<s>
is	O
an	O
arcade	O
baseball	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Alpha	O
Denshi	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Sega	O
in	O
March	B-Application
1983	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
a	O
blockbuster	O
success	O
in	O
Japanese	O
arcades	O
when	O
released	O
in	O
1983	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
a	O
departure	O
from	O
the	O
"	O
space	O
games	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
cartoon	O
"	O
action	B-Application
games	I-Application
that	O
had	O
previously	O
dominated	O
the	O
arcades	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
serve	O
as	O
the	O
prototype	O
for	O
later	O
baseball	B-Application
video	I-Application
games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
released	O
their	O
own	O
competitor	O
Baseball	B-Application
later	O
the	O
same	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
controls	O
a	O
baseball	B-Application
team	O
,	O
against	O
a	O
computer-controlled	O
team	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
player	O
batting	O
at	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
each	O
inning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Standard	O
baseball	B-Application
rules	O
apply	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
player	O
awarded	O
points	O
for	O
various	O
accomplishments	O
such	O
as	O
hitting	O
a	O
pitch	O
,	O
safely	O
reaching	O
any	O
base	O
,	O
pitching	O
a	O
strike	O
,	O
getting	O
a	O
computer	O
player	O
out	O
,	O
or	O
retiring	O
the	O
computer	O
's	O
side	O
to	O
end	O
an	O
inning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
play	O
begins	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
choose	O
which	O
city/state	O
to	O
represent	O
from	O
a	O
list	O
containing	O
Los	O
Angeles	O
,	O
Cincinnati	O
,	O
Atlanta	O
,	O
Pittsburg	O
(	O
probably	O
a	O
typo	O
for	O
Pittsburgh	O
,	O
Pennsylvania	O
)	O
,	O
Chicago	O
,	O
Montreal	O
,	O
St.	O
Louis	O
,	O
Boston	O
,	O
Milwaukee	O
,	O
New	O
York	O
City	O
,	O
California	O
and	O
Texas	O
(	O
all	O
of	O
whom	O
had	O
major-league	O
baseball	B-Application
franchises	O
in	O
1983	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
a	O
blockbuster	O
success	O
upon	O
release	O
in	O
Japanese	O
arcades	O
,	O
at	O
one	O
point	O
enjoying	O
a	O
level	O
of	O
popularity	O
comparable	O
to	O
Space	B-Application
Invaders	I-Application
according	O
to	O
Sega	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
Space	B-Application
Invaders	I-Application
,	O
there	O
were	O
many	O
arcade	O
locations	O
across	O
Japan	O
dedicated	O
exclusively	O
to	O
Champion	B-Application
Baseball	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Japanese	O
magazine	O
Game	O
Machine	O
published	O
their	O
first	O
bi-weekly	O
arcade	O
charts	O
in	O
their	O
June	O
1	O
,	O
1983	O
issue	O
,	O
Champion	B-Application
Baseball	I-Application
was	O
listed	O
as	O
the	O
most	O
successful	O
table	O
arcade	O
cabinet	O
of	O
the	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
remained	O
at	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
the	O
Game	O
Machine	O
table	O
arcade	O
game	O
charts	O
for	O
three	O
months	O
through	O
June	O
and	O
July	O
to	O
August	O
1983	O
,	O
before	O
eventually	O
being	O
dethroned	O
by	O
Elevator	B-Application
Action	I-Application
in	O
September	O
1983	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Champion	B-Application
Baseball	I-Application
remained	O
in	O
the	O
top	O
ten	O
for	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
,	O
through	O
December	O
1983	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
were	O
expecting	O
to	O
repeat	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
Japanese	O
success	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
baseball	B-Application
being	O
a	O
popular	O
sport	O
in	O
the	O
region	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Champion	B-Application
Baseball	I-Application
II	O
was	O
released	O
the	O
same	O
year	O
,	O
with	O
identical	O
graphics	O
but	O
allowing	O
two	O
players	O
to	O
compete	O
with	O
each	O
other	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
sequel	O
,	O
titled	O
Super	O
Champion	B-Application
Baseball	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1989	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
release	O
,	O
the	O
sports	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Champion	B-Application
Baseball	I-Application
was	O
a	O
departure	O
from	O
the	O
"	O
space	O
games	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
cartoon	O
"	O
action	B-Application
games	I-Application
that	O
had	O
previously	O
dominated	O
the	O
arcades	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Champion	B-Application
Baseball	I-Application
went	O
on	O
to	O
serve	O
as	O
the	O
prototype	O
for	O
later	O
baseball	B-Application
video	I-Application
games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
later	O
released	O
their	O
own	O
competing	O
sports	O
game	O
,	O
Baseball	B-Application
,	O
initially	O
for	O
the	O
Famicom	O
console	O
in	O
late	O
1983	O
and	O
then	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
arcade	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Vs.	I-Application
System	I-Application
as	O
Vs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Baseball	B-Application
in	O
1984	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Baseball	B-Application
lacked	O
certain	O
features	O
of	O
Champion	B-Application
Baseball	I-Application
,	O
it	O
had	O
improved	O
multiplayer	O
capabilities	O
.	O
</s>
