Famista 64
Namco's first Nintendo 64 baseball game, a 3D remake.
Famista 64 (also called Family Stadium 64) is a baseball game for the Nintendo 64, made and released in Japan by Namco in 1997. Players pick one of fourteen teams—twelve real ones from Nippon Professional Baseball and two made-up squads—then try to outscore the opponent by pitching, hitting, and fielding, just like in real baseball. It’s the twelfth game in the Family Stadium series and acts as a 3D remake of the first game, *Pro Baseball: Family Stadium*.
Originally planned as part of Namco’s World Stadium series, *Famista 64* was the company’s first game on a Nintendo system since 1994. That gap came after years of disputes between Namco and Nintendo in the late 1980s, which ended with Namco favoring Sony’s PlayStation and becoming a major third-party developer for that console. The game got mostly mixed reviews, with critics pointing to its simple gameplay and low replay value. Some were also disappointed that Namco’s first Nintendo 64 title was a sports game instead of ports of its PlayStation hits, like the *Tekken* series.
**Gameplay** In *Famista 64*, you choose one of fourteen teams and play baseball. You can also create custom teams by borrowing players from other squads. Like earlier *Family Stadium* games, it includes players and stadiums inspired by older Namco titles. One fictional team, the Namco Stars, has players named after Namco games such as *Pac-Man*, *Xevious*, *Dig Dug*, *Toy Pop*, *Ridge Racer*, and *NebulasRay*. Some stadiums are also based on *Xevious* and *Pac-Man*.
**Development and release** Namco announced *Famista 64* as its first game for the Nintendo 64 but didn’t comment on whether it would make more games for the system. It came out only in Japan on November 28, 1997. The game is the twelfth entry in the *Family Stadium* series and a high-definition remake of the 1986 original *Pro Baseball: Family Stadium* (known outside Japan as *R.B.I. Baseball*). It was one of only a few Namco titles for the Nintendo 64, alongside *Namco Museum 64*, and the only one released in Japan. It was Namco’s first Nintendo platform game since 1994, after the companies’ earlier disputes led Namco to focus on Sony’s PlayStation. The game was made under a contract between Nintendo and Namco that allowed Namco to produce a sports title and later a role-playing game—the RPG was never released.
The game's music was composed by Yoshinori Kawamot
- Developer
- Namco
- Publisher
- Namco
- Platform
- Nintendo 64
- Release Date
- November 28, 1997
- Genre
- Baseball video game
- Series
- Family Stadium
- Region
- Japan only
Quick Facts
- Title
- Famista 64
- Developer
- Namco
- Composer
- Yoshinori Kawamoto · Asuka Sakai
- Released
- JP · November 28, 1997
- Genre
- Sports
- Series
- Family Stadium
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Platforms
- Nintendo 64
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Famista 64 was originally intended as an installment in the World Stadium series and was initially titled World Stadium 64. It was announced as Namco's first game for the Nintendo 64, with the company declining to comment on further development for the console. The game was released exclusively in Japan on November 28, 1997, and was one of the few Namco titles for the system, alongside Namco Museum 64. A North American localization was announced but never released.
The game features fourteen selectable teams, including twelve licensed from Nippon Professional Baseball and two fictional teams. One fictional team, the Namco Stars, includes players named after Namco titles such as Pac-Man, Xevious, and Dig Dug. Stadiums are also based on Namco games like Xevious and Pac-Man. The game's animations were designed usi
Reader's Guide
Famista 64 holds significance as Namco's return to Nintendo hardware after several years of disputes between the two companies, which had led Namco to favor Sony's PlayStation. The game was made per a contract with Nintendo that allowed Namco to produce a sports title and later a role-playing game, though the latter was never released. Critics gave the game mixed to negative reviews, citing simplistic gameplay and lack of replay value, with some disappointed that Namco chose a sports title over porting successful PlayStation games like Tekken. Despite this, the game was a commercial success, selling 31,393 copies in two days and becoming the seventh best-selling game in Japan in November 1997. By March 1998, it was the fourth best-selling Nintendo 64 game in Japan. Import reviewers like GameSpot and N64 Magazine found it difficult to recommend, while Japanese publication Famitsu awarded it the 'Silver Hall of Fame' award. The game is remembered as a modest entry in the Family Stadium series and a notable step in Namco's relationship with Nintendo.
Did You Know?
- Famista 64 was originally titled World Stadium 64 and based on Namco's World Stadium arcade series.
- The game's television commercial featured former Japanese pitcher Masaru Ishikawa rising from the ocean and throwing a slim pitch.
- It was Namco's first game on a Nintendo platform since 1994, following disputes between the two companies.
- A North American localization was announced but never released.
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