Downtown Nekketsu Baseball Monogatari: Yakyū de Shōbu da! Kunio-kun (ダウンタウン熱血べーすぼーる物語 野球で勝負だ！くにおくん lit. "Downtown Hot-Blooded Baseball Story: It's a Baseball Match! Kunio-kun") is a baseball sports game that was released in Japan on December 17, 1993 to the Super Famicom, both developed and published by Technōs Japan Corp. The game is a sequel to Downtown Nekketsu March: Super-Awesome Field Day! and is the third and last entry in the Downtown Nekketsu series.
The game continues to expand on the world of the Downtown Nekketsu series by introducing new schools and new characters to the returning schools. Sanjūrō Sugata, one of Nekketsu High School's team members in Downtown Nekketsu March: Super-Awesome Field Day! acts as the game's main character.
Development[]
Plans for a Kunio-kun game centered around baseball on the Famicom began formulating in 1990 with Mitsuhiro Yoshida writing out the initial concept for the game detailing it's controls and gameplay mechanics under the title of Nekketsu Yakyū Kozou.[1] A second revision was later done under the title of Nekketsu Taiman Jū-ban Shōbu[2], though Hiroyuki Sekimoto would later be made director of the project and would shape it into an entry in the Downtown Nekketsu series on the Super Famicom.[3]
The story originally revolved around Kunio deciding to form a baseball team after he had casually watched the Summer Koshien on TV at a coffee shop and was moved by an incredible play that was made. Things started out peacefully, though eventually Kunio and his team got too rough and caused a big brawl which lead to his team getting suspended from the High School Baseball Federation. Similarly to the final game, Kōnosuke Tōdō uses his wealth and influence to host his own tournament after learning from his son that there are dozens of schools across the country who are in a similar situation to Kunio's team. It is noted that he also sent an invitation to Kunio and his friends to participate without telling Mamoru. For the game's structure, existing schools such as Nekketsu High School, Hanazono High School, and Reihō Academy were to appear as teams in the qualifier rounds while new teams would start appearing in the main tournament. After completing the tournament, Kunio would then team up with his old enemies and form Team Japan to play against other teams overseas.
Later in development, Hanazono High School and Hōryō High School were planned to be given their own stories.[4] Hanazono's would've focused on Shūji Washio and his friendship with Riki while Hōryō's centered around Tsuyoshi Gōda's struggles with various things. In Hanazono's story, Washio was aiming to be the ace candidate for his school's baseball team in the Summer Koshien, but due to an argument he had gotten into a few months ago with the director and his general disagreement in his way of thinking, he had left the team and has since been watching them practice as he still dreams of being able to play in the Koshien. One day after school, he was handed an envelope from Mami Shimada which was an invitation to the Tōdō Group's tournament. Washio was about to smile, but realizes he cannot participate alone and hands back the envelope to Mami, though she smiles and points behind him, where Washio then sees Riki and many other capable players standing around with bats and gloves in their hands. He initially thought they were looking to attack another school, but after realizing they were ready to play baseball with him, he began to cry.
In Hōryō's story, Gōda was worried that he wouldn't be able to find a pitcher in time before the deadline for the Tōdō Group's tournament. He thought of pitching himself, but chose not to as he doesn't believe they'll be able to win with him only being able to throw straights. He then thought of asking each athletic club, but figured that they were all busy with summer tournaments and that they'd turn him down. During class, Gōda came to the conclusion that anyone with good athletic abilities would be fine, and decided to ask Kojirō Murasaki who was sitting right behind him if he wanted to pitch for his team. Gōda attempts to convince Murasaki multiple times to no avail as they walk together throughout the evening, though they are interrupted by the sound of a loud scream. The two turn around and spot a girl being harassed by a group of unfamiliar students. Murasaki rushes over to help before Gōda could say anything and begins to fight them in an intense battle. After the perpetrators spot Gōda running towards them, they quickly flee the scene. Murasaki turns over to the girl he had just helped and makes eye contact for the first time where he is immediately enamored by her. The girl ignores Murasaki as she talks to Gōda in a casual manor, in which he realizes that the girl was Gōda's younger sister Saori. Murasaki then decided to play on Gōda's team as a pitcher and having gotten carried away, he had even chosen to take on the role of becoming the team's new captain.
