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[Memles]

I agree though that it would be cooler to have the characters in uniforms.

I think that could end up happening, really. This still looks rather early, they may chose to add uniforms for different teams, the models currently seem to even have the same Mario Party idle animations.

 

[ohamsie]

I love Bowser's Bullet Bill bat

Me too!


No outfielders?

 

[Ulairi]

Mario has always played baseball. Back in the NES days he played Baseball.

Noobs!

 

[Amir0x]

So how do you fill what is a valid niche that is definitely underserved without making a "generic" game? You put in recognizable characters that have arcade sensibilities and appeal.

There's often been folks that lament the loss of things like RBI Baseball. Namco could never do superdeformed players in the US today and get any kind of sales. But with this, they have a great opportunity to put that engine to good use that can sell in any country.

'Sup Hot Shots Golf.

 

[Che]

Fuck Mario. Make a game without franchise characters, Nintendo.

Mario Baseball used to be a joke about how Nintendo would eventually make something like this. God.

The troll is right this time. They must stop. What's next? Mario fragrance?

 

[sykoex]

This might be the first baseball videogame I buy.

 

[bobbyconover]

Arcade baseball rocks. Take me back to the Baseball Stars days.

I don't mind the overuse of Mario much, as I'm a huge fan of Mario Golf, Party, Tennis, and most of the others. It just seems like a no-brainer in a case like this to go the All-Star route, a la Smash Bros, instead of sticking strictly to the Mario universe. Wouldn't it be 10x cooler if each team was based around a particular game series? Team Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Kirby, Wario Ware, Pokemon, etc?

 

[Redbeard]

I wish they would come up with a new cast of oddball characters just for their sports games.

 

[SomeDude]

After playing Mario Tennis I wish Camelot was making this. I think Mario GOlf and Mario Tennis are some of the best sports games ever created. This game looks just like a regular plain baseball game so far. I want a quirky Mario universe like Mario Tennis had.



Plus the graphics look nowhere near the level of Mario Tennis. THis does indeed look like a Nintendo 64 game.

 

[Kobun Heat]

Wouldn't it be 10x cooler if each team was based around a particular game series? Team Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Kirby, Wario Ware, Pokemon, etc?

Holy shit.

 

[Deg]

THis does indeed look like a Nintendo 64 game.

:lol :lol :lol

 

[human5892]

THis does indeed look like a Nintendo 64 game.

*kills self*

 

[Unison]

 

[Amir0x]

It just seems like a no-brainer in a case like this to go the All-Star route, a la Smash Bros, instead of sticking strictly to the Mario universe. Wouldn't it be 10x cooler if each team was based around a particular game series? Team Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Kirby, Wario Ware, Pokemon, etc?

I AGREE WITH THIS POST AND WOULD LIKE TO SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR NEWSLETTER.

 

[ge-man]

I have no problem with using the characters and locales. I've been playing Mario Power Tennis a great deal lately and I don't think it's only because it is solid tennis title. There's something attractive about playing various sports and mini games within the Mushroom Kingdom.

 

[Unison]

IAWTP.

The Mario setting rules. The animations in Mario Power Tennis are absolutely top-notch. I love Diddy's the most.

 

[X5z]

The thing is, without Mario, you cannot make this game. No one wants arcade baseball these days. If you do it with real players, people don't get it. It doesn't sell and no one buys. If you make an arcade baseball game with made-up teams and players like the old RBI or Baseball Stars, once again, everyone ignores it.

So how do you fill what is a valid niche that is definitely underserved without making a "generic" game? You put in recognizable characters that have arcade sensibilities and appeal.

...

There's often been folks that lament the loss of things like RBI Baseball. Namco could never do superdeformed players in the US today and get any kind of sales. But with this, they have a great opportunity to put that engine to good use that can sell in any country.

I agree though that it would be cooler to have the characters in uniforms.

I would like to see Namco create a Katamari Damacy Baseball. Where the katamari is the ball, and if a player doesn't catch the ball (if they're in its path) they get rolled up into it; and on homeruns the ball picks up people and items in the stands, out the park, etc. They could potentially have the field scale, for example the game could start on the kitchen table or in the baseball stadium, and as the katamari gets bigger, its field "scales" until they are using the islands for bases.

In terms of teams they would be the prince and his cousins, the townpeople, the heroes and villains, and that family in the cutscenes.

I personally think this concept could make a great baseball game.

However, you make a good point. I would like to see more arcade baseball games released in the US, and right now Mario Baseball will probably be our best chance, as its characters have better recognition/appeal.

