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PS2
Pro Yakyuu Netsu Star 2006
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«©NCSX»
Namco has thrilled baseball fans with video gaming
representations of the national pastime since 1986.
The first game in the fabled Famista series was
Pro Yakyuu Family Stadium
where pudgy and pixelated players took the field. To
commemorate the 20th anniversary of Famista, Namco
includes a 2006 remake of the original game
in
Pro Yakyuu Netsu Star 2006
which
features
updated team data, players stats, and the same 8-bit
player
graphics from two decades ago. To freshen up the
visuals a bit however, Namco includes visually
modern astroturf, bases covered with dirt and a
scoreboard with crisp advertising logos splashed
across it.
Baseball season started last week in Japan and Namco ships their
annual game dedicated to the sport which features
all 12 Japanese professional teams and 13 stadiums.
There's also 2 local stadiums for a total of 15
ballparks to play in. After trying a few innings of
the Famista 2006 remake and then a full game of
Netsu Star 2006, the high gloss presentation and
energy of the new game is like a blaring freight
train compared to the Ford Fiesta that is the
original. It is all the more striking then that the
Famista 2006 remake is highly enjoyable in its
simplicity and nuances.
NCS
Game Notes
»
The introduction cinema of the
game features live action footage of players doing
their thing on the field. Hokey special effects
pepper the action sequences which made NCS staffers
wonder if Namco had lost their minds. In one
sequence, a battler hits a ball accompanied by an
explosion. In another sequence, a pitcher threw a
ball and it shone like the North Star had reached
Earth. Many more happy and shiny special effects may
be witnessed during the course of the introduction.
» In the
"Now Loading" screen, an 8-bit baseball player
sprite chugs from the lower-right corner of the
screen to the left while "Now Loading" trails from
his portly physique.
» After pressing START, the available Game
Modes are split on two rows in the mode
selection screen as follows:
Top Row: 06 Challenge / Asunaro / Season / Dream
League II / Arrange
Low Row: Practice / Jinsei / Pre Season /
Famista / High Light
An Options menu allows for changing
screen positions, toggling Dual Shock Vibration
Mode, changing sound/bgm/voice volumes, etc.
» The presentation of the game is styled after a
actual television broadcast where the camera cuts in
on the batters walking on deck, the manager, the
players on the field, and the pitcher as he takes
the mound. Fast cut sequences allow for a lot of
different views of the game as the players make
their preparations and perform their routines.
» Batting
A 9-box grid is displayed before a pitch which shows the safe
area where you can swing safely to connect with a
ball. Four cursor types are available but we
preferred the blue oblong guide which the player
moves from side to side to match up with a pitch. If
we had to choose a second cursor type, we'd go for
the unconnected X cursor.
The swings that are available to a batter are:
O-Button / Long swing for hitting pop-ups and
homers
X-Button / Short swing for sniping out grounders
and bloopers
Triangle / Square up the batter for a bunt
attempt
Before a pitcher throws the ball,
a faint orange haze appears in the general
location where the next pitch is headed. Move your
cursor to the designated area and aim/hope for the best
when you swing.
» Pitching
An 8-arrow pitch-selection
indicator at the top of the screen allows the
pitcher to choose what to throw out. Once the pitch
is selected, press "X" to activate the POW and
CONTROL ring that's sort of like the Judgement Ring
from Shadow Hearts or any golf game. At this point,
the player chooses pitch location by moving the
cursor for an inside pitch, an outside pitch, low,
high, etc. Once the location is decided, press "X"
again and the meter on the POW ring rotates
clockwise quickly. Hit the "X" button to mark the
power level of the pitch and the meter quickly
rotates clockwise for the CONTROL of the pitch. The
section of the ring which decides control is a small
sliver that one must time perfectly. You'll know if
you hit it by the "JUST!" text that appears. After
that, the pitch is thrown.
The default pitch view shows the pitcher head-on from the view of
the catcher. To toggle the view to a
behind-the-pitcher perspective, push the R-analog
pad.
» Famista 2006
is a remake of the olden classic with 8-bit graphics, tinny
music and simple options. Game modes include
1 Play, 2 Play, and
Watch. Famista 2006 features updated 2006 season data and a realistic baseball field
even if the players are old-school Famicom
characters. The astroturf is colored properly and
the bases that have gradations of dirt on them. The
scoreboard is also made of a higher caliber gloss than the 8-bit original.
» The game features a total of 15 stadiums which includes two local stadiums. Players may
choose to play at DAY or NIGHT in the stadiums.
Chiba Marine Stadium
Fukuoka Yahoo! Japan Dome
Invoice Seibu Dome
Skymark Stadium
Osaka Dome
Sapporo Dome
Fullcast Stadium Miyagi
Hanshin Koshien Stadium
Nagoya Dome
Yokohama Stadium
Jingu Stadium
Tokyo Dome
Hiroshima Stadium
» A pair of announcers do the play-by-play
and even give a little information on each player as
he steps up to the plate.
» When a ball is hit to the infield or the outfield, a red marker indicates where it's going
to hop or land. A gamer's reaction time has to be fairly swift in order to
intercept hot shots or low flying bloopers that skip
just behind the shortstop of the second baseman.
» All 12 professional Japanese teams are featured in
the game as follows:
Central League
Hanshin Tigers
Chunichi Dragons
Yokohama
Bay Stars
Tokyo
Yakult Swallows
Yomiuri
Giants
Hiroshima Toyo
Carps
Pacific League
Chiba Lotte Marines
Fukuoka
Soft Bank Hawks
Seibu Lions
Orix
Buffaloes
Nippon-Ham Fighters
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
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This document is ©NCSX 2006. All rights reserved. No
reproduction in whole or in part of this document
may be made without express written consent of
National Console Support, Inc.
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