Dynamite Baseball
From Sega Retro
| Dynamite Baseball | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| System(s): Sega Model 2B CRX | |||||||||
| Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd. | |||||||||
| Developer: Sega AM1[1][2] | |||||||||
| Licensor: Nippon Professional Baseball | |||||||||
| Genre: Sports | |||||||||
| Number of players: 1 | |||||||||
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Dynamite Baseball (ダイナマイトベースボール) is a baseball game released for Sega Model 2 arcade hardware. It was developed by Sega AM1, including many of the same people behind AM1's previous baseball game Final Arch[1][3][4][5][6]. It is controlled using a bat switch, similar to Major League. It uses the same "Virtua Advertising" system pioneered by Virtua Striker, with advertisements for 15 companies appearing the game[1][7]. The game was installed in some Versus City cabinets, like Final Arch before it[7].
Contents
Gameplay
During the first round of every game, several helpful windows with the controls and gameplay advice will pop up[8]. The gameplay in Dynamite Baseball is slightly unusual for the genre[9]: The pitcher and batter each move a cursor to decide where they aim their throw and hit. To hit the ball, the batter needs to line up their cursor with the pitcher's. The strength of the throw/hit can be adjusted with the bat switch, which has been called a "nostalgic" inclusion[1][4], returning from Sega's then 10-year old game Major League[7], and which made waves in the industry[10]. The field defense is almost entirely automated, so the player only has to worry about the pitching and batting[10][7]. The gameplay runs at 60 frames per second[1][11].
The camera angles are different from many older baseball games and replicate TV broadcast styles[12][4]. The basic camera angle is positioned either behind the pitcher or behind the batter, and will be slightly differently angled depending on if the character is left-handed or right-handed[5]. There are many close-up shots of the players[13]. Many times during a rest period, there are split-screen cameras showing both the pitcher and batter. After the batter hits the ball, the camera will rapidly zoom in and change shots to follow the action. The camera sequences after getting a home run are more tightly scripted.
Teams
The player can select from 12 teams, with data based on the mid-point in Nippon Professional Baseball's 1996 season[7].
| League | Team | Players |
|---|---|---|
| Central |  Yakult Swallows
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| Hiroshima Toyo Carp
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| Yomiuri Giants
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 Yokohama BayStars
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| Chunichi Dragons
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 Hanshin Tigers
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| Pacific | Orix BlueWave
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| Chiba Lotte Marines
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 Seibu Lions
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| Nippon-Ham Fighters
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| Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
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| Kintetsu Buffaloes
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Stadiums
There are 3 stadiums to choose from, including a dome and a grass field[11].
History
Development
For most of the game's developers, it was their first experience developing a game for the Sega Model 2 board, and the first Model 2 game developed by Sega AM1 to use human characters, instead of vehicle games like Indy 500 and Sky Target[4]. This made animating the characters a challenge. Game designer Yoshimi Aikawa has estimated that about 50% of the animations were created with motion capture and the other 50% were hand-animated with video references[4].
Compared to the team's previous baseball game Final Arch, which emphasized the player having to time their bat swings right, Dynamite Baseball was designed to give equal emphasis to the batter and pitcher and the mental battle between them, thus the cursor movement where the two can react to each others movements[8]. This emotional battle is also subtly expressed with the characters' facial animations, best seen during the close-up shots of the characters[4] The game also has roughly 4 times as many animations as Final Arch[8].
The team aimed to create realistic controls, but at first were planning to use a button[8]. At some point one of the developers suggested that they try a bat switch, which was well-received and added to the final game[8].
The camera work was designed by Masayuki Ao[8]. He was careful to not make the quick camera changes disorienting for players[4], so the camera always starts from the first base bleachers view after the batter hits the ball, and the ensuing camera changes always start where the previous zoom-in left off.
The game's title was reportedly a request from the sales department, to associate it with AM1's other hit game Dynamite Deka[6]. This was likely a success, as the AM1 column in Sega Saturn Magazine was later rebranded to AM1 Dynamite.
Legacy
Dynamite Baseball was followed by 3 annual sequels. These were eventually succeeded by one-off baseball games developed by AM1's successor WOW Entertainment, like World Series Baseball and Home Run King.
The opening theme was included in Harley-Davidson & L.A. Riders, re-arranged by the original composer Masanori Takeuchi and named "Winning Ball".
Sega Logistics Service announced it would end service on the arcade machines on March 31, 2017.[14][15]
Production credits
- Main article: Dynamite Baseball/Production credits.
Magazine articles
- Main article: Dynamite Baseball/Magazine articles.
Physical scans
| Model 2, JP | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 "Top" instructions "Long" instructions "Long" instructions (2) | ||||
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Sega Saturn Magazine, "1996-14 (1996-08-23)" (JP; 1996-08-09), page 224
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sega Arcade History, Enterbrain, page 140
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "1996-14 (1996-08-23)" (JP; 1996-08-09), page 1996-18
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Sega Saturn Magazine, "1996-15 (1996-09-13)" (JP; 1996-08-23), page 224
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Sega Magazine, "1996-02 (1996-12)" (JP; 1996-11-13), page 38
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 https://www.wizforest.com/diary/170120.html (Wayback Machine: 2021-08-02 13:16)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Sega Magazine, "1996-02 (1996-12)" (JP; 1996-11-13), page 39
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Sega Saturn Magazine, "1996-15 (1996-09-13)" (JP; 1996-08-23), page 225
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "1996-15 (1996-09-13)" (JP; 1996-08-23), page 1996-18
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Sega Saturn Magazine, "1996-16 (1996-09-27)" (JP; 1996-09-13), page 212
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 https://www.sega.jp/history/arcade/product/7415/ (Wayback Machine: 2023-04-06 19:00)
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "1996-14 (1996-08-23)" (JP; 1996-08-09), page 223
- ↑ Sega Magazine, "1996-02 (1996-12)" (JP; 1996-11-13), page 1996-18
- ↑ File:SegaProductsTerminationAnnouncement 2016-11 JP.pdf
- ↑ File:SegaProductsTerminationAnnouncement 2016-12.pdf
| Dynamite Baseball series |
|---|
| Dynamite Baseball (1996) | Dynamite Baseball 97 (1997) | Hanguk Pro Yagu 98 (1998) | Dynamite Baseball NAOMI (1998) | Dynamite Baseball '99 (1998) |