+1 for uniforms.

 

[sonatinas]

If the gameplay is reminiscent of Baseball Simulator 1.000, I'm all over this...

back in the day my edit team E5 was awesome
the first 5 guys would be home runs and my clean up batter was so fast i can "bunt" and still get to home

 

[soundwave05]

Are there really enough Mario characters to field more than two teams? Or I guess the way the game works is you pick different characters for your team (taking turns) sorta like how you'd get picked on teams on the school yard.

Thing is this will probably sell a sizable chunk in Japan and beyond anyway, since Mario themed multiplayer games and cartoony baseball games are popular there.

BTW, 1080 Snowboarding with Mario characters may have sold better on the GameCube, but people forget 1080 on the N64 was a million seller. I think Nintendo has actually managed to regress in terms of their sway with older consumers even from the N64, back then even titles like Turok 2 and Mission: Impossible put up spectacular sales.

 

[Hero]

Interesting.

I remember a while ago I was searching the Best Buy website and there was a picture of the Mario characters playing a volleyball game, using the official 3D models and what not, looked like it could be fun. I assumed that would be the next Mario sports game, but hey, baseball is cool.

It makes me wonder, could a Mario Football rival Madden?

 

[snapty00]

For me, I don't know if games are an "experience," per se. My reason for not wanting Mario games is much simpler: I'm just fucking tired of seeing Mario and friends. I'm sick of the whole fucking style.

And what's worse is that even if Nintendo took out the Mario junk, it'd still make the game with other characters in the EXACT same style.

 

[Unison]

Mario Volleyball would rule. Or Soccer. Remember how awesome those Technos games were on the NES?

 

[Memles]

Mario Volleyball would rule. Or Soccer. Remember how awesome those Technos games were on the NES?

For the sake of cost...if you're going to do Volleyball/Soccer/etc., lump 3-5 together. Considering it would make sense to go 5 on 5, or 3 on 3 or 2 on 2 with the sports, basically do enhanced versions of the Mario Party party games. It's one thing with a sport like baseball, which is very large team oriented, but when the others are slightly more like arcade games, and thus might be better bunched up with better engines.

 

[Fifty]

I think Nintendo would rather you pay full price for each sport. Why package them together when they can sell them individually for full price (see: NES Classics on GBA)

 

[Unison]

For the sake of cost...if you're going to do Volleyball/Soccer/etc., lump 3-5 together. Considering it would make sense to go 5 on 5, or 3 on 3 or 2 on 2 with the sports, basically do enhanced versions of the Mario Party party games. It's one thing with a sport like baseball, which is very large team oriented, but when the others are slightly more like arcade games, and thus might be better bunched up with better engines.

They could easily do soccer / volleyball / hockey w/ the same models / engine.

But they won't. They are Nintendo.

 

[M3wThr33]

Argh! So we know it's Namco now? This makes me SOOO happy!

 

[Mofo]

They could easily do soccer / volleyball / hockey w/ the same models / engine.

But they won't. They are Nintendo.

Just for the books - Mario Volleyball made it's apperance in Mario Party 4 (or 5, don't really care enough to boot them up). You could choose your characters and dare I say it - was just about as playable as DOA:XBV...

EDIT: Just booted up MP 5 and Hockey and Volleyball are both there.

 

[soundwave05]

I could see them doing a "Mario Sports Tour" or a "Mario Olympics" type thing, where they use a bunch of other sports like volleyball, soccer, and maybe even hockey

 

[SantaC]

I think it's really lame to complain that mario is in it as long as the game itself is good.

 

[adam20]

wow sometimes I am glad I dont own a Gamecube. Does nintendo make ANY original games anymore? this is disgraceful. Nintendo sometimes really deserves the bad name it's got.

 

[Memles]

I could see them doing a "Mario Sports Tour" or a "Mario Olympics" type thing, where they use a bunch of other sports like volleyball, soccer, and maybe even hockey

Exactly. Really, I'd view it was Football/Volleyball/Hockey/Soccer/Curling...Yeah, I said Curling. Basically, just have rudimentary tournaments and power moves for each sport, run some similar engines, include some solid multiplayer control, and voila.

 

[mCACGj]

wow sometimes I am glad I dont own a Gamecube. Does nintendo make ANY original games anymore? this is disgraceful. Nintendo sometimes really deserves the bad name it's got.

Yeah, and that Konami...what the hell? Metal Gear Solid 3 was enough, why bother with 4? And that Jak III, and Ratchet and Clank 3...jeez, it's pathetic.

