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.

View the back cover and screenshots on the main NCSX website.

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

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.