Japanese v American Version

[BeefMaster]

Any idea who the "major leaguers" would be?  Does it look like they used MLB players, or all-stars of some sort?  I can't read any sort of Japanese, so I can't even sound anything out on my own.

[MarquisEXB]

D has blue and grey unis, like the Dodgers...

Hitter breakdown:

1 - Righty, .262 12HRs
2 - Righty, .262 10 HRs
3 - Lefty, .306 32 HRs
4 - Righty, .350 42 HRs (and I popped out with him)
5 - Righty, .272 32 HRs

Ok this is weird. The only one I was able to identify is #4 - Greg "Boomer" Wells. 1986 for the Hankyu Braves. But none of the other guys are appearing anywhere...

[Gantry]

I'll have to break out the Hiragana and Katakana and take a look.  One japanese class when I was 18 and about 5000 hours of anime.  I'm pretty good at sounding out Katakana - which usually uses Japanese characters to sound out an English word.  Should i stick with the Dragons?

Actually, I'll try a few names of the Major Leaguers.  Remember that I could have butchered the pronounciation and it's an authentic team.  But maybe they went the Tengen route and went with two All-Star (the Namco Stars being the other one) teams...

[ultimate7]

yeah i do.  i played a season with a blue team but i forget the fuckin letter.  anyway heres the whole season of codes for just that team.  Just tryem out on a couple team till you find a match.  I must admit though they are a pretty good team (the clean up guy is a solid slugger) so you might wanna start fresh with a crap squad.  anyway heres the codes in order from worst opponents to best (Although the Japan all-stars[last team] pitching sucks for some reason).
6bbe
6ac4
69ca
68d0
67d6
65e8
64e8
63ee
62f4
61fa
im not sure that the codes are universal.  they might vary depending upon the last game (but i doubt it).  hope i dont waste your time

OK, these codes are for team D.  I played the team for the 2nd to last code (62f4) and lost 3-2.  Now I'm not a great player with the keyboard, but the pitching is light years ahead of the NES pitching.  It is very tough to hit, almost as good as batting against a human (At least for the team I played against in the game).  Also at work I play without sound, so I can't react as early to slowballs(drop pitches), but I stuck out 15 times, some nasty pitches.

I'm not convinced the fielding is any different, they may be slightly faster.  I have to get this cartridge and figure out how to play the FAMICON games on NES.

[ericdavisfan]

GreatScott,
YOU seem like a good guy...welcome to dee-nee.  We are happy to have you.  By the looks of your recent posts (today) you will be a welcomed addition to the ocmmujity.  I don't llike Japanese games.

Reading through this post and...

One of these things is not like the other, one of these things does not belong

Can you find the sentence that isn't like the others boys and girls?

[Gantry]

ultimate, do yourself a favor and buy a Gravis Gamepad Pro for about $20 - will make your PC RBI experience MUCH better...

[ultimate7]

Looks good, Once I start playing on my PC at home I'll get one, probably once I get a better home PC.

[ericdavisfan]

From the RBI FAQ:

Family Stadium 87 has 12 teams:

   * G - Gaiantsu (Giants)
   * M - Mejarigazu (Major Leaguers?)
   * L - Raionerizu (Lions?)
   * C - Kazu (Cubs?)
   * B - Burabozu (Bulls?)
   * D - Dorasasozu
   * F - Fuzu Fuzu
   * S - Suparozu (Supers)
   * R - Reruueizu
   * W - Hoiruzu
   * T - Taitasozu (Titans?)
   * N - Namuko Sutazu (Namco Stars)

Are tehse real Japanese teams?  I assume they were fake, though I don't know why I did...

Ganrty,

Who are you trying to fool here?  We all know that the G here stands for


[size=132]GODZILLAAAAAAAA!!!![/size]

[Gantry]

That offically tops the previous best doctored RBI pic, my Estevezing of Floods pic with the wife...

Well done!

[GreatScott]

Ultimate 7

Thats exactly what im talking about.  It takes a big man to admit that the computer can beat you but in the japanese version it is very possible.  The pitches are really tough, sometimes moving in 3 or even four directions in a pitch.  That freezes you up.  

I remember Gantry saying he was gonna play a season with N.  I havent heard a response yet.  Perhaps he too was humbled by Japanese pitching.  

I know I've struggled at times with the computer in Family Stadium.  I mean I almost always won but it was challenging.  Granted it was with a keyboard but I still consider myself a very good player.  I gotta think even the best RBIer is gonna wiff at least 5 times.

[Gantry]

Still going with my quest, finished another game recently.  I've won 6 or 7 games now, but deifnitely harder.  Some CPU pitchers are just plain filthy, almost impossible to hit.  Notice my 15 whiffs...

If a pitcher is too damn filthy, I don't swing unless there are two strikes.  The CPU does tend to tire itself out since they throw 80% fastballs and slowballs...

