One Piece: Going Baseball - Kaizoku Yakyuu

"Hey! You got your Baseball in my One Piece!"

Pirates playing Baseball, a seemingly horrible idea, yet “One Piece: Going Baseball” is an above average game. Slightly, above average…I do like, however, how this game was able to stay true to both the anime/manga, and to the great sport of Baseball.

I'm not a huge diehard anime/manga fan, but I do enjoy a few shows. In particular, I watch Naruto and One Piece whenever given the chance. Those are the only two I watch on a regular basis. One Piece, is a Shoen Jump creation, and is about a young pirate named Monkey D. Luffy. He goes on adventures, gathering crew members along the way. It is a fairly good anime, and there are quite a few videogames that are based on the anime. I never realized that Luffy and the crew played baseball, though.

Graphics--9/10
Above average graphics for the Game Boy Advance. The characters all are very well done. You can clearly tell which character is which, even when it zooms out in the outfield. The fields are all colored nicely, and bright. However, the fields is also lacking. True, they are very colorful, and easy to look at, they lack detail. When seen in game, they are just a field and a logo of whomever is the home team. Overall, the graphics are outstanding, but they just didn't put in detail on the stadiums. It is forgivable, due to the lack of power the GBA has. A “greater-than-stellar” 9 is awarded.

Sound/Music--7/10
The music is quite annoying. It is the same thing over and over, regardless of what stadium or team you are playing as. It isn't so annoying that it makes you go insane, but it isn't very good, nonetheless. The game features no voice acting, like most titles for GBA, so the sound effects would be the smack of the ball, or the sound of a glove catching a ball. The effects are there, though rudimentary. Though, again, it is a GBA game, and for the standards of GBA, it is good. It's no MLB 06, but it is the best the GBA has to offer, which is good enough for me, as it should be for you. A decent, 7 out of 10.

Controls--8/10
The controls for any Game Boy Advance game are forced to be simple. Considering that there are only four buttons. Well, four action buttons. Start and Select, really don't count. With the limited buttons, One Piece: Going Baseball, still delivers. On offense, A is used to bat, with varying ranges of power, and hit zones, while B is used for bunting. Defense A is change player, and B + a corresponding direction will throw to a certain base. For pitching, A is throw, while L and R select different pitches. So, as you can see the controls are fairly simple, but they are forced into simplicity by the GBA's setup. Good, but not great, this category receives an 8 out of 10.

Gameplay--8/10
This game is indeed unique. It is a fairly good baseball game, but I don't know what type of Baseball game it really is. It has both elements of a Simulation style game and that of an Arcade style. This diversity is really what makes the game. With varying modes, ranging from Exhibition, to Story, to minigames, there is plenty to do, which is good for a Game Boy Advance game. Story mode follows the team you pick through a season, with some random cut scenes which make no sense (considering I don't understand Japanese). There is also a cool feature, which let's you build your own team, and pick which ever characters you want. Building a powerhouse is fun, but not fair. An overall decent game, I give Gameplay an 8 out of 10.

Replayability--8/10
The Replayability factor is another that differs among gamers. If you like unlocking everything, completing the game 100%, then you may enjoy this game more. Otherwise, the story mode, and the occasional Exhibition is all there is to offer. Also, there is a multiplayer mode, which allows two players to play some One Piece themed baseball. Multiplayer games can be intense and very thrilling, I recall one good memory of winning the game with a Grand Slam, which was kicked (yes, kicked) out of the Ball Park by Sanji. Sanji, does kick ass. Add the minigames, and the ability to create your custom team, this game could keep you coming back for months, or even keep you playing regularly for years to come. It really depends on the type of gamer you are. For the average gamer, I will award it another 8 out of 10.

If you like One Piece, I definitely think you will enjoy this title. It features all of your favorite characters from the great Anime/Manga know as One Piece. If you like Baseball, this is also, a good title. Featuring solid Baseball play, somehow a perfect mixture of Arcade and Simulation, this is sure to please any and all who play it. Keep in mind, this game is good, not great. It provides some fun for a differing length of time. It all depends on your tastes as a gamer.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/20/06