All the "I want to do this" and "I want to do that" of all baseball fans can be done! Nintendo Switch "eBASEBALL Pro Baseball Spirits 2021 Grand Slam" Review!

For baseball enthusiasts, baseball games are inseparable.

It can be used in a variety of ways, such as in a friendly game between friends who love baseball, or in a game against the CPU after your favorite team loses in a night game to vent your frustration. Incidentally, I am a Hiroshima Carp fan, and losing a game against the Carp is 100 times more frustrating than usual, so I always dare to play against a different team. The other team is always saying, "You're running away from the game," but this is not an escape but a risk hedge.

Incidentally, the first NES baseball game did not have player names, so when friends played against each other, they would say things like, "The starting pitcher for the Dragons is Yujiro Miyako! We enjoyed playing against each other, with each other's fantasies and self-announcements.

Now, nearly 40 years later, not only the names of the players, but even the graphics of the players have been realistically reproduced, as in the "Prospey" series introduced here, and in a sense it is sad that players' imagination is no longer necessary. In a sense, it is sad, but that is the point. It is a special pleasure to be able to use real-life players as one pleases.

Incidentally, the "Prosperity" game that I am personally attached to is "Proyakyu Spirits 6," which was released in 2009. I was very impressed by the fact that "MAZDA Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima," which opened that year, appeared in the game for the first time, and even the situation where the bullet train runs past behind the left field stands was recreated in the game. Baseball fans are attracted to this kind of attention to detail.

Now that I've said all that, let me introduce eBASEBALL PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL SPIRITS 2021 GRAND SLAM, the first new "Prosperity" game in two years.

▲The first new "Prosper" game in two years is being released on Nintendo Switch. Like the mobile version, you can play on the go or on the train! You can even use Morishita, Carp's promising newcomer!

Playing the new "Prospey" started as soon as the makers announced the key visuals!

When the release of a new "Prosper" game is announced, the first thing to check is the key visuals that will be used on the packaging.
The key visuals feature one player from each of the 12 teams, and it is customary that the players who were active in the previous year are selected for the main part of the visuals. As mentioned above, I am a Carp fan, so I check out the Carp players first, and in this game, second-year pitcher Nobuhito Morishita was selected. He is truly the star of the Carp pitching staff's expectations.

The other player featured in the key visual is Yuudai Ohno of the Chunichi Dragons. The reason is that I like many of the Dragons' past left-handed starting pitchers, such as Masashi Yamamoto and Imanaka, in addition to the aforementioned Miyako.

As I looked at the key visuals, I found myself thinking to myself, "The Giants are Okamoto after all," but this was the beginning of the new "Prosper" game.

A full game content, including the first 4-player game and official tournaments

Now, I would like to touch on the contents of the game.
First of all, this is the first "Prosperity" game for the Nintendo Switch. Using the advantage of the Nintendo Switch, which is equipped with two Joy-Cons in one console, four players can play the game at the same time if two more Joy-Cons are available.
Four players can become teammates and fight against the CPU, or they can split up into two players and play 2-on-2. It is rare for adults to have the opportunity to play a game with four players in a group, but the Nintendo Switch is the perfect place for four baseball fans to play this game together after a baseball game, as an after party.

I also went to a night game between the Carp and the Marines at Chiba Marine Stadium in June this year, but after the game, all the stores were closed, so my friends and I went home without a party. I thought later that if I had a Nintendo Switch and "Prospey," we could have had a light game right then and there and had a lot of fun. To avoid the same experience as the author, I highly recommend that you take the Nintendo Switch and "Prospey" with you when you go to a baseball game.

The infield field is a beautiful construct of ▲green grass and brown soil. Incidentally, this stadium is Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi, home of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

Next, let me introduce the online mode.
In addition to regular matches, players can participate in official tournaments and compete against other players from all over Japan. In addition to the "Prosper Cup," which is open to all players, there is also the "Beginner Cup," a tournament for beginners, and the "Master Cup," where the best players gather to test their "Prosper" skills.
Although "Prosperity" has a long history, there are probably many players who are playing for the first time in this title. Even if you are one of these players, we hope you will try to improve your skills offline and eventually experience the fun of participating in tournaments.

You can enjoy your own Olympic final tournament!

The most noteworthy feature of this title is the "Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Mode," which allows players to play as the Japanese representative team in the Olympic finals mode, consisting of the six countries that have qualified for the "Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games" to be held in Tokyo in 2021 (Japan is the host country, however, and will participate in the final tournament without qualifying). In the actual Olympics, the Japanese team will play in the opening round.
In the actual Olympics, the Japanese team won two consecutive victories over the Dominican Republic and Mexico in the opening round, beat the United States and South Korea in the knockout stage, and defeated the United States in the final to win the gold medal, which is still fresh in our memories. There is a different kind of fun in competing with foreign teams by organizing your own team as you like.

The "Tokyo 2020 Olympics" mode allows players to virtually experience the baseball games of this year's Olympics. The combination of teams and the teams used can be freely arranged.

In the actual games, except for the semi-finals, manager Inaba has set up a starting lineup with Tetsuto Yamada as the designated hitter and Ryosuke Kikuchi as the second baseman, but players themselves can experience the agony of how to use these two players, who share a defensive position, in the starting lineup. The real thrill of the game is that the players themselves can experience the agony of how to use these two players in the starting lineup. You will feel like a coach of the national team.

