On the ‘road again
A few months ago we mentioned that a new Pawapuro spin-off game was coming focusing on the Eikan Nine high school team management mode (with some RPG and board game elements). The game’s title has now been announced in this teaser trailer:
Coming to (Japanese) iOS and Android in summer, then later to consoles, the game will be called Powerful Pro Yakyuu Eikan Nine Crossroad (パワフルプロ野球栄冠ナインクロスロード).
There’s a website for the game up here and a Twitter account here (I’ve never heard of a social media site called X, not sure what you mean).
It is not the simplest thing in the world to play a mobile game made only for another region, so I look forward to the eventual console release more.
If you’re not familiar with Eikan Nine, this mode charges you with managing a high school baseball team year after year, dealing with recruitment and graduations and improving little by little. If you once loved NCAA Football dynasty mode but wish it came in baseball flavor, get excited.
If you don’t know Japanese, the mode is intimidating to play at first. But with a little practice and maybe a guide or two, I’ve heard dozens of people say it’s surprisingly playable without knowing the language.
When liars found the light
Baseball games used to lie about what year they came out. It’s a pet topic for me as someone who’s constantly organizing old baseball games by release year. Here’s when these series decided to come clean.
Baseball Mogul 2014 – released 2013
Baseball Mogul 2015 – released 2014
Baseball Mogul Diamond – released 2015
Baseball Mogul 2016 – released 2016
MLB Slugfest 20-03 – released 2002
MLB Slugfest 20-04 – released 2003
MLB Slugfest 2006 – released 2006
Sony’s MLB 2005 – release 2004
Sony’s MLB 2006 – released 2005
Sony’s MLB 06: The Show – released 2006
World Series Baseball 2K1 – released 2000
World Series Baseball 2K2 – released 2001
World Series Baseball 2K3 – released 2003
All-Star Baseball 2005 – released 2004. Last game in the series.
OOTP Baseball 24 – released 2023. This is technically the 24th game in the series but come on, they know what they’re doing.
YouTube Viewing Guide
- Major League Baseball 2K9 – Commercial. Maybe the best-known baseball video game TV ad? Tim Lincecum fits the ad perfectly somehow. Yet it’s hard to find a recording of it online that’s more than ten pixels.
- Pro Yakyuu Spirits 5 (PS3) – Gameplay. I think the PS3’s signature aesthetic is starting to become clear in retrospect: Shiny-lookin’ dudes. This game’s sure got ’em.
- Major League Baseball 2K11 (PS3) – Gameplay. Main thing that strikes me playing this era of 2K baseball games is how ugly the bad swings are. If you swing and miss at a pitch, it will make you look like Giannis trying to swing a bat for the first time.
- Baseball Mogul 2008 (PC) – Gameplay. I used to play tons of Baseball Mogul, but when I go back to it for these recordings it feels like every game is a bonkers out-of-control hit parade.
- Baseball Stars 2 (PC) – Gameplay. I’m trying to record every version of Baseball Stars 2 for a page on this site, even including this mediocre gog.com/Steam PC port. No save support and a substandard framerate.