, also known as ''Pro Baseball Spirits'' or just is a Japanese

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

sports simulation game series, developed by Baseball Contents Production and published by

Konami , commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading card ...

. It is a spin-off series of the '' Jikkyō Powerful Pro Yakyū (Power Pros)'' franchise. While the main series ''Power Pros'' focuses on fast-paced but deep gameplay, the gameplay of ''Professional Baseball Spirits'' has a focus for realistic graphics and physics, similar to the ''

Pro Evolution Soccer ''eFootball Pro Evolution Soccer'' (''eFootball PES''), known as in Japan, is a series of association football List of association football video games, simulation video games developed by Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. and published ...

'' series. Just like ''Power Pros'', most games in the series are developed under license from the

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

(NPB) and the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association (JPBPA), letting them use the league's team names, stadiums, colors, and players' names and likenesses. Also, a version of ''Professional Baseball Spirits'' featuring Major League Baseball players was released under the title ''eBaseball: MLB PRO SPIRIT'' on October 23, 2024.

Games

''Pro Yakyū Spirits 2004''

''Professional Yakyuu Spirits 2004'' (プロ野球スピリッツ2004, ''Pro Yakyū Spirits 2004'') is a baseball simulation video game developed by

for the

PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...

that was released on March 25, 2004.

''Pro Yakyū Spirits 2''

''Professional Baseball Spirits 2'' (プロ野球スピリッツ2, ''Pro Yakyū Spirits 2'') is a baseball simulation video game developed by Konami for the PlayStation 2 that was released on April 7, 2005.

''Pro Yakyū Spirits 3''

''Professional Baseball Spirits 3'' (プロ野球スピリッツ3, ''Pro Yakyū Spirits 3'') is a baseball simulation game designed for the

Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detail ...

and PlayStation 2 systems. The game was released on April 6, 2006 and is developed and published by Konami.

''Pro Yakyū Spirits 4''

''Professional Baseball Spirits 4'' (プロ野球スピリッツ4, ''Pro Yakyū Spirits 4'') is a

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 and

PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

on May 1, 2007. It is the sequel of ''Pro Yakyū Spirits 3''.

Gameplay overview

The game features all 12

teams, and both the

Pacific League The , or , or the , due to sponsorship reasons, is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the a ...

and

Central League The or , also known as the for sponsorship reasons, is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League i ...

All-Star teams (circa 2006, but with changes made for traded and/or retired players). The

difficulty level Game balance is a branch of game design with the intention of improving gameplay and user experience by balancing difficulty and fairness. Game balance consists of adjusting rewards, challenges, and/or elements of a game to create the intended pla ...

for the game is adjustable. The easiest mode will appeal to younger players who have probably never played a baseball game before in their lives, and the hardest mode—known as Spirits Mode—will give even the most experienced and advanced players a challenge with superior AI. Other modes can be selected in a sort of pseudo-gameplay sliders mode. For instance, gameplay speed can be increased, as well as pitch speed (which can be set to "real" speed). The basic batting interface is a silhouette of a bat which influences how the ball will travel. Depending on when and where contact was made, that influences where the ball goes. The pitching is a 2-click system where the player selects his pitch around a grid, presses X to start his delivery, then pressing X as one circle converges on another to try and perfectly time the pitch.

Reception

Around the time of its release, it was the only PlayStation 3 video game that was among the top 50 best-selling video games in Japan.

''Pro Yakyū Spirits 5''

''Professional Baseball Spirits 5'' (プロ野球スピリッツ5, ''Pro Yakyū Spirits 5'') is a

published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 in Japan on May 1, 2008. It is the sequel to ''Professional Baseball Spirits 4''.