Nice try.

 

[Memles]

wow sometimes I am glad I dont own a Gamecube. Does nintendo make ANY original games anymore? this is disgraceful. Nintendo sometimes really deserves the bad name it's got.

Really? I thought Nintendo was a nice name. So I should nix plans to use it to name my first born? Rats. Back to the drawing board.

 

[M3wThr33]

I swear, this whole thing about Nintendo's image is getting sad some days about the lengths people go to insult them.

Soon Sony and MS will have their console become sentient with home security as a primary feature.

"Nintendo sucks. The Revolution doesn't growl during boot up. My Xenon eats kittens."

(I know that jackass was bitching about originality, I just thought of the growling Xbox and thought it was too good to ignore mentioning.)

 

[Brimstone]

The thing is, without Mario, you cannot make this game. No one wants arcade baseball these days. If you do it with real players, people don't get it. It doesn't sell and no one buys. If you make an arcade baseball game with made-up teams and players like the old RBI or Baseball Stars, once again, everyone ignores it.

So how do you fill what is a valid niche that is definitely underserved without making a "generic" game? You put in recognizable characters that have arcade sensibilities and appeal.

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour is an awesome golf game. It's not just good from a Mario/Arcade-style perspective, it's awesome as plain old golf too. It relies on your skill at playing it just like a good arcade/action/sports game should. With baseball, we really don't get that anymore. It's the real thing or nothing. Plus, Slugfest was just silly with its real players beating each other up on the field. That's just stupid. It doesn't work. You need the fantasy teams and players to make arcade baseball work and Mario opens that up to a whole different kind of audience AND to some baseball fans.

There's often been folks that lament the loss of things like RBI Baseball. Namco could never do superdeformed players in the US today and get any kind of sales. But with this, they have a great opportunity to put that engine to good use that can sell in any country.

I agree though that it would be cooler to have the characters in uniforms.

I'd like to see a cell shaded baseball game like Baseball Stars. Mario Baseball would have been a good chance to try to cell shade a baseball game, sadly it hasn't happened.

BTW RBI style games do exist today in the Midway baseball games.

 

[Triumph]

Paging MAF... where is that pic? You know the one...

 

[Ramirez]

It makes me wonder, could a Mario Football rival Madden?

How bout no

Im not too sure about this one,arcadey baseball is probably the least fun sport when you turn it arcadey.See the Slugfest series,extremely lame...

They should have made a Volleyball game or something,more options there,IMO.

 

[Ranger X]

I'm looking foward to that game! I bought Mario Golf Toadstool Tour over Hot Shot 4 because the Mario settings and more mode bizarre course.
I don't remember any Mario Baseball maybe except some baseball game on the old NES where i think there was an horrible 2 colors Mario sprite on the cover.
Mario Tennis is good, Mario Golf is good, there was only baseball in the sports i like that they never really tried it with the Mario fanchise. I hope it will be good.

How making the game actually? Camelot? Ead?

 

[lexi]

They should have made a Volleyball game or something,more options there,IMO.

I'm pretty sure the end result is probably only going to barely resemble Baseball. It's probably going to be what Mario Kart is to Gran Turismo.

Who making the game actually? Camelot? Ead?

Namco, I believe.

 

[SantaC]

I'm looking foward to that game! I bought Mario Golf Toadstool Tour over Hot Shot 4 because the Mario settings and more mode bizarre course.
I don't remember any Mario Baseball maybe except some baseball game on the old NES where i think there was an horrible 2 colors Mario sprite on the cover.
Mario Tennis is good, Mario Golf is good, there was only baseball in the sports i like that they never really tried it with the Mario fanchise. I hope it will be good.

How making the game actually? Camelot? Ead?

namco.

 

[Ramirez]

I'm pretty sure the end result is probably only going to barely resemble Baseball

Which like I said will more than likely come off as some type of Slugfest clone and those games are lame.There just isn't anything you can really do to a baseball game like that.

 

[Bob White]

Yeah, and that Konami...what the hell? Metal Gear Solid 3 was enough, why bother with 4? And that Jak III, and Ratchet and Clank 3...jeez, it's pathetic.

Nice try.

The fuck?

Yeah, there have been three gta's, jak's, and others this gen. But you don't see companies like rockstar making GTA sports titles and party games with gta characters in them.

Even devs that have some characters that are known to the casuals don't cash in on them like Nintendo does.

And bringing up mgs3?