Story[]
Feeling fed up with how boring normal baseball has become, Kōnosuke, the President of Tōdō Group and the father of Mamoru Tōdō, decides to host his own baseball tournament that has no rules for all of the hot-blooded punks to participate in.
Meanwhile, Sugata of Nekketsu High School listens in to Tatsumi Tachibana and his girlfriend Rika Asano's conversation where he learns that the school's baseball club has been disbanded after Tachibana had quit playing due to a shoulder injury that had prevented him from playing in the Summer Koshien. The news has left Rika in shock which caused her to be hospitalized. In an attempt to cheer her up and win over her heart, Sugata decides to become the new captain of the school's baseball team and enters the tournament being held by the Tōdō Group. To the disappointment of Sugata, he discovers that the team's director is a math teacher who knows nothing about baseball, Kunio leaves to run errands and is not available, and his love rival Tachibana rejoins the team with a renewed spirit.
Gameplay[]
Characters[]
Teams[]
The game has thirteen teams in total. Nekketsu High School is played in the story mode by default and is the only team with an ending, though any other team that has been unlocked can be selected by pressing X. All teams up to Reihō Academy are available in the versus mode by default, though the remaining teams can be used after unlocking them.
Nekketsu High School[]
An all-rounder team lead by Sugata that can be played well offensively or defensively. All members of the school's team in Downtown Nekketsu March: Super-Awesome Field Day! and Shingo Akai from the school's baseball club in Go-Go! Nekketsu Hockey Club Slip-and-Slide Madness return with the other half of the team comprising of new characters. In the story mode, Kunio joins the team after the game against Reihō Academy as a reserve player and serves as the most powerful teammate. When playing on versus, he instead becomes selectable if the team's level is set to seven.
| Name | Position | Stamina | Batting | Pitching | Agility | Special Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Kuniko Ashino |
Manager | |||||
 Noboru Kawakami |
Director | |||||
 Satomi Momozono |
Cheerleader | |||||
 Sanjūrō Sugata |
Captain | |||||
 Yukio Hamasaki |
||||||
 Shingo Akai |
||||||
 Kagetani Saburo |
||||||
 Tatsumi Tachibana |
||||||
 Haruka Nanase |
||||||
 Yu Todoroki |
||||||
 Hayato Ichijō |
||||||
 Reiji Kazamatsuri |
||||||
 Noboru Takamine |
||||||
 Kenichi Morimoto |
||||||
 Jun Saeki |
||||||
 Masaru Midorimura |
||||||
 Nitta Ishimatsu |
||||||
 Kunio |
Hanazono High School[]
A well-rounded team lead by Riki with a sturdier defense and power, though are weaker when it comes to batting. All members of the school's team in Downtown Nekketsu March: Super-Awesome Field Day! return with the other half of the team comprising on new members.
| Name | Position | Stamina | Batting | Pitching | Agility | Special Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Mami Shimada |
Manager | |||||
 Kentaro Fukushima |
Director | |||||
 Tamae Nishino |
Cheerleader | |||||
 Riki |
Captain | |||||
 Shūji Washio |
||||||
 Hikaru Saotome |
||||||
 Tōru Maeda |
||||||
 Mitamura Shinpachi |
||||||
 Daigo Kurata |
||||||
 Kanji Ishiyama |
||||||
 Mitsuaki Yoshino |
||||||
 Kōichi Shimizu |
||||||
 Ikkuku Kondo |
||||||
 Shinta Arai |
||||||
 Hisashi Gou |
||||||
 Naoki Nakamura |
||||||
 Makoto Shirai |
Hōryō High School[]
A balanced team with a good striking power lead by Kojirō Murasaki which has no members that're either too weak or too strong. Outside of Tsuyoshi Gōda and Yūko Kirishima, the team is comprised of new characters.
