一般社団法人日本野球機構承認 プロ野球フランチャイズ球場公認 日本プロ野球名球会公認 日本プロ野球OBクラブ公認 (c)Japan Women's Baseball League. (c)Japan Softball Association (c)SHIKOKU ISLAND LEAGUE plus (c)Baseball Challenge League (c)Tokyo Big6 Baseball League (c)BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.
Since 1986, Famista (which is short for “Family Stadium”) has been a popular game series that has its legion of fans and the “Pro Yakyuu Famista” (Professional Baseball Family Stadium) has been a staple for Nintendo home video game consoles as well as for arcade machines in Japan.
But the game has been released on other consoles, for the PC Engine and Arcade Machines as “Professional Yakyuu World Stadium (Worsta), Game Gear as “Gear Stadium” (Gearsta), on Playstation as “World Stadium EX”, Wonder Swan as “Wonder Stadium”.
While the main essence of Famista is similar to other baseball games but instead of competing with “Pro Yakyuu Powerful Pro” or “Pro Yakyuu Spirits”, Famista adds a dimension that blends retro baseball (ie. when your outfielder runs to catch a ball, another outfielder runs at the same time) with some other elements.
Some consider the gameplay to be a bit clunky and frustrating, while those who grew up with the game find it refreshing enough to be challenging and enjoyable. Also, with different type of game modes, makes it appealing to casual and hardcore gamers who like to see something different in a baseball game, but also adds a game curve because the controls that you are used to for other baseball games, you’ll have to change that mindset when playing a Famista game.
Having played the games for DS and 3DS, Famista is available on the Nintendo Switch as “Pro Yakyuu Famista Evolution” to celebrate the 32nd year of Famista.
In addition, if you purchase the game, you will also get a second game (digital code for the Nintendo e-shop provided if you purchased the game new around 2018/early 2019) for the Famista Retro 2018 game, which is more or less the old school 1992 game for the Super Famicon with updated team names/uniforms/players (featuring 2018 data) and up-to-two players can play.
One thing that the game has going for it that it features more than a 1,000 players from not just the NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball ) league but it also includes an independent league, women’s softball league, six Tokyo University teams, a Bandai Namco team and more!
The Game Modes are as follows:
Dream Pennant – This allows you to play a game with multiple teams, vs. several teams of your choosing, a board game style (similar to “Monopoly”). The main game for Dream Pennant allows you to play on a board game style presentation. Your player walks through these cards and must take on various teams and if you win or lose, you are given boosts for your team. So, in essence, you start out as a weakened team, but the more you play Dream Pennant, the better your team becomes. Despite starting at level 1, it seems that other teams at level 1 are quite overpowered, wile your main team start out with average stats. Gain items which can strengthen your player during the game. Also, with points won, you can use your points on Capsule Toys which are additional player cards, boosted player cards or better gear.
Famista Fantasy – In this game, it’s literally an RPG but your hero character holds a baseball bat and when you encounter a monster, you end up having to hit a ball that will come into contact with coins and the more coins collection, the quicker it is to defeat a monster. You can also purchase new bats and armor that will withstand the monsters you encounter. Each level has a monster boss that you must defeat. Family Net – Play online (via Nintendo’s online service) and be ranked, Local Play and Trading. Online mode is what many of the Japanese owners of the game are really into! Onajimi Famista – For Pennant Race as you can battle out against an NPB team, Training, etc. Osusowake Famista – Allowing others to play via Joy-Con controllers. One can use the Joy-Con to bat and pitch (and reminscent of the Nintendo Wii years) and fortunately fielders and runners are automatic during action operations. Board de Famista – Reminds me of the old table hockey/soccer but with baseball players. One-Two Players.
Also, the game features four big players for the Namco Stars team: Yamamo (Namsters Coach and Director), Large Rookie Tanahashi, Rookie/theme song singer Emushiyu and Namco Stars Mascot Famista-kun.
And there are other options to control the direction of the ball and excite camera which allows you to overlook the outfield/stadium.
Now for those wondering how gameplay works for the baseball. Your players have cards and above is pitching health. Each pitch takes energy from your pitcher and when the gauge goes down, your pitcher becomes tired and weak, so you are forced to bring in a new pitcher.
Similar to past games you can move (slide) your pitcher or batter and it’s one aspect of oldschool baseball gams that I still like seeing on Famista.
Unfortunately, I found the game controls to be quite clunky. Throwing the ball sucks, it’s like they trying to roll it. It’s much better to take your player and run with the ball instead of throwing it. Also, throwing the ball, is it to heavy for them to throw? How annoying! Your outfielders can’t even throw the ball effectively as their throws are short and the balls roll. By that time, the other team’s baserunners have gotten a triple-play or an infield home run.
In addition, when you mean to throw it to first base, sometimes you will notice the ball being thrown somewhere else. To make matters worse, unlike other baseball video games where after a play, you can throw the ball to a player and the game will then move on to the next at bat or change of the other team while batting.
In “Pro Yakyuu Famista”, what is quite annoying is that unlike other games, throw a baseball to a player and it may hit them in their head or they are not ready to catch the ball that it goes past them and the person on base will run to the homeplate (super quick). In fact, most of the points scored off me, was because the baserunner on third would just run and score while I threw the ball to my first basemen. If anything, the threat to this game are the baserunners, a weak defense and clunky controls.
In fact, I found the controls of “Pro Yakyuu Famista Retro 2018” (from 1992 graphics) to be a much better in terms of controls than the main game itself.
Oh, and don’t think by going against the softball team, they are going to be a bit weaker because Famista made the female teams super strong and super fast. Their stats are near perfection. In fact, “Dream Pennant”, because the teams are overpowered, I am not sure it’s possible to even win a game earlier on.
As for the graphics, they are not that great. The stadium is boring to look at and looks like something out of a ’90s Famista game but with more vibrant colors. There are no fan cheers, no host commentary.
In some ways, I appreciate Bandai Namco Entertainment for releasing Famista for the Nintendo Switch, adding the modes that takes a baseball game and adds something different and new to a baseball game.
But I can’t yet feel that this game felt rushed. One can only hope that Bandai Namco adjusts the slow defense with an update. To eliminate dumb errors that should never happen, but happen in Famista. Seriously, throwing to your basemen after a play and the ball clocks them in the head or goes past them, that baserunners (who run super quick) easily score off you? That is very frustrating!
In some ways, I like “Pro Yakyuu Famista Evolution” for being a different type of game and not trying to compete with other popular baseball games. Famista has always been an interesting alternative. But in someways, it kind of reminds me of the old boxing game for the NES, “Punch Out”. How the boxer Mac starts out weak but gradually the more you play, the progression of beating each opponent, the better Mac becomes… Bandai Namco extends this logic to a baseball team which is weak and sucks stat-wise. But as you progress and evolving, your team gets better.
The question is do you have the patience to grow your weak team’s stats when other teams are overpowered?
As the first baseball game that was released for the Nintendo Switch in Japan, Bandai Namco Entertainment rushed this game to get it released before KONAMI released their baseball games.
“Pro Yakyuu Famista Evolution” looks and feels as it was rushed to the market and that is unfortunate. Hopefully updates by Bandai Namco Entertainment addresses the problems because while I liked the potential of what was trying to be achieved in the various game modes, there are way too many problems that hinder one’s enjoyment of this game.
