Arc Style: Baseball 3D (Nintendo 3DS) Review

Arc System Works' new love affair with sports games didn't exactly kick off in the right direction, with the poorly received Arc Style: Soccer!! leaving a lot to be desired, as well as raising questions over what the developer can really offer in an already over-saturated genre.

Although the 3DS can lay claim to a huge and varied library of games, it feels malnourished in the sports department. Does Arc System Works' simple take on baseball manage to capture the essence of America's favourite pastime, or does it fail at first base?

Gameplay options include Exhibition, Tournament, and Multiplayer - that's it. Tournament mode is essentially a lazily compiled set of exhibition matches that take place one after another - gradually increasing in difficulty - with none of the mandatory components expected in today's sporting titles. Whether batting or fielding, some of the expected baseball videogame mechanics are here, yet due to the slow pace and overall lack of challenge, it's more a case of going through the motions rather than taking part in a compelling game of bat-and-ball.

Presentation is intriguing, with more effort than expected poured in. Characters' body shapes are amusingly disproportionate to exaggerate their strengths and provide a general at-a-glance view of the team, useful for when picking players for their desired position. The same level of attention obviously cannot be said for the rest of the game; the crowd is non-existent and the general vibe is humdrum. As for the character creation tool, it does at least add some charm by including a photo import option, leading to some deranged and Frankenstein-inspired creations.