| Name | Position | Stamina | Batting | Pitching | Agility | Special Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Fubuki Sakurazawa |
Manager | |||||
 Anzu Nishino |
Director | |||||
 Yūko Kirishima |
Cheerleader | |||||
 Kojirō Murasaki |
Captain | |||||
 Tsuyoshi Gōda |
||||||
 Haruna Nakashi |
||||||
 Makito Shinohara |
||||||
 Taichi Ōshima |
||||||
 Masamune Tsujidō |
||||||
 Yūjirō Date |
||||||
 Morio Wakabayashi |
||||||
 Takashi Hoshi |
||||||
 Fūichirō Takeda |
||||||
 Daisaku Moriwaki |
||||||
 Ryō Amanokawa |
||||||
 Kazuma Nakajima |
||||||
 Kinji Ogasawara |
||||||
 Tsuyoshi Namiki |
Tanibana High School[]
A hastily put-together team lead by Susumu Godai that's mostly comprised of the school's soccer club members. The team specializes in aggressive play and have good speed, though they lack defense.
| Name | Position | Stamina | Batting | Pitching | Agility | Special Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Aya Kōsaka |
Manager | |||||
 Shūto Ashizawa |
Director | |||||
 Miki Yamaguchi |
Cheerleader | |||||
 Susumu Godai |
Captain | |||||
 Hideyuki Yoko |
||||||
 Akinobu Toyota |
||||||
 Hiromasa Yara |
||||||
 Shūei Yoshida |
||||||
 Eiji Hyuga |
||||||
 Genichi Hokuto |
||||||
 Kyōichi Misawa |
||||||
 Kōji Ōtsuka |
||||||
 Hikeaki Sakamoto |
Hakutaka Industrial High School[]
A team lead by Naritaka Nishimura that specializes in roll swings, but are slow, lack guts, and are susceptible to heckling. Outside of Nishimura, Yasuo Sawaguchi and Katsuyuki Nedachi, the team is comprised of new characters. Naomi Kobashi and Rumi Kurasawa are from Hakutaka Girls High School, the all-girls counterpart.
| Name | Position | Stamina | Batting | Pitching | Agility | Special Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Naomi Kobashi |
Manager | |||||
 Midori Kusao |
Director | |||||
 Rumi Kurasawa |
Cheerleader | |||||
 Naritaka Nishimura |
Captain | |||||
 Yasuo Sawaguchi |
||||||
 Teruaki Kado |
||||||
 Takefumi Mitarai |
||||||
 Fumiya Sentani |
||||||
 Kazuo Kendō |
||||||
 Yasuchiro Namba |
||||||
 Ken Ōji |
||||||
 Shinya Takeuchi |
||||||
 Katsuyuki Nedachi |
||||||
 Jun Sekigawa |
Kirisame Business High School[]
A new team lead by Shirō Kazaoka that specializes in launch swings, though the team lacks guts and fumbles the ball frequently. Due to his cowardly ways, Kazaoka stays on the bench throughout the game and only comes out if a majority of his team are low on stamina or willpower.
| Name | Position | Stamina | Batting | Pitching | Agility | Special Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Kanae Ichimonji |
Manager | |||||
 Junzaburo Ōkōchi |
Director | |||||
 Eriko Hanashima |
Cheerleader | |||||
 Shirō Kazaoka |
Captain | |||||
 Jūzo Aota |
||||||
 Hideji Oguma |
||||||
 Sakura Kintaro |
||||||
 Michitsuna Hanada |
||||||
 Yoshirō Kobuchizawa |
||||||
 Keichirō Kajimoto |
||||||
 Mitsuru Ōka |
||||||
 Jō Kanuki |
||||||
 Ukon Noguchi |
||||||
 Seiji Kodachi |
||||||
 Naoki Suya |
Reihō Academy[]
A powerful team lead by Ryūichi Hattori that serves as the final opponents Nekketsu High School needs to face before Kunio joins the team. They excel in both offensive and defensive play with there being no major weaknesses. Outside of Reika Gojōin, Seiji Goto, and Kunitachi Koushiro, all members of the team are comprised of returning characters from Downtown Nekketsu Story and Downtown Nekketsu March: Super-Awesome Field Day!.
