The Pro Yakyuu: Pennant Race

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The Pro Yakyuu: Pennant Race
System(s): Sega Master System
Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Developer: Whiteboard
Genre: Sports (baseball)
Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code JP 1987-08-17 ¥5,0005,000 G-1323

The Pro Yakyuu: Pennant Race (ザ・プロ野球 ペナントレース) is a Sega Master System baseball game developed by Whiteboard and published by Sega. Exclusively released in Japan in 1987, it is an adaptation of Great Baseball with Japanese teams.

Gameplay

The game is a simple baseball game that can be played by one or two players. It uses a low view from behind the pitcher's mound for pitching and hitting, with an inset of the diamond to show the positions of runners on the bases. It switches between a wide overhead view of the outfield and a tighter view of the diamond (depending on the location of the ball) for fielding and baserunning. There are 12 teams, based on the Nippon Professional Baseball teams of the day, but the game lacks a license and has fictional rosters and player statistics.

Games are nine innings long. In the event of a tie, the game goes into extra innings until the tie is broken. There is a mercy rule that ends the game if a team is ahead by 10 or more runs by the fifth inning.

	Starting Pitcher
	Before each game, players choose a starting pitcher and arrange the batting order.
	Defense
	When pitching, the player positions the pitcher with and . The pitcher throws the ball with . While throwing the ball, the player can control the pitch with and for a curve ball, for a fastball, or for a change-up. The pitcher can throw to base to pick off a runner trying to steal a base by pressing while holding a direction corresponding to a base ( for first, for second, for third, or for home). The player can substitute a relief pitcher with + when the ball is not in play. Each team has four relief pitchers, each having a different specialty pitch (such as a fastball or a slider). Each pitcher and specialty can only be used once per game. The fielders are moved with the D-Pad. When playing with automatic fielding, the fielders run after the ball automatically. Once the ball is in possession, it can be thrown to base by pressing or while holding a direction corresponding to the base.
	Offense
	When hitting, the player positions the batter using the D-Pad. The batter swings by pressing to step through three batting positions (which can be used for a bunt) or holding for a full swing (or to complete a swing). The player can substitute a pinch hitter with + when the ball is not in play. Each team has four pinch hitters, each having a different special characteristic (such as being good at long hits or being a fast runner). As with pitchers, each hitter and specialty can only be used once per game. The player can instruct a baserunner to lead off or to steal a base or to continue running to the next base after a hit by pressing while holding a direction corresponding to a base ( for first, for second, for third, or for home) or to return to base by pressing while holding a direction corresponding to a base. If no direction is held, the order is given to all runners. The positions of runners are shown in an inset diamond in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Modes

Scoreboard

The game has the following modes:

• 1 Players Level 1: Starts a one-player game with automatic fielding. The player can choose any team to play, then the game automatically chooses an opponent from the same league. If the player wins, the next game is against another team from the same league, and so on until the player has defeated every team in the league. Then the player can advance to the three-game Japan Series against the champion of the other league, and if the player prevails there, there is a final three-game series between Japan and the United States.
• 1 Players Level 2: Same as above but with manual fielding.
• 2 Players Level 1: Starts a two-player game with automatic fielding. Players can choose any teams from either league. It is a three-game series, and the first player to win two games wins.
• 2 Players Level 2: Same as above but with manual fielding.
• All-Star Game 1: Starts a one-player game between the C-League and P-League all-star teams, which contain the best players from each league.
• All-Star Game 2: Same as above but for two players.
• Home Run Contest 1: Starts a one-player home run contest (with no competitor). Each player gets 20 pitches and tries to hit as many home runs as possible. There are no fielders or basemen, and pitches are delivered automatically.
• Home Run Contest 2: Same as above but for two players (alternating turns).
• Watch: Starts a game between two computer players. Players can take control of the game at any point using either control pad (or stop to let the computer take over again).

Teams

Team select

Teams are based on Nippon Professional Baseball teams.

League	Team	Based on
C League	C	Hiroshima Toyo Carp
	G	Yomiuri Giants
	T	Hanshin Tigers
	W	Yokohama Taiyo Whales
	D	Chunichi Dragons
	S	Yakult Swallows
P League	L	Seibu Lions
	Bu	Kintetsu Buffaloes
	Br	Hankyu Braves
	O	Lotte Orions
	F	Nippon-Ham Fighters
	H	Nankai Hawks

Magazine articles

Main article: The Pro Yakyuu: Pennant Race/Magazine articles.

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
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The Pro Yakyuu: Pennant Race

Master System, JP
Cover
Cart Manual

Technical information

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
?	CRC32 da9be8f0 MD5 0e025768db6e6a7459099add711690ab SHA-1 1ee602f8711d82d13b006984cef95512a93c7783	128kB		Cartridge (JP)