Nintendo Pennant Chase Baseball: Difference between revisions
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----'''Exhibition Game''' - Standard exhibition game mode, pick from any of the 30 MLB teams and go head-to-head with up to 4-players. | ----'''Exhibition Game''' - Standard exhibition game mode, pick from any of the 30 MLB teams and go head-to-head with up to 4-players. | ||
'''Franchise Mode''' - Traditional Franchise mode that offers manager play with deep simulation and finance and performance-related team goals. Maxmium length is 15 | '''Franchise Mode''' - Traditional Franchise mode that offers manager play with deep simulation and finance and performance-related team goals. Maxmium length is 15 seasons. | ||
'''Rookie of the Year''' - Rookie of the Year Mode is a new way to play through a Major League Baseball® season. This is RPG baseball. Start out creating a rookie and adding him to your favorite Major League Baseball® team. With each game, you earn points that you can use to increase specific characteristics (batting, throwing, fielding, new pitches, etc.) of players on your team. Buy team upgrades like batting clinics and pitching seminars from Hall of Fame players to get added points for team players. Earn the Rookie of the Year award and use your upgraded player anywhere in the game. | '''Rookie of the Year''' - Rookie of the Year Mode is a new way to play through a Major League Baseball® season. This is RPG baseball. Start out creating a rookie and adding him to your favorite Major League Baseball® team. With each game, you earn points that you can use to increase specific characteristics (batting, throwing, fielding, new pitches, etc.) of players on your team. Buy team upgrades like batting clinics and pitching seminars from Hall of Fame players to get added points for team players. Earn the Rookie of the Year award and use your upgraded player anywhere in the game. | ||
Revision as of 22:36, 1 December 2024
Nintendo Pennant Chase Baseball
| Release Date | Unreleased (announced for 2005) |
|---|---|
| Platforms | GameCube |
| Developer | Exile Interactive |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Team Names | Real MLB teams |
| Player Names | Real MLB players |
| Cover Athlete(s) | David Ortiz |
Nintendo Pennant Chase Baseball is an unreleased action baseball game by Exile Interactive set in MLB, which was planned for release in 2005. Exile Interactive served as the development team for the game. The team had previously worked on Sega's World Series Baseball 2K2 and 2K3.
The game was originally announced for an April 4th release date, then delayed to June 13th. A trailer and gameplay was shown at E3 2005, which took place from May 18-20. On June 13th 2005, Nintendo announced the game was delayed indefinitely.
Description
Batting is controlled with a bat-shaped swing cursor. Flicking the GameCube C-stick up, down, left, or right will influence the direction of the batted ball.
Pitches are aimed by holding the left stick in the desired location then timing the pitch meter correctly for an accurate pitch. Different previews give different descriptions of the C-stick functionality while pitching: Flicking the C-stick down once or twice adds spin to the pitch, at the expense of control. Tilting the C-stick before catching a pop-up on defense will set up to make a running throw, to counter a sacrifice fly.
The game features a Speed Play mode that can be enabled mid-game, focusing control to only the batter-pitcher matchup to allow a full game to played more quickly.
Rookie of the Year mode lets players control a single created character across a full season. Performance points earned in the mode can be spent to improve other players on the same team. Created characters that win the Rookie of the Year award are added to the free agent pool for Franchise Mode. In this mode, you can purchase coaching help from Hall of Famers such as Yogi Berra to improve your team's attributes.
Franchise Mode allows for control of a single team for up to fifteen seasons.
A Home Field Evolution mode allows the player to earn upgrade points across various game modes to spend on their own custom park, starting with a sandlot park then moving up to a high school field, then eventually a big league stadium. After unlocking all features of one tier of park in this mode, the park is unlocked for all play modes.
Multiplayer was supported, for up to 4 players.
The play-by-play commentator is Rick Rizzs, then of the Seattle Mariners. The color guy is Bob Brenly, former Diamondbacks manager and then-Cubs broadcaster. The stadium announcer is Tom Hutyler, also of the Mariners.
"Greatest Day" by Bowling for Soup is the game's title track. E3 footage of the game also included the song "My Everything" by Goldfinger.