| Name | Position | Stamina | Batting | Pitching | Agility | Special Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Reika Gojōin |
Manager | |||||
 Mamoru Tōdō |
Director | |||||
 Shizuka Aihara |
Cheerleader | |||||
 Ryūichi Hattori |
Captain | |||||
 Takashi Onizuka |
||||||
 Ryūji Hattori |
||||||
 Ryōma Hayasaka |
||||||
 Masao Kobayashi |
||||||
 Kyōsuke Otonashi |
||||||
 Kiyofumi Taira |
||||||
 Shun Mochizuki |
||||||
 Tadashi Kinoshita |
||||||
 Seiji Goto |
||||||
 Kunitachi Koushiro |
Aizen Commercial High School[]
A newly established school who's baseball team is lead by Sunao Ōguro. The team excels at defense especially within the infield as Kamiya's prayer pitch is able to weaken the batter's strike, hold runners in place, or magnetize a flyball into their gloves if close enough. They lack offensive power outside of their batting prayer and often have to rely on bunting. Members of the team also have high speeds, but are lacking in stamina.
| Name | Position | Stamina | Batting | Pitching | Agility | Special Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Michiyo Ogawa |
Manager | |||||
 Mitsuteru Ise |
Director | |||||
 Mari Okajima |
Cheerleader | |||||
 Sunao Ōguro |
Captain | |||||
 Hideki Kamiya |
||||||
 Toshiro Sumiyoshi |
||||||
 Hayato Kamiyama |
||||||
 Futoshi Umemiya |
||||||
 Rin Aida |
||||||
 Masami Kōda |
||||||
 Chōsuke Tsurukame |
||||||
 Kaneto Sanbō |
||||||
 Ataru Takeshita |
||||||
 Banri Matsuoka |
Yumezono Commercial High School[]
A new team lead by Gorō Daimonji that is comprised of a fair amount of heavy hitters and lightweights. It is the only team in the game with any female players with Michiko Sawamura serving as the team's ace pitcher and Maiko Sorachi acting as a relief pitcher. The team also has one of the few foreign players outside of the American team with Kim Young-chae being Korean. Daimonji stays on the bench throughout the game, though will come out if Michiko runs out of stamina as her low amount is her weakness. Recovery items will not work properly on the female players and will instead cause them to lose stamina.
| Name | Position | Stamina | Batting | Pitching | Agility | Special Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Remi Makino |
Manager | |||||
 Kosuke Mizumori |
Director | |||||
 Maria Morishita |
Cheerleader | |||||
 Gorō Daimonji |
Captain | |||||
 Michiko Sawamura |
||||||
 Daisaku Hasegawa |
||||||
 Kyūdō Yoichi |
||||||
 Takehisa Izumiyama |
||||||
 Hiroshi Mayuzuki |
||||||
 Sho Yabuki |
||||||
 Tatsuhito Unno |
||||||
 Kim Young-chae |
||||||
 Kyūichi Nagabuchi |
||||||
 Maiko Sorachi |
||||||
 Kazutoshi Yokoyama |
||||||
 Eichirō Nakatsu |
Kokuryūzan Academy[]
A new team lead by Momoji Murata that lacks any reserve players, though makes up for it with their high stamina, guts, and powerful special moves. Mike Henry is also one of the few foreign players outside of the American team.
| Name | Position | Stamina | Batting | Pitching | Agility | Special Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Sayuri Jo |
Manager | |||||
 Jin Hiura |
Director | |||||
 Yuka Kurumizawa |
Cheerleader | |||||
 Momoji Murata |
Captain | |||||
 Toshihiro Shū |
||||||
 Takeshi Morita |
||||||
 Takanori Yabunai |
||||||
 Shin Tsurugi |
||||||
 Eiichi Yazawa |
||||||
 Kazuichi Seno |
||||||
 Shūichi Nishi |
||||||
 Mike Henry |
Meian High School[]
An unpredictable team lead by Taiki Yamada. The team is unrefined and lack coordination, so only a select few of the players are able to perform consistently. Outside of Yamada, each member of the team is comprised of new characters.
| Name | Position | Stamina | Batting | Pitching | Agility | Special Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Natsumi Minami |
Manager | |||||
 Arata Mizushima |
Director | |||||
 Ai Mizuhara |
Cheerleader | |||||
 Taiki Yamada |
Captain | |||||
 Satoshi Satonaka |
||||||
 Zenzō Kamishima |
||||||
 Yū Tonoyama |
||||||
 Kōji Iwaki |
||||||
 Takeo Ishige |
||||||
 Shōichi Takota |
||||||
 Yamaoka Isoroku |
||||||
 Manabu Kida |
||||||
 Yōjirō Nagisa |
||||||
 Kengo Takashiro |
Hattori Academy[]
A returning school from Nekketsu High School Dodgeball Club – Soccer Story who's baseball team is lead by Raiji Tsuge. They primarily excel in their high speeds which makes stealing bases much easier for them. The team also has good defensive power with there being no major weaknesses for them.
