Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 2001 is one of those N64 baseball games that just feels different—like you're actually watching a late-night Japanese broadcast with those exaggerated player animations and over-the-top pitching windups. The controls take a minute to get used to (good luck hitting a fastball your first at-bat), but once it clicks, there's something weirdly satisfying about the way fielders dive for line drives or how the crowd noise swells during a close game.

What surprised me was how much personality the made-up players have, even without knowing Japanese—you've got your cocky sluggers, scrawny contact hitters, and pitchers who look like they're about to dislocate a shoulder with every throw. The customization goes deep too; spent way too long making my own team of misfits with ridiculous hair colors.

It's not the prettiest game by today's standards, but the chunky N64 graphics somehow add to the charm. Just don't expect MLB-level realism—this is Japanese baseball at its most theatrical.