Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Wii

The data in the Wii version of JPPB features updated with 2007 stats and the usual bevy of game modes are included such as the "Pennant Race" where an entire season is played and "Success Mode" where a custom-built player is created and inducted into a baseball team. The "My Life" mode allows a player to experience the day to day life of a baseball player in the pros where a player can be promoted, traded, retired, and married. Once wed, it's possible to buy a house with his bride which he can call home.

As is the norm with the Powerful Baseball series, the controls rely on a reticule targeting system where every pitch and swing of the bat is governed by positioning a cursor on screen. It's simple, easy to control, and the player knows exactly where the pitch or swing is going.

Jan Code: 4988602133509

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


Region Lock-out
Please note Japanese Wii games will not boot on USA or European Wii consoles due to the inherent region-lockout on Japanese Wii game discs. A Freeloader (and a Wii with 3.2U firmware) is required to play Japanese Wii games.

» In the animated introduction to the game, a stadium at night appears along with a theme song and the players inside compete as the crowd cheers. The logos of all 12 progessional teams are shown rapidly near the beginning of the game. The call goes out for a relief pitcher for the Vulcans and he prepares to pitch when sequences of other baseball games cut into the screen. After a blazing set of baseball action snippets, the camera goes back to the pitcher and he throws a pitch right before the title screen pops up.

» Leave the title screen alone and a demonstration baseball game loads up between two teams. The action will go on for four batters and then boot back to the title screen.

» Press START and the following options pop up:

TAISEN / Choose the teams, the stadium, and play ball - no season commitment required
SUCCESS / Create a new character and live the life of a baseball rookie on his way to the top
HOME RUN / Select a team, a batter, and then a stadium and try to hit homers on 10 pitches
YAKYU KYO SHISTU / Tutorial which uses in-game video captures to teach the ways of Pro Yakyu action
ARRANGE / Set up a schedule of games against various teams and the line-ups for each game as you see fit
DATA AREKORE / View and arrange saved data across 12 different categories.
PENNANT / Choose a team and start the year on March 25 where you play an entire season's worth of games
MY LIFE / Professional Baseball Life Simulation where you start a career as a rookie on a pro team
PAWA PURO TSUSHIN / Online Powerful Pro game mode - must have a BBA connected to the PS2 to go online
OUENKYOKU / Create your own cheer song. Once created, press the START button to listen to the composition
SOUND / Set STEREO, DOLBY PRO LOGIC II, Adjust sound volumes for BGM, the crowd, announcer, umpires, etc

» In the TUTORIAL, the first exercise is a 10-swing batting challenge where any hit onto the field is marked with an "O" and adds to your percentage score. If you hit a foul ball or swing at air, you'll get an X which means miss. Similar to previous Pro Yakyu tutorials, the manager wears shades indoors and is helped by a little dog will pulls down the shade for the projector. The second exercise requires that you take 10 pitches but you must change the hitting cursor to the reticule instead of the bat outline. Later tutorials test fielding, throwing, and other baseball skills.

» The pitcher in the HOME RUN mode throws the balls right down the middle so as long as your timing is right, you can hit 10 homers on all 10 pitches.

» At the outset of the SUCCESS mode, you'll create a baseball card for your new character and choose a portrait from four available player models. Other than the different shades of skin color, the four players are identical. The SUCCESS mode is an interactive adventure where you level up your character. There's no actual baseball action within its confines.

» During a baseball game, the Japanese announcer gives the play by play in concise and rapid-fire fashion.

» Before each game, you can throw three practice pitches before the opposing batter steps to the plate. Throwing pitches that are high and inside will normally result in infield grounders that are easy to field. A red outline designates the strike area when you're pitching so any pitch within that outline counts as a strike.

» The cel-shaded graphics of JPP14 are vibrant and the animation is fluid. The crowd graphics hearken back to the days of 8-bit however.

» When you throw out a runner at first, you can see his head tilt back in a dejected fashion as he crosses the plate.

» Advertisers on the scoreboard and around the stadium include Coca Cola, Mizuno, Sunstar, Panasonic, Kirin, Sammy, Asahi, Amano, and more.

» To change the batting cursor from bat outline to reticule, press either the R1 or R2 trigger

» When a pitcher is tired, he can be seen swiping his glove across his brow to clear out the sweat. If he's kept in the game, he can be seen heaving with his shoulders noticeably rising up and down. A pained expression may also be witnessed on his face.

» Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 14 is another enjoyable baseball game that plays well and offers a solid bevy of game modes. Don't let the kiddy graphics fool you. The game has substantial depth and there's a reason why its been around for 14 incarnations.

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