E3 footage indicates that points earned through gameplay can unlock 65 unlockable jerseys and 10 stadiums.
Game Modes & Features
Exhibition Game - Standard exhibition game mode, pick from any of the 30 MLB teams and go head-to-head with up to 4-players.
Franchise Mode - Traditional Franchise mode that offers manager play with deep simulation and finance and performance-related team goals. Maxmium length is 15 seasons.
Rookie of the Year - Rookie of the Year Mode is a new way to play through a Major League Baseball® season. This is RPG baseball. Start out creating a rookie and adding him to your favorite Major League Baseball® team. With each game, you earn points that you can use to increase specific characteristics (batting, throwing, fielding, new pitches, etc.) of players on your team. Buy team upgrades like batting clinics and pitching seminars from Hall of Fame players to get added points for team players. Earn the Rookie of the Year award and use your upgraded player anywhere in the game.
Speed Play - Have just 10 minutes to play a game? Speed Play is for you. Play lightning-fast games with the full ability to pitch and hit, while the fielding outcome is quickly determined. This can be used in any mode in the game. For hard-core gamers, it is the perfect quick play between simulating a game and playing the full experience.
Playoff Hunt - Jump straight into the heat of the pennant chase! Each team has it's own unique scenario, re-live moments of clinching's past. (Uses the 2004 rosters) Playoff Hunt puts players right in the thick of a season with their teams battling to reach the playoffs.
Home Field Evolution - Home Field Evolution is a new approach to baseball game rewards. Upgrade four unique baseball fields (Sand Lot, High School, AAA, Major League™) by playing any mode in the game. Players earn points that allow them to upgrade field amenities (fences, scoreboards, field detail, etc.) and earn the ability to play in these unique fields as you upgrade them.
Veteran C-Stick Control - Veteran C-Stick Control is incorporated into all aspects of game play. Pitching allows players to put additional spin on the ball. Batting allows players to decide which part of the field to hit to. Fielders can move back on fly balls to increase throw power. Runners can choose which direction to slide into the bag.
E3 2005 Trailer
E3 Gameplay Video
From the GameCube Cafe DVD for E3 2005:
From 2:44 to 4:22 in the video below includes footage of the game being played at E3 2005.
Producer Interview
Two interviews with Nintendo of America producer Henry Sterchi about the game, from IGN and GameSpot. Both interviews were performed at a Nintendo event surrounding the Opening Day Twins at Mariners game on April 5, 2005.
Credits
There is no instruction manual or gameplay video to confirm the credits. The list below is drawn from various sources, and may have some inaccuracies, and is likely missing several individuals who should be credited.
Jason Busch - Programmer
Yann Cleroux - Senior Programmer
Dave Coburn - Lead Animator
Wendall Harding - Programmer
Justin Heyes-Jones - Senior Software Engineer
Neil Hill - Head of Technology
Mike Krazanowki - Senior Programmer
Rodney Lum - Senior Artist
Kevin Macadam - Animator
Allen McPheeters - Senior Game Designer
Thomas OByrne - System Administrator
James Norwood - Senior A.I. Engineer
Glen Schulz - Technical Art Director
Brian Segall - Programmer
Dave Smith - Programmer
Steve Snake - Senior Engineer
Dan Tudge - Executive Producer
Nicki Vankoughnett - Programmer
Richard Walker - Lead Programmer
Art We - Art Director
Todd White - Software Engineer
Screenshots
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Nintendo Pennant Chase Baseball logo
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Cubs at Pirates screenshot, from Nintendo Power, Issue 190
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Speed Play mode screenshot, from Nintendo Power, Issue 190
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Rookie of the Year mode screenshot, from Nintendo Power, Issue 190
Magazine Scans
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Preview from Nintendo Power, Issue 190
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Best Buy advertorial discussing Nintendo Pennant Chase Baseball and Bowling for Soup - Electronic Gaming Monthly 191
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Preview in Game Informer #144
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GameSpot preview. Captured 2024.
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Nintendo World Report preview. Captured 2024.
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IGN preview. Captured 2024.
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Nsidr preview, page 1. Captured 2024.
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Nsidr preview, page 2. Captured 2024.