Another unique aspect of the game is the possibility of playing against Israel, a team that has never played in the actual Olympics. There are as many "ifs" as there are players. However, as I have said many times before, I am a Carp fan. I can't escape from the "Morishita as a starter and Kuribayashi as a closer," and I am always satisfied with my favoritism toward these two players. This is something that no professional baseball fan can help but do.

By the way, "Prosperpie" had Japan's national team in "Pro Baseball Spirits 2013" released in 2013, but this was the first time to use Japan's national team to virtually experience the Olympics like in this title. This is the first time to experience the Olympics virtually using the Japanese national team. This is the first time that players will be able to experience the Olympics virtually using the Japanese national team, as is the case in this title.

The starting order can be set up according to the player's preference, but we also recommend playing with the same order used in the actual games.

What are the possibilities for the software to be used officially in the eBASEBALL Pro League (......)?

Also of interest is the title "eBASEBALL". In addition to the aforementioned online competitions, the "eBASEBALL Pro League," which was launched in 2018 and in which 12 professional baseball teams have contracted professional gamers to compete in leagues, may also be considered for use as the official software of the eBASEBALL Pro League. The game has been used in the "JIKKYOU PAWAFURU PUROYAKYU" series.

Up until now, league games have been held using the mobile version of "Pro Baseball Spirits A," including the "Powerful Pro Baseball Live" series, but no league games have been announced using this title to date.

Incidentally, this is a complete digression, but these baseball game league matches between players remind me of a league of editors and writers that used to be held in the 1980s in Famitsu magazine. I used to look forward to reading the updated league results in each issue and watching the standings change. Needless to say, even though it is a game, the psychology of fans makes us want to root for the Carp. In light of this, we are looking forward to seeing the "eBASEBALL Pro League" held using this game.

Playing against overseas players is a different kind of fun than a regular pennant race. Since there is little information on the players, enjoy the groping attack.

As the game's topic, the Fukushima Azuma Stadium, which was used on the first day of the first round of the Olympic Games, can be used as a baseball stadium to tickle the fancy of baseball fans. Even in professional baseball, there are not so many official games held at local stadiums throughout the year, and even when watching live on TV, the unusual scenery and situations provide a premier experience that entertains the audience. Playing at Fukushima Azuma Stadium, one of these local stadiums, is sure to bring a new and fresh feeling to the game.

Although I have no memories of local stadiums, I remember the "Hokkaido Series," a three-game series held by the Giants every year when I was in elementary school at the Sapporo Maruyama Stadium. This stadium does not have night games, and the games are held on weekdays, but even so, the stadium was packed to overflowing. I had basically imposed myself to enjoy watching the recorded broadcast without knowing the outcome of the games, and my father, whether he knew it or not, came up from behind me and said, "Hey, the Carp lost today! I remember the petty sparring match between father and son, in which the father would harass me from behind, saying, "Hey, the Carp lost today!

As you can see, each local stadium game holds as many memories for baseball fans as there are fans. I would like to enjoy playing at Fukushima Azuma Stadium with such memories in mind.

The Fukushima Azuma Stadium, which was used for the first day of the opening round of the ▲Olympics, is featured in the game. I want to play while enjoying the atmosphere unique to local stadiums.

Let's play the new "Prosper" with the baseball fever that accelerates toward autumn!

Now that the Tokyo Olympics are over, the professional baseball pennant race has resumed. Baseball fever will be further increasing as we head into autumn this year. As of this writing, the Tigers, Giants, and Swallows are in fierce competition for the top spot in the Central League, while the Carp is battling with the Bay Stars for the bottom spot. I am watching the results of the daily games, forcing myself to say, "Well, this is nostalgic ......" as I remember the Carp of the 2000s, which was called the "5th place power," completely skipping the memory of the Carp's three consecutive Central League championships a short while ago. I am watching the results of daily games while forcing myself to say, "Well, this is nostalgic, isn't it?

For such baseball fans, "eBASEBALL PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL SPIRITS 2021 GRAND SLAM" is an essential title. Whether you are playing with friends, cooling down after a live broadcast of a professional baseball game, entertaining business partners, or playing online against strangers, you are sure to have a great time playing "Prosperity" this year as well.

(Text by Iona Kaze)

Product Information

eBASEBALL PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL SPIRITS 2021 GRAND SLAM

Now on sale

Genre: Professional Baseball, Nurturing

Compatibility: Nintendo Switch Pro Controller compatible

Players: TV mode: 1 to 4 players, Table mode: 1 to 4 players, Portable mode: 1 player

Price: 7,678 yen (including tax)

CERO A

Manufacturer: Konami Digital Entertainment Co.

*When playing with two or more players, one Joy-Con per player is required.

When playing alone, the game can be played in handheld mode.

Online Championship Mode requires subscription to Nintendo Switch Online (paid service).

TM IOC/TOKYO2020/USOC 36USC220506.

(c) 2021 IOC. All Rights Reserved.

Approved by the Japan Professional Baseball Federation (JBF)

In principle, the in-game signs are based on data from the 2020 professional baseball pennant season.

Japan Baseball Data Inc.

Data is collected independently by Japan Baseball Data, and may differ from official records.

The information provided may not be reproduced, transmitted, or sold in any form or by any means for any purpose without prior permission.

All other copyrights or trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used under license.

(c)Konami Digital Entertainment

eBASEBALL" is a registered trademark of Konami Digital Entertainment Co.