Play Ken Griffey Jr.'s Slugfest Online

You pick pitches and swing for the fences with Griffey’s smooth batting stance, tracking fly balls with those little off-screen arrows when your outfielders disappear. The simple A/B controls somehow nail that satisfying crack of a well-timed hit.

Developer: Nintendo

Genre: Sports

Released: 1999

File size: 519 bytes

Game Overview

Ken Griffey Jr.'s Slugfest on Game Boy Color is one of those rare handheld baseball games that actually feels like baseball. Sure, it’s stripped down compared to the N64 version—no flashy 3D stadiums here—but it’s got all the essentials: full season play (pick from short, medium, or long), home run derbies, and even trades if you’re managing a team. The rosters are all 1998 squads, Griffey included, which is a nice touch.

Pitching and batting happen from behind the pitcher’s view, while fielding switches to an overhead angle. The field camera’s a little tight, so you’ll rely on arrows to track your players when they wander off-screen. Controls? Just A and B plus the D-pad—simple, but it works. The real surprise is how smooth it feels once you get the timing down for swings and pitches.

It’s not the deepest baseball sim, but for a Game Boy Color cart, it holds up way better than it has any right to.