Improvements and additions

On the PlayStation 3 version of ''Pro Yakyū Spirits 5'', the game saw many small improvements. The graphics were enhanced further from the previous incarnation, but the major fixes were in the gameplay. The load times that plagued the previous game were fixed, meaning less of the "black screens" that were used for short load times in ''PYS4''. The game also has more of a television-style presentation, new animations for slap hits, and a new meter that tells players what pitch the CPU batter is expecting. The new mode in ''PYS5'' which replaces the MVP Mode in the previous game is Stardom Mode. It plays like a full-fledged Career Mode, where a player can either take control of an existing player or create their own player to go through a maximum of 20 years of play. Experience points are distributed on how well the player does in his at-bat.

''Pro Yakyū Spirits 5 Kanzenban''

An updated version of ''the game'' with the subtitle ''Kanzenban'', which means ''Perfect Version'', was released in December 2008. Released on both the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3, ''Kanzenban'' touted many improvements over the original as a post-season version of the game. For instance, every player who appeared in a game in the 2008 NPB season for all 12 teams was included on each team's roster, there were new player animations, enhanced artificial intelligence, and also small improvements to graphics (foreign players, for example, no longer look generic and have their actual swings), online play, baserunning, and fielding. ''Kanzenban'' marked the first time since ''Pro Yakyu Spirits 2004 Climax'' that a ''PYS'' game had been re-made for a post-season version, similar to that of the ''"Ketteiban"'' games in ''Pro Yakyu Spirits'' sister series, '' Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu''.

''Pro Yakyū Spirits 6''

''Professional Baseball Spirits 6'' (プロ野球スピリッツ6, ''Pro Yakyū Spirits 6'') is a

simulation

developed by Konami and PawaPuro Productions for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 that was released on July 16, 2009.

New features

The new major mode in the game for this season is the

World Baseball Classic The World Baseball Classic (WBC), also referred to as the Classic, is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the sport's global governing body, and organized in World Baseball Clas ...

mode. Upon booting the game, the first menu is to decide whether the player wants to play the WBC mode or the regular Pro Yakyuu Spirits game. The rosters are accurate for all WBC teams, and is possible to play an entire tournament as any of the 16 teams.

''Pro Yakyū Spirits 2010''

''Professional Baseball Spirits 2010'' (プロ野球スピリッツ2010, ''Pro Yakyū Spirits 2010'') is a baseball simulation video game developed by Konami and PawaPuro Productions for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and

PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PA ...

that was released on April 1, 2010.

''Pro Yakyū Spirits 2011''

''Professional Baseball Spirits 2011'' (プロ野球スピリッツ2011, ''Pro Yakyū Spirits 2011'') is a baseball simulation video game developed by Konami and PawaPuro Productions for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and

Nintendo 3DS The is a foldable dual-screen handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, ...

that was released on April 14, 2011.

''Pro Yakyū Spirits 2012''

''Professional Baseball Spirits 2012'' (プロ野球スピリッツ2012, ''Pro Yakyū Spirits 2012'') is a

simulation

developed by

Konami Digital Entertainment , commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, ''tokusatsu'', pachinko ma ...

and PawaPuro Productions for the PlayStation Portable,

PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, then in other international territories on February 22, 2012, and was produced ...

and PlayStation 3 that was released on March 29, 2012.

Resume

The previous version was released on the 3DS, but publishers have decided to give preference to PlayStation Vita. The release date is the same for all platforms and was timed for the start of a new baseball season.

New features and updates

* The game has a completely redesigned graphics and the display changes were made to account for the display and the player's name. * Roster could be online updated in the PlayStation Vita version. * A new commentator for this version is Tsutomu Ito.

''Pro Yakyū Spirits 2013''

''Professional Baseball Spirits 2013'' (プロ野球スピリッツ2013, ''Pro Yakyū Spirits 2013'') is a baseball simulation video game developed by Konami and PawaPuro Productions for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita that was released on March 20, 2013.

''Pro Yakyū Spirits 2014''

''Professional Baseball Spirits 2014'' (プロ野球スピリッツ2014, ''Pro Yakyū Spirits 2014'') is a baseball simulation video game developed by Konami and PawaPuro Productions for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita that was released on March 20, 2014.

