Title: Kyuukyoku Harikiri Stadium (trans. Ultimate Exciting Stadium)
System: NES/Famicom
Release Date: June 28th 1988
Developer: Taito
Released in: Japan only
Kyuukyoku Harikiri Stadium (Harikiri is a made-up word meaning something like “exciting”, not to be confused with harakiri) is an 8-bit baseball game similar to R.B.I. Baseball/Family Stadium. A little unusually for this era, the gameplay point of view is behind the hitter when the player is hitting and behind the pitcher when the player is pitching, rather than picking one point of view and sticking to it.
Gameplay Video
Description
Similar to SNK’s Baseball Stars, you are able to level up your players after each game in various attributes like hitting ability and speed.
Maybe the most unexpected feature is the Highlight of the Game. A replay of a pivotal moment runs after the game ends, including a trail tracking where the pitch in flight if the highlight is for a pitch. An end-of-game highlight reel feels more like a PS2-era feature.
Roster and Team Details
The game lacks a license for the real Japanese professional teams, so parody names with the same initials as the real teams are used instead:
- G – Gullivers – Yomiuri Giants
- T – Titanics – Hanshin Tigers
- C – Cops – Hiroshima Toyo Carp
- D – Drapons – Chunichi Dragons (stumped by this one, though it seems to be a common parody version of Dragons used by manga and youth teams)
- W – Wafers – Yokohama Taiyo Whales
- S – Slalom – Yakult Swallows
- L – Lycaons – Seibu Lions
- Bu – Bremens – Hankyu Braves
- H – Homes – Nankai Hawks
- Ba – Bavaroises – Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes
- O – Ororons (a Japanese nickname for the linked bird) – Lotte Orions
- F – Flighters – Nippon Ham Fighters
- I – Idol team, with names based on pop idols rather than a real baseball team
Screenshots
30-30 Club Review
Hard to see it as much more than a Family Stadium clone. I like Family Stadium, so I guess I like this too. – Nate