| Name | Position | Stamina | Batting | Pitching | Agility | Special Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Shinobu Momochi |
Manager | |||||
 Yamato Fujibayashi |
Director | |||||
 Aoi Kirigakure |
Cheerleader | |||||
 Raiji Tsuge |
Captain | |||||
 Ranmaru Sanada |
||||||
 Tamotsu Kōyama |
||||||
 Musashi Tarao |
||||||
 Mikumo Kyōshiro |
||||||
 Eijun Igasaki |
||||||
 Hazuki Kido |
||||||
 Yasuke Ninokuruwa |
||||||
 Tsukasa Mochizuki |
||||||
 Kanta Yamamoto |
||||||
 Tobimaru Sada |
||||||
 Seki Kichi |
American Team[]
A star-studded team from the United States lead by Lance Turner that serves as the final opponents in the story mode. The team excels in all aspects and has no major weaknesses. Due to none of the players understanding Japanese, heckling will have no effect on them.
| Name | Position | Stamina | Batting | Pitching | Agility | Special Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Crissy Farmore |
Manager | |||||
 Ken Iwamoto |
Coach | |||||
 Tawny Sprague |
Cheerleader | |||||
 Lance Turner |
Captain | |||||
 Turk O' Brien |
||||||
 Ryan Sanders |
||||||
 Bret Masters |
||||||
 Obie Taylor |
||||||
 Flash Hunter |
||||||
 Cleat Bowman |
||||||
 Gordan Barber |
||||||
 Gopher Andrews |
||||||
 Heater Barnes |
||||||
 Tony Snyder |
||||||
 Slider Dooley |
||||||
 Alex Harper |
||||||
 Denny Mckay |
||||||
 Richie Keen |
Other Characters[]
- Kōnosuke Tōdō: President of Tōdō Group and the father of Mamoru Tōdō. Having been fed up with the more boring normal baseball, he made his own tournament with no-rules for all of the hot-blooded punks.
- Rika Asano: Second year student at Nekketsu High School and the girlfriend of Tachibana. She acted as the school's baseball team's manager until she was hospitalized from shock after hearing the club had disbanded. Sugata leads the baseball club himself and enters the Tōdō Group's tournament in an attempt to win her heart. She is seen during the story's opening scene, the game over screen, and during the ending of the game.
- Kaoru Sonokawa: Second year student at Senridai High School. He is seen following Kunio around during the story's opening scene and during Kunio's entrance after the game against Reihō Academy.
- Kazumi Hasebe: Third year student at Reihō Academy and Vice-President of the school's Student Council. She acts as the sports commentator and can additionally be seen on one of the game over screens.
Codes, secrets, and bugs[]
Unlock All Teams[]
By holding L + R and pressing Select while hovering over the button for story mode, the player is able to unlock all teams for use in both the story mode and the versus mode.
Move Selection Cursor[]
By holding L + R and pressing Y while selecting a move, a cursor can be toggled to help see which move is currently selected.
Trivia[]
- Masao Kobayashi is the only Japanese character in the game to have the Pride swing due to his personality and because of his past background as someone in the higher levels of society.
- Michiko Sawamura is one of the few characters to not have any special moves when running due to her being well-mannered and calm.
- Remi Makino is the only manager in the game who will appear if an item has been given to a teammate, whereas all other managers will appear once the items screen is opened.
Gallery[]
Artwork[]
Screenshots[]
References[]
- ↑ Nekketsu Yakyū Kozou's planning documents from Miracle Kidz's "Downtown Excavation 3".
- ↑ Nekketsu Taiman Jū-ban Shōbu (Nekketsu Yakyū Kozou)'s revised planning documents from Miracle Kidz's "Downtown Excavation 3".
- ↑ Downtown Nekketsu Baseball Monogatari's initial planning documents from Miracle Kidz's "Downtown Excavation 3".
- ↑ Hanazono High School and Hōryō High School's canned story concepts in the Downtown Nekketsu Baseball Monogatari Setteibon published by Miracle Kidz.
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