''Pro Yakyū Spirits 2015''

''Professional Baseball Spirits 2015'' (プロ野球スピリッツ2015, ''Pro Yakyū Spirits 2015'') is a baseball simulation video game developed by Konami and PawaPuro Productions for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita that was released on March 26, 2015.

''Pro Yakyū Spirits'' ''A''

''Professional Baseball Spirits A'' (プロ野球スピリッツA, ''Pro Yakyū Spirits Ace''), also known as is a mobile baseball video game developed by Konami and PawaPuro Productions for

iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...

and Android that was released on October 21, 2015. , the game has been downloaded 56 million times. Konami collaborated with the snack company Callbee to sell

baseball card A baseball card is a type of trading card relating to baseball, usually printed on cardboard, silk, or plastic. In the 1950s, they came with a stick of gum and a limited number of cards. These cards feature one or more baseball players, teams, s ...

collectibles based on the game, which was sold for a limited time in January 2025.

''Pro Yakyū Spirits 2019''

''Professional Baseball Spirits 2019'' (プロ野球スピリッツ2019, ''Pro Yakyū Spirits 2019'') is a baseball simulation video game developed by Konami and PawaPuro Productions for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita that was released on July 18, 2019.

''eBaseball Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2021: Grand Slam''

''eBaseball Professional Baseball Spirits 2021: Grand Slam'' (eBaseball プロ野球スピリッツ2021, ''eBaseball Pro Yakyū Spirits 2021'') is a baseball simulation video game developed by Konami and PawaPuro Productions for the

Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...

that was released on July 8, 2021. This is the only mainline game that uses the title eBaseball and the only one made for the Nintendo Switch.

''Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2024 - 2025''

''Professional Baseball Spirits 2024 - 2025'' (プロ野球スピリッツ2024 - 2025, ''Pro Yakyū Spirits 2024 - 2025'') is a baseball simulation video game developed by Konami and PawaPuro Productions for the

PlayStation 5 The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North ...

and

Microsoft Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

that was released on September 19, 2024. The game was released in celebration of the series' 20th anniversary and 30th anniversary of ''

Power Pros ''Powerful Pro Baseball'', previously known as ''Jikkyō Powerful Pro Baseball'', and ''eBASEBALL Powerful Pro Baseball'' and marketed internationally as ''Power Pros'', is a Japanese baseball video game series created by Konami. It is known fo ...

'' series, with

Shohei Ohtani is a Japanese professional baseball designated hitter and pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "Shotime", he has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Angels and in Nippon Professional Basebal ...

as the ambassador. It is also the first time in the series that the game title is written in two-year increments. Although this was the first game of the series that no longer use the brand name eBaseball for the game title, the brand name eBaseball was used as the name of a new

game engine A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games which generally includes relevant libraries and support programs such as a level editor. The "engine" terminology is akin to the term " software engine" u ...

for the

ninth generation of video game consoles The ninth generation of video game consoles began in November 2020 with the releases of Microsoft Gaming, Microsoft's Xbox Series X and Series S console family and Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony's PlayStation 5. Compared to the Eighth gen ...

based on

Unreal Engine 5 Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) is the latest version of Unreal Engine developed by Epic Games. It was revealed in May 2020 and officially released in April 2022. Unreal Engine 5 includes multiple upgrades and new features, including Nanite, a system that ...

, called as eBaseball Engine.

''eBaseball: MLB PRO SPIRIT''

''eBaseball: MLB PRO SPIRIT'' is the first game of the series featuring

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

, featuring all the 30 stadiums and players of 2024 season and featuring the

National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...

MVP MVP most commonly refers to: * Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition * Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering MVP may also refer to: ...

as the cover athete. It was also as the first game of the series that released worldwide. The gameplay is largely based of ''Professional Baseball Spirits A'', where the players need to collect virtual cards and bulid own team in various modes.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pro Yakyu Spirits Japan-exclusive video games Konami games Nippon Professional Baseball video games Xbox 360 games PlayStation 2 games PlayStation 3 games Video game franchises introduced in 2004 Video games set in Japan Video games developed in Japan