Irem released Ninja Baseball Bat Man in arcades in 1993, and it remains one of the most gleefully strange beat ’em ups of the era. A set of priceless baseball artifacts has been stolen, and the league commissioner sends a team of four robotic ninja ballplayers – Jose, Ryno, Roger and Straw – to get them back. Every enemy fits the theme: living baseballs, gloves, bats, pitching machines and even airborne hot-dog stands attack the team as they battle across Los Angeles, Seattle and beyond. Each player has a different balance of reach, speed and power, and the controls reward experimentation with dash attacks, throws, a large library of special moves and a powerful desperation attack that costs a little health. Up to four players can play at once on the dedicated cabinet. The game never received a home console port during the 1990s, which is a big part of why it became a cult favourite among arcade collectors.