Now, maybe in Japan baseball games with short pudgy 3D players are the "in" thing. The kids dig it. Whatever. Here in the States we want our baseball to be represented as realistically as possible in our video games. That's why Famista 64 will probably never be released here.
When we first heard of an N64 baseball game from Namco, the company that made such hits on the PlayStation as Tekken II, Soul Edge, and Ride Racer, we figured that it would want its first game on the N64 to be a solid title that would introduce owners to the same level of quality that PlayStation owners had come to expect from Namco games. So we were obviously excited. Unfortunately, the game turned out to be one of "those" import games. It isn't that the game is completely bad or anything, it's just that for the price, importing it just isn't worth it.
The gameplay is straightforward - you bat and pitch with one button and use the analog stick to guide the players around the field. The camera buttons make the pitcher and batter do peculiar little animations like calling your shot Babe Ruth-style or knocking the dust off the plate.
The graphics are hard to judge because while the players feature some amazing animation and a crisp, clean look uncharacteristic of many N64 games, they are also incredibly simple. So simple, in fact, that the game is actually reminiscent of 3D RBI baseball - with the same short little players that look more cute than real and a crowd that looks like a sea of happy little faces.
In the end, Famista 64 isn't worth the extra expense that imports warrant. Even if you are a huge baseball fanatic, and you're tired of waiting for a baseball game for the Nintendo 64, you're better off waiting for Griffey or Acclaim's baseball game, both slated for a May release.
