I was surprised by how intuitive – and how challenging – HomeRun Battle 3D for iPhone is. What was more striking is how quickly I was taking on opponents over the Internet.
Home Run Battle comes in two versions, free and paid, but for a free edition, this one is pretty complete. Players are dropped into a home run derby, in which the placement of the bat in the strike box is determined by tilting the iPhone to position a little targeting marker. Timing of the swing is determined by a tap. And that’s all there is to it.
For how simply and quickly the style is picked up, it’s tough to master. Pitches get changed often, forcing you to adjust where you place the bat and how quickly you swing. And occasionally your batter will “call” the hit, pointing toward a part of the park, which you can nail for bonus points.
In two game modes – Arcade, which is played alone, and Matchup, which uses the Internet to play against another human batter – it’s points, rather than total dingers, that determine winners. Home runs are worth the most points and often carry bonuses, but hits of any kind count.
Matchup mode is very cool, especially because it has minimal waiting. But Home Run Battle is hard to be good at, and jumping online without some practice leads to getting pummeled by the competition. Wins earn you points toward improving and customizing your batter, which adds another great layer to the game.
Considering it’s free, you can’t go wrong with Home Run Battle 3D.
