Video game companies now strive for realism. They want to immerse players into the world they create and make the environments and physics as accurate as possible, in order to simulate the world as it is.

No other genre in gaming exemplifies this better than the realm of Sports Games. Just look at games like Madden Football, the NBA 2K series, and MLB The Show. Arguably the most realistic sports franchises in the business today. 

While these games are still great (with the exception of Madden, which is seeing a steady decline in my eyes for its inability to step away from its old formula and try something new), I feel the long lasting tradition of making easy pick up and play sports games that relied more on fun than realism...is a dying breed.

One of the first games I think about when I think of the golden age of gaming that serves as a prime example is, Baseball Stars for the NES.

It brought baseball to its simplest form. You throw the ball, catch the ball, hit the ball. There was no wind dynamics, there was no stadiums with different dimensions. This game had only one stadium for every single team, and did you care? No, which serves as a testament at how amazing this game truly is.

It had simplified controls and creative teams such as the SNK Crushers, The Lovely Ladies, and the Ghastly Monsters. In a single game you could have Medusa pitching to Babe Ruth, than have Dr. Jekyll close out your game.

Not only were the default teams amazingly fun to play with, but this was the first baseball game to install a create-a-player and create-a-team option, and both features were incredibly in depth. 

You could systematically create every single player on your team. Defensive replacements, pinch runners, pinch hitters, homerun hitters, contact hitters, closers, etc. The options were endless to make your team how you saw fit. Your team color was based on the logos you picked for them.

When you felt you were ready you could take your team into season play and the money earned could be used to upgrade your players, or even trade or buyout another team's star. 

You want Pete Rose on your Team? Or Damien from The Omen? Those crazy options were available to you once you earned enough money.

I don't want you to make the mistake thinking that since this game is easy to pick up and play that it is overall an easy title. That couldn't be further from the truth. While it is easy to play there is an incredible about of strategy involved, just like there would be in games like MLB The Show. 

The AI is also aggressive, attempting to stretch singles into doubles or rounding third in order to force a throw home. However, where this game really shines is in its Vs. Games. Player vs. Player. Whether you decide to use default teams or have your created teams play each other for bragging rights, you will be hard pressed, even today, to find a sports game that is as much fun to play against another player than this one.

Though Nintendo is attempting to keep the tradition of sports games that are easy to play, such as the Mario/Sonic Winter Games, etc. they haven't quite nailed the fun part like they did back in the days of Baseball Stars.

It's one of those rare games for the classic NES that stand out above a library of many brilliant games, and one that shouldn't be missed by sports/retro video game fans.