Grand Slam received mostly mixed reviews. Critics agreed that the pitching and batting controls, while obviously derived from golf video games, are innovative and add a new depth of control to the baseball genre.[11][2][14] However, they lambasted the graphics and animation, often describing them as reminiscent of the 16-bit era.[11][2][14] Next Generation concluded that "Grand Slam has all the features and options in place, but ultimately can't make up for substandard graphics and slow pace."[2] Other reactions to the selection of features and options were mixed; Darren Lerhman of GameSpot and GamePro both found that though they were generally ample, the absence of create-a-player and team licenses stood out, since most of the game's competitors included these features.[11][14] Lerhman nonetheless judged that "It may not have the team licenses, fifty years worth of statistics, or incredible graphics, but it is indeed fun (and it does have real MLB players). Suffice to say baseball fanatics will be disappointed by this title, but casual sports fans looking for an enjoyable baseball sim may find themselves willing to overlook these shortcomings."[11] GamePro's assessment was similar but more dismal: "... if you can overlook the game's faults, you'll have a pretty good time playing. But with an extraordinary game like Triple Play 98 on the market, why settle for anything less?"[14][b]