Batter Up (game controller)

The Batter Up controller for the Super Nintendo

Batter Up is a foam-covered plastic baseball bat controller manufactured for the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System and PC by Sports Sciences Inc.

The Batter Up controller worked by sensing the timing of the swing and simulating a fire button press in response, so it was compatible with a wide range of games that supported a sufficiently simple control scheme. Sports Sciences also made TeeV Golf, a similar motion-sensing controller for golf games which had to be configured using a card for each game it supported.

Compatible SNES games

Cal Ripken Jr. Baseball, 1992 Mindscape
ESPN Baseball Tonight, 1994 Sony Imagesoft
Hardball III, 1994 Accolade
Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball, 1994 Nintendo
Ken Griffey, Jr.'s Winning Run, 1996 Nintendo
MLBPA Baseball, 1994 EA Sports
Sports Illustrated: Championship Football & Baseball, 1993 Malibu Games
Tecmo Super Baseball, 1994 Tecmo
Super Batter Up, 1993 Namco

Compatible Genesis games

Sports Talk Baseball, 1992 Sega
World Series Baseball, 1994 Sega
Hardball III, 1993 Accolade
Hardball '94, 1994 Accolade
RBI Baseball '93, 1993 Tengen
RBI Baseball '94, 1994 Tengen
Cal Ripken Jr. Baseball, 1992 Mindscape
ESPN Baseball Tonight, 1994 Sony Imagesoft
Super Baseball 2020, 1993 Electronic Arts
Tony La Russa Baseball, 1993 EA Sports
MLBPA Baseball, 1994 EA Sports

Reception

According to a 1995 press release, Batter Up was chosen as a winner of Innovations '95 by the Consumer Electronics Show.

Popular Science included Batter Up in their list of 1994's 100 Greatest Achievements in Science and Technology. Wired included it in their roundup of new products in April 1995, saying Who says videogames encourage lethargy? ... I wonder what would happen if you used it to play Mortal Kombat?, and Playboy similarly highlighted it as a cool sports gadget in March 1995. Men's Health identified Batter Up as part of a 1995 trend for exertainment products that combined exercise equipment and computers.

Electronic Games reviewed the Sega Genesis version of Batter Up in April 1995, with reviewer Ed Dille noting that the controller was limited to sensing the timing of the swing and not the direction, and describing it as more a toy than a tool.

Steve Bauman reviewed the PC version for Computer Games Strategy Plus in October 1995, again noting the limitations of the sensors, but saying that it was one of the cheapest ways to add a pseudo-virtual reality device to your PC ... still the ultimate party favor for your next baseball get-together.

References

1 2 3 Jacobs, David (April 1995). "Fetish". Wired. Vol. 3, no. 4. p. 59. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
1 2 Bauman, Steve (October 1995). "Review: Batter Up". Computer Games Strategy Plus. No. 59. p. 119. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
↑ Albert Kim, "Get In There, Scottie! Playing with an NBA star is only one thing you can do with these new titles^{[link removed]}" Sports Illustrated Vault (December 12, 1994).
1 2 Dille, Ed (April 1995). "Batter Up!". Electronic Games. Vol. 3, no. 7. p. 64. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
1 2 Herman, Leonard (July 2018). "The Sporting Life". Old School Gamer Magazine. No. 5. p. 19. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
↑ "CES News: All Quiet on the Sega Front?". Computer and Video Games. No. 153. August 1994. p. 17. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
↑ "Sports Sciences introduces PC version of Batter Up and car-racing simulation game at Consumer Electronics Show". Business Wire. January 6, 1995. Archived from the original on May 11, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
↑ "Best of What's New". Popular Science. December 1994. p. 53. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
↑ "Playboy's Guide to Sports Video Games". Playboy. Vol. 42, no. 3. March 1995. p. 102. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
↑ "Getting In Shape Byte by Byte". Men's Health. Vol. 10, no. 2. March 1995. p. 32. Retrieved July 17, 2026.

External links

Batter Up!

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[wired-1] 1 2 3 Jacobs, David (April 1995). "Fetish". Wired. Vol. 3, no. 4. p. 59. Retrieved July 17, 2026.

[computergames-2] 1 2 Bauman, Steve (October 1995). "Review: Batter Up". Computer Games Strategy Plus. No. 59. p. 119. Retrieved July 17, 2026.

[3] Albert Kim, "Get In There, Scottie! Playing with an NBA star is only one thing you can do with these new titles^{[link removed]}" Sports Illustrated Vault (December 12, 1994).

[electronicgames-4] 1 2 Dille, Ed (April 1995). "Batter Up!". Electronic Games. Vol. 3, no. 7. p. 64. Retrieved July 17, 2026.

[oldschoolgamer-5] 1 2 Herman, Leonard (July 2018). "The Sporting Life". Old School Gamer Magazine. No. 5. p. 19. Retrieved July 19, 2026.

[cvg-golf-6] "CES News: All Quiet on the Sega Front?". Computer and Video Games. No. 153. August 1994. p. 17. Retrieved July 19, 2026.

[7] "Sports Sciences introduces PC version of Batter Up and car-racing simulation game at Consumer Electronics Show". Business Wire. January 6, 1995. Archived from the original on May 11, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2026.

[popsci-8] "Best of What's New". Popular Science. December 1994. p. 53. Retrieved July 17, 2026.

[playboy-9] "Playboy's Guide to Sports Video Games". Playboy. Vol. 42, no. 3. March 1995. p. 102. Retrieved July 17, 2026.

[menshealth-10] "Getting In Shape Byte by Byte". Men's Health. Vol. 10, no. 2. March 1995. p. 32. Retrieved July 17, 2026.