Which Game Should I Buy?

Namco seems right for you but that game is heavily in Japanese and is not import friendly. If you have the energy to try to figure out the game go for it.

I would need some English and an import-friendly game...2 big strikes against Namco. Hopefully Konami is more usable with Slide Cards on American PS2 systems. Thanks for the input.

Namco's game should still work with a slide card. I'm just guessing though, because I've only played Konami's two baseball games. I think when Skinz said Namco's game was "not import friendly," he was just referring to the "heavily Japanese" menus.

I'll address some of your conditions:

-Konami's games do use English sporadically. Pro Spirits 3's main menus have English sub-titles. But neither Pawapuro nor Pro Spirits gives you enough English even to play an exhibition match. Fear not though. BigManZam wrote a great translation guide for Pro Spirits 3. And I've created some rough guides for Pawapuro that I email to anyone who requests them. But these guides will only take you so far... In playing Japanese baseball videogames over the past year or so, I've learned some Katakana. And I still keep a Katakana chart next to me as I play. You'll have to translate some Katakana on your own to really get the most out of season and exhibition games.

-Japanese baseball games emphasize Cursor-Based hitting. If you don't like cursor-based hitting, then Japanese baseball games probably aren't for you. Although Pro Spirits 3 does have one non-cursor-based setting. But I haven't messed with it much.

-If you must have realistic graphics, then go with Pro Spirits 3 or Namco's game. But just know that the cartoonish Pawapuro has been hugely popular over the years. And if I could only play one series, I'd play Pawapuro. I prefer Pawapuro 11 Chou Ketteiban. 12 and 12 Ketteiban are good too though, and I'm sure 13 will be as well.

Sounds like Spirits is my type of game...I can keep a Katakana chart and learn some along the way. Pawapuro sounds good, but I think Spirits is good for me. I've seen the translation guide, I think it covers good details. Once I can afford it, that's probably the game I'll get, seeing as I'm not big on cursor-based hitting, there are English subtitles, and the graphics are good. I think I'll go for Pro Yakyu Spirits 3, even though I hear the games take forever.

Again, I'm not so sure about the one non-cursor-based batting setting in Pro Spirits 3.

Most people seem to play with the batting cursor set to "normal," and "normal" is cursor-based.

To truly enjoy Japanese baseball videogames, you'll likely have to learn to like cursor-based hitting.

The games you mentioned, ESPN MLB 2K5 and MLB 06: The Show, are NOT very good games - in my opinion.

Konami's Japanese baseball games have a totally different feel/flavor. Its hard to explain in just a few words, so I'll just say that Konami's baseball games strike me as more polished, complex, and challenging than any of the doo-doo recently released in North America. Don't expect something that plays like 2K5 or the Show, but with Japanese teams.

And the learning curves, for me at least, have proven steeper with Japanese baseball games. It takes me longer to get the hang of these games, but when I do its that much more rewarding.

R.B.I. was and still is a great game.

Did you take the name, "Freedom Rock" from that old TV commercial for a classic rock album? Two aging hippies are sitting next to a stereo. Hippie #1 asks Hippie #2, "Hey man, is that Freedom Rock?" Hippie #2 replies, "Yeah man." Hippie #1 responds, "Well turn it up man!" I don't know why I remember that.

"Again, I'm not so sure about the one non-cursor-based batting setting in Pro Spirits 3.

Most people seem to play with the batting cursor set to "normal," and "normal" is cursor-based.

To truly enjoy Japanese baseball videogames, you'll likely have to learn to like cursor-based hitting."

-I've actually used cursor-based hitting in the Triple Play series, and it really wasn't that bad there in my opinion. I could get used to it.

"The games you mentioned, ESPN MLB 2K5 and MLB 06: The Show, are NOT very good games - in my opinion."

-They both have their disadvantages, more so the ESPN game. MLB 2K6 was just not good-I only completed one game before I stopped playing that. And in the 2K5 version, I can only play 1-2 games at once, and the Franchise mode stats aren't great. MLB 06: The Show was fun for me to play, but I only rented it, so I never got burned out of playing that game.

"Konami's Japanese baseball games have a totally different feel/flavor. Its hard to explain in just a few words, so I'll just say that Konami's baseball games strike me as more polished, complex, and challenging than any of the doo-doo recently released in North America. Don't expect something that plays like 2K5 or the Show, but with Japanese teams."

-Japanese baseball itself is different in many ways, and therefore the games really should be different. That's probably for the best.

"And the learning curves, for me at least, have proven steeper with Japanese baseball games. It takes me longer to get the hang of these games, but when I do its that much more rewarding."

-That, hopefully, wouldn't be much of a problem. As it is right now i can play games on NES, Sega Genesis, PS1, and PS2, and switch between them with relative ease.

"R.B.I. was and still is a great game."

-Agreed...my favorites were RBI Baseball 2 for NES and the 1994 version for Genesis.

"Did you take the name, "Freedom Rock" from that old TV commercial for a classic rock album? Two aging hippies are sitting next to a stereo. Hippie #1 asks Hippie #2, "Hey man, is that Freedom Rock?" Hippie #2 replies, "Yeah man." Hippie #1 responds, "Well turn it up man!" I don't know why I remember that. "

-Actually, I got it off a shirt I bought about 4 years ago. It just said that on the front, and I liked it.

To anyone who might know: How is the hitting with the cursor OFF in Pro Yakyu Spirits 3?

I don't mind cursor style batting, but I'd prefer NOT to use that method.

The non cursor based hitting system is way too easy. The cursor is very challenging, but very rewarding.