Diabolical Pitch Review (Xbox 360)
Submitted on: May 02, 2012 by Caley Roark
We haven’t seen many sports or Kinect games hit the XBox Live Marketplace, at least compared to other genres. For every Trials or Fruit Ninja, there are about ten dual joystick shooters. So it’s odd to see an arcade game that’s both sports themed and Kinect Supported.
And, to be blunt, odd is the best way to describe Diabolical Pitch.
And, to be blunt, odd is the best way to describe Diabolical Pitch.
Gameplay
Its premise is simple enough: use pitching motions to knockdown moving targets. It is essentially a virtual carnival game with some modern enhancements. Fill up a meter and you can unload a power pitch. Collect a golden glove and you get a shield, of sorts. Match jackpot icons and collect some bonus points.
All of this is done through pitching, of course. You aim by turning your shoulders or by hovering your “glove hand” in front of the target. Either are relatively effective, as is the kick move for targets getting too close. A fatigue system limits how fast you can throw, as does the real fatigue of throwing nothing over and over.
Its premise is simple enough: use pitching motions to knockdown moving targets. It is essentially a virtual carnival game with some modern enhancements. Fill up a meter and you can unload a power pitch. Collect a golden glove and you get a shield, of sorts. Match jackpot icons and collect some bonus points.
All of this is done through pitching, of course. You aim by turning your shoulders or by hovering your “glove hand” in front of the target. Either are relatively effective, as is the kick move for targets getting too close. A fatigue system limits how fast you can throw, as does the real fatigue of throwing nothing over and over.
Presentation
So if the gameplay is fairly straight-ahead, why is this game so strange? Well, it is the amalgam of baseball, a haunted carnival, slot machine, and comic book imagery that will either make you laugh or scratch your head. If you like the typical Suda51 (No More Heroes) brand of weird stuff, this is more of the same. It’s like Rookie of the Year crossed with Saw, as you mow down bizarrely possessed carnival mascots.
However, if this oddness isn’t your thing, the gameplay is not going to win you over.
So if the gameplay is fairly straight-ahead, why is this game so strange? Well, it is the amalgam of baseball, a haunted carnival, slot machine, and comic book imagery that will either make you laugh or scratch your head. If you like the typical Suda51 (No More Heroes) brand of weird stuff, this is more of the same. It’s like Rookie of the Year crossed with Saw, as you mow down bizarrely possessed carnival mascots.
However, if this oddness isn’t your thing, the gameplay is not going to win you over.
Lasting Appeal
If the game’s weird tone and simple gameplay doesn’t grab you, there are still some interesting things to unlock. Powers and super pitches are unlocked by buying and collecting cards. It is interesting seeing the damage unleashed by the various pitches; as are the different motions they each require.
There is also a mutiplayer component that incorporates reviving downed teammates and cooperatively targeting enemies for more damage and points.
If the game’s weird tone and simple gameplay doesn’t grab you, there are still some interesting things to unlock. Powers and super pitches are unlocked by buying and collecting cards. It is interesting seeing the damage unleashed by the various pitches; as are the different motions they each require.
There is also a mutiplayer component that incorporates reviving downed teammates and cooperatively targeting enemies for more damage and points.
Kinect Support
This game doesn’t do anything revolutionary with the technology, but does the simple stuff well. I didn’t have any trouble aiming or delivering pitches. Again, the various power pitches ask for different motions, and occasionally they felt a little laggy.
This game doesn’t do anything revolutionary with the technology, but does the simple stuff well. I didn’t have any trouble aiming or delivering pitches. Again, the various power pitches ask for different motions, and occasionally they felt a little laggy.
Final Thoughts
At 800 points (or $10), Diabolical Pitch is an interesting investment. It's short chapters make for good, quick gameplay, and the odd theme sort of has to be seen to be believed. The Kinect stuff works well enough, and the multiplayer is pretty fun.
Overall, the low price makes this game worth the risk; even if Diabolical Pitch doesn’t break any molds, it won't break the bank either.
Learning Curve: Simple enough; a tutorial answer any questions you may have. On-screen tips make things even easier.
Kinect: Again, simple but effective. Get ready for some real arm fatigue.
Visuals: A very strange theme, but a stylistic one. Weird doesn’t necessarily equal bad.
Value: While it sort of depends on how much you like the inherent oddities, there’s some decent gameplay for a small price.
At 800 points (or $10), Diabolical Pitch is an interesting investment. It's short chapters make for good, quick gameplay, and the odd theme sort of has to be seen to be believed. The Kinect stuff works well enough, and the multiplayer is pretty fun.
Overall, the low price makes this game worth the risk; even if Diabolical Pitch doesn’t break any molds, it won't break the bank either.
Learning Curve: Simple enough; a tutorial answer any questions you may have. On-screen tips make things even easier.
Kinect: Again, simple but effective. Get ready for some real arm fatigue.
Visuals: A very strange theme, but a stylistic one. Weird doesn’t necessarily equal bad.
Value: While it sort of depends on how much you like the inherent oddities, there’s some decent gameplay for a small price.
Score: 5 (Average)
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