Video Game Reviews (2020s): eBASEBALL Pawafuru Puroyakyu 2020 for the Nintendo Switch (a Neo-Tokyo 2099 Video Game Review) (2020)

From gameplay to how entertaining the various modes are for this 2020 version of Pawafuru Puroyakyu, I can’t help but be proud to see how far this game has come. Sure, there are things that can always be improved but for what is featured for this year’s game, “eBASEBALL Pawafuru Puroyakyu 2020” is highly recommended!

(C)Konami Digital Entertainment

VIDEO GAME TITLE: eBASEBALL Pawafuru Puroyakyu 2020 (eBASEBALLパワフルプロ野球2020)

TYPE OF GAME: Baseball/Sports

PLATFORM GAME REVIEWED: Nintendo Switch

DEVELOPER: KONAMI DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT

RELEASE DATE: July 9, 2020

Since “Jikkyou Pawafuru Puroyakyu” (Real Condition Powerful Pro Baseball) was released by Konami for the Super Famicom, the video game series has its legion of fans.

Unlike other baseball games, JPPY is know for the characters being SD (super-deformed) with no legs, no nose or mouth. With a license with the NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball), the video game was among the first to emulate Japanese baseball with the announcer, fan chants and more (until the realism was given to Konami’s other baseball game, “Pro Yakyu Spirits” released back in 2004).

With many games released for various consoles, my first purchase of JPPY was back in 1997 for the original Sony Playstation.

For those with familiarity with baseball games on a console, “Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyu” is friendly for those who purchase internationally. For the most part, if you played a baseball game before, it’s all about how you bat and how you pitch.

Getting the timing right is important on batting and you can have a guide or not have a guide for when you bat. Pitching variations depends on your printer. You’ll need to monitor the health of your players to know if certain players that in a slump should be played or not.

Playing a pitcher who is not doing well, will make it difficult for your pitcher to throw well for multiple innings.

But if anything, it’s good ol’ baseball.

And with the release of “eBASEBALL Pawafuru Proyakyu 2020”, KONAMI has created the best version of this game yet!

As for game modes, the main modes are:

MYLIFE: This allows you to play as a professional baseball player and work the character to have a marriage, home, contract renewal, free agency, trades and more.

PENNANT: Choose between the Central or Pacific League teams and play a season to make it to the Japan Series. You can now acquire pitches and position conversions in 2020.

VERSUS MODE: If you want to play a quick matchup and you can play with a local gamer with the game on their Nintendo Switch and also online (note: You have to be a member of Nintendo’s online service).

TOKYO 2020 OLYMPIC: It’s a six-country baseball tournament and you can choose between Japan, Israel, South Korea, Mexico, Canada, Oranda (Netherlands), United States, China Taipei, Cuba and Australia.

CHAMPIONSHIP: Online competition (you will need to have a subscription of the Nintendo Switch Online service.

LIVE SCENARIO: After showing the score of a game, you must play a scenario from a team. For example, I was playing Yomiuri Giants vs. the Yakult Swallows and with a player on 2nd, you must prevent that 2nd baseman from reaching homeplate and scoring. There are many scenarios and they are a bit tough, but also fun.

EIKAN NINE: This is where you play as coach and train your high school players to win the Koshien championship. The scouting function is a great touch for 2020.

SUCCESS: Where you can grow your own original player via high school baseball and later become a pro baseball player.

This is a very popular mode in Japan, but for those who are international fans and can’t read Japanese, more than likely this is going to go over your head as it gets into the nitty gritty of young baseball players training and also doing a lot of other things that require an understanding due to the many dialogue (text) featured between player and other players and coaches.

In this version, you have a choice to choose from different sponsored teams (agricultural, international university or Egyptian university)

POWER FES: My favorite mode in which you play in a tournament and you can take on a variety of teams with different attributes. And if you beat that team, you get to select from 1-3 of their best players who will then join your team and as you continue to advance, you can have an awesome team with numerous pitchers, outfielders/infielders or great hitters. Depending on your choices of which team you select and which players you get. You can also acquire their team managers.

This time around, over 260 characters appear to compete in a flying stadium.

An improvement from the 2016/2018 versions of the game.

If I have one major pet peeve, how I have to change the camera angle settings to normal each time and to stay with that, as the default is Dynamic.

TAIKAI: Tournament system which allows you to add up to 8 teams from the NPB and Olympic Teams.

HOME RUN ATTACK: Go against other players in a home run competition.

POWER ARENA: Player rankings but also competing with other gamers.

Other Modes: Music Making Mode, Data, Arrange Mode, Practice Mode, Live Power Pro, Item and DLC Shop and more!

JUDGMENT CALL:

One can look at “eBASEBALL Pawafuru Puroyakyu 2020” like a greatest hits of what people loved about “Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu” games.

The “Power Fes” which was popular in “Jikkyou Pawafuru Puroyaky 2018” and “Jikkyou Pawafuru Puroyakyu 2016” is bigger in 2020 and is my favorite game mode. Where the last was held in a ocean cruise ship, this time around, it’s a flying station.

While I have made it to the final, I still have not beaten the final team as they tend to have exceptional pitchers that rarely make mistakes. I come close, I tie the game but it’s really challenging. If there is something not so forgiving at times, when you have a good lead, somehow the AI likes to add to the other team’s score.

This is not a full nine innings, you play a shortened game in which the team that is behind gets chances to score. So, you’ll need to have a good pitcher and batters if you are in a bind.

I also like the fact that the 2018 roulette function is no longer there. You still have to spin a wheel if you get a DH or not but that’s not a game killer for me. It’s part of the challenge. There are some reusing of dialogue but I tend to fast forward a lot through it, as I want to play the game.

“Tokyo Olympic 2020” was fun to play other countries and the base NPB league game feels much better in terms of fluidity in gameplay. A major improvement over last year’s Switch JPPY game. I also like how my Yomiuri Giants players are in 2020, especially with Sakamoto’s batting, it seems there was an improvement.

I’ve only put a few hours into My Life and Success, not enough to fully comment. Especially as I keep coming back to “Power Fes” which I enjoy a lot!

Also, I liked the fact that KONAMI added numerous seiyuu such as Otani Ikue, Horiuchi Kenyu, Toyoguchi Megumi, Tachibana Rika and Ueda Reina. The fact that many characters will be voice for the very first time in 25 years of the series is pretty awesome.

As I get to the final part of this review, I do have a few things to say. For one, fans of the game are either impressed or are positive about it or those who just continue to hate.

It’s the type of love/hate relationship that gamers have towards this popular game. Some feel its too difficult and some who feel KONAMI doesn’t add enough.

I think that seeing how 2020 compared to the 2019 version for the Nintendo Switch, this version is way better.

Bare in mind, I have been playing this game since 1997, I have seen this game grow. I have seen this game continually get better and at times, have seen it take a step back.

I was more forgiving in 2019 because it was the first Nintendo Switch JPPY game and aside from the base game, Treasure Mode kept me entertained.

But for 2020, there is much more. As mentioned, it’s like a Greatest Hits game because while it does take the best of games from the past and add some modifications for 2020, tweaking of mechanics and also graphic and audio enhancements, so much was added for “eBASEBALL Pawafuru Puroyakyu 2020”.

It’s important to note that I’m a handheld console player when it comes to the JPPY games. From PSX to PS2, I have only played the PSP, VITA and now the Nintendo Switch version of the games. I have not played the PS4 version of the games, so as a handheld console game, the Nintendo Switch version of “eBASEBALL Pawafuru Puroyakyu 2020” is the best I have played of this game in many, many, many years.

More from my site