It's the third metal gear solid, so? People aren't bitching at nintendo because they're making another Mario game. They're bitching because this ISN'T a mario game. It's an arcade baseball game that just has mario's name stuck on it.

It's the same old nintendo. Always scared of doing something AWAY from what they know.

 

[mCACGj]

The fuck?

Yeah, there have been three gta's, jak's, and others this gen. But you don't see companies like rockstar making GTA sports titles and party games with gta characters in them.

Even devs that have some characters that are known to the casuals don't cash in on them like Nintendo does.

And bringing up mgs3?

It's the third metal gear solid, so? People aren't bitching at nintendo because they're making another Mario game. They're bitching because this ISN'T a mario game. It's an arcade baseball game that just has mario's name stuck on it.

It's the same old nintendo. Always scared of doing something AWAY from what they know.

I was joking. I was mocking his attempt at a troll.

 

[Ramirez]

I still however don't see why everyone whines like fuckin pussies just because they use Mario and the gang in these games.WTF does it matter people?

 

[Bob White]

Damn. Me = owned.

Damned toad faked me out.

 

[Mr_Furious]

I hate baseball but will still end up picking this up. I also don't like golf or tennis but damn if the Mario renditions aren't fun. This game'll be no different I'd imagine.

 

[Mejilan]

I'm with GDJustin and David Long on this one. I, for one, was a huge fan of RBI Baseball and especially Baseball Stars. Baseball games today are downright BORING, and if this, like the other Mario Sports titles end up bringing arcade baseball back to American shores, I'm fucking sold.

To those FEW of you who are annoyed by this new expansion to the Marioverse, too fucking bad. You're nothing but a sad little whiney minority anyway. If Namco or Konami are indeed involved in this, with Nintendo, then that's a GENIUS way to bring their product back to America.

 

[Amir0x]

I'm with GDJustin and David Long on this one. I, for one, was a huge fan of RBI Baseball and especially Baseball Stars. Baseball games today are downright BORING, and if this, like the other Mario Sports titles end up bringing arcade baseball back to American shores, I'm fucking sold.

To those FEW of you who are annoyed by this new expansion to the Marioverse, too fucking bad. You're nothing but a sad little whiney minority anyway. If Namco or Konami are indeed involved in this, with Nintendo, then that's a GENIUS way to bring their product back to America.

Ok, I resent that last part. We're in no way a minority; Nintendo fans in general are the minority as proven by the sales numbers. Let's not get that twisted. Therefore, by extension, the fans of Mario Sports titles are the minority. Now that we've got the facts out of the way, let's move to the case.

It is too fucking bad for us. You're right. We have to vote with our wallets, and that's exactly what I'll be doing. I'll pay for every Pikmin game and Metroid Prime game and I'll ignore every single Mario Sports title. I'll continue to do this with hopes that my sorry little 50 dollars will one day join with the growing number of other people tired with Nintendo rehashes and franchise milking.

The game might be good, and I hope you enjoy it. My opinion is that I should not encourage Nintendo in this way, and I won't.

 

[Ramirez]

^

Like I was saying,whiny asses.

OMG IT HAS MARIO IN IT,I SIMPLY CANNOT HAVE FUN WITH THIS!GIVE ME SOME LAME MADE UP CHARACTERS INSTEAD!!

Really,I do not get that.How are the actual characters in the game affecting how much fun the game is?

But color me surprised if this game is anything more than a Slugfest type game.

 

[Ranger X]

Ok, I resent that last part. We're in no way a minority; Nintendo fans in general are the minority as proven by the sales numbers. Let's not get that twisted. Therefore, by extension, the fans of Mario Sports titles are the minority. Now that we've got the facts out of the way, let's move to the case.

It is too fucking bad for us. You're right. We have to vote with our wallets, and that's exactly what I'll be doing. I'll pay for every Pikmin game and Metroid Prime game and I'll ignore every single Mario Sports title. I'll continue to do this with hopes that my sorry little 50 dollars will one day join with the growing number of other people tired with Nintendo rehashes and franchise milking.

The game might be good, and I hope you enjoy it. My opinion is that I should not encourage Nintendo in this way, and I won't.

But even more fundamentally, we should only care if a game is good or not. Your post here means that you care for a franchise. Imo, loving a franchise is the same thing as loving a company, it doesn't make much sense and it's the exact contrary of "being unbiased" and really vote with your money. Then again you could say a vote is an opinion wich is something mostly biased, i know. Just pointing out this fact because it amazes me how many people are fanboys or love the wrong things in gaming (and in life)