Grand Slam

Grand Slam is a baseball game that mixes arcade play with some simulation elements. Players can choose exhibition, tournament, full season, or "quick start" modes. During baseball matches the player gets to control batters and pitchers. Batting and pitching both use tiered difficulty systems: batting ranges from simple timing swings to advanced control of swing power and strike-zone placement, while pitching uses a “golf swing” style meter where precision and control matter. The game also includes simple team management gameplay, with the ability to buy and sell players. Other highlights amongst Grand Slam's feature set include: A trade AI engine that would examine the needs of a team and decide if a proposed trade was in its best interest. Catcher AI and pitch signals, helping a player learn how to pitch to each batter's strengths and weaknesses. Attention to details and baseball flavor, such as players that would blow bubble gum bubbles during an at bat, light- hearted commentary, an All Star Break during season play (complete with a working voting ballot), and an in-game JumboTron scoreboard that would show animations after home runs. Grand Slam was one of the early adopters of 3D accelerator card technology and also offered full 3D play in software alone. The Playstation and Saturn versions were 3D by default.