal or Toronto, you'll hear the Canadian national anthem at the beginning of the game. * I don't know if this game has a "mercy rule" that ends the game when a team drops behind by ten runs, since I've never had a game that lopsided. * The real names of the three fields of play available in this game are Wrigley Field (DaVine Field), Fenway Park (Greenwall Park), and the Skydome/ Rogers Centre (Spectra Dome). * Wind is more pronounced at Wrigley Field than Fenway Park, and the SkyDome has no wind at all. * I'm sure you're not stupid, but the "Long Island" team is Super Bases Loaded 3's name for the New York Mets. =============================================================================== Comparing to Reality [REALL] =============================================================================== The 1994 MLB season was considered by many to be one of the best ever - until its premature end, that is. The owners and players spent a lot of time disagreeing on small-market teams, revenue sharing, salary caps, and so forth. With neither side willing to compromise on anything, the players went on strike on August 11, ending the season and wiping out the World Series for the first time since 1904. The long- futile Montreal Expos ended the season with the best record in baseball, while the Yankees were the best American League team. Major League Baseball's realignment into six divisions added a new round of playoffs. While some fans thought this would lead to losing teams winning divisions (like the 52-62 Rangers leading the A.L. West at season's end), this has turned out not to be the case in recent seasons. The miscarried 1994 season left many players chasing statistical feats. Frank Thomas came close to the long-elusive Triple Crown, and both Matt Williams and Ken Griffey Jr. were on pace to approach Roger Maris's home run record (since broken, of course, with possible asterisks). On a less theoretical note, Greg Maddux of the Braves won his third consecutive Cy Young Award. Also, Cubs center fielder Karl Rhodes (usually known as Tuffy) hit three home runs on Opening Day and never did anything again in American baseball. And, of course, hoops legend Michael Jordan made his infamous attempt at trying to play minor-league baseball. He soon decided to return to his day job - wisely. =============================================================================== Version History [VERSN] =============================================================================== This Version History is made more interesting by mentioning a personal natural disaster of a relatively small scale. But you can still freely skip this section. Date | Version | Size | --------|---------|------|----------------------------------------------------- 4- 2-09 | 0.1 | 18KB | Began guide. 4- 3-09 | 0.2 | 18KB | Made some progress, although I was hampered by | | | having to clean up after a moderate-sized flood (not | | | of the digital variety). 4- 4-09 | 0.6 | 22KB | Completed title art. Worked on Strategies section. 4- 5-09 | 0.8 | 27KB | Did lots of fact-checking. 4- 6-09 | 1.0 | 30KB | Proofread and formatted the guide. 4-17-09 | 1.1 | 30KB | Fixed a few things. =============================================================================== Copyright [COPYR] =============================================================================== (c) 2009 Vinny Hamilton. All rights reserved. All trademarks mentioned in this guide are copyrights of their respective holders. You can print this guide out for your personal use. You can download this guide to your computer for your personal use. You can post this guide on your Web site as long as you give proper credit AND you don't change a single letter, number, or symbol (not even an ampersand). Remember that the latest version will always be available at GameFAQs.com, but don't count on there being frequent (if any) updates. You can translate this guide into a foreign language as long as you ask permission first. You can't post this guide on your Web site and then say you wrote the guide yourself. You can't post this guide on Web sites that contain (or have links to sites that contain) explicit depictions of unclothed humans (also known as pornography), racism, gambling, or flattery of totalitarian regimes. You can't post this guide on your Web site if you're going to change anything in this guide that took me so many hours to write. If you don't comply with these guidelines, your hard drive will be reformatted inexplicably and you will suffer from constipation for the rest of your life. Heed this warning. =============================================================================== Contact Information [CONTC] =============================================================================== If you have any questions or comments about this guide, please send an e-mail to VHamilton002@gmail.com. That's zero-zero-two, by the way. Remember that not all e-mail messages will be read. Please follow these guidelines: * Do include "Super Bases Loaded" in the subject line. * Do send polite suggestions for ways to make this walkthrough better. * Do tell me about any errors or omissions you find in this guide. * Do send information about any glitches, tricks, or codes you discover. * Do ask any questions you have about Super Bases Loaded 3: License to Steal gameplay. I will respond eventually if you follow all of these rules. * Do make a reasonable effort to use decent spelling, grammar, usage, punctuation, and capitalization so I can understand what you're trying to say. * Do use patience. I check my e-mail quite sporadically. * Do not send spam, pornography, chain letters, "flaming," or anything that contains profanity or vulgarity. Again, violating this rule will result in deletion of the message and permanent constipation. And lastly, a public service message: Fight for and affirm the rights of all humans, regardless of race, age, or creed! And... Say no to anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. No one's likely going to read this, anyway. For BSulpher, Marshmallow, Kirby0215, and the other great early FAQ writers