Summary
Highlights
The video introduces Major Dream Major Wii Perfect Closer as the worst baseball video game the presenter has ever played. It highlights the abundance of baseball games in Japan, with over 10% of all games released in 1989 being baseball titles, and emphasizes that Major Dream stands out as exceptionally bad despite this crowded market.
The 'Major' franchise is explained as a highly popular anime and manga series in Japan, detailing the life story of Goro Shigeno, a baseball player. Perfect Closer was released during the anime's peak popularity in 2008, as one of three Major Dream games that year. Its release date in December was strategically chosen to capitalize on New Year's spending in Japan, leading to a rushed development by Dream Factory, a notoriously struggling developer, and published by Takara Tomy, known for releasing many awful licensed games.
The video showcases some of the game's most infamous bugs, including graphical glitches like players' heads turning backwards. Crucially, the initial release of the game had a critical bug where it would freeze during loading, leading to an infinite loop that could overheat and permanently damage the Wii console. Takara Tomy later released a 'fixed' version, which the presenter possesses, resolving this console-breaking issue but leaving many other gameplay problems untouched.
The batting mechanics are described as absurdly simplified and deterministic. Batters automatically position themselves for every pitch, and the computer opponent only throws strikes. Successful hits often result in foul balls or home runs, and the game features a limited number of pre-programmed hit outcomes rather than a physics engine. Baserunning is also automated and random, and players visually transform into a generic blonde white male when batting.
Pitching is equally flawed. Goro, the main character, has a few pitches, but other pitchers are limited. Pitches always go exactly where aimed, and computer opponents react the same regardless of pitch type or location. There's no option to change pitchers, and stamina management is nonsensical. Fielding is either completely automatic or semi-automatic where the player has minimal, often counterproductive, control.
The story mode features long, fully voice-acted cutscenes interspersed with small, goal-oriented gameplay segments. A major issue is the constant disconnect between the story presented in cutscenes and the actual in-game events. The game also assumes prior knowledge of the 'Major' anime, skipping crucial character development and treating basic character information as surprising plot twists.
The video summarizes the story mode, which covers Goro's time in the US trying out for a major league team. He faces challenges like being pickpocketed, language barriers (inconsistently portrayed), and establishing himself as a pitcher. His journey includes confrontations with rivals, unceremonious demotions to the minor leagues, joining the Memphis Bats, and overcoming injuries in dramatic, if poorly explained, fashion. The story culminates in a championship game filled with contrived drama, including a bizarre reveal about Goro's father figure and an unrealistic conclusion.
The presenter concludes that Major Dream Major Wii Perfect Closer is a 'peak bad game.' Even without the technical bugs, the gameplay is awful, and the story mode is poorly implemented, feeling more like a recap than a coherent plot. The game is held up as an example of extremely poor quality in licensed titles, being 'laughable to look at, painful to play, and could break your system just for good measure.'