Last game I only won 3-2...

[ultimate7]

I played a rematch and won 3-0, getting slightly better at hitting them.  Like Gantry said you have to be patient and try to tire them out  With the first 2 starters on the team I played the curve is almost too good for the pitchers and they will hit batters if you move them way in.

[Gantry]

Agreed ultimate, look at the box score for the game I just played:

That's 16 strikeouts and 15 walks.  Half of those walks were beanings, which family staium called "Deadballs" they also call a walk a "fourball" two more difference between Japanese and american...

And the computer tagged up on me from third base.  Do they do that in the American version?

[JoeDirt]

16 SOs??  Damn, you must be conditioned to play straight pitch!  

Not sure about the computer tag up, but I did notice in Family Stadium that the computer let me score a run with my man on third and instead went for my other runner (was attempting to take a cheap extra base, going from 2nd to 3rd while the computer threw home at a runner it had 0 chance to get out)....but the computer let the run score and tried to get the other runner out.  Seems like the right move and not a big deal, but the RBI we all know and love would never do that.

[nightwulf]

I'm guessing that the teams are actual Japanese teams.

(Japanese) RBI Baseball:
12 teams: M, G, L, C, B, D, F, S, R, W, T, N

Actual Japanese baseball:
12 teams:
Pacific League: Hawks, Lions, Buffaloes, Marines, Fighters, Blue Wave
Central League: Tigers, Dragons, Giants, Swallows, Carp, Bay Stars

So start matching things up ...
M- Marines
G- Giants
L- Lions
C- Carp
B-
D- Dragons
F- Fighters
S- Swallows
R-
W-
T- Tigers
N-

B, R, W, and N are unused letters.
Hawks, Buffaloes, Blue Wave, Bay Stars are unused teams.

Best guess would put Blue Wave at W. Looking at the rough guess from the Dee-Nee FAQ for N (N - Namuko Sutazu (Namco Stars)), Bay Stars seems a good fit, but I have no idea where "Namuko" came from (The full team name is Yokohama Bay Stars).

No idea on Hawks and Buffaloes (they spelled it that way, not me). Next logical step would be to start comparing in-game rosters with actual rosters, but after an hour of wading through Japanese and poor translation, I gave that up.

Of course, all of this changes if these 12 teams didn't exist when the game was made (copyright 1986,1987 ... using '85 or '86 teams?).

Nightwulf

[Gantry]

Good analysis nightwulf, but some of those translations completely baffle me.  Unless the katakana isn't straight to english, which is possible but unlikely...

I'll translate a roster tomorrow and marquis can look up the names in his book.  I'll use the team with Wells, since I can usually figure out English names from Katakana...

[ultimate7]

Agreed ultimate, look at the box score for the game I just played:

That's 16 strikeouts and 15 walks.  Half of those walks were beanings, which family staium called "Deadballs" they also call a walk a "fourball" two more difference between Japanese and american...

And the computer tagged up on me from third base.  Do they do that in the American version?

Yes computer will tag up on American versions.  But I also think something happened where the computer tried to take on extra base on me when I threw to the wrong base.  I ended up throwing the guy out at home, but it was a situation where in the american version I'm almost certain they would have always stopped at third.

[ultimate7]

There are wallzies in the Japanese version.

[GreatScott]

yeah the computer does have some soft spots in terms of wearing itself out.  Whats annoying is that no matter how well a cpu pitcher does, they always boost him after 5 innings.  I guess they are all crybaby bitches like greg maddux over in japan.  But yeah the best way to beat them is to be patient and wait for good pitches when the count is favorable.  Im pretty impressed you guys figured that out so quick.  They do walk alot of guys and that is their big soft spot.
Anyway im glad ive got family stadium into the mix.  I think its a good place for an RBIer to hone his craft and take quality at bats.  Ultimately Id like to get some family stadium games going.  
I understand that FS doesnt have the charm of american RBI.  It doesnt have all the dirtbag players we know and love.  It doesnt have teams from two of the best seasons ever.  But in terms of controls and gameplay, i would argue it is the better of the two.  
I think the real difference is just cultural.  If Family Stadium was like an american sequel with teams from lets say 88 89 ... I think this forum would be centered on that hypothetical version of RBI.  
In other words, the fact the family stadium is japanese shouldnt bother us.  Maybe if someone with knoweldge of japanese and no life anglicized the player games on the family stadium rom the cultural issue might be bridged to some extent.  God knows their would be some goofy sounding names that would become immediate fan favorites.  

[GreatScott]

oh and on the front of differences ... Im not sure but I dont think the American RBI game ends after 12 innnings.  In Japan and in Family Stadium all baseball games end in a tie after 12.  Can someone refresh my memory on this one in reference to the american version.  For some wired reason i feel like it does end after 12 in the american version.