"Of Pirates And Baseball"

If you had to ask a pirate about his favorite past time, what do you think his response would be? "Har har, it be sailing up and down the coast me hearty. Raping them wenches and pillaging them villages ya-har" perhaps? Or better yet, how about... "It be me and the cabin boy out on the seven seas. The salt in me hair and the spray in his face ya-harrr har har"? Of course, that's presuming he didn't first try to gut you like a fish. As likely as those responses would be however, Bandai seems to have an all together different opinion on the matter. For you see, unbeknownst to the rest of the world, there is nothing a pirate likes more than a solid 9 innings of the people's favorite game... I know, go figure. It's with this somewhat questionable theory in mind then that Bandai have sought to plug the hole in the market with their impressively named latest release, One Piece: Going Baseball. Shiver me timbers, there be Engrish ah-hoy...

For what it's worth, One Piece: Going Baseball is based upon a Japanese anime/manga license of the same name... minus the sports related tag line of course. Following the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, One Piece is the story of a young man who wants nothing more in life than to become the King of the Pirates. It's quite unfortunate then that as well intentioned as he is, Luffy is also something of a complete idiot... which may or may not explain the bit about the baseball. Tenuous connections aside, the One Piece license does manage to bring something special and unique to the table. And that would be its veritable treasure trove of wonderfully designed characters and their obligatory whacked out range of special abilities. From Luffy's rubber-like body to Captain Buggy's self-dismembering chop chop attacks, Going Baseball looks set to be anything but a regular day at the ballpark.

As is the way with license abuse however, anything that could have made Going Baseball an enjoyably unique experience has been left by the wayside in favor of saving Bandai a few hundred thousand million yen and a couple of months hard work. In other words, eager One Piece fans won't find much here that justifies the license. Outside of the characters hitting the ball with a sword, a staff or some other kind of long phallic shaped object, this is just a regular game of baseball. No stretching limbs, no insane feats of super human endurance... nada. So much for the license then huh? In effect, the One Piece name is being used solely to pretty up what is otherwise an extremely average game. Sure, Luffy & co may be a lot more appealing to look at than your average professional baseball player, but that doesn't mean to say that their likeness is going to make the game any more enjoyable now does it?

Which is a shame really as the excitement generated by seeing such characters using their extraordinary abilities out on the field may have served as the perfect distraction from the incredibly ropey AI. Sure, as an Australian I may not have the best grasp of the game, but common sense dictates that if a ball is hit into the outfield, it is far more effective to return it with a hard throw than on foot. So why doesn't that happen? Good question! If you think that seems more than a little stupid then wait until you've had a chance to steal successive bases by simply outwitting your opponents on the run. Sprint forward then feint an about face. Wait for the AI to take the bait before running like a pirate possessed for the next base. Repeat as you see fit. Honestly speaking, Going Baseball plays much like Corbin Bernsen would have if he had been forced to make a 4th Major League movie. That is, incompetently while showing signs of slowing down. Urgh are we fielding the ball or taking a slow Sunday stroll here people? Hus-sle! Hus-sle!

Up until now, it's been pretty much all doom & gloom. Bad AI, dodgy license abuse, and Baby Jesus weeping quietly in the corner. But that's not to say that Going Baseball is a complete write off. There is some good to be had though most players will probably find themselves giving up long before they recognize it. The controls for one are surprisingly tight and responsive. They may not be of the same high standard present in an EA Sports release, but they do manage to get the job done none-the-less. And believe me, by this late stage you're going to be taking what you can get! Furthermore the healthy variety of pitching and batting techniques is also sorely appreciated, often lending the game a much needed dose light-hearted comedy. Oh, and let's not forget how Going Baseball's many stadiums have been nicely detailed to the best of the GBA's abilities. From the deck of a pirate ship to the frozen glaciers of an arctic wasteland, the little details remain crisp and fresh at all times.

Finally as I continue to grasp for straws, props should also be sent out to Bandai for putting together a series of mini-games that are in and of themselves quite compelling. Sure they may be fairly vanilla in terms of presentation and execution, but at the same time the poor excuse of an AI is nowhere to be seen. Thank the seven seas me laddie. As such what was once a bonus has quickly become the most entertaining part of the overall package. How many home runs can you hit? How is the accuracy of your pitching? What else should you have spent your money on? While that last one is obviously not an event, players would do well to ask themselves that very same question in the hopes of not repeating the same mistake twice...

As it stands, One Piece: Going Baseball is quite simply a series of shortcuts and blatant errors that have come together in spectacular fashion to ruin what should have otherwise been a great game. The pieces were in place for Bandai to make something truly special out of the license but sadly they have failed to capitalize on the opportunities present. What would Mario Kart have been without its heavy doses of franchise inspired loving? Nothing but an incredibly average game that just happened to feature a group of well known heroes that's what. Which is exactly what One Piece: Going Baseball happens to be, if you were to replace the words incredibly average with frightfully disappointing that is. Perhaps next time Bandai will get it right, but then again, perhaps Hell will freeze over first. As compelling as the concept may be, something tells me that we'll never see justice done to the license in this fashion. And having though about it's inherent potential, that's really quite sad. Avoid this one like you would the Navy me hearties har har...

Pros
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* The controls are tight and responsive
* Each of the character designs is of course excellent
* There's a healthy variety of pitching and batting techniques
* The mini games are a welcome challenge

Cons
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* A freshly lobotomized AI makes the game a lot easier than it should have been
* When fielding a ball, the characters move at such a frustratingly slow pace
* The on field representations of each character are very hard to identify
* Scores of 24-3 are the norm, not the exception
* A lot of the potential of the license has been wasted

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 05/19/04, Updated 09/16/04