Here’s your first look at ‘R.B.I. Baseball 16’

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“R.B.I. Baseball,” the legendary video game that was revived in 2014 by MLB Advanced Media, is almost ready to roll out its 2016 installment with Mookie Betts on the cover, a number of new features and one new thing that’s important to old-school gamers.

You can get your first look at the game and its new features in video above.

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For the first time in its second life, physical copies of “R.B.I. Baseball” will be available in stores. When it was relaunched, the game was marketed for smartphones and as a digital download for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Macs and PCs. While modern gamers might be well accustomed to downloading games, some old-school types who had the game on the original NES might celebrate owning a physical copy once again.

The game doesn’t bring back the 8-bit look of old, but it is meant to be a throwback in terms of game play. While the “MLB The Show” series is far more realistic, “R.B.I. Baseball” aims to be a simpler pick-up-and-play option.

For the U.S. version Betts, the exciting Boston Red Sox outfielder is the cover athlete. In Canada, however, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman is on the cover. Let’s have a look.

Per MLB, here are the improvements to the 2016 game, many of which you can see in the video up top:

Defense: A redeveloped defensive AI will introduce new fielding capabilities including dives, wall catches, fake throws and more. This system will give users more control than ever before in making defensive plays.

Baserunning: Built in part from MLBAM’s award-winning tracking technology, Statcast™, baserunners’ abilities will be driven by on-field metrics from the 2015 MLB season.

Batting: An improved batting engine will feature variable perfect timing. For the best outcome, swing earlier on inside pitches and later on outside pitches.

Pitching: With a reworked pitching strategy AI, pitchers will play to their individual strengths. For example, a pitcher who features a wide range of velocity will mix speeds more often.

Season SIM: During season mode play, sim a game or multiple games to quickly advance through the season and into the postseason — should the team win its division or earn a Wild Card spot.

Lineup: Modify a team’s lineup pregame or in-game, including substitution strategies such as double switches. Lineups can be set from a franchise’s 40-man roster or the game’s classic 16-player rosters.

Graphics: All 30 MLB ballparks will feature a new lighting system based on actual geographic locations, field views and additional hi-resolution realistic design elements.

“R.B.I. Baseball 16” is avilable as a digital download on March 29 and in stores on April 5.

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