The Plastic Bat is the first and weakest bat introduced in EarthBound Beginnings. It can only be used by Ninten and is picked up in Ninten's basement before he leaves and ventures into rural Podunk. It can also be bought in Podunk's department store in the third floor for $80, selling for $40. This weapon adds an additional 3 OFFENSE to Ninten's base stats.
The Plastic Bat is generally used at the very start of the game and is easily found by most players. Ninten will usually fight the first enemies such as the Stray Dog and Wally outside with it and defeat the PseudoZombis to eventually rescue Pippi in the Cemetery. Once the player eventually acquires the Wooden Bat for $500 in the City Zoo, it is recommended to sell the Plastic Bat in the first floor of Podunk's department store to get $40 back for free.
Trivia
- Attempting to leave without it will put Ninten at a disadvantage due to his very low level.
- A Plastic Bat can be found in Sweet's Little Factory. However, by the time Ninten reaches it, he will have most likely already have the Wooden Bat. That being said, it can still be sold in the Merrysville Department Store for $40.
- EarthBound's equivalent to the Plastic Bat is the Cracked Bat equipped by Ness in Ness's House in the region of Onett. It can also be bought in the Drug Store in Onett for $18. It offers +4 Offense, slightly more than Ninten's. Mother 3's equivalent is the Stick equipped by Flint and Lucas in the first chapter of the game by checking the doghouse in the Twins' House. It can also be found as a 15% drop by Squawking Sticks. It offers +2 Offense, slightly less than Ninten's.
- If the player somehow misses the Plastic Bat in the basement, buying it in Podunk will force the player to choose between it and the Slingshot, which costs $40 more but offers more than double the offense. However, the downside is that it does miss more often and the Plastic Bat never misses.
- Some players will instead save enough money to buy and equip the Slingshot early and then go to the Cemetery. However, the Plastic Bat is still considered a viable weapon up until the player reaches the City Zoo where both weapons lose their damage output due to the abnormally high defense of the exotic animals.
- Ninten cannot use the Plastic Bat to defeat the Lamp or the Doll. The poltergeist must be removed before Ninten can go outside and unlock the basement.
- The Plastic Bat is the first thing that implies that Ninten is a baseball player or a fan of it similarly to Ness. Although because it's supposed to be a toy of some kind, it is not meant to be used seriously in both combat and sports.
- In the companion guide, it is called "Battered Bat" in Mother, "Plastic Bat" in EarthBound Beginnings, and "Cracked Bat" in Mother 1 + 2.
- The description reads, "It holds the honor of being the first weapon the protagonist obtains, weathered though it is. No doubt he used this thing to play baseball once upon a time. Is it a memento of someone?".